3. Visual Studio Configuration

Visual Studio

Following are some miscellaneous details relating to the configuration of Visual Studio with libraries/DLLs (mainly for OpenCV, applicable to other libraries as well).

Things to configure in VS

• OpenCV include/library relative paths
• dll storage and post build copy to execution folder.

Configuration Steps/Paths

The following paths must be set to include necessary headers and libraries in the Project Property Pages window as follows.

Right click on Project -> Properties -> Configuration Properties

Include File (Header) Path

C/C++ -> General -> Additional Include Directories: $(ProjectDir)..\..\opencv\include
VC++ Directories -> Include Directories: $(ProjectDir)..\..\opencv\include

Library Path

VC++ Directories -> Library Directories: $(ProjectDir)..\..\opencv\x64\vc14\lib
Linker -> General -> Additional Library Directories: $(ProjectDir)..\..\opencv\x64\vc14\lib;

**Library Files

Linker -> Input -> Additional Dependencies: opencv_core330d.lib; opencv_highgui330d.lib;opencv_imgcodecs330d.lib; opencv_imgproc330d.lib; opencv_objdetect330d.lib; opencv_features2d330d.lib; opencv_videoio330d.lib

DLL Copy Post Build Event.

Libraries are checked at compile time, but DLLs are loaded at RUNTIME* and must be in the same folder as the .exe. Thus, any necessary DLLs must be copied to the build folder (BlindAid\x64\Debug or Release) using Post Build Events.

Build Events -> Post Build Events -> Command Line: xcopy /d /y /s /r "$(ProjectDir)\..\..\Dependencies\opencv\x64\vc14\bin\*.dll" "$(OutDir)"

Project Variables (Macros)

The post build event above uses the following variables that point to locations in the project.

$(ProjectDir): Folder containing all the .cpp/.h files for the current project.
$(OutDir): Folder where the .exe is compiled to in the current configuration (x86/x64 & Debug/Release).
..\: Goes up one folder (useful for referring to TestData in loading/Dependencies in config).
*: Wildcard in file/folder names (also to select all subfolders and files).