OpenVDB-Getting-Started

Steps taken to get from OpenVDB source to simple compiled C++ application

This repo serves as a record, and hopefully a reference, for the steps taken to get to a simple C++ app using the OpenVDB library. https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb

tl;dr - to get to the end point without worrying about the details listed below

• Download/clone this repo
• Ensure you have downloaded and integrated the vckpg steps directly below
• Overwrite or create OpenVDB folder in Program Files folder with contents of .zip
  • such that you have C:\Program Files\OpenVDB with bin, include, and lib from the zip
• open .sln in openvdb_test folder
• Right click project and Build
• Currently only works for Release (not Debug)
  • 
• Ctrl - F5 to run without debugging

Download/setup https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg:

git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vcpkg
cd C:\dev\vcpkg
bootstrap-vcpkg.bat

and install for Visual Studio (assuming already installed with C++ dev option checked; here using VS2019 Community)

vcpkg integrate install

Prepare the vcpkg libraries for OpenVDB :

vcpkg install zlib:x64-windows
vcpkg install blosc:x64-windows
vcpkg install tbb:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-iostreams:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-system:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-any:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-algorithm:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-uuid:x64-windows
vcpkg install boost-interprocess:x64-windows
vcpkg install openexr:x64-windows

Note, here I've added openexr to the list detailed on the OpenVDB github page. Also note that if you copy paste, double check the last line is executed before moving on.

Starting from OpenVDB 8.0.1 release here: https://github.com/AcademySoftwareFoundation/openvdb/releases which I've downloaded/cloned into C:\dev\

Using cmd (Run as Administrator, not just logged into an Administrator account; you should see "Adminsitrator" in the cmd window title):

cd C:\dev\openvdb-8.0.1
mkdir build
cd build
cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=C:\dev\vcpkg\scripts\buildsystems\vcpkg.cmake -DVCPKG_TARGET_TRIPLET=x64-windows -A x64 ..
cmake --build . --parallel 4 --config Release --target install

Again, double check the last line runs.

Create console project in VS2019 and resolve issues

This project is available in openvdb_test folder. Created console app, pasted the "Hello, World" code from the OpenVDB documentation examples page: https://www.openvdb.org/documentation/doxygen/codeExamples.html#sPointsHelloWorld

Add "C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include" to Properties -> VC++ Directories -> Include Directories

Folder created in solution directory of openvdb_test called "libs", and both openvdb .lib files from the "openvdb-8.0.1\build\openvdb\openvdb\Release" folder were copied over. Add the below to Properties -> Linker -> Input -> Additional Dependencies $(SolutionDir)libs\openvdb.lib $(SolutionDir)libs\libopenvdb.lib

For runtime required dll's, copy all dll's in "C:\dev\openvdb-8.0.1\build\openvdb\openvdb\Release" to "openvdb_test\x64\Release". The executable openvdb_test.exe is created in "openvdb_test\x64\Release"

A list of errors were found in 7 different .h files in: "C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\math" and "C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points" and manually edited and saved. Requires admin permissions in app used to edit files. I like VSCode as it offers to run in Admin if it gets stuck.

"C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\math\Mat.h"

add #define _USE_MATH_DEFINES and edit math include to be: #include <math.h>

see https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2561368/illegal-token-on-right-side-of added/editted brackets around occurances of max, for example:

std::numeric_limits<T>::max()
std::max

changed to

(std::numeric_limits<T>::max)()
(std::max)

NOTE:

I'm not completely sure that the below edit is valid; yet to reach out for support and/or test. C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\PointConversion.h lines 575 and 581:

mMax(-std::numeric_limits<Real>::max()) {}

changed to:

mMax(-(std::numeric_limits<Real>::max)()) {}

for all uses of max and min in the below:

C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\AttributeArray.h
C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\AttributeSet.h
C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\IndexFilter.h
C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\PointGroup.h
C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\PointDataGrid.h
C:\Program Files\OpenVDB\include\openvdb\points\PointConversion.h

Depending on your errors, you might make the changes yourself, or you can replace the OpenVDB contents in Program Files with the OpenVDB.zip in repo root folder