Setting up Point Cloud Library with Visual Studio

Question

I am trying to use the Point Cloud Library with Visual Studio. I downloaded the all-in-one 64 bit installer, Visual Studio 10 and installed them. But now I cannot run it on Visual Studio 2010, I have tried the tutorial on the official page with no luck.

I want to add the includes and lib location, with the .lib files in the properties of my solution.

I have done this before with opencv, but for PCL I don't know what files and folders I have to add.

Also what .dll files I have to add to the path of the system variables.

Cmake didn't work, and I prefer not to use it.

Answer 1

• You have to add the include directories to your project at the Project Properties / Configuration Properties / VC++ Directories / Include Directories field - here you specify the path to your PCL/include directory and to all 3rd party include directories (see PCL/3rdParty folder)

• You have to add the library directories on the same settings page (Library Directories field) - here you specify the path to your PCL/lib directory and to all non-header-only 3rd party libs (namely Boost, Flann, VTK)

• You have to tell the linker, which libs you will use. This can be done on Project Properties / Configuration Properties / Linker / Input / Additional Dependencies field. Add all the libs you are using. Most likely, you will need pcl_common, pcl_io, pcl_visualization and some others if you are using any functionalities other than the basics. Be aware to add the _release libs to your release configuration and _debug libs to your debug configuration (which should be a 64bit configuration in your case).

• Do the above twice, if you plan to use both configurations (Debug and Release)

• Add the Be PCL/bin folder to your system path variable (you don't need to add specific dll files, just the folder).