topic Re: Qt installation in 3ds Max Programming Forum

Qt installation

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 23:19:10 GMT

I am installing qt now.

I am using visual studio 2017 and 3ds max 2020.

under

https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2020/ENU/?guid=__developer_writing_plug_ins_using_qt_with_3ds_...

It says I need install Qt 5.11.2, but there is only 5.12.2

I installed 5.12.2 and I do not know how to using the $(QTVER) and $(QTDIR) macros

Thanks very much!

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 23:38:23 GMT

a) a simple google returns: https://download.qt.io/archive/qt/

b) install QT Addin V2.4.0 - all newer versions dont work with VS2019 at least

c) are you familar with property sheets? The paths are described on the help page you already read:

By default, the SDK's $(QTDIR) is defined as <maxsdk>\Qt\<QtVersion>. So you can copy the contents of your Qt install to this location. Or:
Change the definition of $(QTDIR) in <maxsdk>\ProjectSettings\propertySheets\3dsmax.general.project.settings.props to point to the installed version of Qt.

Re: Qt installation

Anonymous — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 23:47:38 GMT

There is no 5.11 either.

In the property sheet, I changed the version into 5.12.2.

Should I change the qt path in "$(MaxSdkDir)Qt\$(QTVER)\"?

Here I copied the qt content under maxsdk.

But I still get the error.

My qt visual studio tools version is 2.6.0.

Thanks very much

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sat, 23 Jan 2021 23:56:14 GMT

Hmm.. interesting!!

They aparently removed the file 'qt-opensource-windows-x86-5.11.2.exe' and 'qt-everywhere-src-5.11.2.zip' recently.

We should tell AD to make a copy on their servers.

Re: Qt installation

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 00:29:18 GMT

Oh..

I do not know how to tell them..

Do you know?

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 01:41:33 GMT

I alway use Qt 5.12 and it will work [erfectlly fine with 3dsmax 2020 and 2021. It's must be another issue.

Can you give me the exact problem in visual studio ?

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 01:51:23 GMT

Of course, you can try 3dsmax 2021 SDK if you are not sure, it will work with Qt 5.12.5 the version it's mostlly the minimum version not exaxt version.
But I always use qt 5.12.5 for both 3dsmax 2020 and 2021 and it's fine.

Re: Qt installation

Anonymous — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 01:53:46 GMT

OK, let me try.

Should I change the version in the property sheet?

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 01:59:55 GMT

You should edit these lines depend on the version and location of Qt you choose to install.

Around line 191....

<QTVER>$([MSBuild]::ValueOrDefault(`$(QTVER)`, `5.11.2`))</QTVER>
<QTDIR>$([MSBuild]::ValueOrDefault(`$(QTDIR)`, `$(MaxSdkDir)Qt\$(QTVER)\`))</QTDIR>
<QTDIR Condition="'$(IsMaxProjectInDevTree)'=='true'">$(MaxDevelDir)Qt\$(QTVER)\</QTDIR>
<QtMigrateLib>$(MaxDevelDir)QtWinMigrate\lib\</QtMigrateLib>
<QtMigrateLib Condition="'$(IsMaxProjectInDevTree)'=='false'">$(MaxSdkDir)QtWinMigrate\lib\</QtMigrateLib>
<QtMigrateInc>$(MaxDevelDir)</QtMigrateInc>
<QtMigrateInc Condition="'$(IsMaxProjectInDevTree)'=='false'">$(MaxSdkDir)</QtMigrateInc>

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 09:30:21 GMT

@omidt_gh wrote:
But I always use qt 5.12.5 for both 3dsmax 2020 and 2021 and it's fine.

A little remark: There exist differences, which forced me to use exactly 5.11.2 for Max2020-SP2. I forgot the details, but using the same DLL version fixed it (I created a non-modal QT dialog and mainly fighted with the stuff AD was overriding for using their layout colors). Qt claims being downwards but not upwards compatible. Afaik Max 2020 SP3 uses a newer QT version - but I could not get SP3 working (maybe due to my specific case).

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 09:31:43 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
I do not know how to tell them..
Do you know?

I'll open a ticket.

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 10:04:16 GMT

If you asking me I prefer to create plugging without QT, because all dependency you need to use for 3dsmax is already too much, and use another one on top of that makes it harder and harder to upgrade and moving to the next 3dsmax.

Just use normal UI design tools, it is a little bit of pain in a... but You are going to get used to it.
in this case, it will be much easier to move to next 3dsmax SDK and next version, or you should keep many different QT version on you pc and keep tracking of each different version in addition of many things you already need to take care of just to be able to build your project for a different version of 3dsmax.
Do not go to that s... hole.

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 15:43:47 GMT

The more I use Qt, the more I like it! I also try now to get rid all these paramblk relations, where it's possible. Besides 'localization', which is much easier with Qt, I'm using the Qt ToolTip/Help system instead of writing docs. And if you need dynamically sized WinCtrls, I'd not even think about using WinApi anymore.

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 17:40:44 GMT

That's nice.
in some cases event the best solution.

Let me know about your progress.

And be careful with version and all things because you use Qt you need to store many different versions so you can compile your code in for a different versions of 3dsmax.

Re: Qt installation

istan — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 23:18:46 GMT

@omidt_gh wrote:
And be careful with version and all things because you use Qt you need to store many different versions so you can compile your code in for a different versions of 3dsmax.

I'm used to it since Max3 😉

and there are so many other different dependencies like windows-version, vc-runtime, dotnet, physx-ver,..

Re: Qt installation

istan — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 07:53:38 GMT

A qt 5.11.2 version can be found here: https://www.autodesk.com/company/legal-notices-trademarks/open-source-distribution

Re: Qt installation

attilaszabo — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:32:35 GMT

Hi everyone, for those interested to get the source code of the Qt version used by 3ds Max releases, please visit the public Autodesk forks on git: https://github.com/autodesk-forks/qtbase/releases

I hope this helps.

Re: Qt installation

istan — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:56:01 GMT

Hi Attila,

thanks for the information!

Re: Qt installation

Anonymous — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 02:49:09 GMT

Mr attilaszabo:

Thanks for the file.

I think I need save them in a folder as "msvc2017_64", right?

Also, I think I need to build it as shown in

https://doc.qt.io/archives/qt-5.11/windows-building.html

@istan

Hi, istan:

Thanks for your resource.

I think your file is the src.

How can I build msvc2017_64 from src?

Thanks!

Re: Qt installation

omidt_gh — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 13:02:38 GMT

You do not need to build it, of course you can build from source but it's not necessarily .
just download the correct version from this address https://www.autodesk.com/company/legal-notices-trademarks/open-source-distribution and add it to your plugin source and wizard as it shown in 3dsmax SDK document.