Default Location for Deploying .net dll using a Visual Studio Setup Project

[BKSpurgeon]

Hi all

• I am trying to create an installer to deploy my .net dll to another person's computer.
• I want to use the autoloader functionality to make it happen.
• I have created a New Visual Studio "Set Up" project which will create an installer. All that I want done is for the installer to copy over the relevant files (i.e. the .bundle folder which contains my dll and the PackageContents.xml required to take advantage of the autoloader mechanism) to the relevant location.

My question is, how to I get visual studio to install it to the relevant autocad static folders:

%ProgramData%/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins or

%APPDATA%/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins

Because when I try and set the default location, I receive the following error:

It says invalid default location for these static folder locations.

Advice much appreciated - especially with a way to simply deploy the relevant files to the locations required by autocad.

rgds

Ben

[_gile · Accepted solution]

Hi,

It seems to me the property name for the ProgramData folder is: CommonAppDataFolder (see >>here<<).

[CommonAppDataFolder]\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

 For %appdata% the property name is: AppDataFolder

[AppDataFolder]\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins

[BKSpurgeon]

Brilliant as always Gilles! chrs

[moogalm]

Thats correct, when deploying or building MSI package you have to follow MSI Nomenclature, for miniature deployments such as this, VS Setup project would be fine, for developing end to end MSI package, I strongly suggest to pursue Wixtoolset

The shortcoming with Visual Studio Project is it can not support custom action, custom property etc, and you may have use to ORCA to edit the Property Table is MSI database after build MSI package, this varies from target machine to machine.

Just my few cents 🙂

[_gile]

@moogalm, I agree, Wix is great, but i have to disagree, Microsoft Visual Studio 2017 Installer Projects does allow to create custom actions and custom properties.

[moogalm]

Cool, I didn't know this thanks @_gile, we moved to Wix at that time VS has not had good support.