How to make a installer file to package my dlls to a setup file,

[swaywood]

Hi:

   Now i have many dll tools, i want to make a setup.exe file to let user installer.

   You know for AutoCAD we have to prepare several vesions of dll files,like V18(AutoCAD 2010!2012),V19(AutoCAD 2013~2015),V20(AutoCAD 2016~2018) if there is a tool to make the setup.exe file, and let it can setup according to the user's AutoCAD  version?

   thanks

swaywood

[_gile · Accepted solution]

Hi,

First I'd say most of the times you haven't to build separate assemblies for R19 (A2013-A2014), R20 (A2015-A2016) and R21 (A2017). As far as you don't reference COM libraries an application targeting A2013 (with .NET Framework 4.0) should work for A2013 to A2017. The only real break in binary compatibility for .NET applications happens with A2013.

That said, the simplest way to deply AutoCAD application since AutoCAD 2012 is to use the Autoloader mechanism.

Then, you can build an installer using some Visual Studio extension as Visual Studio Installer Project (VS2013 or VS 2015) to deploy the .bundle folder if you use the Autoloader mechanism or to register your application as described in these Kean Walmsley topics: Building an Installer Part1, Part2 and Part 3 (Kean used VS2010 in which the Visual Studio Installer Project was natively installed instead of being an extension).

[swaywood]

Hi Giles:

    Thanks for your help. I know what you say about the assembly version, but for some special version we have to make separate assembly, for example, the doc statusbar, or the blockview etc.

    I'll try to make the setupexe by the methods of kean.

    Best wishes.

swaywood

[Keith.Brown]

Advanced Installer is a great little package for creating autocad plugins.  We use the professional version but their free version does quite well if you are using the AutoDesk AutoLoader since for installation of the autoloader packages all you need to do is copy to a specific location.

http://www.advancedinstaller.com/top-freeware-features.html