Setting up a C/C++ development environment

Windows

Installing Visual Studio

To develop in C/C++ on Windows, install “Visual Studio,” Microsoft’s official integrated development environment (IDE).

1. Download the installer

   From the Visual Studio official site, download “Visual Studio Community 2022.”

   Be sure to choose the free edition

   The Pro and Enterprise editions are paid products. For classes or individual study, be sure to choose Community.

2. Select workloads (features)

   Run the downloaded VisualStudioSetup.exe and check the following item.

   • Check “Desktop development with C++”

   Why there is no separate option for 'C'

   In Visual Studio, a C compiler is included within the C++ environment. So selecting the workload labeled “C++” is sufficient.

3. Run the installation

   Click “Install” in the lower right of the screen.

Creating “Hello World” in C++

Once the installation is complete, let’s write and run an actual C++ program.

What is a 'project'?

In Visual Studio, you cannot create a single file and run it immediately. The convention is to first create a container called a “project,” and then add C++ source files into it.

1. Launch Visual Studio

   Launch Visual Studio. If a sign-in screen appears on first launch, sign in with your university account or a personal Microsoft account, or select “Skip for now” to proceed.

2. Create a new project

   • Click “Create a new project” in the lower right of the start screen.
   • From the list of templates, select “Empty Project” (Language: C++ / Platform: Windows), then click “Next.”
   • Specify a project name (e.g. Sample01) and save location, then click “Create.”

3. Add a C++ file (.cpp)

   • Right-click “Source Files” in the “Solution Explorer” on the right side of the screen.
   • Select “Add” > “New Item.”
   • Select “C++ File (.cpp)”, confirm the name (e.g. main.cpp), and click “Add.”

4. Write the code

   In the editor for the added main.cpp, enter the following C++ code.

   #include <stdio.h>
   
   int main(void) {
       printf("Hello, World!\n");
       return 0;
   }

5. Run the program

   Press Ctrl + F5 (Start Without Debugging) together to run the program.

   We recommend running with 'Ctrl + F5'

   Simply pressing F5 can cause the black console window to close instantly. Running with Ctrl + F5 pauses the results screen so it stays on screen, which is more convenient.

   If a black (console) screen appears showing the program’s output, you have succeeded!

Downloading the SDK & placing it in your project

1. Obtain the SDK archive (ZIP)

   From this site’s downloads page, download the latest PUCLIB_SDK.zip.

2. Extract the archive

   Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder of your choice. The extracted folder contains the following files.

   • include/: Header files (PUCLIB.h, PUCCONST.h, PUCUTIL.h)
   • lib/: Import libraries (PUCLIB.lib, PUCUTIL.lib)
   • dll/: Dynamic libraries for runtime use (PUCLIB.dll, PUCUTIL.dll, etc.)

3. Place the files in your development project

   Place the above headers and libraries in the root directory of the C++ project you are creating (or configure the paths to them).

About placing the DLL at runtime

When running the built .exe application, place PUCLIB.dll in the same folder as the .exe, or somewhere referenced by the system PATH environment variable.

2. Creating a Hello World program

This is minimal sample code (main.cpp) that initializes the SDK and performs a connection test.

#include <cstdio>
#include "PUCLIB.h"

int main() {
    printf("--- INFINICAM SDK Initializing ---\n");

    // 1. Initialize the SDK
    PUCRESULT res = PUC_Initialize();
    if (PUC_CHK_FAILED(res)) {
        fprintf(stderr, "SDK initialization failed. Error code: 0x%08X\n", res);
        return -1;
    }

    // 2. Detect connected devices
    PUC_DETECT_INFO detectInfo = {0};
    res = PUC_DetectDevice(&detectInfo);
    if (PUC_CHK_FAILED(res)) {
        fprintf(stderr, "Device detection failed.\n");
        return -1;
    }

    printf("Number of INFINICAM devices detected: %u\n", detectInfo.nDeviceCount);

    // 3. Open the device (if at least one was detected)
    if (detectInfo.nDeviceCount > 0) {
        PUC_HANDLE hDevice = NULL;
        res = PUC_OpenDevice(0, &hDevice);

        if (PUC_CHK_SUCCEEDED(res)) {
            printf("SUCCESS: Successfully connected to INFINICAM!\n");

            // Close the device
            PUC_CloseDevice(hDevice);
        } else {
            fprintf(stderr, "ERROR: Failed to open the device.\n");
        }
    } else {
        printf("No camera found. Please check the USB or LAN cable connection.\n");
    }

    return 0;
}

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3. Build settings (Visual Studio example)

When building the project with Visual Studio (MSVC) or similar, configure the following project properties.

Setting	Example value
Additional Include Directories	$(ProjectDir)include
Additional Library Directories	$(ProjectDir)lib\x64
Additional Dependencies	PUCLIB.lib
Platform	x64 (64-bit required)

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Related pages

Device connection & capture settings APIDetails of connection and basic control APIs such as PUC_Initialize and PUC_OpenDevice

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