This guide will help you get started using Cinder on Windows. Start by downloading Cinder itself from the site's Download Page if you haven't already. Choose the Visual C++ 2010 version if you don't already have Visual C++ installed.
Cinder is designed for either Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 or 2010, and works with both the
commercial versions and the freely available Express editions. If you don't already have one of those versions installed,
we'll walk you through setting up the free 2010 edition.
The first step is of course to download Visual C++ itself, which you can do here. Next, lauch the installer. You can leave the settings at their defaults and simply click the Install button.
Next you'll want the latest Microsoft's Platform SDK, which you can download here. After launching your new copy of winsdk_web.exe, you'll want to setup your installation as it's depicted in the included images.
Cinder makes use of DirectX for its audio code, so you'll want to grab the latest DirectX SDK, which you can download here. Next, launch your new copy of DXSDK_Jun10.exe.
Lastly, you'll need to grab the QuickTime SDK 7.3 from Apple, which requires you to have a free ADC account. If you don't have an account, follow the Join now link in the lower right corner, and follow the Learn more link under the "Register as an Apple Developer" heading on the next page. From there, select the Get Started page, and then select Create an Apple ID on the one after that. After creating your account, you can login to the original site and download the QuickTime 7.3 SDK.
Cinder expects QuickTime to exist in the same directory it does, in a directory called QuickTimeSDK-7.3. Be sure to install it accordingly when prompted by the installer.
Once you're done, your directories should look roughly like this:
If you are using one of our packaged releases, you should be all set.
Let's try opening and building one of the samples. From Windows Explorer, navigate to the cinder\samples\QuickTime\vc10 folder (or vc9 if you're using Visual C++ 2008) and double-click quickTimeSample.sln.
Under the Debug menu select Start Debugging and click Yes when prompted to build the project. The QuickTime sample will launch and present you with an Open dialog. Select a QuickTime movie on your hard drive, and you should see something about like this:
Especially as we continue to develop the documentation, the samples are the best way to get started learning Cinder. Don't be afraid to modify them and experiment. And if you haven't read Robert Hodgin's Hello, Cinder tutorial, you should go do that first.
TinderBox is our GUI tool for creating Cinder projects quickly and easily. It can generate Xcode as well as Visual C++ 2008 and 2010 projects. It is located at cinder/tools/TinderBox in our packaged releases. A guide to creating projects using TinderBox is available here.