Hi!
I'm writing my first game in Managed DirectX 2.0 + C# 2.0. I'm using Visual C# 2005 Express.
What is the best way to create an installation packet for my game The installation should check if 1).NET Framework 2.0 is installed and install it if necessary, and 2) check if Managed DirectX is installed and install if necessary.
I'd like to know how to make both online installer (.NET and MDX is loaded from the net) and a "CD-installer" (all files included along the installation package).
I previously used Visual Studio 2003, and I did not succeed to create installation package that deployed MDX.
How to Publishing/Deploy a Managed DirectX game?
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How to Publishing/Deploy a Managed DirectX game?
Big E
The Express products use the Click Once method to publish the pakages, there is a group on this site were you can ask questions about the system. As for the directX install and detecting the .net framework.
First the .Net framework detection and install is done by default in the Click Once system, so you do not have to do anything with that. In the case of the MDX 2.0 system you are going to have some problems. The first big problem is that the system is in beta and there is no end user runtime for the system. So to distribute it you would have to package up the complete SDK (As you can not send just the dlls as it breaks the license for the system). You are able though to publish the 1.1 version of the MDX system as there is a runtime. Now to include it in the install you will need to look at the msbuild system and create a manifest file that can be inserted into the visual studio setup system.... then build your package.
The other option is to get the user to use the web installer package for the directX system. Yet again this will only be for the 1.1 version of MDX.
If you are using a 3rd party MSI Creator you should be able to add the main re-distributable to the system and add it to the install.
Vincent.zephira
I'm not sure this is the forum for deployment with VS Express.
You mentioned using 2003. If it was professional edition than you should know.
Express doesn't have the nifty deployment wizards and all that because is "express".
You want to know about both online installer and a CD installer you say... first one can be a science in itself. Check and see what other forums are around.
terr
"You mentioned using 2003. If it was professional edition than you should know."
Having a tool doesen't mean that i can use it. But I think it was a pro version (got it from school). But I still had problems to deploy the MDX package. Now I use Visual C# 2005 Express, since my VS2003 student licence has been expired, so thats it with 2003...
"first one can be a science in itself."
Visual C# Express's Publish -functionality generates an online installer that check if .NET framework is installed and downloads it if necessary. I'm just asking if someone has experience about MDX installation along with your game.
I tried even manually install the MDX to the target machine, but still I could not get the game working. After I installed the MDX SDK (which is something I dont want to do) the game worked ok...
iping