Instruction to build an Add-in from SDK cannot be followed.

Hi,

my general advice is "Do not use Visual Studio wizards". I am aware it is in conflict with general recommendations (automate process using tools and wizards) and that it makes learning process a bit more complicated, but I think the wizards causes more troubles than are their benefits.

Because you mentioned "addin", I guess you are interested in C# (NET Framework in general) code. In such case, my recommendations are:

• Use any Visual Studio you like. I recommend to use VS2019 (can be any, even Community Edition), because when you potentially move to C++, VS2019 is required. But I use VS2022 as an editor for all my projects now and it's fine (although I recall some complains about WPF).
• Learn from examples, delivered with MicroStation SDK.
• MicroStation addin is standard NET Framework 4.6 dll project, there is nothing special (the only exception is how to include command table to the project, that requires manual modification of csproj file).

With regards,

  Jan

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your advice. Yes you are right, I am interested in using C# code. 

For using the examples delivered with MicroStation CONNECT SDK, I found them at  C:\Program Files\Bentley\MicroStationCONNECTSDK\examples

I have some questions:

1. If I find a Visual Studio solution inside (such as the WPFDemo solution), do I just need to open it by double clicking the *.sln file in Windows? Or I need to open the SDK Developer Shell first and run devenv command as the Youtube tutorial https://youtu.be/gjROBS4T1oo   ?

2. I am studying to migrate a set of old MDL files that worked in V8i SS10 to the newer version of Microstation. The MDLs have a lot of UI in popup forms. Is WPF the only option to implement the popup forms if I use C#?

Thank you!

Sui

Sui Huang said:

do I just need to open it by double clicking the *.sln file in Windows? Or I need to open the SDK Developer Shell first and run devenv command

The second option is right: You should always start VS from development shell (and build own projects in the same way), because the shell defines useful variables, that are used in VS (and bmake) projects. In the case of C#, MS variable is typically used in referencing assemblies.

Sui Huang said:

The MDLs have a lot of UI in popup forms. Is WPF the only option to implement the popup forms if I use C#?

When you want to stay with C# only,. WPF is the best way. WinForms can be used too, but it is old and obsolete technology.

With regards,

  Jan

Thank you Jan!