godot-docs/reference/compiling_for_windows.rst

.. _doc_compiling_for_windows:

Compiling for Windows
=====================

.. highlight:: shell

Requirements
------------

For compiling under Windows, the following is required:

-  Visual C++, `Visual
   Studio Community <https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-community-vs.aspx>`__
   (recommended), at least the 2013 version (12.0) up to 2015 (14.0).
   **If you're using Express, make sure you get/have a
   version that can compile for C++, Desktop**.
-  `Python 2.7+ <https://www.python.org/downloads/>`__ (3.0 is
   untested as of now). Using the 32-bits installer is recommended.
-  `Pywin32 Python Extension <http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32>`__
   for parallel builds (which increase the build speed by a great factor).
-  `SCons <http://www.scons.org>`__ build system.

Setting up SCons
----------------

Python adds the interpreter (python.exe) to the path. It usually
installs in ``C:\Python`` (or ``C:\Python[Version]``). SCons installs
inside the Python install and provides a batch file called "scons.bat".
The location of this file can be added to the path or it can simply be
copied to ``C:\Python`` together with the interpreter executable.

To check whether you have installed Python and SCons correctly, you can
type ``python --version`` and ``scons --version`` into the standard
Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe).

Downloading Godot's source
--------------------------

`Godot's <https://github.com/godotengine/godot>`__ source is hosted on
GitHub. Downloading it (cloning) via `Git <https://git-scm.com/>`__ is recommended.

The tutorial will presume from now on that you placed the source into
``C:\godot``.

Compiling
---------

SCons will not be able out of the box to compile from the standard
Windows "Command Prompt" (cmd.exe) because SCons and Visual C++ compiler
will not be able to locate environment variables and executables they
need for compilation.

Therefore, you need to start a Visual Studio command prompt. It sets up
environment variables needed by SCons to locate the compiler.
It should be called similar to one of the bellow names (for your
respective version of Visual Studio):

* "Developer Command Prompt for VS2013"
* "VS2013 x64 Native Tools Command Prompt"
* "VS2013 x86 Native Tools Command Prompt"
* "VS2013 x64 Cross Tools Command Prompt"
* "VS2013 x86 Cross Tools Command Prompt"

You should be able to find at least the Developer Command Prompt for
your version of Visual Studio in your start menu.

However Visual Studio sometimes seems to not install some of the above
shortcuts, except the Developer Console at these locations that are
automatically searched by the start menu search option:

::

   Win 7:
   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Visual Studio 2015\Visual Studio Tools
   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Visual Studio 2013\Visual Studio Tools
   
If you found the Developer Console, it will do for now to create a 32
bit version of Godot, but if you want the 64 bit version, you might need
to setup the prompts manually for easy access.

If you don't see some of the shortcuts, "How the prompts actually work"
section bellow will explain how to setup these prompts if you need them.

About the Developer/Tools Command Prompts and the Visual C++ compiler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is a few things you need to know about these consoles and the
Visual C++ compiler.

Your Visual Studio installation will ship with several Visual C++
compilers, them being more or less identical, however each cl.exe
(Visual C++ compiler) will compile Godot for a different architecture
(32 or 64 bit, ARM compiler is not supported).

The **Developer Command Prompt** will build a 32 bit version of Godot by
using the 32 bit Visual C++ compiler.

**Native Tools** Prompts (mentioned above) are used when you want the
32bit cl.exe to compile a 32 bit executable (x86 Native Tools
Command Prompt). For the 64 bit cl.exe, it will compile a 64 bit
executable (x64 Native Tools Command Prompt).

The **Cross Tools** are used when your Windows is using one architecture
(32 bit, for example) and you need to compile to a different
architecture (64 bit). As you might be familiar, 32 bit Windows can not
run 64 bit executables, but you still might need to compile for them.

For example:

* "VS2013 x64 Cross Tools Command Prompt" will use a 32 bit cl.exe that
  will compile a 64 bit application.

* "VS2013 x86 Cross Tools Command Prompt" will use a 64 bit cl.exe that
  will compile a 32 bit application. This one is useful if you are
  running a 32 bit Windows.

On a 64 bit Windows, you can run any of above prompts and compilers
(cl.exe executables) because 64 bit windows can run any 32 bit
application. 32 bit Windows can not run 64 bit executables, so the
Visual Studio installer will not even install shortcuts for some of
these prompts.

Note that you need to choose the **Developer Console** or the correct
**Tools Prompt** to build Godot for the correct architecture. Use only
Native Prompts if you are not sure yet what exactly Cross Compile
Prompts do.

Running SCons
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once inside the **Developer Console/Tools Console Prompt**, go to the
root directory of the engine source code and type:

::

    C:\godot> scons platform=windows

Tip: if you installed "Pywin32 Python Extension" you can append the -j
command to instruct SCons to run parallel builds like this:

::

    C:\godot> scons -j6 platform=windows

In general, it is OK to have at least as many threads compiling Godot as
you have cores in your CPU, if not one or two more, I use -j6
(six threads) for my 4 core CPU, your mileage may vary. Feel free to add
-j option to any SCons command you see bellow if you setup the
"Pywin32 Python Extension".

If all goes well, the resulting binary executable will be placed in
``C:\godot\bin\`` with the name of ``godot.windows.tools.32.exe`` or
``godot.windows.tools.64.exe``. SCons will automatically detect what
compiler architecture the environment (the prompt) is setup for and will
build a corresponding executable.

This executable file contains the whole engine and runs without any
dependencies. Executing it will bring up the project manager.

How the prompts actually work
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Visual Studio command prompts are just shortcuts that call the
standard Command Prompt and have it run a batch file before giving  you
control. The batch file itself is called **vcvarsall.bat** and it sets up
environment variables, including the PATH variable, so that the correct
version of the compiler can be run.The Developer Command Prompt calls a
different file called **VsDevCmd.bat** but none of the other tools that
this batch file enables are needed by Godot/SCons.

Since you are probably using VS2013 or VS2015, if you need to recreate
them manually, use the bellow folders, or place
them on the desktop/taskbar:

::

   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Visual Studio 2015\Visual Studio Tools
   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Visual Studio 2013\Visual Studio Tools

Start the creation of the shortcut by pressing the ``right mouse
button/New/Shortcut`` in an empty place in your desired location.

Then copy one of these commands bellow for the corresponding tool you
need into the "Path" and "Name" sections of the shortcut creation
wizard, and fix the path to the batch file if needed.

* VS2013 is in the "Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0" folder.
* VS2015 is in the "Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0" folder.
* etc.

::

   Name: Developer Command Prompt for VS2013
   Path: %comspec% /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\Tools\VsDevCmd.bat""

   Name: VS2013 x64 Cross Tools Command Prompt
   Path: %comspec% /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat"" x86_amd64

   Name: VS2013 x64 Native Tools Command Prompt
   Path: %comspec% /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat"" amd64

   Name: VS2013 x86 Native Tools Command Prompt
   Path: %comspec% /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat"" x86

   Name: VS2013 x86 Cross Tools Command Prompt
   Path: %comspec% /k ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat"" amd64_x86

After you create the shortcut, in the shortcut's properties, that you
can access by right clicking with your mouse on the shortcut itself, you
can choose the starting directory of the command prompt ("Start in"
field).
   
Some of these shortcuts (namely the 64 bit compilers) seem to not be
available in the Express edition of Visual Studio or Visual C++.

In case you are wondering what these prompt shortcuts do, they call the
standard cmd.exe with \\k option and have it run a batch file...

::

   %comspec% - path to cmd.exe
   \k - keep alive option of the command prompt
   remainder - command to run via cmd.exe
   
   cmd.exe \k(eep cmd.exe alive after commands behind this option run) ""runme.bat"" with_this_option

How to run an automated build of Godot
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you need to just run the compilation process via a batch file or
directly in the vanilla Windows Command Prompt you need to do the
following command:

::

   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86

with one of the following parameters:

* x86 (32 bit cl.exe to compile for the 32 bit architecture)
* amd64 (64 bit cl.exe to compile for the 64 bit architecture)
* x86_amd64 (32 bit cl.exe to compile for the 64 bit architecture)
* amd64_x86 (64 bit cl.exe to compile for the 32 bit architecture)

and after that one, you can run SCons:

::

   scons platform=windows

or  you can do them together:

::

   32 bit Godot
   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" x86 && scons platform=windows
   
   64 bit Godot
   "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\vcvarsall.bat" amd64 && scons platform=windows

Development in Visual Studio or other IDEs
------------------------------------------

For most projects, using only scripting is enough but when development
in C++ is needed, for creating modules or extending the engine, working
with an IDE is usually desirable.

You can create a Visual Studio solution via SCons by running SCons with
the vsproj=yes parameter, like this:

::

   scons p=windows vsproj=yes

You will be able to open Godot's source in a Visual Studio solution now
but, currently, you can not build Godot via Visual Studio, as it does
not work. It can be made to work manually if you are inclined to do so
(.bat file called from NMake settings) but it is beyond the scope of
this article.

Cross-compiling for Windows from other operating systems
---------------

If you are a Linux or Mac user, you need to install mingw32 and
mingw-w64. Under Ubuntu or Debian, just run the following commands:

::

    apt-get install mingw32 mingw-w64

If you are using another distro, SCons will check for the following
binaries:

::

    i586-mingw32msvc-gcc
    i686-w64-mingw32-gcc

If the binaries are named or located somewhere else, export the
following env variables:

::

    export MINGW32_PREFIX="/path/to/i586-mingw32msvc-"
    export MINGW64_PREFIX="/path/to/i686-w64-mingw32-"

To make sure you are doing things correctly, executing the following in
the shell should result in a working compiler:

::

    user@host:~$ ${MINGW32_PREFIX}gcc
    gcc: fatal error: no input files

Creating Windows export templates
---------------------------------

Windows export templates are created by compiling Godot as release, with
the following flags:

-  (using Mingw32 command prompt, using the bits parameter)

::

    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release bits=32
    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release_debug bits=32

-  (using Mingw-w64 command prompt, using the bits parameter)

::

    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release bits=64
    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release_debug bits=64

-  (using the Visual Studio command prompts for the correct
   architecture, notice the lack of bits parameter)

::

    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release
    C:\godot> scons platform=windows tools=no target=release_debug

If you plan on replacing the standard templates, copy these to:

::

    C:\USERS\YOURUSER\AppData\Roaming\Godot\Templates

With the following names:

::

    windows_32_debug.exe
    windows_32_release.exe
    windows_64_debug.exe
    windows_64_release.exe

However, if you are writing your custom modules or custom C++ code, you
might instead want to configure your binaries as custom export templates
here:

.. image:: /img/wintemplates.png

You don't even need to copy them, you can just reference the resulting
files in the ``bin\`` directory of your Godot source folder, so the next
time you build you automatically have the custom templates referenced.