Please help me setup Visual Studio to use HDK. I have

-Vista 64 (can't move to ubuntu yet)
-Visual Studio 2005 and 2008 both can compile 64bit
-Houdini 9.5 64bit

First questions:
1. Which version of VS must I use? I've read that it used to be “the same as the Houdini was built with”. Is it still a requirement? Then which version was the Houdini 9.5 Win64 built with indeed?
2. I understand that I don't need to specially install the HDK nor use the hcustom.exe anymore?
3. Should I start by making a blank DLL project in VS? Which function should the DLL export? Shouldn't I export at least void newSopOperator(OP_OperatorTable *table)? What calling convention? Mangled C++ name, or export “C”?

4. If I simply add include and dsolib folders to the compiler and linker, and add specific libraries dependencies … will I be able to build the source of the SOP_Star, for example? Do I have to #define some keywords?

5. How do I install the .dll into Houdini?

6. Could someone be so very kind as to share a sample VS project that has all the settings already, or each setup is too unique for a general template?

Well, I'd really appreciate any help. Thank you
Igor

Isnt Houdini 9 all about scripting from within Houdini, so you dont need to work outside? I dont know even if they still have the HDK for Houdini 9.

(I have only worked with the HDK and Houdini 8, so I have no idea if what I am writing below is still valid in Houdini 9.)

1. I dont know about Houdini 9.xx, but here is a little helper for Houdini 8.
Maybe it is some help for you:
http://odforce.net/wiki/index.php/Setup_visual_Studio [odforce.net]

2. That is my understanding too.

3. There is lots of examples for working with SOPs and so in the toolkit folder in the Houdini installation path.

4. You have to include them as a “#include” in your file too, to make that work. So if you wanna use GU_Detail (for example) then you need to write
#include <GU/GU_Detail.h> as normal programming standard.

5. Iin Houdini 8, there is a folder, that was created when installing Houdini, where you can put your compiled DLL files. And that folder should be in your documents and settings. There is a Houdini folder, and a subfolder called dso, where you can put your DLL files.

6. See the toolkit folder, and try them. Clear out all functions and try. That is what I did.

http://odforce.net/wiki/index.php/HDKFrequentlyAskedQuestions [odforce.net]