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How to open the source code and build in Visual Studio

By 'Airstrike' Ivanov

Here's a quick rundown on how to set up Visual Studio 2019 to modify and build the open source DLL files.

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Created by

'Airstrike' Ivanov
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Category: Modding or Configuration

Languages: English

Posted

Updated

5 Jun, 2020 @ 4:59pm

5 Jun, 2020 @ 5:00pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Required Downloads

Installing Visual Studio and Windows 8.1 SDK

Modifying and Building the DLL

Comments

Required Downloads

You'll need the following installers to do this:

The Windows 8.1 SDK from the Earlier releases section of the Windows SDK Archive[developer.microsoft.com]
Visual Studio 2019 Community from the Visual Studio website[visualstudio.microsoft.com]

Installing Visual Studio and Windows 8.1 SDK

Now that you've got your downloads, it's time to install Visual Studio! Note that Visual Studio Code will not work for this, as you need to build the .dll files once you make changes, so you need the full Visual Studio install.

Make sure to select the following components:

MSVC v141 - VS 2017 C++ x64/x86 build tools (v14.16)
C++ ATL for v141 build tools (x86 & x64)
C++ MFC for v141 build tools (x64 & x64)

There are many other options and you can look through them all at your leisure during this step as well.

For the Windows 8.1 SDK, simply run sdksetup.exe and go through the whole setup process. You can untick all options except for the Windows 8.1 SDK itself.

Modifying and Building the DLL

Now that everything is there, you can safely open the CnCRemastered.sln file located in SOURCECODE within your game installation, or obtain the code from the CnC Remastered Github[github.com].

Once you have the solution loaded, if it asks to retarget the project, simply close that window without doing so. This is now the time to make your changes!

Once it's finished and you want to build, press CTRL+B or right-click the project you are working on (either TiberianDawn or RedAlert) and click Build. You can find your built files in (Game install)/SOURCECODE/bin/Win32.

14 Comments

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Snabb 20 Jun, 2020 @ 4:21am

if you have Visual Studio enterprise you can just include in. Tools -> Get Tools and features -> and just include the 141 framework.

https://ibb.co/3C0gdbk

Bert 12 Jun, 2020 @ 12:35pm

Does that mean you can make that game run with dx10? I have half of the ui missing, my gpu is in rma. I am stuck with a gt220 for about 2 weeks.

Luzifer212 12 Jun, 2020 @ 6:37am

Sorry for my bad english!

I have a Problem. I followed your instructions but i dont see my Mod in the game options?

Where is the Problem?

FanOfReproductiveSystem 8 Jun, 2020 @ 4:38am

COMBUF.CPP, this file, from line 764 to line 789 and line 891 to ling 915, wtf is all those text? Always got an error at those lines.

'Airstrike' Ivanov [author] 7 Jun, 2020 @ 12:31pm

@SuiciSpai
I used my existing VS2019 installation from Unity editing and BWAPI for Starcraft, then just added v141/8.1 SDK, and have had no issues at all.

SuiciSpai 7 Jun, 2020 @ 11:58am

I was trying this on my own (make it work with VS2019 insteadf of VS2017), but I was not able to make it work. I think that is because I already had VS2019 installed and even installin gthe SDK after, and not retargeting, still can´t find all the files (checking the default folders is a mess, so many versions of SDK and stuff of many years working).

I clean installation should work though.

ppumkin 6 Jun, 2020 @ 3:55pm

I have been trying to mod the mouse inputs.. does not seem you can mod that. any thing i change there in `bool DisplayClass::Scroll_Map(DirType facing, int & distance, bool really)` just does not apply when loaded in the game.. even throwing a exception.. I made the same exception else where and it bombed out. A bit annoying.. dont even know if its the correct function but the comments say its for scrolling the map

'Airstrike' Ivanov [author] 6 Jun, 2020 @ 3:27pm

@ppumkin
I'm not sure how multiple loaded mods with a .dll file would be handled, honestly. The in-game mod handler does not appear to have a load order.

ppumkin 6 Jun, 2020 @ 2:12pm

I had a look at some sample mods and they just have the RedAlert.dll or TiberianDawn.dll - You cant open them with any kind of decompiler either so not really sure how the modding aspect works.. is it overloading the dll and only applying changes as specific in the order of the json?

'Airstrike' Ivanov [author] 6 Jun, 2020 @ 11:00am

@James
You can't just replace your main .dll files in the game root folder, you have to include them packed in a mod - I've yet to get around to actually packing a mod with some changes, but there are some sample mods on the workshop you can look at to see how it's packaged in the meantime.

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