CMake Setup
To generate a solution, run the CMake GUI. Specify Where is the source code and Where to build the binaries, then run Configure. As a generator, pick Visual Studio 2017 x64 or Visual Studio 2019 x64 (or one of the other Supported Platforms).
The screenshot above shows a common setup. Noteworthy are the following points:
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EZ_ENABLE_QT_SUPPORT Disable this setting, if you want to compile EZ without Qt. This will remove all editor code and several tools from the final solution. The default is “on”. When possible the EZ CMake scripts will automatically download Qt libraries and set everything up for you. On configurations for which we do not support fully automatic setup, you need to install Qt manually and then set set EZ_QT_DIR to its installation folder.
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EZ_BUILD_FMOD Enable this, if you want to add Fmod sound support to your build. You need to have the fmod prerequisites installed for this to work.
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EZ_BUILD_PHYSX Enable this, if you want to add NVIDIA PhysX support to your build. Once enabled, the next run of “Configure” will automatically download PhysX binaries and set the EZ_PHYSX_SDK variable accordingly.
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EZ_BUILD_RMLUI Enable this, if you want to add support for RmlUi to your build.
Once you have configured everything, run Generate and then Open Project.
Adding a Custom Project
The easiest way to get started with a custom project, is to copy an existing sample, such as the Sample Game Plugin. For starters, just create it in the same location, within the EZ source tree. If you want to move it into your own repository, you can then reference its location as an external project (see below).
External Projects
The options EZ_EXTERNAL_PROJECT_1-3 allow you to specify folders outside the EZ repository, which will be integrated into the solution. This is the most practical way to store your own code in a separate repository, yet have it all compiled in the same solution. This makes building, linking and debugging code as convenient as if it was stored inside the EZ file structure.
Build Filter
The option EZ_BUILD_FILTER allows you to strip down the code that is included in the solution. This is mainly meant for use cases where EZ is integrated as a submodule and you only need parts of its functionality.
Advanced CMake Options
Checking Advanced in the CMake GUI will show additional options to configure the EZ build. These are mostly used to remove specific 3rd party code (and all dependent features). This is particularly helpful, if you want to build EZ on a platform on which one of the dependencies may not compile.