install_windows.md

Ceres installation - Windows 10 x64

Tested versions

• Visual Studio 2019: 16.9.2
• Eigen: 3.5.0
• glog: 0.5.0
• gflags: 3.0.2
• SuiteSparse: 3.1
• Ceres Solver: 2.0.0

Install CMake (3.5 or later) if you haven't.

1. Make directories following the official guide.

{root}/ceres

For my PC, {root} is C:/Users/hjoon. Note, if {root} is too long, compiling suitesparse may give an error related to path lengths.

2. Prepare Eigen (3.3 and later)

a. Download

cd "{root}\ceres"
git clone https://gitlab.com/libeigen/eigen.git

b. Configure and build

We need Eigen3 for Ceres.

cd "{root}\ceres\eigen"
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..

You should see the needed Eigen3Config.cmake inside eigen/build.

3. Prepare glog (0.3.1 or later)

a. Download

cd "{root}\ceres"
git clone https://github.com/google/glog.git

b. Configure and build

In {root}\ceres\glog\CMakeList.txt line 20, make sure BUILD_SHARED_LIBS is set to ON (default) to generate .dll.

option (BUILD_SHARED_LIBS "Build shared libraries" ON)

Set output directory by adding the following in {root}\ceres\glog\CMakeList.txt (e.g., line 13).

set (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "{root}/ceres/glog/install")

Build:

cd "{root}\ceres\glog"
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..

c. Install

• Open Visual Studio (2019) as administrator and open the project: build\glog.sln
• Set to Release x64, and build ALL_BUILD then INSTALL

• This should generate include, lib, and bin folders inside: {root}\ceres\glog\install

4. Prepare gflags

a. Download

cd "{root}\ceres"
git clone https://github.com/gflags/gflags.git

b. Configure and build

Set output directory by adding the following in {root}\ceres\gflags\CMakeList.txt (e.g., line 417).

set (CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "{root}/ceres/gflags/install")

Build:

cd "{root}\ceres\gflags"
mkdir gflags-build
cd gflags-build
cmake ..

c. Install

• Open Visual Studio (2019) as administrator and open the project: gflags-build\gflags.sln
• Set to Release x64, and build ALL_BUILD then INSTALL
  • This should generate include, lib folders inside: {root}\ceres\gflags\install

5. Prepare SuiteSparse

According to: https://www.jianshu.com/p/736e89aaf788,

This is not a dependent library that must be installed. However, if installed, it will improve the computational performance of Ceres for sparse matrices, and provide more available optimization algorithms. So although the installation process of Ceres will be more complicated after adding this library, it is still recommended to install.

a. Download

cd "{root}\ceres"
git clone https://github.com/jlblancoc/suitesparse-metis-for-windows.git

Rename the folder name for convenience:

move .\suitesparse-metis-for-windows\ .\suitesparse

b. Configure and build

Change output directory in {root}\ceres\suitesparse\CMakeList.txt line 47, from:

set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${${PROJECT_NAME}_BINARY_DIR}/install" CACHE PATH "Prefix prepended to install directories" FORCE)

to:

set(CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX "${${PROJECT_NAME}_BINARY_DIR}/../install" CACHE PATH "Prefix prepended to install directories" FORCE)

Build:

cd "{root}\ceres\suitesparse"
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..

c. Install

• Open Visual Studio (2019) as administrator and open the project: build\SuiteSparseProject.sln
• Set to Release x64, and build ALL_BUILD then INSTALL (may take a few minutes)
  • This should generate include, lib folders inside: {root}\ceres\suitesparse\install

6. Build Ceres

a. Download

cd "{root}\ceres"
git clone https://ceres-solver.googlesource.com/ceres-solver

b. Configure and build

• Open CMake GUI
  • Set input source code to {root}/ceres/ceres-solver
  • Set output build directory to {root}/ceres/ceres-solver/ceres-build

• Click Configure, choose generator Visual Studio 16 2019, set platform to x64, then click Finish. This will initially generate many errors.

• Set output directory by setting CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX to {root}\ceres\ceres-install

• Uncheck BUILD_EXAMPLES and BUILD_TESTING

• Click Add Entry, and add the following four entries:

  • SUITESPARSE_CHECK_INCLUDE_DIRS as PATH to {root}/ceres/suitesparse/install/include

  • SUITESPARSE_CHECK_LIBRARY_DIRS as PATH to {root}/ceres/suitesparse/install/lib

  • BLAS_LIBRARIES as FILEPATH to {root}/ceres/suitesparse/lapack_windows/x64/libblas.lib

  • LAPACK_LIBRARIES as FILEPATH to {root}/ceres/suitesparse/lapack_windows/x64/liblapack.lib

• Check SUITESPARSE and LAPACK

• Set Eigen3_DIR to {root}/ceres/eigen/build (where Eigen3Config.cmake is located)

• Click Configure again then Generate.

c. Install

• Open Visual Studio (2019) as administrator and open the project: ceres-build\Ceres.sln
• Set to Release x64, and build ALL_BUILD then INSTALL (may take a few minutes)
  • This should generate include, lib, and CMake folders inside: {root}\ceres\ceres-install