Debugging my Plugin

[_ShaunM_]

Hi -

I'm trying to write my first AE7 plugin and I'm at a point where it would be REALLY handy to step through my code in the debugger to see exactly why it isn't doing what I want. But whether I start AE from MSVC (2003) by setting the executable name in the 'Command' section of my Debug solution configuration and hit 'Start', or just start AE like normal and attach to the process with the MSVC debugger I get a 'Debugger Detected! - please close it down and restart!' dialog and AE closes immediately.

I certainly can appreciate the anti-hacker sentiment, I don't want anyone reverse engineering my code either. But I do have to make it work before anyone would ever want to do that :)

How do I get around this (only for my own plugin is fine of course)?

Thanks.

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Shaun McIntyre
shaun@newfind.net

[Bruce Bullis]

That's pretty odd; I can debug just fine using AE7.0 release.

So, you build your plug-in into the \Plug-ins directory, launch AE from the Start menu, then try to attach to process from within .NET?

[_ShaunM_]

Hi - thanks for the response.

Yes, that's one way I've been doing it.

What is even more odd is that it is inconsistant about when it decides to display the dialog and dump AE. Sometimes I can debug for a while (like 10 or 15 minutes) and then the dialog will begin to show. Other times the instant that both AE has finished loading and MSVC is running on the same machine, the dialog appears. I haven't been able to identify what I'm doing (if anything) differently between these cases that cause that change in behavior.

Have you never seen that 'Debugger Detected! - please close it down and restart!' dialog box before?

I'm wondering if there is a pragma or some function I can call into to stop AE from caring if I have a debugger on my own plugin. Of course I wouldn't ship with that enabled, but then at least I could be much more efficient getting my work done.

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Shaun

[Bruce Bullis]

I haven't seen it. I doubt the #pragma; you're running into our activation protection, but I've never seen attaching to the process NOT work. Perhaps conflicting Microsoft run-times?

Do you the 7.0r2 SDK samples debug correctly, when you attach?

[_ShaunM_]

Hi Bruce -

Are you the Bruce Bullis responsible for the SDK docs? I have to say - easily the most entertaining technical docs I've ever read. Tech with a sense of humor. Awesome. :)

Conflicting run-times sounds interesting, but I have MSVC 2003 and if I understood the 'Changes' mentioned online, the difference between 7.0 and 7.0r2 was an upgrade in compiler which I don't have. So I'm thinking we have the same runtime while I'm using 7.0. Please let me know if I misunderstood that.

But the activation protection sounds promising. My client has not yet supplied me with our official copy of AE7. I'm very adamant about owning everything we have to own for a professional software development effort, but in the meantime, I wanted to get started. Are you saying that after official activation the problem will go away?

Thanks again.

--
Shaun

[Bruce Bullis]

Yes, I'm that bbb; glad you like the docs!

You've understood the changes; .NET 2003 --> .NET 2005 shouldn't have broken you.

I'd like to think official activation should make the problem go away, but I doubt it. Effect debugging should work within the trial version. Care to send me your built plug-in? I'll try to load it in a debug and a release version.