Where is the right path to deploy third party DLL? "Support Files"?

[funkyfrog1]

Hi, After Effetcs developers:-)

Here is question about install path of DLL for After Effects plug-in.

I'm developing Effects plug-in run with CUDA, so I have to deploy third party DLL to client PC.
So where is the right path to put DLL such as cudart32_30_14.dll?
I think it's under "Support Files", because my plug-in runs with cudart32_30_14.dll
 in "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects CS4\Support Files"

Am I right?

[shachar carmi]

well... that depends.

when you rely on an external library, the external dll is expected to be somewhere along the path, as it appears in the command prompt.

places like win32, and sxs folders are in that path.

you could also put the support dll in the same folder as your plug-in. any process automatically includes it's own directory in the search path.

if you don't want to put it in any of these pre-set locations, then you have to program the path into the dll loading function.

if you choose to do that, you can put the support dll anywhere you like.

[Royi A]

Hi,

I have a dll which I placed in the same directory as the plug in, yet it won't work.

If I put the dll in system32 directory it does.

Where did I missed something?

Thanks.

[Royi A]

OK, it seems that only executaebles automatically adds their folder into the Path.

Since we run AE, the dll's must be in AE main folder, where the EXE is and not in the plug in folder.

I wish we could do something in compile tme in order to ask the EXE host to add the Plug In folder into the Path.

This will simplify the installation process greatly.

Shachar, are you aware of any solution for that?

Thank You.