Getting Started on Windows

Getting the MieSimulatorGUI App from GitHub:

Windows Installer

Install

• Download the latest "MieSimulatorGUI_vX_XX.exe" file.
• Double-click the file to run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation. If the 'Windows protected your PC' warning appears, click 'More info' and then select Run anyway to proceed.
• To launch the application, click the desktop or Start Menu shortcut.

Uninstall

• Find the Mie Simulator GUI in the installed programs list (Control Panel > Program and Features) and uninstall the application.

Windows Stand-alone package

• Download and extract the latest "MieSimulatorGUI_vX_XX.zip" file to a directory of your choice.
• To launch the application, open the folder and click "MieSimulatorGUI_vX_XX.exe".

Getting the MieSimulatorGUI Source Code from GitHub:

Installing Prerequisites

• Download Qt 6: Visit the Qt download page and select the version compatible with your environment:
  • Select MinGW if you prefer the minimalist GNU for Windows.
  • Select MSVC if you use Microsoft Visual Studio. Choose the Qt 6 version that matches your specific Visual Studio release.
• Run the Installer: Install Qt 6 and ensure you include the version of MinGW (or MSVC) recommended by the installer. Ensure that the Qt Creator IDE is selected during the installation process.
• Obtain the Source Code: Use one of the following two methods:
  • git Clone: Clone the source code from GitHub using the command: git clone https://github.com/VirtualPhotonics/MieSimulatorGUI.git. This will create a 'MieSimulatorGUI' folder in your current directory.
  • ZIP Download: Navigate to the GitHub repository and select Code > Download ZIP. Extract the files to your preferred directory.

Building the Project

• Launch Qt Creator and open the "MieSimulatorGUI.pro" file.
• In the next window, select proper project kit and click Configure Project.
• Select Build > Run qmake, and then select Build > Build Project "MieSimulatorGUI" or press Ctrl+B.

Running Tests and the Application

• To run tests: Select Tools > Tests > Run All Tests.
• To run the application: Select Build > Run or press Ctrl+R.

Building and Running Tests from the Command Line

• Open Command Prompt (cmd).
• From the root directory of the project (where MieSimulatorGUI.pro is located), run the following commands (These commands are based on Qt 6.2.4 and MinGW 11.2.0. Update the file paths to match your specific version and environment.):

mkdir build
cd build
C:\Qt\6.2.4\mingw_64/bin\qmake.exe ..\MieSimulatorGUI.pro
C:\Qt\Tools\mingw1120_64\bin\mingw32-make.exe qmake_all
.\test\release\MieSimulatorGUI_test.exe

Note:
- If you get any errors, check whether Qt and its debugger is working properly (Generate a sample Qt program and run).