Can't open C++ projects in VS2008

Question

I had installed VS2010 and VS2012, and I always used C#. I started to do 3D development with OGRE3D and I tried to set up Newton Game Dynamics with it, but it looks like all the tutorials and set-up instructions are really, really old and I only found instructions to compile and build it in VS2008.

So I downloaded a file called vcsetup.exe from here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6506 and I installed it perfectly fine. The setup said "Visual C++ Studio 2008 express" so I though this was the correct one.

But when I try to open the solution and the related .vcproj files (Visual C++ project files) a error pop up saying "this project file could not be opened with this version of Visual Studio".

I tried to create a blank C++ project but there aren't any templates for it.

I also tried to compile this Newton engine with VS2010 and VS2012 but when I do the conversion and I try to compile it, more or less 6 of the following errors come up, and some other that says couldn't find Newton.h

Error error MSB3073: The command "xcopy "Win32/dContainers/Debug\dContainers.lib" "../Win32/Debug/." /F /Y /R :VCEnd" exited with code 4. C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\Microsoft.Cpp\v4.0\V110\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets 134

So I don't know what to. Is VS2008 still supported? Probably that is the reason it won't let me open projects on it.

This is the tutorial I have been following to create a project with OgreNewt and Newton: http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/tiki-index.php?page=OgreNewt

Answer 1

Ogre works fine with VS2008, VS2012 and VS2012. And building OgreNewt with VS2012 works as well and should with any other version as well.

We also have dedicated wiki articles for each VS version (even for VS2003), you might want to check out. However the issue that Newton.h cannot be found is a simple issue that you probably did not tell VS where to find it.

See this SO thread on how to correct that.

Answer 2

According to the website you linked:

Finally, you can download a copy of this entire project, including all media, and the MSVC++ (7.1) project files here.

VC++ 7.1 is actually VS 2003. The trouble here is that it is very difficult to convert a VS 2003 project to a VS 2008 project.

What I would suggest is either manually converting the file line-by-line manually to VS 2008, OR you could download VS 2005 if avalible. VS 2005 MAY be more compatible with this project, but if all else fails, you will have to find VC++ 7.1 (aka VS 2003) somewhere and use that.

NOTE that Ogre3D IS compatible (as far as I know) with the LATEST VS, but you will not be able to follow THAT specific tutorial.