VTK 9.5.2: vtk_glad linker errors

Support
1

Hello,

I’m upgrading my solution from VTK 8.2.2 to 9.5.2 and have built VTK 9.5.0 as static libraries. After updating my code, I’m encountering linker errors:

error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol vtk_glad_*

If I understand correclty, vtkglew-8.2.lib has been replaced by vtkglad-9.5.lib in VTK 9.x.

My VTK 8.2.0 project did not explicitly reference vtkglew-8.2.lib but I added vtkglad-9.5.lib to my additional dependencies, and the linker errors persist.

My current linker config is:

<Link>
  <AdditionalDependencies>gdi32.lib;glu32.lib;opengl32.lib;User32.lib;vtkglad-9.5.lib;vtkInteractionStyle-9.5.lib;vtkCommonCore-9.5.lib;vtkCommonDataModel-9.5.lib;vtkCommonExecutionModel-9.5.lib;vtkCommonMath-9.5.lib;vtkCommonSystem-9.5.lib;vtkCommonMisc-9.5.lib;vtkCommonTransforms-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersCore-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersGeneral-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersGeneric-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersGeometry-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersImaging-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersModeling-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersParallel-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersSources-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersExtraction-9.5.lib;vtkFiltersTexture-9.5.lib;vtkImagingCore-9.5.lib;vtkInteractionImage-9.5.lib;vtkInteractionStyle-9.5.lib;vtkInteractionWidgets-9.5.lib;vtkIOCore-9.5.lib;vtkIOImage-9.5.lib;vtkIOXML-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingAnnotation-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingCore-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingFreeType-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingImage-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingLabel-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingOpenGL2-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingLOD-9.5.lib;vtkRenderingVolume-9.5.lib;vtksys-9.5.lib;log4cxx.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
</Link>

Am I missing any additional libraries or dependencies for VTK 9.5.0 static builds? Is there a specific linking order required for vtkglad-9.5.lib? Are there any other migration steps specific to the GLEW→GLAD transition?

I can provide the full build output if needed. Thank you for your help!

2

IIUC, you do not use find_package(VTK) from CMake to link your project against VTK?

My current linker config is: …

That should’ve worked. I’ve not tried static builds. For dynamic libs, glad needs GLAD_API_CALL_EXPORT when building and linking to it, and GLAD_API_CALL_EXPORT_BUILD when building it.

Maybe something is preventing the vtk_glad_* symbols from being visible? I will try static locally.

3

That’s correct — my project doesn’t use CMake. It’s a C++ project integrated into a larger C# solution, so I’m using Visual Studio and MSBuild for the build process. I’m manually specifying the VTK library dependencies in the .vcxproj file rather than using CMake’s find_package(VTK).

Thank you

4

I built vtk static libs and got a test CMake project to link with it successfully. Let me run that through the Visual Studio generator and see what it creates.

5

Okay. Here is the <Link> section CMake generated for the VTK tests.

Note the order. opengl32.lib appears after vtkglad-9.5.lib. I do not know if this matters.

    <Link>
      <AdditionalDependencies>..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonSystem-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersExtraction-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersGeneral-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersGeometry-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersProgrammable-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersSources-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersTexture-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkImagingSources-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkInteractionStyle-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOImage-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOLegacy-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOParallel-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOXML-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingAnnotation-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingOpenGL2-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingVRModels-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkTestingCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkTestingRendering-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOGeometry-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkjsoncpp-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersParallel-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersExtraction-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersStatistics-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkParallelDIY-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersTexture-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersModeling-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingOpenGL2-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingFreeType-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkfreetype-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingHyperTreeGrid-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersHybrid-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkImagingSources-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingUI-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkglad-9.5.lib;opengl32.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkx11-9.5.lib;d3d11.lib;dxgi.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkRenderingCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersSources-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonColor-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOImage-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkDICOMParser-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkmetaio-9.5.lib;comctl32.lib;wsock32.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkpng-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtktiff-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkjpeg-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOXML-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOXMLParser-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkexpat-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkTestingCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersHyperTree-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersGeneral-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonComputationalGeometry-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersVerdict-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersGeometry-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkverdict-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkParallelCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOLegacy-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOCellGrid-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkIOCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkzlib-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtklz4-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtklzma-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersCellGrid-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkFiltersReduction-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkImagingColor-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkImagingCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonExecutionModel-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonDataModel-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonSystem-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkpugixml-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonMisc-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonTransforms-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonMath-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkCommonCore-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkfmt-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkscn-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtktoken-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkloguru-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtkkissfft-9.5.lib;..\..\..\..\lib\MinSizeRel\vtksys-9.5.lib;ws2_32.lib;dbghelp.lib;psapi.lib;kernel32.lib;user32.lib;gdi32.lib;winspool.lib;shell32.lib;ole32.lib;oleaut32.lib;uuid.lib;comdlg32.lib;advapi32.lib</AdditionalDependencies>
      <AdditionalLibraryDirectories>%(AdditionalLibraryDirectories)</AdditionalLibraryDirectories>
      <AdditionalOptions>%(AdditionalOptions) /machine:x64</AdditionalOptions>
      <DataExecutionPrevention></DataExecutionPrevention>
      <GenerateDebugInformation>false</GenerateDebugInformation>
      <IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries>%(IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries)</IgnoreSpecificDefaultLibraries>
      <ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers></ImageHasSafeExceptionHandlers>
      <ImportLibrary>D:/dev/vtk-static/vtk/out/build/Debug/lib/MinSizeRel/vtkRenderingCoreCxxTests.lib</ImportLibrary>
      <LinkErrorReporting></LinkErrorReporting>
      <ProgramDataBaseFile>D:/dev/vtk-static/vtk/out/build/Debug/bin/MinSizeRel/vtkRenderingCoreCxxTests.pdb</ProgramDataBaseFile>
      <RandomizedBaseAddress></RandomizedBaseAddress>
      <SubSystem>Console</SubSystem>
    </Link>
6

You are right, the order matters. I have re-order the libraries:

		<AdditionalDependencies>
		<!-- High-level VTK interaction/widgets -->
		vtkInteractionStyle-9.5.lib;
		vtkInteractionWidgets-9.5.lib;
		vtkInteractionImage-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingAnnotation-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingVolume-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingLOD-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingLabel-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingImage-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingOpenGL2-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingFreeType-9.5.lib;
		vtkRenderingCore-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK OpenGL implementation -->
		vtkglad-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK Filters -->
		vtkFiltersTexture-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersParallel-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersModeling-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersImaging-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersGeometry-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersGeneric-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersGeneral-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersSources-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersExtraction-9.5.lib;
		vtkFiltersCore-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK IO -->
		vtkIOXML-9.5.lib;
		vtkIOImage-9.5.lib;
		vtkIOCore-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK Imaging -->
		vtkImagingCore-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK Common -->
		vtkCommonExecutionModel-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonDataModel-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonTransforms-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonMisc-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonMath-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonSystem-9.5.lib;
		vtkCommonCore-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- VTK system utilities -->
		vtksys-9.5.lib;
		
		<!-- External libraries -->
		log4cxx.lib;
		
		<!-- System libraries -->
		opengl32.lib;
		glu32.lib;
		gdi32.lib;
		User32.lib;
		%(AdditionalDependencies)
		</AdditionalDependencies>

Does this order seems good to you? I still get the linker errors with this modification.

Thank you

7

you still get linker errors. That is odd.

8

No, unfortunately the linker errors persist. I’m currently working on a minimal sample application to help diagnose the issue more effectively. I’ll post an update once I have it ready.

Thank you for your help!

9

I managed to reproduce the linker errors in a sample. I am not allowed to upload attachment, how can I send it to you?
I have compiled the latest release of VTK locally and packaged it in a nuget package. I can provide you the package if needed.

10

you can upload now.

11

Okay. Thanks for getting that ready. Try uploading once again. If that does not work, maybe create a small github project or gist?

12

Thank you

vtk_glad_sample.zip (1.6 MB)

13

Can you share the nuget package?

14

The nuget package is quite large (130MB), I had to upload it to my Google Drive account https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NhAxsrNyTzZlxM_x31SHtDAPpsVB5f4J/view?usp=sharing