Guidance needed in creating mexw64 file from Matlab File Exchange source code

I'm looking for a very simple introduction to compiling C code into a mexw64 library file. I'm not a C programmer, but I suspect all it takes is a couple of Matlab commands. Hopefully someone out there can give me guidance!

Specifically, I wish to create a .mexw64 file from source code that I found in Matlab's File Exchange called "Polygon Clipper"

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/8818-polygon-clipper

The files supplied there are:

gpc.c, gpc.h, gpc_mexfile.c, gpc_mexfile.h, PolygonClip.dll, ReadMe.txt, PolygonClip_example.m, PolygonClipper_Example.png

I have 64 bit Matlab 2010b running on Win7 64 bit, with the following toolboxes installed:

    * Control System Toolbox
    * Data Acquisition Toolbox
    * Financial Toolbox
    * Image Processing Toolbox
    * Neural Network Toolbox
    * Optimization Toolbox
    * Robust Control Toolbox
    * Signal Processing Toolbox
    * Simulink
    * Simulink Control Design
    * Statistics Toolbox
    * Symbolic Math Toolbox
    * System Identification Toolbox
    * Wavelet Toolbox
    * Aerospace Toolbox
    * Aerospace Blockset
    * Bioinformatics Toolbox
    * Communications Blockset
    * Communications Toolbox
    * Curve Fitting Toolbox
    * Database Toolbox
    * Datafeed Toolbox
    * Embedded IDE Link™ CC (for TI’s Code Composer Studio™)
    * Filter Design HDL Coder™
    * Filter Design Toolbox
    * Fixed-Income Toolbox
    * Fixed-Point Toolbox
    * Fuzzy Logic Toolbox
    * Genetic Algorithm and Direct Search Toolbox
    * Image Acquisition Toolbox
    * Instrument Control Toolbox
    * MATLAB® Builder™ NE (for Microsoft® .NET Framework)
    * MATLAB Compiler
    * Mapping Toolbox
    * Parallel Computing Toolbox™
    * Partial Differential Equation Toolbox
    * Real-Time Workshop
    * Real-Time Workshop® Embedded Coder™
    * Signal Processing Blockset
    * SimEvents®
    * SimHydraulics®
    * SimMechanics™
    * SimPowerSystems™
    * Simscape™
    * Simulink Fixed-Point
    * Simulink HDL Coder
    * Spline Toolbox
    * Spreadsheet Link™ EX (for Microsoft® Excel®)
    * Stateflow®
    * Target Support Package™ TC2 (for TI’s C2000™ DSP)
    * Target Support Package™ TC6 (for TI’s C6000™ DSP)
    * Simulink 3D Animation™
    * Vehicle Network Toolbox™
    * xPC Target

Do I have everything needed to do this, or do I have to locate and install some sort of C compiler?

[Walter Roberson]

"I have 64 bit Matlab 2010b running on Win7 64 bit, with the following toolboxes installed:"

Installed, but are they licensed? If so, how can you afford that?? 2010b was never available in a Student Edition and some of those toolboxes are not compatible with Student Edition. It looks like someone just installed everything on the CD without consideration of whether it was licensed or not.

[Matt Fig]

Walter, to be honest we don't know if this person works for a large company who bought all that. The company I work for, for example, has a license for way more toolboxes than I ever use. Also, how is it possible that all of this could be installed without a license, whether or not the person installing cares about such things? I thought TMW has been using FlexLM since 2008a which was supposed to prevent such things?

[Walter Roberson]

Matt, you can _install_ any toolbox you like, but FlexLM keeps you from _executing_ it if you do not have the proper license.

I work for a _quite_ large company, but licensing all 54 of those toolboxes would be several times the operations budget of my sub-department.

Perhaps Scott is using Academic licenses.

[Scott]

Yes, I am in an academic environment and all of these toolboxes are available to me.

Answer 1

[Matt Fig]

You will need a 64-bit compiler. MS visual c++ will do the job, if you install the 64 bit version. Beware that many have indicated the 64 bit setup is tricky.

Once you have a compiler installed, do this at the command line:

mex -setup

and follow the directions.

[Jan]

Do you expect problems due to using INT e.g. for the number of elements, while Matlab uses INT64? A bunch of compiler warnings might appear which mention a loss of significant precision.

[Matt Fig]

I don't expect any problems. I am only remembering several CSSM posts in which someone couldn't get the 64-bit version to work with MATLAB easily. I haven't tried it myself.

[Scott]

OK, I installed MS Visual C++ (2010) and ran mex -setup, and got an error, saying I needed to install something called a SDK. Found that and I am in the process of installing an ENORMOUS download from:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6b6c21d2-2006-4afa-9702-529fa782d63b&displaylang=en

Doesn't bode well for me, as everyone is saying 64-bit compilation is tricky.

Just wondering...is there any big-hearted soul out there, who has enough experience to create a mexw64 in his/her sleep, willing to compile this code for me and post it to the File Exchange?

[Berkan Sesen]

Dear Matt, Is there a more light-weight .mexw64 compiler that you know of?

Answer 2

[Scott]

WOW, I can't believe it worked! After installing the SDK, I ran mex -setup without a hitch. Then, at the suggestion of the code's author (thanks Sebastian!), I entered:

mex gpc.c gpc_mexfile.c -O -output PolygonClip

and it created PolygonClip.mexw64 without any complaints. Ran it in my application and it worked perfectly!

Thanks to all for the help!

Scott

[Scott]

To follow up...To help others who are experiencing the same problem I did, I'm trying to submit the compiled mexw64 file to Matlab's File Exchange, but I am told:

Thank you for participating in the MATLAB Central Community. I have reviewed your submission to File Exchange and noticed it contains a MEX file. It's important for others to be able to inspect and learn from your code, so we do not publish any executable files (EXE, DLL, P- code, MEX, etc.). Please consider resubmitting your contribution including the appropriate MATLAB code without the MEX file.

Best regards,

Lindsay Coutinho

MATLAB Central Administrator

MathWorks

Answer 3

[Berkan Sesen]

Yes, this worked for me as well!