Setting up stb_image 2.30 in Visual Studio 2022 using CMake

• Install stb_image using this guide: How to install stb_image
• Install VS 2022 and CMake using this guide: Installation of Visual Studio 2022 Community with CMake support
• Run Visual Studio
• Click on the "Create a new project" button:

• Click on the "CMake Project" and click on the "Next" button:

• Type a project name, set a project location, check the "Place solution and project in the same directory" checkbox, and click on the "Create" button:

• Wait a few seconds for configuration
• Run the project by click on the empty green triangle (or Ctrl+F5):

• The program prints "Hello CMake" to the console:

• Download some PNG image file, for example, this free crate: https://opengameart.org/content/crate-5 - click on the crate.7z
• Unzip "crate.7z" somewhere and copy the "clear_01.png" file
• Open your "hello-stb-image" project in the file explorer, create the "assets/sprites" folder, and paste the "clear_01.png" in the folder like this:

• Double click on the "CMakeLists.txt" file:

• Copy the following code to the "CMakeLists.txt" but change the stb_image location on yours:

target_include_directories(hello-stb-image PRIVATE E:/libs/stb_image-2.30/include)
 
# Copy the assets folder to the dist folder
add_custom_command(TARGET hello-stb-image POST_BUILD
    COMMAND ${CMAKE_COMMAND} -E copy_directory
    ${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/assets $<TARGET_FILE_DIR:hello-stb-image>/assets)

• Double click on the "hello-stb-image.cpp" file:

• Copy the following content to the "hello-stb-image.cpp" file:

#include <iostream>
 
#define STB_IMAGE_IMPLEMENTATION
#include <stb_image.h>
 
int main()
{
    const char* path = "./assets/sprites/clear_01.png";
    int w_image, h_image, cnt;
    unsigned char* data = stbi_load(path, &w_image, &h_image, &cnt, 0);
    if (data == NULL)
    {
        std::cout << "Failed to load the image: " << path << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }
    std::cout << "w = " << w_image << std::endl;
    std::cout << "h = " << h_image << std::endl;
    return 0;
}

• Press Ctrl+F5 to run the application
• You see the result in the console - width and height of the loaded image:

w = 256
h = 256

• Next guide: Drawing a crate on the screen using OpenGL and SDL3