Delta X Software

Delta X Software is a comprehensive control and programming platform for Delta robots.

Prerequisites

Windows

• Windows 10/11 64-bit
• Visual Studio 2022 (MSVC v143) Desktop development with C++ workload (Build Tools 2022 also works)
• Qt 6.10.1 for MSVC 2022 64-bit (C:\Qt\6.10.1\msvc2022_64) with modules: Qt Serial Port, Qt Multimedia, Qt Svg, Qt Svg Widgets.
  Qt 5.15.2 MSVC kits still work if you need legacy builds.
• CMake 3.16+ (optional, for auxiliary tooling)

macOS

• macOS 13 Ventura or newer (Intel or Apple Silicon)
• Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
• Qt 5.15.2 for macOS (clang_64). When using Homebrew install qt@5 and export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/qt@5/bin:$PATH" (use /usr/local on Intel Macs). Qt 6.10+ kits (clang_64) are fully supported as well; install the Qt Serial Port, Qt Multimedia, Qt Svg, and Qt Svg Widgets components.
• OpenCV 4.x (brew install opencv). The qmake project auto-detects Homebrew in /opt/homebrew and /usr/local, or you can run qmake OPENCV_DIR=/custom/opencv to point to a different install.

Common

• Python 3.10+ (for external scripts and YOLO integration)
• Git

Optional runtime SDKs:

• Basler Pylon Runtime (for Basler cameras)
• Hikvision MVS Runtime (for Hikvision cameras)

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/Delta-X-Software.git
cd Delta-X-Software

Build from Source (Windows, CLI with Qt 6.10)

1. Open x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022 (or call vcvars64.bat from PowerShell).
2. Create a clean build folder and run qmake + nmake:

   cd E:\Working\Source\Delta-X-Software
   rmdir /s /q build_cli_qt6_release 2>nul
   mkdir build_cli_qt6_release
   cd build_cli_qt6_release
   "C:\Qt\6.10.1\msvc2022_64\bin\qmake.exe" ..\DeltaRobotSoftware.pro -spec win32-msvc CONFIG+=release
   nmake

3. The release binary is at build_cli_qt6_release\release\DeltaRobotSoftware.exe.
   To run locally, ensure C:\Qt\6.10.1\msvc2022_64\bin and 3rd-party\opencv\build\x64\vc15\bin are on PATH.

Build with Qt Creator (Windows)

1. Kit: select Qt 6.10.1 (msvc2022_64) and MSVC 2022 x64 compiler.
2. “Run qmake” (Reconfigure) after switching kits.
3. Build the Release configuration (Debug is possible but heavier on memory).
4. Output lives under the build directory Qt Creator creates (e.g. build/Desktop_Qt_6_10_1_MSVC2022_64bit-Release/release/DeltaRobotSoftware.exe).

Build from Source (macOS)

1. Install dependencies with Homebrew (Qt 5 + OpenCV) and ensure the Qt 5 qmake is first in PATH:

   brew install qt@5 opencv
   export PATH="/opt/homebrew/opt/qt@5/bin:$PATH"   # /usr/local/... on Intel Macs

2. Configure and build with qmake/clang:

   qmake DeltaRobotSoftware.pro CONFIG+=release
   make -j"$(sysctl -n hw.ncpu)"

   If OpenCV lives outside the default Homebrew folders, pass OPENCV_DIR=/path/to/opencv to qmake so the project can locate headers and libraries.
3. The release bundle is produced at release/DeltaRobotSoftware.app. Bundle Qt frameworks with macdeployqt when you need a redistributable folder:

   macdeployqt release/DeltaRobotSoftware.app

Build with Qt 6 Kits (general notes)

• Supported: Qt 6.10+ (MSVC/clang_64). Install modules: Qt Serial Port, Qt Multimedia, Qt Svg, Qt Svg Widgets.
• Re-run qmake whenever you switch kits (Qt 5 ↔ Qt 6) so UI headers regenerate correctly.
• No Qt5Compat dependency is required for the main build; code paths use native Qt 6 APIs.

Running from the Build Tree

The debug and release outputs live in debug/ and release/. Running from Qt Creator is fine for development, but distributing those folders directly will miss Qt/OpenCV runtime libraries. Follow the deploy steps below to package a self-contained build.

Create a Portable Deploy Folder

1. Ensure the release build exists (release/DeltaRobotSoftware.exe or build_cli_qt6_release\release\DeltaRobotSoftware.exe).
2. Run windeployqt to gather Qt runtime files:

   set PATH=C:\Qt\6.10.1\msvc2022_64\bin;%PATH%
   windeployqt --release --compiler-runtime --dir deploy\DeltaRobotSoftware --qmldir . release\DeltaRobotSoftware.exe

3. Copy additional assets into deploy\DeltaRobotSoftware:
   • 3rd-party/opencv/build/x64/vc15/bin/opencv_world400.dll
   • 3rd-party/opencv/build/x64/vc15/bin/opencv_ffmpeg400_64.dll
   • customUI.ini, GScript_Documentation.html, token.txt, version.json
   • Entire folders: models/, script-example/, plugin/python/
   • Plugin DLL: plugin/IndustrialCameraPlugin.dll
4. Create an empty gcode folder inside the deploy directory (the app expects it).
5. Optional launch helpers:
   • deploy\DeltaRobotSoftware\LaunchDeltaRobotSoftware.ps1 checks and installs vc_redist.x64.exe before starting the app.
   • deploy\DeltaRobotSoftware\LaunchDeltaRobotSoftware.cmd wraps the PowerShell script for double-click usage.

The deploy\DeltaRobotSoftware folder is now portable. Zip it or copy it to target machines and instruct users to run the launcher so the VC++ Redistributable is installed automatically.

Build a Qt Installer Framework Package

Qt IFW is available at C:\Qt\Tools\Tools\QtInstallerFramework\4.7. Project assets live in installer/ifw/:

• config/config.xml: global installer metadata.
• packages/com.deltax.software/data: the payload copied from deploy/.
• packages/com.deltax.software/meta/package.xml: component metadata.
• packages/com.deltax.software/meta/installscript.qs: runs vc_redist.x64.exe and creates shortcuts.

To regenerate the installer:

cd installer\ifw
"C:\Qt\Tools\Tools\QtInstallerFramework\4.7\bin\binarycreator.exe" -c config\config.xml -p packages DeltaXSoftwareInstaller.exe

The resulting DeltaXSoftwareInstaller.exe installs prerequisites, copies files to the target directory, and creates Start Menu/Desktop shortcuts.

Build an NSIS Installer (Optional)

An NSIS script is provided in installer/nsis/DeltaXSoftware.nsi. After installing NSIS, run:

cd installer\nsis
makensis DeltaXSoftware.nsi

The generated DeltaXSoftwareSetup.exe checks the VC++ redistributable (using registry keys), runs vc_redist.x64.exe if needed, deploys the payload, and registers an uninstaller entry.

Python and YOLO Setup on Target Machines

1. Install Python 3.10 64-bit and create a virtual environment (recommended):

   py -3.10 -m venv %LOCALAPPDATA%\DeltaX\py
   %LOCALAPPDATA%\DeltaX\py\Scripts\pip install ultralytics==8.0.200 opencv-python==4.9.0.80 numpy==1.26.4

2. In the application, open Settings > General and set pythonPath to the interpreter in that environment (python.exe on Windows, typically /usr/bin/python3 or the virtualenv's bin/python3 on macOS/Linux). The field now defaults to the first python3 found on your PATH.
3. Verify external scripts (for example script-example\yolov8_detect.py --headless) can load the models shipped in models/.

Troubleshooting

• Missing MSVC runtime: run vc_redist.x64.exe (bundled in the deploy folder and installers) or install the Microsoft VC++ Redistributable 2015-2022 manually.
• Industrial camera plugins: install the vendor runtime (Basler Pylon, Hikvision MVS) prior to launching the app.
• Installer cache issues: if Qt IFW reports a cache error, delete %LocalAppData%\cache\qt-installer-framework and rerun the installer.

Contributing

Pull requests are welcome. Ensure new features include appropriate documentation and testing, and follow the existing code style.