# `CauldronGPU.Setup.Windows`
[🔗](https://github.com/jaman/cauldron/blob/v0.3.3/cauldron_gpu/lib/cauldron_gpu/setup/windows.ex#L1)

Building the renderer on Windows (`CauldronGPU.Setup.Platform`): MSVC's C++ tools, SDL3's
development files, Vulkan's headers, and a Vulkan driver to run it.

MSVC is found with Microsoft's `vswhere.exe`, and the environment its `vcvars64.bat` sets
is kept in the configuration, so builds work from any command prompt. SDL3 is looked for
in `SDL3_DIR`, the setup's folder, `C:\SDL3*` and the Downloads folder; Vulkan's headers
in `VULKAN_INCLUDE`, `VULKAN_SDK`, `C:\VulkanSDK\<version>` and the setup's folder. SDL3
and the headers are downloaded into the setup's folder when missing, which needs no
administrator rights; the renderer loads the driver's `vulkan-1.dll` when it runs.
MSVC's Build Tools are installed with `winget`, which asks for administrator rights.

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*Consult [api-reference.md](api-reference.md) for complete listing*