Revit Installers

Creating an installer for your Revit add-in using Inno Setup is a convenient way to distribute your extension to other users. Inno Setup is a free, script-driven installation system created in Delphi that simplifies the process of creating Windows installers. In this guide, you'll learn how to create an Inno Setup installer for your Revit add-in.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

• Your Revit add-in project, including the compiled assembly (DLL) and any required resources.
• Inno Setup installed on your development machine. You can download it here (opens in a new tab).

Step 1: Create an Inno Setup Script

1. Launch the Inno Setup Compiler.
2. Click on "File" in the menu, then select "New Script."
3. In the script file that opens, you'll define the installation parameters for your add-in.

Step 2: Define Basic Information

Start by specifying basic information about your installer, such as its name and version. Replace "YourAppName" and "YourAppVersion" with your actual application name and version.

[Setup]
AppName=YourAppName
AppVersion=YourAppVersion
DefaultDirName={pf}\YourAppName
DefaultGroupName=YourAppName
UninstallDisplayIcon={app}\YourApp.exe
OutputDir=Output
OutputBaseFilename=YourAppNameSetup
Compression=lzma2
SolidCompression=yes

• AppName: The name of your application.
• AppVersion: The version number.
• DefaultDirName: The default installation directory.
• DefaultGroupName: The name of the Start Menu folder.
• UninstallDisplayIcon: Path to the application icon displayed in the Control Panel during uninstallation.
• OutputDir and OutputBaseFilename: Specify where the installer executable will be generated.
• Compression and SolidCompression: Compression settings for the installer.

Step 3: Add Files and Directories

In this section, you'll specify which files and directories should be included in the installation. Add your compiled add-in DLL and any other necessary files.

[Files]
Source: "path\to\YourAddin.dll"; DestDir: "{app}"
 
[Dirs]
Name: "{app}\Plugins"; Permissions: everyone-full

• Replace "path\to\YourAddin.dll" with the path to your compiled add-in DLL.
• {app} represents the installation directory defined earlier. You can create subdirectories within {app} as needed.

Step 4: Create Registry Entries

If your add-in requires registry entries (e.g., for Revit to recognize it), you can add them in the [Registry] section. Replace YourCompany and YourAppName with appropriate values.

[Registry]
Root: HKLM; Subkey: "Software\YourCompany\YourAppName"; Flags: uninsdeletekeyifempty
Root: HKLM; Subkey: "Software\YourCompany\YourAppName"; ValueType: string; ValueName: "InstallDir"; ValueData: "{app}"

Step 5: Define Shortcuts

Create shortcuts for your add-in in the Start Menu and on the desktop.

[Icons]
Name: "{group}\YourAppName"; Filename: "{app}\YourAddin.dll"
Name: "{commondesktop}\YourAppName"; Filename: "{app}\YourAddin.dll"

• {group} represents the Start Menu group defined earlier.
• {commondesktop} creates a shortcut on the desktop.

Step 6: Compile the Installer

Save the Inno Setup script with a .iss extension (e.g., YourAppName.iss). Then, compile the script by clicking the "Compile" button in the Inno Setup Compiler.

Step 7: Distribute Your Installer

The compiled installer executable will be created in the specified Output directory. You can distribute this executable to others who want to install your Revit add-in.

Step 8: Uninstallation

By default, Inno Setup generates an uninstaller that users can access from the Control Panel to remove your application.

Congratulations! You've created an Inno Setup installer for your Revit add-in. Users can now install your add-in with ease, simplifying the distribution process and ensuring a smooth user experience.