C# plugin compatibility question

[rray]

Hi
I was wondering whether there's some way to compile a C# plugin so it doesn't need to be recompiled for each new release of Softimage.
What comes on top of that is that a C# plugins seems to be working with the version only that it was compiled for, not being backward-compatible.
This would make C# pretty useless imo.
Am I missing something here?
Cheers,
Ray

[Hirazi Blue]

I was wondering whether there's some way to compile a C# plugin so it doesn't need to be recompiled for each new release of Softimage.
What comes on top of that is that a C# plugins seems to be working with the version only that it was compiled for, not being backward-compatible.

I never was able to dig up any official confirmation on this, but judging from the few c# plugins out there, I'd say that's a fair assessment. Probably has something to do with the fact that C# plugins need to be compiled against a specific version of the SDK C# libraries...

This would make C# pretty useless imo.

That, sadly, was my conclusion also...

[rray]

Hm I just found out that a .NET assembly (which from my limited perspective I think of as a combo dll+versioning info) can existist in multiple versions at once - so it might be possible to link a one-for-all version after all - so we'd have backwards compatibility at lease. Although I would have all assemblies ready first, which would mean work because I'd have to install each old Softimage version again.
I think I better rewrite as JS

[Hirazi Blue]

Hmm, interesting...
Could you please share this newfound wisdom about C# linking (as to how this can be done)?
;)

[rray]

That's at least how I interpreted the Gacutil output. Gacutil is the tool from Microsoft that's used to register and unregister assemblies in the global assembly cache (Shared-across-apps-assemblies).
I tried a /info call with it on one of the Softimage SDK assemblies and it output 2 registered versions at once, for each of the two SIs I have installed.
Now my extrapolation was, when I link with this "combo" assembly, it *might* be that it could be used for the two SIs at once. Will try that it a couple of days &write back here.