CMake: failed to run MSBuild command: MSBuild.exe

Question

I am trying to build FIAT using CMake GUI on windows 10.

CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:3 (project):
  Failed to run MSBuild command:

    MSBuild.exe

  to get the value of VCTargetsPath:
Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

I configured CMake to use Visual Studio 15 2017 compiler.

How can I fix this?

If needed, here is the CMakeLists.txt file

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.2)
include(CheckCXXCompilerFlag)
project(FIAT CXX)

set(CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
set(CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/lib)
set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/bin)

if(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED1)
# Using Visual Studio C++
elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "MSVCx")
# Using Intel C++
elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "Intelx")
else(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED1)
    # GCC or Clang
    # At least C++11
    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("-std=c++17" COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX17)
    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("-std=c++1z" COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX1Z)
    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("-std=c++14" COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX14)
    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("-std=c++1y" COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX1Y)
    CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_FLAG("-std=c++11" COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX11)
    if(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX17)
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++17")
    elseif(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX1Z)
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++1z")
    elseif(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX14)
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++14")
    elseif(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX1Y)
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++1y")
    elseif(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX11)
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -std=c++11")
    else(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX17)
        message(STATUS "The compiler ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} has no C++11 support. Please use a different C++ compiler.")
    endif(COMPILER_SUPPORTS_CXX17)

    if(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED2)
    elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" MATCHES "Clangx")
        # Using Clang
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -Weverything -Wno-c++98-compat -Wno-c++98-compat-pedantic -Wno-global-constructors")
    elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "GNUx")
        # Using GCC
        set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS} -Wall -Wextra -pedantic")
    endif(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED2)
endif(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED1)

#OpenCV
FIND_PACKAGE(OpenCV REQUIRED core imgproc highgui imgcodecs)
if(OpenCV_Found)
    INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${OpenCV_INCLUDE_DIR})
endif(OpenCV_Found)

#Boost
FIND_PACKAGE(Boost REQUIRED program_options filesystem)
if(Boost_FOUND)
    INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
else(Boost_FOUND)
    set(CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH ${CMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH} "C:/local/boost_1_60_0/")
    set(CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH ${CMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH} "C:/local/boost_1_60_0/lib64-msvc-14.0")
    Find_PACKAGE(Boost)
    if(Boost_FOUND)
        INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${Boost_INCLUDE_DIR})
    endif(Boost_FOUND)
endif(Boost_FOUND)

set(Boost_USE_STATIC_LIBS        OFF)
set(Boost_USE_MULTITHREADED      ON)
set(Boost_USE_STATIC_RUNTIME     OFF)
set(BOOST_ALL_DYN_LINK           OFF)

# Annotation Lib
file(GLOB_RECURSE FIAT_LIB_HEADERS
    "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/image/*.h" "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/annotation/*.h" "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/tools/*.h"
)

file(GLOB_RECURSE FIAT_LIB_SRC
    "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/image/Image.cpp" "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/annotation/*.cpp" "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/tools/*.cpp"
)

add_library(utilities ${INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES} ${FIAT_LIB_HEADERS} ${FIAT_LIB_SRC})
target_link_libraries (utilities ${Boost_LIBRARIES} ${OpenCV_LIBRARIES} )

if(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED_UTILITIES)

elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "MSVCx")
  # using Visual Studio C++
elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "Intelx")
  # using Intel C++
else()
  # GCC or Clang
    target_link_libraries (utilities m )
endif(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED_UTILITIES)

# Annotate
file(GLOB_RECURSE FIAT_ANNOTATE_HEADERS
)

file(GLOB_RECURSE FIAT_ANNOTATE_SRC
    "${FIAT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/app/annotate.cpp"
)

add_executable(annotate ${INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES} ${FIAT_LIB_HEADERS} ${FIAT_ANNOTATE_HEADERS} ${FIAT_ANNOTATE_SRC})
target_link_libraries(annotate utilities ${Boost_LIBRARIES} ${OpenCV_LIBRARIES})


if(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED_ANNOTATE)
elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "MSVCx")
  # using Visual Studio C++
elseif("${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER_ID}x" STREQUAL "Intelx")
  # using Intel C++
else()
  # GCC or Clang
    target_link_libraries (annotate m)
endif(CHECK_CXX_COMPILER_USED_ANNOTATE)

As per your recommendation, I tried building from the Developer Command Prompt for VS2015 but still got the following error:

msbuild FIAT.vcxproj /p:configuration=debug
Microsoft (R) Build Engine version 14.0.25420.1
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Build started 6/12/2017 5:16:26 AM.
Project "E:\Work\FastImageAnnotationTool-master\FIAT.vcxproj" on node 1 (default targets).
E:\Work\FastImageAnnotationTool-master\FIAT.vcxproj(1,1): error MSB4067: The element <#text> beneat
h element <Project> is unrecognized.
Done Building Project "E:\Work\FastImageAnnotationTool-master\FIAT.vcxproj" (default targets) -- FA
ILED.


Build FAILED.

"E:\Work\FastImageAnnotationTool-master\FIAT.vcxproj" (default target) (1) ->
  E:\Work\FastImageAnnotationTool-master\FIAT.vcxproj(1,1): error MSB4067: The element <#text> bene
ath element <Project> is unrecognized.

    0 Warning(s)
    1 Error(s)

Time Elapsed 00:00:00.03

Here is my project's .vcxproj file

<Project DefaultTargets="Build" ToolsVersion="12.0" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">  
  <ItemGroup>  
    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|Win32">  
      <Configuration>Debug</Configuration>  
      <Platform>Win32</Platform>  
    </ProjectConfiguration>  
    <ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|Win32">  
      <Configuration>Release</Configuration>  
      <Platform>Win32</Platform>  
    </ProjectConfiguration>  
  </ItemGroup>  
  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.default.props" />  
  <PropertyGroup>  
    <ConfigurationType>Application</ConfigurationType>  
    <PlatformToolset>v120</PlatformToolset>  
  </PropertyGroup>  
  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.props" />  
  Annotation.cpp Annotations.cpp app/annotate.cpp - image/Image.cpp test/image-test.cpp - tools/tools.cpp

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/annotation/Annotation.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup>  
  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/annotation/Annotation.h" />  
  </ItemGroup>  

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/annotation/Annotations.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup>  
  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/annotation/Annotation.h" />  
  </ItemGroup>  

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/app/annotate.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup>  

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/image/Image.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup>  
  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/image/Image.h" />  
  </ItemGroup>

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/test/image-test.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup> 

  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/tools/tools.cpp" />  
  </ItemGroup>  
  <ItemGroup>  
    <ClInclude Include="/src/tools/tools.h" />  
  </ItemGroup> 

  <Import Project="$(VCTargetsPath)\Microsoft.Cpp.Targets" />  
</Project>  

Answer 1

What Worked for me was

1. File > Delete Cache
2. Click Configure
3. Selecting The right version of Visual Studio from the drop-down list, I.e. - the one that is installed on your machine. in my case, it was 'Visual Studio 15 2017' on windows 10.

Answer 2

For visual studio 2019,

System properties > environment variables > path, Add this one: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\MSBuild\Current\Bin

Answer 3

Are you using the Visual Studio developer's console? I find that if I cmake --build . from Window's build-in command line (cmd.exe), then my builds fail in similar ways. If I use the Visual Studio Developer's console instead, then things work better, though I need to add /p:Platform="Win32" as a tag if I call msbuild directly.. Specifically this is for tools which aren't found or incorrect paths. Using the Visual Studio command-line gives you a bunch of enviornment variables which are needed by MSBuild to compile your project.

Answer 4

The error reads a missing Path to MSBuild.exe

The possible solution to this is to install MSBuild.exe

Scroll down to Other Tools and Frameworks, and install Build Tools For Visual Studio