Windows Build & Dependencies

Windows Build & Dependencies

Building Freak-Flix for Windows requires specific system configurations and external binary dependencies to handle high-performance video playback via media_kit.

🛠 System Prerequisites

Before building, ensure your environment meets the following requirements:

1. Visual Studio 2022: Install with the "Desktop development with C++" workload.
2. Flutter SDK: The latest stable version configured for Windows desktop support.

   flutter config --enable-windows-desktop
   

3. CMake: Usually bundled with Visual Studio, but ensure it is accessible in your PATH.

📦 Mandatory Dependency: MPV

Freak-Flix utilizes media_kit for video rendering, which relies on the MPV library. The Windows executable will not launch without the mpv-1.dll available in the application path.

1. Obtain the DLL

You can download the pre-compiled shared libraries from the MPV Android/Windows builds or use the versions provided by the media_kit community.

2. Placement

For the application to run during development or after distribution, place mpv-1.dll in the following directory relative to your project root:

• Development: build/windows/runner/Debug/ (or Release/)
• Distribution: The same folder as freak_flix.exe.

Note: Failure to include this file will result in a "Code execution cannot proceed because mpv-1.dll was not found" system error.

🏗 Building the Project

Follow these steps to compile the Windows desktop application:

1. Fetch Dependencies:

   flutter pub get
   

2. Generate Plugins: The project uses a custom C++ runner located in windows/runner. Ensure plugin registration is updated:

   flutter create --platforms=windows .
   

3. Run in Debug Mode: This will attach a console window (via CreateAndAttachConsole in the runner) to view Flutter logs and MPV output.

   flutter run -d windows
   

4. Create Release Build:

   flutter build windows
   

🖥 C++ Runner Configuration

The application includes a specialized Win32 runner (windows/runner/main.cpp) that handles:

• Console Attachment: Automatically attaches to the parent process console for logging when debugging.
• DPI Awareness: High-DPI scaling support via EnableNonClientDpiScaling.
• Theme Integration: Immersive Dark Mode support for the title bar window decorations.

If you modify the window behavior (e.g., initial size or transparency), updates should be made in flutter_window.cpp within the OnCreate method.

🧪 Troubleshooting

| Issue | Resolution | | :--- | :--- | | App crashes on startup | Verify mpv-1.dll is in the same folder as the .exe. Ensure you are using a 64-bit DLL for a 64-bit build. | | No Video Output | Check if the GPU drivers are updated. Freak-Flix uses hardware acceleration by default. | | Missing API Metadata | Ensure your TMDB API Key is correctly entered in the application settings; otherwise, the library scan will fail to populate UI elements. | | Azure/OneDrive Login fails | Ensure your ms_auth_proxy is running (see Configuration) and the Redirect URI in Azure matches your local environment. |