Installation windows Python x86-32 Visual Studio Express for Windows Desktop

Download preparation

First: Download these packages, do not unpack them yet.

1. (.exe): wxPython: http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#wxpython
2. (.exe): scons: http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#scons
3. (.zip): minfx: http://download.gna.org/minfx/
4. (.zip): bmrblib: http://download.gna.org/bmrblib/

take amd64 versions if you have a computer with 64 bit.

Install python and necessary packages

I recommend to install a python distribution which is packed with several packages already.

Winpython

You could consider winpython, which includes Ipython, numpy, scipy. matplotlib etc.:
Homepage

Make a folder: C:\WinPython27.
Run the downloaded winpython exe file, and extract to: C:\WinPython27.
Open WinPython Control Panel in ex. C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1
Drag the 4 above mentioned packakes, into the window, and install the packages.
For a command window, use the WinPython Command Prompt found in C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.4.1, which fixes path issues for finding python.

Install Visual Studio Express 2012

See versions of VS 2012 here.
For 64 bit compiling, you will need, Visual Studio Professional, since it has: 64-bit x64 compiler.
From http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/eng/downloads, download and install: Visual Studio Professional 2012 90-day trial.
Skip all extra packages install. After install, just exit any program, which opened after install.

Bugfix scons for 32bit building - ONLY do this if you have winpython 32 bit.

Due to a bug, versions of scons <=2.3 should alter a line in:
C:\WinPython27\WinPython-32bit-2.7.4.1\python-2.7.4\Lib\site-packages\scons-2.3.0\SCons\Tool\MSCommonvc.py

Line 364:

if not req_target_platform and target_platform in ('amd64','x86_64'):

Should be:

if target_platform in ('amd64','x86_64'):

Install Subversion checkout of relax

Install a subversion client. For example: http://tortoisesvn.net/

Right click in winpython folder: C:\WinPython27, and select SVN Checkout. Write the path:

svn://svn.gna.org/svn/relax/trunk
svn://svn.gna.org/svn/relax/branches/relax_disp

Build relax

Open the WinPython Command Prompt
Navigate to the SVN checked out relax folder

cd C:\WinPython27\relax_disp
scons
(Scons will automatically find CL.exe, and setup compilation for 64 bit.)
scons user_manual_pdf

Modify relax.bat

Copy relax.bat to relaxgui.bat

Modify relax.bat, to first make a call to the environment settings

call "C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts\env.bat"
python "%~dp0\relax.py" %*

Modify relaxgui.bat:

call "C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts\env.bat"
python "%~dp0\relax.py" -g %*

Install other software

xmgrace

relax produces xmgrace "'.agr" files for plotting. There exist two ports for xmgrace to windows QtGrace and GraceGTK.
Download QtGrace, and unpack to C:\WinPython27\qtgrace_windows_binary.
Then copy C:\WinPython27\qtgrace_windows_binary\bin\qtgrace.exe to C:\WinPython27\qtgrace_windows_binary\bin\xmgrace.exe.

Modify C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts\env.bat, and add to end of file

set PATH=%PATH%;C:\WinPython27\qtgrace_windows_binary\bin

Test installation, by clicking C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts\cmd.bat, and write

xmgrace

which should start xmgrace