Installation windows Python x86-64 Visual Studio Express Professional

STOP

Due to a bug with a high imprecision in a windows 7 system, compiles with Visual Studio Express Professional, See bug #20821, this installation is not recommended!

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.

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.)

Modify env.bat

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

set PATH=%PATH%;C:\WinPython27\relax_disp

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

relax
relax -g

Tip - shortcut to cmd.bat

Make shortcut to C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts\cmd.bat, and modify the shortcut. Set

Start in: %PWD%

You can now copy this shortcut around, which open a command prompt at the current folder, and set the paths correctly.

Tip - add env.bat to windows path

If you have permission to change the Environment Variables in windows, you can add the env.bat to your path.
Right click Computer -> properties -> Advanced system settings -> Environment Variables -> User variables -> Edit: PATH
Add to end of the Variable value:

;C:\WinPython27\WinPython-64bit-2.7.5.1\scripts

In any folder, hold "Shift" and right click, "Open command window here". Write:

env
relax -g

Install other software

xmgrace - for the plotting results of NMR-relax

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.