Can't link to bullet physics library - LNK2019,LNK2001 - cmake

Question

I have built bullet3-3.08 on Windows using cmake (commands have been executed from the build folder created in the bullet3-3.08 directory):
cmake -G "Visual Studio 15 2017" -A x64 -D "CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=C:/MyLibs/bullet3-3.08" -D "USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL=ON" -D "INSTALL_LIBS=ON" ..
cmake --build . --config Release --parallel 8 --target install
I have an application which uses MD/MDd runtime library so I have built Bullet with the following option: USE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY_DLL=ON. Bullet is built as a static library by default. I use Visual Studio 2017 and build my application using cmake. When I link to Bullet I get many linker errors (LNK2019, LNK2001), for example:
error LNK2019: unresolved external symbol "public: __cdecl btCollisionDispatcher::btCollisionDispatcher(class btCollisionConfiguration *)" (??0btCollisionDispatcher##QEAA#PEAVbtCollisionConfiguration###Z) referenced in function main
error LNK2001: unresolved external symbol "public: virtual void __cdecl btCollisionShape::getBoundingSphere(class btVector3 &,float &)const " (?getBoundingSphere#btCollisionShape##UEBAXAEAVbtVector3##AEAM#Z)
I use direct library paths in CMakeLists.txt:
target_link_libraries(${executableName} "C:/MyLibs/bullet3-3.08/lib/Bullet3Collision.lib"
"C:/MyLibs/bullet3-3.08/lib/Bullet3Dynamics.lib"
"C:/MyLibs/bullet3-3.08/lib/LinearMath.lib")
Here is CMakeSettings.json:
{
"configurations": [
{
"name": "x64-Debug",
"generator": "Ninja",
"configurationType": "Debug",
"inheritEnvironments": [
"msvc_x64_x64"
],
"buildRoot": "${projectDir}\\build\\${name}",
"installRoot": "${projectDir}\\install\\${name}",
"cmakeCommandArgs": "",
"buildCommandArgs": "-v",
"ctestCommandArgs": ""
},
{
"name": "x64-Release",
"generator": "Ninja",
"configurationType": "Release",
"inheritEnvironments": [
"msvc_x64_x64"
],
"buildRoot": "${projectDir}\\build\\${name}",
"installRoot": "${projectDir}\\install\\${name}",
"cmakeCommandArgs": "",
"buildCommandArgs": "-v",
"ctestCommandArgs": ""
}
]
}
What is wrong ?

Answer 1

As Bullet provides a BulletConfig.cmake file it is quite simple to link against Bullet.
First you need to install Bullet (if not done so) and add -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=C:/MyLibs/bullet3-3.08 (or the appropriate installation directory) to your cmake command line.
Then in your CMakeLists.txt file you need to add
find_package(Bullet REQUIRED)
# your add_executable call follows here
add_executable(${executableName} .......)
target_compile_definitions(${executableName} PRIVATE ${BULLET_DEFINITIONS})
target_include_directories(${executableName} PRIVATE ${BULLET_INCLUDE_DIRS})
target_link_libraries(${executableName} PRIVATE ${BULLET_LIBRARIES})
This should be the steps necessary to link to Bullet.