Gen Build Tool error "OPT.VSVERSION contains an unknown value ..."

Products

• Gen
• Gen - Workstation Toolset
• Gen - Run Time Distributed
• Gen - Host Encyclopedia

Issue/Introduction

Attempting to generate modules within Gen 8.6 and get the error: 

"CA Gen Build Tool Compose
Copyright (c) 2016 CA. All rights reserved.

Exception caught: java.lang.RuntimeException:*** OPT.VSVERSION contains an unknown value () or the specified Visual Studio compiler is not installed.

Compose Failed"

Environment

Release : 8.6
Component : Gen Workstation Toolset and Build Tool

Resolution

The error from the .out file for the build of the module is "Exception caught: java.lang.RuntimeException:*** OPT.VSVERSION contains an unknown value () or the specified Visual Studio compiler is not installed."

The value with the Build Tool Profile Manager token OPT.VSVERSION defaults to VS140., which corresponds to an install of VS2015. 
You will get the above error if you have an invalid value for the token OR the value does not match the version of Visual Studio installed.   
The value VS140 corresponds to an install of MS VS2015. 
The value VS150 corresponds to an install of MS VS2017.
The value VS160 corresponds to an install of MS VS2019.

Per Compilers section under Gen™ 8.6 > Technical Requirements > Third-Party Software Version
Gen r8.6 is certified/supported for:
Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2017
Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2019
NOTE: Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2015 is no longer listed due to drop support by Microsoft.

Additional Information

Gen 8.6 Build Tool OPT.VSVERSION Visual Studio 2017 & 2019
Per the above article:
To provide VS 2017 support Gen 8.6 Complete PTF WKS86200/SO09618 should be installed.
To provide VS 2019 support additional PTFs TSN86209/SS13873, BTN86201/SS13871,  RTN86208/SS13872 should be installed.

The VS 2017 support was originally delivered with a series of *861* PTFs but WKS86200 supersedes them.
WKS86200 is also the baseline for all new 8.6 PTFs, so it should be installed as a matter of course, to be able to install any later PTFs.
Gen™ 8.6 > Technical Requirements > Change Summary