Install process/instructions needs to be much easier

[Speldosa]

The second sentence under the heading 'Installation' reads:

If you want to compile the plugins from source, you may either use the provided Unix Makefile, the Xcode project, or the Visual Studio project.

I can guarantee that a majority of potential users will scroll down, read that, go 'Huh?', and then eventually giving up after trying to understand the rest of the instructions for 5 minutes (I know I did, and I'm actually quite well-versed when it comes to nerdy computer stuff compared to most other people). I don't know how important it is to get these people onboard, but if you want them to use the software, you definitely need to make the installation process much easier (e.g, Create a dmg file for OS X) or make the installation instructions much easier (e.g., In which directory should I place the binaries? Wait, is 'a binary' the same thing as 'the source'? Can I move/delete the files after the installation process is complete? Do I need to move anything myself?).

[olear]

The majority of the users will use the plugins through Natron (where they are bundled), no instructions needed.

Users of other hosts may copy the plugins from Natron, or build them manually (the plugins are easy to build).

[MrKepzie]

The software official binary distribution can be downloaded at http://natron.fr/download/ if you cannot bother with the source installation.

Edit: didn't see this was on the openfx-misc repository. If you need a binary distribution, just download Natron and copy the plug-ins to your other software distribution. If you want to just build the plug-ins, then the instructions could not be easier.

[devernay]

This is a source code repository, and the README is for the source code.
This is intended to be compiled by someone who knows how to do it. Any C/C++ developper will (hopefully) understand that sentence.
Anyone has the right to make a binary distribution out of this and distribute it at will (btw @MrKepzie the Natron binary distribution is certainly not the best option to use these plugins with other software).

I know that many Resolve users are asking for windows binaries, and they would prefer one binary per plugin (no "multibundle" in the OFX language), but I can't compile on windows myself, and I just don't have time to do it.
If you don't understand that sentence from the README, please find a developper who is able to understand it, and if that developper gets stuck somewhere in the build process I may be able to help him or her. That's all I can do, sorry.

[devernay]

And by the way, the installation instructions are not reduced to that sentence: there are three sections after it detailing how to compile. Tell me what part you don't understand, and I can try to improve it.

[olear]

Multibundle is on my TODO list, I'm free this week to fix various (Natron/Plugins) stuff.

[niczee]

@devernay and everyone else, thank you for your efforts with this project.

Can someone with a kind heart, please help a 'laymen' figure out how to use these plugins with Davinci Resolve 12? A tutorial or something?

I am the one @Speldosa is speaking about, except I installed VS2015 and tried to "Build Solution" using the Misc.vcxproj file. After it did something (see txt files), I added all the .obj files (60 of them) from the Debug folder to the file path below. Nothing. No plugins in Resolve 12. Tried the same thing from the Release folder.

I also DL'ed Natron, and did as @MrKepzie suggested, "If you need a binary distribution, just download Natron and copy the plug-ins to your other software distribution."

When adding the plugins from Natron to C:\Program Files\Common Files\OFX\Plugins they do not show in Resolve 12.1.

Sorry for the naivety, but I feel I gave it all my effort (and about 5hrs of time) to figure it out on my own without success.

Thank you!

@devernay we mourn and stand with France. 🇫🇷

21 Errors and 295 Warnings.txt
output.txt

[olear]

@niczee :
Plugins extracted and modified (manifest and dll changes) for use with other hosts (works in Nuke, others don't know), taken from Natron v2 RC3:

• http://downloads.natron.fr/~olear/openfx-misc/Win64/CImg.ofx.bundle.zip
• http://downloads.natron.fr/~olear/openfx-misc/Win64/Misc.ofx.bundle.zip

Extract to C:\Program Files\Common Files\OFX\Plugins

EDIT: Does not work in Sony Vegas, plugins are present, but effect don't apply, seems to be a problem with OpenFX, since it affects all Natron plugins, and I know they work earlier.

[niczee]

@olear Thank you so much for your time and help. I really appreciate it.

I did as you instructed, however, the plugins are still not showing up in Resolve 12.1. Perhaps there is an issue with Resolve.

Thank you again sir.

[olear]

Sorry for late reply, some of the plugins from Misc.ofx show up in Resolve here, but I'm unable to test due to unsupported hw (no OpenCL)

EDIT: Also Arena.ofx shows up

[mash-graz]

on my resolve 12.1 windows installation i can neither see Misc.ofx nor Arena.ofx if i move the Natron bundle to system ofx-plugin location. but the version olear in this thread works.
(see also: https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=41914&p=245022#p245022)

[olear]

You can't just copy the plugins from Natron to other hosts on Windows, as they requires several dll's included with Natron, you need to edit the manifest and run 'mt' on the ofx binary, as I did with the plugins linked earlier in this issue.

[mash-graz]

oh! -- i see!

it would be really fine, if a more compatible binary of the plugin would be available.

btw: did you try to make a version of IO.ofx that works in resolve too?
it may sound strange, but i would really like to have this kind of alternative import to compare the real performance of a libav based import to the quicktime based default implementation in resolve.

[olear]

Will see what I can do. I can package the plugins, but are unable to actually test them in Resolve.

"Native" Read will probably always be faster than using a OpenFX plugin (feel free to correct me).