Photoshop Plugin Template

This repository provides a starting point for developers to create a C++ Photoshop plugin from scratch. This README will guide you through setting up your development environment, understanding dependencies, and getting your plugin up and running.

Features

Currently, this template works only for Windows.

The build pipeline includes:

• pipl.rr
• pipl.rc
• pipl.res
• Plugin

Requirements

• Adobe Photoshop SDK 2024 (Windows) v1
• MSVC v141 - Visual Studio 2017 C++ x64/x86 Build Tools (v14.16)

Note: Even if you install Visual Studio Build Tools 2019, make sure to select MSVC v141 under the optional components panel. If you already have Visual Studio Build Tools installed, you can modify the installation using the Visual Studio Installer.

Using This Template

To start your own Photoshop plugin development, follow these steps to use this repository as a template:

1. Click the "Use this template" button at the top right of this repository’s GitHub page.
2. Create a new repository with a unique name, or add it to an existing repository.
3. Once the repository is created, you can start customizing the plugin to suit your needs.

Cloning the Repository

After creating your new repository from the template, clone it to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-repository-name.git
cd your-repository-name

Make sure to replace your-username and your-repository-name with your actual GitHub username and repository name.

Initial Setup

1. Edit the variable section of the CMakeLists.txt file with your plugin information:

   project(
       "YourPluginName"                        # Plugin Name
       VERSION 1.0.0                           # Plugin Version
       DESCRIPTION "Your plugin description"   # Plugin Description
   )

2. Set the plugin category and UUID in the CMakeLists.txt:

   set(PLUGIN_CATEGORY "Your Plugin Category")
   set(UUID_NAMESPACE "your-plugin-uuid-goes-here")

   You can create your own UUID using any UUID generator like UUIDGenerator.net.

3. Download the latest Photoshop SDK from Adobe's developers site, decompress it, and place the SDK directory at the root of the project (at the same level as this README).

4. Ensure the SDK directory version in CMakeLists.txt matches the SDK version you downloaded:

   set(PS_SDK_VERSION "adobe_photoshop_sdk_2024_win_v1")

5. Modify the following constants in define.h with your plugin-specific details:

   #define SUITE_ID 'pspg'
   #define EVENT_ID 'PsPg'
   #define VENDOR_NAME "Your Vendor Name"

Building and Deployment

1. Ensure that you are using MSVC v141 as the compiler. Other compilers might not work properly.

2. Build the project using CMake or Visual Studio:

   • Open the project in Visual Studio or run CMake to generate the build files.
   • Build the plugin in Release mode for deployment.

3. Once the build completes, the plugin .8bf file will be generated. This file is the plugin that can be loaded into Photoshop.

Running the Plugin in Photoshop

1. Copy the built .8bf plugin file to the Photoshop plugin directory:

   • Default location: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop 2024\Plug-ins\

2. Launch Photoshop, and the plugin should appear under the Plugins menu.

Start Developing

The initial setup generates a plugin with the .8bf extension, which is the general file type for Photoshop plugins. If you change the plugin type, make sure to modify the pipl.r file accordingly.

For more information on different plugin types and configuration, refer to the Photoshop SDK documentation:

• Plugin Types.
• API Guide.
• PICA.
• General Documentation.

License

This plugin template is licensed under the CC0 1.0 Universal.