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How to compile a plugin

This document will guide you through compiling an Evoplex plugin.

Prerequisites

Install all dependencies described here.

Note that you do not need to compile Evoplex from source to be able to compile a plugin. However, if you did, you already have all dependencies and so, you do not have to install anything else.

Important note: The plugin must be compiled with the same architecture (32/64 bits) and mode (Release/Debug) of Evoplex.

Instructions for Linux

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Compiling the plugin from the command-line

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1. I run Evoplex from an AppImage

  • Go to the directory where the Evoplex AppImage is (e.g., cd ~/evoplex)
  • Run ./evoplex.AppImage --appimage-extract to extract the AppImage to ~/evoplex/squashfs-root
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=~/evoplex/squashfs-root/usr/lib/cmake/Evoplex/

1. I compiled Evoplex from the source code

  • Assuming you compiled Evoplex at ~/evoplex/build.
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=~/evoplex/build/src/core/EvoplexCore/

  1. Go to the plugin's directory (e.g., cd ~/evoplex/plugin/)
  2. Create a folder mkdir build
  3. Access the folder cd build
  4. Run cmake ..
  5. Run cmake --build .
  6. The plugin (i.e., dynamic library file -- .so on Linux) will be placed at ~/evoplex/plugin/build/plugin/

Compiling the plugin with QtCreator

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If you run Evoplex from an AppImage, click HERE!

  • Open the terminal
  • Go to the directory where the Evoplex AppImage is (e.g., cd ~/evoplex)
  • Run ./evoplex.AppImage --appimage-extract to extract the AppImage to ~/evoplex/squashfs-root

  1. In the toolbar, click on File => Open File or Project...
  2. In the plugin's directory (e.g., ~/evoplex/plugin/), select the CMakeLists.txt file
  3. Open the Projects panel (it may open automatically when you first open the CMake file)
    • Select the desired modes (e.g., Release)
    • Choose the directory in which the plugin will be built (eg., ~/evoplex/plugin/build/)
    • Click on Configure Project
  4. In the Build Settings (Projects panel), add the EvoplexCore_DIR variable (directory -- see this screenshot) as follows:
    • If you extracted the Evoplex libs from an AppImage (e.g., at ~/evoplex/squashfs-root), the variable should be set to ~/evoplex/squashfs-root/usr/lib/cmake/Evoplex
    • If you compiled Evoplex from the source code (e.g., Evoplex was compiled at ~/evoplex/build/), the variable should be set to ~/evoplex/build/src/core/EvoplexCore
    • Hit ENTER to confirm
  5. Click on Apply Configuration Changes
  6. Click on Build
  7. The plugin (i.e., dynamic library file -- .so on Linux) will be placed at ~/evoplex/plugin/build/plugin/

Instructions for macOS

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Compiling the plugin from the command-line

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1. I installed Evoplex from a DMG file

  • Assuming that Evoplex is installed at /Applications/evoplex.app
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=/Applications/evoplex.app/Contents/MacOS/lib/cmake/Evoplex

1. I compiled Evoplex from the source code

  • Assuming you compiled Evoplex at ~/evoplex/build.
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=~/evoplex/build/evoplex.app/Contents/MacOS/lib/cmake/Evoplex

  1. Go to the plugin's directory (e.g., cd ~/evoplex/plugin/)
  2. Create a folder mkdir build
  3. Access the folder cd build
  4. Run cmake ..
  5. Run cmake --build .
  6. The plugin (i.e., dynamic library file -- .dylib on macOS) will be placed at ~/evoplex/plugin/build/plugin/

Compiling the plugin with QtCreator

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  1. In the toolbar, click on File => Open File or Project...
  2. In the plugin's directory (e.g., ~/evoplex/plugin/), select the CMakeLists.txt file
  3. Open the Projects panel (it may open automatically when you first open the CMake file)
    • Select the desired modes (e.g., Release)
    • Choose the directory in which the plugin will be built (eg., ~/evoplex/plugin/build/)
    • Click on Configure Project
  4. In the Build Settings (Projects panel), add the EvoplexCore_DIR variable (directory -- see this screenshot) as follows:
    • If you installed Evoplex from a DMG file (e.g., at /Applications/evoplex.app), the variable should be set to /Applications/evoplex.app/Contents/MacOS/lib/cmake/Evoplex
    • If you compiled Evoplex from the source code (e.g., Evoplex was compiled at ~/evoplex/build/), the variable should be set to ~/evoplex/build/evoplex.app/Contents/MacOS/lib/cmake/Evoplex
    • Hit ENTER to confirm
  5. Click on Apply Configuration Changes
  6. Click on Build
  7. The plugin (i.e., dynamic library file -- .so on Linux) will be placed at ~/evoplex/plugin/build/plugin/

Instructions for Windows

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Compiling the plugin from the command-line

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If you installed Git and all dependencies correctly, you should have Git Bash installed on your computer.

  1. Open Git Bash

2. I installed Evoplex from a binary package (exe file)

  • Assuming that Evoplex is installed at /c/Program\ Files/evoplex/
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=/c/Program\ Files/evoplex/lib/cmake/Evoplex

2. I compiled Evoplex from the source code

  • Assuming you compiled Evoplex at /c/evoplex/build.
  • Run export EvoplexCore_DIR=/c/evoplex/build/src/core/EvoplexCore

  1. Go to the plugin's directory (e.g., cd /c/evoplex/plugin/)
  2. Create a folder mkdir build
  3. Access the folder cd build
  4. Run cmake to generate the build files (make sure you specify the MSVS version properly) 
    cmake.exe -G "Visual Studio 15 2017 Win64" ..
  5. Finally, build it! 
    cmake.exe --build . --config Release --target ALL_BUILD
  6. The plugin (i.e., .dll file) will be placed at /c/evoplex/plugin/build/plugin/

Compiling the plugin with QtCreator

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I. Configuring QtCreator

If you installed all dependencies correctly, and have not used QtCreator for Evoplex before:

  1. In QtCreator, open Tools => Options... in the toolbar
  2. Open the 'Kits' tab in the Build&Run panel.
  3. Click on the auto-detected kit (eg., Desktop Qt 5.9.5 MSVC2017 64bit)
    1. Make sure the compiler (C and C++) is set correctly. For example:
      • C Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler 15.0 (amd64)
      • C++ Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler 15.0 (amd64)
    2. Make sure that the path to the CMake Tool was detected (eg., C:\Program Files\CMake\bin\cmake.exe)
    3. Make sure the CMake generator is set to your version of Visual Studio (eg., Visual Studio 15 2017 Win64). Leave the fields Platform and Toolset blank.
  4. Click OK

II. Configuring QtCreator for the Evoplex plugin

  1. In the toolbar, click on File => Open File or Project...
  2. In the plugin's directory (e.g., C:\evoplex\plugin\), select the CMakeLists.txt file
  3. Open the Projects panel (it may open automatically when you first open the CMake file)
    • Select the desired modes (eg., Release)
    • Choose the directory in which the plugin will be built (eg., C:/evoplex/plugin/build/)
    • Click on Configure Project
  4. In the Build Settings (Projects panel), add the EvoplexCore_DIR variable (directory -- see this screenshot) as follows:
    • If you installed Evoplex from a binary package (e.g., at C:\Program Files\evoplex), the variable should be set to C:\Program Files\evoplex\lib\cmake\Evoplex
    • If you compiled Evoplex from the source code (e.g., Evoplex was compiled at C:\evoplex\build), the variable should be set to C:\evoplex\build\src\core\EvoplexCore
    • Hit ENTER to confirm
  5. Click on Apply Configuration Changes
  6. In the Build Settings (Projects panel), make sure you target ALL_BUILD in the build steps
  7. Click on Build

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