Install and Deploy Plugins

Once a plugin component has been built, it can be deployed to other computers for use by others. To do this, all of the appropriate files (the wsc and script file for Windows Script Components, and all relevant dll files for compiled components) built with the plugin must be copied to the other computer.

Registering a UI Plugin

The plugin type determines how it is registered:

• .NET UI plugin. If the plugin is a .NET UI plugin, the appropriate xml manifest file must be placed in a registration search folder, but the plugin does not need to be registered in Windows. For instructions, see .NET Managed (UI) Plugins.
• COM UI plugin. If the plugin is a COM UI plugin, it must be registered in the Windows registry and an appropriate xml manifest file must be placed in a registration search folder. For registration instructions, see COM UI Plugins.

Note: When you build a plugin in Debug mode, rather than Release mode, the component runs using Microsoft debug dynamic link libraries that are supplied with Visual Studio .NET. The plugin will not be able to run on a machine that does not have those Debug libraries. (Debug libraries are not redistributable and are not part of the standard Windows operating system installation.) In most cases, you should build a plugin for deployment to other machines using Release mode.

Use Plugin Components

Once a plugin has been installed, a user can choose to use a plugin by selecting its ProgID or DisplayName from the user interface. The plugin may choose to declare certain parameters as being editable by the user. If so, then the user interface allows a user to edit these settings as well.

Related Topics:

• Building Engine Plugins
• Engine Plugin Registration
• Engine Plugins Libraries

• Step By Step Tutorial
• NET Managed (UI) Plugins
• COM UI Plugin Registrations
• Installing and Deploying Plugins
• UI Plugins Library Reference

You may also want to learn more about:

• Extend the User Interface
• Extending the Engine

STK Programming Interface 11.0.1