Steps to create a new plugin

[Thiva]

I'm interested to create a plugin on CloudCompare to detect the weld joints on pipes and the defects. I have managed to obtain the weld defects by creating a contour based on the height from a reference surface.

Currently, I would like to automate this process by creating a plugin so I could upload the 3d Scanned file of the Pipe and get the defects using the plugin.

I'm not familiar in creating a plugin it would be great if you could provide me a guideline or a document which shows the creation of plugin step by step.

[daniel]

Hi,

To create a new plugin, simply copy the 'example plugin' (https://github.com/CloudCompare/CloudCo ... mplePlugin) to the 'plugin/core/standard' folder and follow the guidelines directly in the files (you should rename the files as well ideally).

Another option is to duplicate an existing plugin that behaves more or less the same way as yours. Then look for all the instances of the plugin name (to replace it by your plugin name).

[eiffelbastin]

hi sir

A few of the steps mentioned in the Github (https://github.com/CloudCompare/CloudCo ... IBUTING.md) are not clear and I am getting errors in the Cmake part of building the plugin


so if it's comfortable for you can you please screen record and post the entire steps of generating a custom sample plugin on cloudcompare and post it on this form or as a youtube video. so that it would be helpful to me as well as the newbies like me trying to perform the same task later...


Thanks in advance.

[daniel]

Well, that's not super easy for me (and it would be quite time consuming ;).

Can you please tell us which steps are not clear? Have you looked at the dummy plugins (a lot of instructions are actually directly written in the dummy plugins source files).

[eiffelbastin]

for instance, I am now trying to install the standard example plugin..

1. after placing all the template files in the plugin\private folder, and when I try to build with 'PLUGIN_EXAMPLE_STANTARD' = unchecked i am not getting the .sln file in the output folder
but when I generate it by keeping 'PLUGIN_EXAMPLE_STANTARD' = checked I am getting a .sln file in the output but there is an error showing up in cmake [img][https://drive.google.com/file/d/13JWWS- ... sp=sharing]


2. proceeding with the generated ExamplePlugin.sln when i open the solution in visual studio I am getting this error

C:\Users\91828\Desktop\temp\exampleplugin\ALL_BUILD.vcxproj : error : Project "" does not contain any configuration.
C:\Users\91828\Desktop\temp\exampleplugin\ZERO_CHECK.vcxproj : error : Project "" does not contain any configuration.

and there is no option to build it

screen record vid: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UXq9J6 ... sp=sharing

[daniel]

For the records, I'll answer on github (https://github.com/CloudCompare/CloudCo ... ssues/1514)