Export tool

[gorangrooves]

@d-healey All of that logging-in to download is clever.
I am wondering, though, if that would add extra steps. You would not want users to login for every single plugin that they need to download samples for (eg. 15 times). Also, this would also kind of limit that the only place you sell your plugins is your own store.

Perhaps a better-suited solution then would be to have a dedicated download/install manager which connects to your store and displays available downloads. Then user clicks on them to download and install them all in one go. I am thinking about what Plug Alliance has done.

[d.healey]

@gorangrooves said in Export tool:

You would not want users to login for every single plugin that they need to download samples for (eg. 15 times). Also, this would also kind of limit that the only place you sell your plugins is your own store.

If you use a serial code then it doesn't matter where it is sold. The user just enters the serial code, your server verifies it and provides the download link. This also means they don't have to log in each time, they just enter a serial code which isn't uncommon already.

[gorangrooves]

@d-healey hmmm Does a solution like that already exist for WooCommerce? Or would this be done outside of it, independently?

[d.healey]

@gorangrooves

Perhaps this - https://woocommerce.com/products/software-add-on/

I think I might use this myself actually, looks simpler than my original idea...

[gorangrooves]

@d-healey said in Export tool:

@gorangrooves

Perhaps this - https://woocommerce.com/products/software-add-on/

I think I might use this myself actually, looks simpler than my original idea...

I think that this is something completely different. Opens yet another can of worms It doesn't seem to solve anything new.

[Natan]

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[Casey Kolb]

@gorangrooves Yup a serial license solution exists for Woocommerce and I've already hooked this up in HISE with my server. Use this license manager https://www.licensemanager.at/. It's free and better than all of the other paid ones by far.

[d.healey]

@Lunacy-Audio Looks like a good solution, thanks!

[gorangrooves]

@Natanr Sorry buddy, but that's not an improvement over woocommerce, which also offers those features, plus it is customizable and there are tons of add-ons for it.

[gorangrooves]

I have broken down what I believe will be a good user experience for plugin delivery:
https://forum.hise.audio/topic/3069/what-format-do-you-use-to-distribute-plugins-samples/8#

[d.healey]

Well it looks like automated installer building on OSX is out (for now). There doesn't seem to be a tool available to generate Packages project files. The pkgproj format is xml so I could generate it manually but I'm not familiar enough with its layout and I don't have the time/patience at the moment to decipher it.

Searching whitebox packages on github just brings up HISE :p

[DanH]

@d-healey *sob

[Christoph Hart]

@d-healey said in Export tool:

There doesn't seem to be a tool available to generate Packages

I have created one Package template for PercX and Hexeract and then I just need to do a search and replace, that can be automated...

[d.healey]

@Christoph-Hart Ooo that's the approach I use too (based on your template). I didn't think about automated find/replace, I'll look into it!

[d.healey]

I think I've found a snag with the copy/replace idea, it's only going to work if the user is generating an AU, VST, and standalone app. If one of those is missing or they want to bundle additional items I'd still need a way to generate the extra contents of the pkgproj. Any ideas?

[Lindon]

@d-healey why not build 2 different packages - one including stand alone one missing it and use(search and replace) either depending on the user selection..

[d.healey]

@Lindon I'm not sure how that would solve the problem, could you provide more info about your idea? Here is an example of the template project Christoph and I mentioned.

While we're discussing Apple stuff, do you let XCode handle the code-signing as it's compiling your project or do you do it through the commandline manually after compiling is complete?

[Lindon]

@d-healey ok so the thing you are pointing at is an xml file generated by whitebox packages yes?

So its for a package that includes VST3, AU and standalone yes?

Simply create another whitebox package - this time with only the VST and AU elements and export(save) its XML

Now you have two templates - one for VST,AU and Stand-alone, and one for VST and AU. Offer your user a choice:

Include stand-alone? Y/N and depending on their choice use the relevant template.

So on to Apple Stuff:
I manually codesign all my plugins... and stand alones.
Then I manually notarise my stand-alones.

--I wait for apples success email then...

I use Whitebox packages for packaging - but its set up to use my developer certificate so its codesigned as soon as it builds.
When its built I notarize it.

-- I wait for apples success email then...

I staple the package, and zip it up - done!

To be honest Im not sure how you'd get all of that done with an automated process...I can see how you'd do it up to building the package ...but waiting for the success emails?

[d.healey]

@Lindon Oh I get it, I'll need more than two templates to cover all combinations but yeah that seems like a workable solution.

I didn't think you needed to notarize the standalone if it was included in a notarized package? - At least that's what I saw in the KVR post.

Yeah the stapling part with the success email would still have to be done manually, unless Apple provides some sort of API that gives a notification (I'll check).

Hmm which of these do we need (I assume just the bottom one, do we need to codesign the installer before notarization?):

[Lindon]

@d-healey yep the bottom one - I think- hang on checking my white box.....

it tells me this; Developer ID Installer: Lindon Mulcahy-Parker (XXXXXXXXXXX).

so I think thats the second to bottom one...??

My reading and re-reading of the KVR threads is that -

if it runs on its own it needs to be notarised, so stand-alone apps and packages.