nih-plug-template/README.md

# NIH-plug Template

Minimal scaffold for new [NIH-plug](https://github.com/robbert-vdh/nih-plug) audio plugins (Rust + CLAP/VST3 + egui).

Based on patterns from [`musiikki/codename-206`](http://192.168.2.199:3005/musiikki/codename-206).

## Quick Start

```bash
# Clone this repo as your starting point
git clone http://192.168.2.199:3005/musiikki/nih-plug-template my-plugin
cd my-plugin

# Edit: src/lib.rs, Cargo.toml, bundler.toml — replace placeholder values
# See musiikki/codename-206 for a real-world example of how to fill these in
```

## Build

```bash
# Install Rust via rustup: https://rustup.rs
# No VST3 SDK needed — NIH-plug bundles its own bindings.

# Build + bundle the VST3 and CLAP
cargo xtask bundle nih_plug_template --release
```

**Output:** `target/bundled/<name>.vst3` and `<name>.clap`, where `<name>` is the `name` set
in `bundler.toml` — **not** the crate name. Out of the box that means
`target/bundled/Plugin Name.vst3`.

On Linux the egui editor needs the GUI development headers:

```bash
sudo apt install pkg-config libgl-dev libx11-dev libxcursor-dev libxcb1-dev \
    libxcb-icccm4-dev libxcb-dri2-0-dev libx11-xcb-dev libxkbcommon-dev libxkbcommon-x11-dev
```

## Deploy

### FL Studio

FL Studio scans `C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3` by default, **ignores directory junctions**
(so a symlinked bundle is invisible to its scanner), and caches failed scans.

1. Copy the `.vst3` bundle to a folder FL scans (e.g. `C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3`).
2. Copy the `.clap` bundle to a folder FL scans (e.g. `C:\Program Files\Common Files\CLAP`).
3. In FL Studio: **Options → Manage plugins → tick "Rescan previously failed plugins" → Find installed plugins**, then search for your plugin name (set in `bundler.toml`).

### Linux

```bash
# VST3
cp -r "target/bundled/Plugin Name.vst3" ~/.vst3/

# CLAP
cp -r "target/bundled/Plugin Name.clap" ~/.clap/

# Or globally:
# sudo cp -r "target/bundled/Plugin Name.vst3" /usr/lib/vst3/
# sudo cp -r "target/bundled/Plugin Name.clap" /usr/lib/clap/
```

## Project Structure

```
Cargo.toml          # Package deps — NIH-plug pinned to codename-206's rev
bundler.toml        # Bundle name for `cargo xtask bundle`
src/lib.rs          # Plugin skeleton — fill in params, DSP, editor
xtask/              # Bundler xtask (cargo xtask bundle)
.cargo/config.toml  # xtask alias
```

## License

Apache-2.0

## VST3 Licensing Note

You must accept Steinberg's VST3 SDK licence before distributing VST3 binaries.
NIH-plug's VST3 bindings are GPLv3; if you distribute, the plugin must also be GPLv3
(or you need a commercial Steinberg licence). CLAP has no such restriction.