Build iPlug2 Plugin with CMake

Use this skill when the user wants to build their plugin project using CMake.

Prerequisites

CMake 3.14+
Ninja (recommended) or Xcode/Visual Studio
Plugin SDKs downloaded (VST3, CLAP, etc.) via /setup-deps

Quick Start

cd [ProjectFolder]
mkdir -p build && cd build
cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
cmake --build .

Generators

Generator	Command	Platform	Notes
Ninja	`-G Ninja`	macOS, Windows	Fast, recommended
Xcode	`-G Xcode`	macOS, iOS, visionOS	Multi-config, good for debugging
Visual Studio	`-G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64`	Windows	Multi-config

Build Commands

Configure (choose one):

cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..          # Ninja
cmake -G Xcode ..                                      # Xcode
cmake -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 ..             # VS 2022

Build all targets:

cmake --build . --config Release

Build specific target:

cmake --build . --config Release --target [PluginName]-vst3

Target Suffixes

Format	Target Suffix
Standalone App	`-app`
VST2	`-vst2`
VST3	`-vst3`
CLAP	`-clap`
AAX	`-aax`
AUv2	`-au`

Common Options

# Debug build
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Debug

# Release build
-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release

# Universal binaries (macOS)
-DIPLUG2_UNIVERSAL=ON

# IGraphics backend
-DIGRAPHICS_BACKEND=SKIA -DIGRAPHICS_RENDERER=METAL

# Debug host for plugins
-DIPLUG2_DEBUG_HOST="/Applications/REAPER.app"

Platform-Specific

iOS Device:

cmake -G Xcode -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=iOS -DIPLUG2_IOS_PLATFORM=OS ..

iOS Simulator:

cmake -G Xcode -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=iOS -DIPLUG2_IOS_PLATFORM=SIMULATOR ..

visionOS:

cmake -G Xcode -DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=iOS -DIPLUG2_IOS_PLATFORM=VISIONOS ..

Web (Emscripten):

emcmake cmake -G Ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
cmake --build . --target [PluginName]-wam

Build Output

Output goes to build/out/:

[PluginName].app - Standalone
[PluginName].vst3/ - VST3
[PluginName].clap/ - CLAP
[PluginName].component/ - AUv2
[PluginName].aaxplugin/ - AAX

Workflow

Ask for build preferences:
- Generator (Ninja/Xcode/VS)
- Configuration (Debug/Release)
- Specific target or all
- IGraphics backend if relevant
Configure if needed (only once per build directory)
Build the requested target(s)
Report output location from build/out/

Tips

Ninja is fastest for iterative development
Xcode generator required for Swift examples (IPlugSwiftUI, IPlugCocoaUI)
Use --target to build specific formats and avoid SDK-related failures
Check Documentation/cmake.md for full reference

build-cmake

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