Deploy Grasshopper plugin from ProgramFiles location

Grasshopper
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1

Quick question. Is it possible to deploy a Grasshopper plugin from a location that is not inside of Grasshopper’s Components/Libraries folders? Meaning, can I create a location in ProgramFiles for my plugin, and then tell Grasshopper to look for it there?

It appears to be possible with Rhino plugins via Registry fields that can point to RUI files. Is a similar method available for Grasshopper?

Cheers!

2

Yes, you have several options:

  1. Install your plugin using an RHI package (that probably doesn’t give you the freedom you’re after)
  2. Edit the xml settings to include the folder you’ve installed your plugin in. This can be done via the UI using the _GrasshopperDeveloperSettings command, but it’s just xml, so you can do it through code as well.
  3. Put a text file with a .ghlink extension in the usual folder from where GH loads plugins and add the location of your folder as the content to that file. This functions as a loading shortcut.

I recommend the last option if at all possible.

3

Sounds like a plan David. Thanks, I will check them out.

As a PS. Is this still the best method to do the same with a Rhino plugin? https://developer.rhino3d.com/guides/rhinocommon/registering-plugins-windows/

4

If you must write your own installer… I highly recommend putting it on our package manager server though.

1 Like
5

David,
Is there any way to have a .ghlink file in a second folder?

This would be super helpful as we are rolling out items through one drive and we want to have a singular path on everyone’s computer pointing to a folder. In that folder have a .ghlink that points to the latest version of the dlls.

Libraries
-.ghlink (with path to RedirectorFolder)

RedirectorFolder

  • .ghlink (with path to V3)

V1/V1 dlls
V2/V2 dlls
V3/V3 dlls

So, the .ghlink would point to redirector folder as the version manager.

Two complications that come from onedrive:

  1. We cannot use symlinks
  2. Even with limited access rights, users are having duplicate .dll issues when we all point to the same folder if the software is open when the admin overwrites the files.

We believe this version solution would help us solve the problem, but it seems like .ghlink files only work in the libraries folder.

We also tried using grasshopper developer settings to point to the redirector folder and the .ghlink file would redirect.

Felt on topic enough to place here, but let me know if I should make a new thread.