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  • Create Your First Plug-In
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    • New Plug-In
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    • Editing Compositions
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• Topics

When a plug-in is currently selected in the plug-in editing window, clicking the "Info" tab button displays the following options:

• The Preview Image feature lets you assign a thumbnail image that is displayed to the user in the plug-in management window. You can assign a Preview Image from one of the image formats embedded in the FxPack.
• The Name and Description text fields let you set human-readable information about the plug-in. The name you assign to the plug-in lets you identify it inside the host. Motion will also display the first few words of the description in its effect inspector interface.
• The Version text field lets plug-in developers keep better track of changes made to their plug-ins. In the future, FxFactory may use the version information for other purposes.
• The “This version is obsolete” option lets you tell the host that the plug-in should only be made available for compatibility with older projects created by the user. In FxPlug hosts, the plug-in’s name will appear with a suffix to indicate the user that the plug-in has been declared obsolete (a newer version ought to be made available to the user.) In Adobe After Effects, all obsolete plug-ins will not be visible inside the host, but they will still be loaded should the user open a project that uses the obsolete plug-in.
• The Compatibility section lets you control which hosts will be allowed to load the plug-in. For filters and generators, you have the option of loading the plug-in inside all hosts. Transition effects only work inside Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express. These options override any defaults you may have set in the Compatibility sheet.
• The Unique ID section lets you assign a new ID to the plug-in by clicking the "New ID" button. The plug-in's unique ID is how Final Cut Pro and Motion identify and keep track of the plug-in as it gets applied inside your projects. Assign a new ID when the changes you make to the plug-in are too many to remain compatible with previous versions.
  

In practice, it is not necessary to assign a new ID when simply adding new parameters to a plug-in, or when renaming and rearranging parameters. It is however necessary to assign a new Unique ID when old parameters have been deleted or replaced, even if the replacement has the same name and type.

When duplicating a plug-in via the "Duplicate" command under the "Edit" menu, FxFactory will automatically assign a new Unique ID to the copy. Two plug-ins may indeed use the same name because the host application uses the Unique ID to differentiate between them. Please keep in mind that