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Aperture 2.1 SDK Overview

You can use the Aperture 2.1 SDK to create two different kinds of Aperture plug-ins: Export plug-ins and Edit plug-ins.

Export plug-ins let you control the entire Aperture export process. With an Export plug-in, you can:

• Manage the visibility of the Aperture controls in the export window, such as Version or Master export, Export Presets, and File Naming Policy.

• Display a custom user interface within the Aperture export window.

• Provide users with custom export presets.

• Track the type of image (Master or Version) being exported.

Because of its non-destructive editing, Aperture must first generate the appropriate images before letting a plug-in perform an export operation. Users control the specific options that go into the image generation process, but an Aperture Export plug-in controls the export options that are available to the user.

You can create an Export plug-in with the Aperture 1.5.5 SDK or later.

Edit plug-ins let you modify Aperture images. With an Edit plug-in, you can:

• Request editable versions of a given image.

• Display a custom interface.

• Import result images back into the Aperture library.

• Add metadata to images.

• Manipulate image data for images in the Aperture library.

You can create an Edit plug-in with the Aperture 2.1 SDK.

Contents:

Plug-in Concepts
Versions of the Aperture SDK
Export Plug-in Protocols
Building an Export Plug-in
Edit Plug-in Protocols
Building an Edit Plug-in
Plug-in Locations

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