- Created by Yvan Grabit, last modified on Mar 30, 2021
This tutorial explains how to use cmake with VST 3 SDK.
CMake for building VST 3 plug-ins
The SDK provides a set of cmake files allowing you to compile the included samples and to develop new plug-ins.
- Download cmake from: https://cmake.org or use a package manager for your OS (See How to set up my system for VST 3).
- You can use the command line or the cmake editor (cmake-gui).
Command line for Windows
Example for building Microsoft "Visual 2015" solution:
// go in to the folder where you extracted the VST 3 SDK mkdir build cd build cmake -G"Visual Studio 15 2017 Win64" "..\VST3_SDK" // for Visual 2017: cmake -G"Visual Studio 15 2017 Win64" "..\VST3_SDK" or for 32bit cmake -G"Visual Studio 15 2017" "..\VST3_SDK" // note: you can find the string definition for different Visual Studio Generators in the cmake online documentation
Command line for macOS
Example for building Xcode project:
// go in to the folder where you extracted the VST 3 SDK mkdir build cd build /Applications/CMake.app/Content/bin/cmake -G"Xcode" "../VST3_SDK"
On Linux with QtCreator
You can use QtCreator 2.3.1 (or higher)
start QtCreator 2.3.2 open the CMakeLists.txt located at the top of the VST 3 SDK folder click on the menu Build->Run CMake
Use of cmake-gui
start the CMake (cmake-gui) application set "Where is the source code" to the location of the "VST3_SDK" folder set "Where to build the binaries" to a build folder of your choice click on "Configure" click on "Generate" for creating project/solution
Example of cmakegui application on Windows
- Compile with cmake command line
cd build cmake --build
- Choose a specific compiler with cmake (command line on Linux)
cmake -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=/usr/bin/clang -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=/usr/bin/clang++ or cmake -DCMAKE_C_COMPILER=/usr/bin/gcc -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER=/usr/bin/g++
Available SMTG cmake options
- SMTG_AAX_SDK_PATH: Here you can define where the AAX SDK is located (if needed)
- SMTG_ADD_VST3_HOSTING_SAMPLES: Add VST3 hosting samples to the solution (default ON)
- SMTG_ADD_VST3_PLUGINS_SAMPLES: Add VST3 plug-in samples to the project (default ON)
- SMTG_ADD_VSTGUI: Add VSTGUI support (default ON)
- SMTG_BUILD_UNIVERSAL_BINARY: Build universal binary (32 & 64 bit) (Mac only)
- SMTG_COREAUDIO_SDK_PATH: Here you can define where the COREAUDIO SDK is located (Mac only, if needed)
- SMTG_CREATE_BUNDLE_FOR_WINDOWS: Create bundle on Windows for the VST3 plug-ins (new since 3.6.10! Windows only) (default ON)
- SMTG_CREATE_PLUGIN_LINK: Create symbolic link for each VST3 plug-in in ${VST3_FOLDER_NAME} folder (you need to have Administrator rights on Windows or change the Local Group Policy to allow the creation of symbolic links) (default ON)
- SMTG_CREATE_VST2_AGAIN_SAMPLE_VERSION: Allows you to create the VST2 version of the Sample Plug-in AGain, be sure that you have copied the VST2 interfaces into the folder VST_SDK/VST3_SDK/pluginterfaces/vst2.x (default OFF)
- SMTG_CUSTOM_BINARY_LOCATION: Customize output location for binaries
- SMTG_CXX_STANDARD: C++ standard version used for plugins: 14, 17, 20
- SMTG_ENABLE_ADDRESS_SANITIZER: Enable Address Sanitizer
- SMTG_ENABLE_TARGET_VARS_LOG: Enables to log target variables for debugging (new since 3.6.11!) (default OFF)
- SMTG_ENABLE_USE_OF_JACK: Allows you to create the audiohost application using Jack (default OFF)
- SMTG_MDA_VST3_VST2_COMPATIBLE: Build the MDA examples as a replacement for their VST2 counterpart (default ON)
- SMTG_IOS_DEVELOPMENT_TEAM: Needed for building the InterAppAudio and AUv3 examples for iOS (Mac only)
- SMTG_MYPLUGINS_SRC_PATH: Here you can add your VST3 plug-ins folder
- SMTG_PLUGIN_TARGET_PATH: Here you can redefine the VST3 plug-ins folder
- SMTG_RENAME_ASSERT: Rename ASSERT to SMTG_ASSERT to avoid conflicts with 3rd party libraries (default ON)
- SMTG_RUN_VST_VALIDATOR: Run the VST validator on VST3 plug-ins each time they are built (default ON)
- SMTG_USE_STATIC_CRT: Use static CRuntime on Windows (option /MT) (default OFF) (Windows only)
Preparation on Windows
Generated VST3 Microsoft Visual Studio Projects using the cmake included in the SDK will create by default symbolic links for each built plug-in in the official VST3 folder, in order to allow this on Windows you have to adapt the Group Policy of Windows. See Here!
Using your IDE for compiling the examples
- solution/project (vstsdk.sln/vstsdk.xcodeproj) is generated in the "build" folder.
- the created plug-ins are located in the "build" folder, in sub-folders /VST3/Release or /VST3/Debug.
- In order to allow a DAW to find these plug-ins you have to create links from the official VST3 Locations to them.
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