https://github.com/tensquaresoftware/luthier
A Projucer-inspired desktop GUI for creating, reopening, and configuring CMake-based JUCE audio plugin projects.
https://github.com/tensquaresoftware/luthier
audio-plugin audio-unit cmake code-generator gui juce pyside6 vst3
Last synced: 6 days ago
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A Projucer-inspired desktop GUI for creating, reopening, and configuring CMake-based JUCE audio plugin projects.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/tensquaresoftware/luthier
- Owner: tensquaresoftware
- License: mit
- Created: 2026-06-12T00:00:31.000Z (15 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-12T01:12:18.000Z (15 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-12T02:06:33.387Z (15 days ago)
- Topics: audio-plugin, audio-unit, cmake, code-generator, gui, juce, pyside6, vst3
- Language: Python
- Size: 61.5 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Luthier
A Projucer-inspired desktop GUI for creating, reopening, and configuring CMake-based JUCE audio plugin projects.
Luthier is a self-contained [PySide6](https://doc.qt.io/qtforpython/) desktop app that generates ready-to-build, CMake-based JUCE plugin projects (AU / VST3 / Standalone): fill a form, validate inline, and generate. It can also reopen an existing generated project to tweak and regenerate it, and stores your defaults in a persistent preferences file — no hand-editing of configuration scripts.
## Features
- **Project** — one scrollable page for the whole plugin:
- identity: technical/display names, version, manufacturer, copyright, website, e-mail, plugin & manufacturer codes, auto-computed bundle ID, with live inline validation;
- plugin type (Synthesizer, Audio Effect, MIDI Effect) and formats (AU, VST3, Standalone);
- compilation: C++ standard, preprocessor definitions, header search paths;
- artefacts: copy to system plugin folders and/or a central per-OS directory.
- **Preferences** — persistent defaults (identity + default artefact settings) stored as JSON in the OS configuration directory.
- **Templates** — view, edit, replace, or reset the C++ source templates (`PluginProcessor` / `PluginEditor`) used for new projects; overrides persist on disk.
- **Reopen a project** — read an existing generated project back into the form and regenerate it in place.
## Requirements
- Python 3.11+
- PySide6 (`pip install -r requirements.txt`)
- No external dependencies beyond PySide6: the CMake project templates ship inside Luthier (`Templates/`) and the generation engine is built in (`core/`).
## Run from source
```bash
python -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements.txt
.venv/bin/python main.py
```
Check that the bundled templates are reachable (headless):
```bash
.venv/bin/python main.py --check
```
## Build a standalone app
PyInstaller bundles the templates and resources into a self-contained app.
It does not cross-compile — build on each target OS.
```bash
.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements-dev.txt
.venv/bin/pyinstaller Build/luthier.spec --noconfirm --distpath Dist --workpath Build
```
The same `Build/luthier.spec` works on all platforms:
| OS | Output |
| ------- | ---------------------------- |
| macOS | `Dist/Luthier.app` |
| Windows | `Dist/Luthier/Luthier.exe` |
| Linux | `Dist/Luthier/Luthier` |
On Windows, activate the virtual environment with `.venv\Scripts\activate` and
run `pyinstaller Build\luthier.spec`.
## License
Luthier is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE).
Packaged builds are distributed with Qt (via PySide6) under the LGPLv3 — see [THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.md).