Branched: How do I manage Premiere Pro Plug-ins?

Hello Neil

Although this is a very old post, I would still like to respond to it because the issue remains the same today. I feel exactly the same way; every time I update the Adobe apps, I worry whether everything will still work smoothly afterwards.

I have set my system to install Adobe updates automatically (because otherwise I always put off updates for a long time, and this way I am always up to date), but this can probably backfire if something doesn't work and you want to revert to the older version. For reasons of storage space and organization, I have set it to delete the old version (and settings are probably also deleted with it). But if that doesn't work, you're stuck because you can't go back. It would be very useful to have a function that deletes the previous settings/apps, but only after 30 days or a customizable number of days, for example. Or if there were a general cleanup function that would allow you to delete old settings (some of which still contain gigabytes of cache data, etc.) without first having to search the internet to find out which folder to delete for this purpose. It would be very helpful if this could be done directly via the Creative Cloud app. It would also be more practical to manage/delete the cache files, which can be deleted individually in each Adobe app, in a central location such as the CC app. In addition, I don't really understand these cache settings. I believe that certain caches are shared across multiple Adobe apps, but others are not? This is also a mystery and could be clearer.

Then there's the update process for scripts/extensions/plugins:

First, I had to spend days getting an overview of which types of these add-ons are compatible with which apps, where they are stored in the file system, and which update mechanism they use.

- Scripts/ScriptUI (JSX/JSXBIN), stored in a version-dependent folder, must be installed manually in the new version

Extensions (ZXP/CEP), stored in a global folder, which is also immediately executable for updated Adobe apps.

Plug-ins (AEX/PRM/APLN/RPLN) are stored partly in a global folder and partly in a version-dependent folder; I don't know why.

So it's a rather complicated situation that we as users encounter here.

I think I have a reasonably good technical understanding and can work through such things with some effort, but I know many other people who also work with Adobe apps and who certainly have no chance of figuring this out and probably have to hire an expensive specialist for every update.

That's why I think Adobe could definitely improve things here.

Of course, I'm not talking about the third-party extensions themselves (it's clear that third-party providers are responsible for those), but rather everything that goes with them, i.e., the ecosystem for administration, so that you can operate and use them without a PhD.

Think, for example, of all the app stores that exist for Windows, Mac, etc. Or when I think of plug-ins for WordPress or extensions installed in a web browser. As soon as I log in with my account here, for example, all the extensions installed in the account are automatically installed on a new device where I log in. Or in WordPress, I can see exactly which versions plugins are compatible with and which they are not, and I can see notes from the manufacturers.

All of this would certainly be possible in the Adobe ecosystem as well. What bothers me most is the fact that there are many different extension technologies, and each one is handled differently or managed in a different place (either simply as a file in the file system, or via a menu in an Adobe app, or, depending on the case, in yet another menu). It takes dozens of steps to remember everything and update everything correctly. And this repeats itself over and over again. It's really extremely nerve-wracking.

Firstly, it would be great if all extensions could be managed centrally in one place, like in an app store. Actually, the first step has already been taken with the Creative Cloud app. But the problem is that only the new plug-ins can be managed there.

All the other extensions and scripts don't work that way. So unfortunately, this is only a half-baked solution. I understand that Adobe probably only considers these newer plug-ins to be modern and therefore only supports them. But that doesn't mean that all the older extensions and scripts are going to disappear, and users don't want to stop using them either. And because the use of such scripts, extensions, and plug-ins is only a niche market, manufacturers are unlikely to adapt their products as quickly as, for example, apps for the iPhone. Therefore, it would be great if older technologies were also given appropriate consideration and integrated by Adobe.

As a user, you then have to make do with tools such as “aescripts + asplugins manager” and “ZXP UXP Installer.” But it's just a patchwork like no other! It should be possible for manufacturers to provide compatibility information for their extensions/plugins/scripts via an app store, which would then be displayed as a warning in Adobe updates. And that you don't have to manually copy files over to the next version on the off chance that they will work. It's just frustrating. And to simply say “that's the user's job” seems a bit uninterested to me. Adobe could certainly do a lot to improve this true “reality.”

Thank you very much for taking note and forwarding this.

Stefan

[branched from very old thread by mod]