Debugging Media Core Importer

[RGPatt]

Can I debug a Media Core importer plug-in in After Effects?  I am using Xcode 8.3 on OS 10.12.6.  If I attach the debugger to After Effects none of the breakpoints seem to work.  What am I supposed do do?  The Premiere SDK documentation makes a reference to setting a custom executable, but I can't find where I do that in Xcode and Xcode Help doesn't seem to know what a custom executable is.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Zac Lam · Accepted solution]

Hi RGPatt,

Yes you can debug it.  With the importer project selected as the Active Scheme, choose Edit Scheme.  In the Run settings, in Executable, choose Adobe After Effects CC 2017.app.

Hope that helps,

[RGPatt]

I did that and none of my breakpoints work.  I am in the process of trying to get help from Apple, but if you can suggest anything else maybe it will spare me cashing in my tech support incident.

[Zac Lam]

The other piece, which you may have already done as well, is to make sure you build the plug-in into the plug-ins folder.  I just confirmed it works on macOS 10.12.6 with Xcode 7.3.1 in Premiere Pro CC 2017.1.

[RGPatt]

I can see an SDK_File_Import.bundle in /Library/Application\ Support/Adobe/Common/Plug-ins/7.0/MediaCore/Debug.

The plug-in executes but just doesn't stop at breakpoints.  The ffk files that it is importing have zero bytes, but AE seems to want to import them anyway.  I tried to create ffk files with the exporter, but have yet to make it write files with any content.

[RGPatt]

What is the extension that the Premier media core importer sample looking for?  I am having trouble finding where it is set in the code and I was assuming it was .ffk.  Is it .fak or something else?

[RGPatt]

OK.  It breaks when I try to import a file with the .sdk extension.  Sorry I wasted your time.

[Zac Lam]

Not a problem at all.  Glad you are unblocked!