Plugin auto-installation into "Modules" directory from Creative Cloud

[Denyoze]

I think this is a really common question for plugin development, but I can't find any information about this...

How to set up a plugin package for automatically installation from Creative Cloud into needed "Modules" directory (it place into Downloads directory right now by default)?

Is this something should be done with ZXP package and/or id.mxi file? Because this is the literally closest one direction that I can find to match the range of research of this problem.

Thanks in advance.

[johnrellis]

No one has ever posted here how to do it. Someone tried and failed to figure it out back in 2014:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/lightroom-classic-discussions/packaging-plug-in-into-zxp-for-adobe-ex...

Most of the LR plugins published at the Adobe Exchange have "Where to Find It" instructions about how to install the plugin after the Creative Cloud app downloads it into the Downloads directory. 

You might consider not using the Exchange.  Adobe never really made it work well with LR, and it's not very user friendly.  Most long-term plugin developers avoid the Exchange entirely.

[Denyoze · Accepted solution]

I think I found a solution 🙂

During my research, I discovered information about id.mxi file that used to describe ZXP package.

In this file, we can set the needed install\unpack folder for extension.

Example of id.mxi:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<macromedia-extension id='extension.id' name='Some Cool Extension' version='1.0'>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Description text]]>
  </description>
  <author name='Denyoze'/>
  <products/>
  <files>
    <file source='Test.lrplugin' destination='$userdatafolder/Adobe/Lightroom/Modules'/>
  </files>
</macromedia-extension>

And structure of your folder, that you should "sign" by ZXP tool:

• Test.lrplugin - folder that contains Lightroom Plugin itself (info.lua + all your files)
• id.mxi - package description file that listed above

When extension will be installed (tested with ZXP installer and Adobe ExMan, Windows 10 x64) Test.lrplugin will copied at Modules folder. 

Also, manual tests show that extensions should be removed from the ExMan database(?) before re-installation.

If someone will test this, please let me know your results!