Getting Started with NUXP

This guide covers how to set up your development environment for NUXP.

Prerequisites

• Node.js: v18+
• CMake: v3.20+
• C++ Compiler: Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
• Adobe Illustrator: 2024 or later (for testing the plugin)

1. Download the Adobe Illustrator SDK

Important: The SDK is proprietary and cannot be included in this repository. You must download it from Adobe (requires free Adobe account).

1. Go to Adobe Developer Console: https://developer.adobe.com/console/servicesandapis/ai

2. Sign in with your Adobe ID (create one for free if needed)

3. Download the Illustrator SDK for your version (e.g., AI_2026_SDK_Mac.dmg)

4. Save the file somewhere accessible (e.g., ~/Downloads/)

2. Setup the SDK

Run the setup script with your downloaded DMG:

./scripts/setup-sdk.sh ~/Downloads/AI_2026_SDK_Mac.dmg

This will:

• Mount the DMG
• Extract all required headers to plugin/sdk/
• Create the IllustratorSDK.h convenience header
• Unmount the DMG

3. Install Dependencies

# Install codegen dependencies
cd codegen && npm install && cd ..

# Install shell (frontend) dependencies
cd shell && npm install && cd ..

4. Build & Run

Frontend Only (Mock Mode - No Illustrator Required)

For UI development without the C++ plugin:

cd shell
VITE_USE_MOCK=true npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173 to see the app with simulated SDK responses.

Full Stack (With Illustrator)

a. Build the Plugin

cd plugin
cmake -B build
cmake --build build

b. Install the Plugin

cmake --install build

This copies the plugin to your Illustrator plug-ins folder.

c. Start Illustrator

Launch Illustrator - the plugin will start its HTTP server on port 8080.

d. Run the Frontend

cd shell
npm run dev

The frontend will connect to the real plugin.

5. Generate SDK Wrappers (Optional)

To regenerate the C++ and TypeScript bindings from SDK headers:

./scripts/generate.sh

This creates:

• plugin/src/endpoints/generated/ - C++ wrapper functions
• shell/src/sdk/generated/ - TypeScript client SDK

CI/CD Setup

For GitHub Actions:

1. Host the SDK somewhere accessible (S3, private release, etc.)
2. Set the ILLUSTRATOR_SDK_URL repository secret
3. The CI workflow will download and extract it automatically

Troubleshooting

“SDK not found” errors

Ensure plugin/sdk/AIArt.h exists. Re-run setup-sdk.sh.

Plugin doesn’t load in Illustrator

Check Illustrator’s console/log for errors. Ensure the plugin is in the correct Plug-ins folder.

HTTP connection refused

Ensure Illustrator is running with the plugin loaded. Check port 8080 is not in use.