Revision of QuartzBuilder Documentation from Wed, 2011-11-09 15:07

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Tutorials

Examples

QuartzBuilder Template

Using the QuartzBuilder Template, you can send and receive notifications to the built application, including:

  • Telling the application to quit.
  • Hiding and showing the mouse cursor.
  • Changing window attributes such as the title, frame, and compositing level.
  • Hiding and showing the published input parameters panel.

In OS X 10.5, you can select the template composition by going to File > New From Template and choosing QuartzBuilder Application.

In OS X 10.6 and 10.7, you can create a copy of the template composition on your desktop by going to QuartzBuilder > Install QuartzBuilder Template. The template composition is a Stationery Pad, so when you double-click the template composition it will open a new copy of the template composition.

Composition Keys

Using the composition keys, you can set properties of the built application. To add properties, go to Editor > Edit Information.

Property What it does
net.kineme.qb.autosaveName Sets a key for saving window size and position in the application's preferences plist and restored the next time the application is opened. If it's empty, window size and position won't be saved.
net.kineme.qb.parameters 0 means never show the published inputs panel. 1 means show it as a panel. 2 means show it as a HUD.
net.kineme.qb.pauseWhenUnfocused If true, the built application will pause rendering when its window is in the background.
net.kineme.qb.saveInputParameters If true, the values of published input parameters will be saved in the application's preferences plist and restored the next time the application is opened.
net.kineme.qb.aspectRatio The aspect ratio of the application's window (ratio of width to height). For example, the value 1.333 locks the window to a 4:3 aspect ratio.

More properties are available. See the template composition.

32-bit/64-bit plugins

Some Quartz Composer plugins support only 32-bit mode, some support only 64-bit mode, and some support both. To build an application that contains 32-bit-only plugins, you must run QuartzBuilder in 32-bit mode.

QuartzBuilder provides an option to select the architecture of the built application (32-bit/64-bit universal, 64-bit-only, or 32-bit-only). To select the 32-bit-only architecture, you do not need to run QuartzBuilder in 32-bit mode.

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jrs's picture
Re: QuartzBuilder Documentation

Where do the application preferences get saved?

smokris's picture
Re: QuartzBuilder Documentation

Applications built with QuartzBuilder store preferences using the standard Mac OS X preferences system --- a property list is stored in <user>/Library/Preferences/<bundleid>.plist.

gtoledo3's picture
Re: QuartzBuilder Documentation

It can be helpful to make a "Places" reference on the sidebar for this Preferences folder location when testing app repeated app builds in QuartzBuilder, or Xcode for that matter. It always saves me some time :-)