Copying An Example Project

Here are step by step directions on taking one of the SDK example projects and copying it to make a new one. Let's use maximum as an example.

1. In the Finder, copy the maximum folder and rename it. For the sake of this example, we'll call our renamed project goofy.
2. Open your goofy folder and rename the Xcode project maximum.xcodeproj to be goofy.xcodeproj.
3. If you have an existing C source file, copy it into the project folder.
4. Double-click on the Info.plist file. The Info.plist file is very important as it tells the OS how to find your external's executable code. Click on the disclosure triangle next to the word Root. You will see a list of keys and values. There are two things you need to change.
   • for CFBundleExectuable, change the word maximum to be the name of your external. For example, if you have an external called goofy, enter goofy.
   • for CFBundleIdentifier, change com.cycling74.maximum to a Java-style identifier ending with the name of your external object. This field is less important than the CFBundleExecutable. However, it can be used to identify your object in a Crash Log file. If you have a domain name, you can use it as part of the identifier (in case someone else is writing a piece of code named goofy). For example, the Walt Disney company might use com.disney.goofy as a CFBundleIdentifier for one of their Max externals.
5. Close the Info.plist file and save your changes.
6. Double-click on the Xcode project you've renamed. The project window should appear again.
7. Within Xcode, there are two tasks you need to accomplish. First, you need to delete references to files used by the maximum project -- in this case there is only one, maximum.c. To do this, open the Source folder (if necessary) on the left side of the project window. Click on maximum.c to select it (the entry for the file should turn dark blue). Choose Delete from the File menu.
8. Now you need to add your file(s) to the project. The easiest way is to drag them from the Finder into the Source folder on the left side of the window (dragging them into the larger area on the right side of the window won't work). After you drag the file, you'll see a drop-down window that will ask you about handling folder references. Just click OK and you'll be fine.
9. The second task is to rename the thing that will be built. In the project window you may see a reference to maximum.mxo in red. This indicates that the project is still expecting to build an external object called maximum even though you renamed the project file. Choose Edit Active Target 'maximum' from the Project menu.
10. Now you are in the vast and confusing world of the Xcode Build Settings window. We'll go into more detail about this window in the next section. For now we will only tell you what you need to accomplish to build goofy.mxo instead of maximum.mxo. Click on the Build tab at the top of the window.
11. From the menu labeled Collection: choose Packaging. The Product Name should be maximum. Change this to the name of your object (for example, goofy).
12. While you are here, you will probably want to change the name of your Target, although this has no real impact on your external object working or building. Click on the General tab at the top of the window. Change the text maximum to the name of your object.
13. Now you're ready to build your object.

Next: Details About Xcode Projects for Max Externals

Return to the Max/MSP Universal Binary SDK Table of Contents

-- DavidZicarelli - 05 Apr 2006
to top