Plugin Manifest (plugin.json)

Every plugin requires a plugin.json file in its root directory. This file tells MCA Editor about your plugin before any code is loaded.

---

Full Example

{
    "id": "com.example.my-plugin",
    "name": "My Plugin",
    "version": "1.0.0",
    "author": "Developer Name",
    "description": "What this plugin does",
    "url": "https://example.com",
    "entry_point": "__init__.py",
    "min_editor_version": "0.3.0",
    "permissions": ["execute_in_dcc", "write_disk_file"],
    "dcc": ["maya", "all"]
}

---

Fields

Required

Field	Type	Description
id	string	Unique plugin identifier. Use reverse domain notation (e.g., com.yourname.plugin-name). This is how the editor tracks enabled/disabled state.
name	string	Human-readable name displayed in menus and the plugin manager.
version	string	Semantic version string (e.g., "1.0.0").

Optional

Field	Type	Default	Description
author	string	""	Plugin author name.
description	string	""	Short description of what the plugin does.
url	string	""	Project URL, support page, or documentation link.
entry_point	string	"__init__.py"	Python file to import when loading the plugin.
min_editor_version	string	""	Minimum MCA Editor version required (e.g., "0.3.0").
permissions	array	[]	List of API capabilities the plugin uses. Informational — not currently enforced.
dcc	array	["all"]	Which DCCs this plugin supports: "maya", "all".

---

ID Conventions

The plugin id must be unique across all installed plugins. Recommended format:

com.<author>.<plugin-name>

Examples:

• com.mechart.ai-chat
• com.studio.rigging-tools

Warning

Changing a plugin's id after release will cause users to lose their enabled/disabled state and any settings tied to the old ID.

---

Permissions

The permissions field is informational — it documents which API capabilities your plugin uses. Current permission names:

Permission	Description
execute_in_dcc	Runs code in Maya
execute_locally	Runs code in the editor's Python
write_disk_file	Writes files to disk
read_disk_file	Reads files from disk
open_file	Opens files in the editor
set_text	Modifies editor content

---

DCC Field

The dcc field declares which host applications your plugin supports:

• ["all"] — Works everywhere (default)
• ["maya"] — Only loads when running inside Maya