This repository serves as a quickstart template for GDExtension development with Godot 4.0+.
- An empty Godot project (
demo/
) - godot-cpp as a submodule (
godot-cpp/
) - GitHub Issues template (
.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE.yml
) - GitHub CI/CD workflows to publish your library packages when creating a release (
.github/workflows/builds.yml
) - GitHub CI/CD actions to build (
.github/actions/build/action.yml
) and to sign Mac frameworks (.github/actions/build/sign.yml
). - preconfigured source files for C++ development of the GDExtension (
src/
) - setup to automatically generate
.xml
files in adoc_classes/
directory to be parsed by Godot as GDExtension built-in documentation
To use this template, log in to GitHub and click the green "Use this template" button at the top of the repository page. This will let you create a copy of this repository with a clean git history. Make sure you clone the correct branch as these are configured for development of their respective Godot development branches and differ from each other. Refer to the docs to see what changed between the versions.
For getting started after cloning your own copy to your local machine, you should:
- initialize the godot-cpp git submodule via
git submodule update --init
- change the name of your library
- change the name of the compiled library file inside the
SConstruct
file by modifying thelibname
string. - change the pathnames of the to be loaded library name inside the
demo/bin/example.gdextension
file. By replacinglibgdexample
to the name specified in yourSConstruct
file. - change the name of the
demo/bin/example.gdextension
file
- change the name of the compiled library file inside the
- change the
entry_symbol
string inside yourdemo/bin/your-extension.gdextension
file to be configured for your GDExtension name. This should be the same as theGDExtensionBool GDE_EXPORT
external C function. As the name suggests, this sets the entry function for your GDExtension to be loaded by the Godot editors C API. - register the classes you want Godot to interact with inside the
register_types.cpp
file in the initialization method (hereinitialize_gdextension_types
) in the syntaxGDREGISTER_CLASS(CLASS-NAME);
.
The actions builds godot-cpp
at a specified location, and then builds the gdextension
at a configurable location. It builds for desktop, mobile and web and allows for configuration on what platforms you need. It also supports configuration for debug and release builds, and for double builds.
The action uses SConstruct for both godot-cpp and the GDExtension that is built.
To reuse the build actions, in a github actions yml file, do the following:
name: Build GDExtension
on:
workflow_call:
push:
jobs:
build:
strategy:
fail-fast: false
matrix:
include:
- platform: linux
arch: x86_64
os: ubuntu-20.04
- platform: windows
arch: x86_32
os: windows-latest
- platform: windows
arch: x86_64
os: windows-latest
- platform: macos
arch: universal
os: macos-latest
- platform: android
arch: arm64
os: ubuntu-20.04
- platform: android
arch: arm32
os: ubuntu-20.04
- platform: android
arch: x86_64
os: ubuntu-20.04
- platform: android
arch: x86_32
os: ubuntu-20.04
- platform: ios
arch: arm64
os: macos-latest
- platform: web
arch: wasm32
os: ubuntu-20.04
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
steps:
- name: Checkout
uses: actions/checkout@v4
with:
submodules: true
- name: 🔗 GDExtension Build
uses: godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/build@main
with:
platform: ${{ matrix.platform }}
arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
float-precision: single
build-target-type: template_release
- name: 🔗 GDExtension Build
uses: ./.github/actions/build
with:
platform: ${{ matrix.platform }}
arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
float-precision: ${{ matrix.float-precision }}
build-target-type: template_debug
- name: Mac Sign
if: ${{ matrix.platform == 'macos' && env.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
env:
APPLE_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
uses: godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/sign@main
with:
FRAMEWORK_PATH: bin/macos/macos.framework
APPLE_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_ID }}
APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID }}
APPLE_DEV_APP_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_APP_ID }}
- name: Upload Artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: GDExtension-${{ matrix.platform }}-${{ matrix.arch }}
path: |
${{ github.workspace }}/bin/**
merge:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
needs: build
steps:
- name: Merge Artifacts
uses: actions/upload-artifact/merge@v4
with:
name: GDExtension-all
pattern: GDExtension-*
delete-merged: true
The above example is a lengthy one, so we will go through it action by action to see what is going on.
In the Checkout
step, we checkout the code.
In the 🔗 GDExtension Build
step, we are using the reusable action:
uses: godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/build@main
with:
platform: ${{ matrix.platform }}
arch: ${{ matrix.arch }}
float-precision: single
build-target-type: template_release
with the parameters from the matrix.
As a result of this step, the binaries will be built in the bin
folder (as specified in the SConstruct file). After all builds are completed, all individual builds will be merged into one common GDExtension-all zip that you can download.
Note: for macos, you will have to build the binary as a .dylib
in a EXTENSION-NAME.framework
folder. The framework folder should also have a Resources
folder with a file called Info.plist
. Without this file, signing will fail.
Note: for iOS, the same should be as for MacOS, however the Info.plist
file needs to be close to the .dylib
, instead of in a Resources
folder (If this is not done, the build will fail to upload to the App Store).
So, in our case, the builds should be:
bin/EXTENSION-NAME.macos.template_debug.framework/EXTENSION-NAME.macos.template_release
bin/EXTENSION-NAME.ios.template_debug.framework/EXTENSION-NAME.ios.template_release.arm64.dylib
Afterwards, you want to set in the `.gdextension` file the paths to the `.framework` folder, instead of the `.dylib` file (Note that for the `.dylib` binary, the extension is not needed, you could have a file without any extension and it would still work).
In the `name: Mac Sign` step, we are signing the generated mac binaries.
We are reusing the following action:
```yml
uses: godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/sign@main
with:
FRAMEWORK_PATH: bin/macos/macos.framework
APPLE_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_ID }}
APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID }}
APPLE_DEV_APP_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_APP_ID }}
As you can see, this action requires some secrets to be configured in order to run. Also, you need to tell it the path to the .framework
folder, where you have both the binary (.dylib
file) and the Resources
folder with the Info.plist
file.
In order to sign the Mac binary, you need to configure the following secrets:
APPLE_CERT_BASE64
, APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD
, APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD
, APPLE_DEV_ID
, APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID
, APPLE_DEV_APP_ID
. These secrets are stored in the example above in the Github secrets for repositories. The names of the secrets have to match the names of the secrets you use for your action. For more on this, read the Creating secrets for a repository article from Github.
These secrets are then passed down to the godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/sign@main
action that signs the binary.
In order to configure these secrets, you will need:
- A Mac
- An Apple ID enrolled in Apple Developer Program (99 USD per year)
- A
Resources/Info.plist
in theframework
folder. Take the one in this project as an example. Be careful to set CFBundleExecutable to the EXACT lib name, otherwise it won't work. Also, don't put strange names in the CFBundleName and other such places. Try to only use letters and spaces. Errors will be extremly vague if not impossible to debug.
For the actions you will need to set the following inputs. Store them as secrets in GitHub:
- APPLE_CERT_BASE64
- APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD
- APPLE_DEV_ID
- APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID
- APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD
- APPLE_DEV_APP_ID
You will find here a guide on how to create all of them. Go to developer.apple.com:
- Create an Apple ID if you don’t have one already.
- Use your Apple ID to register in the Apple Developer Program.
- Accept all agreements from the Apple Developer Page.
-
Your email used for your Apple ID.
-
APPLE_DEV_ID = email@provider.com
-
Go to developer.apple.com. Go to account.
-
Go to membership details. Copy Team ID.
-
APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID =
1ABCD23EFG
-
Create Apple App-Specific Password. Copy the password.
-
APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD =
abcd-abcd-abcd-abcd
-
Go to developer.apple.com. Go to account.
-
Go to certificates.
-
Click on + at Certificates tab. Create Developer ID Application. Click Continue.
-
Leave profile type as is. Create a certificate signing request from a mac. You can use your own name and email address. Save the file to disk. You will get a file called
CertificateSigningRequest.certSigningRequest
. Upload it to the Developer ID Application request. Click Continue. -
Download the certificate. You will get a file
developerID_application.cer
. -
On a Mac, right click and select open. Add it to the login keychain. In the Keychain Access app that opened, login Keychain tab, go to Keys, sort by date modified, expand your key (the key should have name you entered at common name
Common Name
), right click the expanded certificate, get info, and copy the text at Details -> Subject Name -> Common Name. Eg. -
APPLE_DEV_APP_ID =
Developer ID Application: Common Name (1ABCD23EFG)
-
Then, select the certificate, right click and click export. At file format select p12. When exporting, set a password for the certificate. This will be APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD. You will get a
Certificates.p12
file.
Eg.
-
APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD =
<password_set_when_exporting_p12>
-
Then you need to make a base64 file out of it, by running:
base64 -i Certificates.p12 -o Certificates.base64
- Copy the contents of the generated file: Eg.
APPLE_CERT_BASE64
=...
(A long text file)
After these secrets are obtained, all that remains is to set them in Github secrets and then use them in the Github action, eg. in the above Github action usage example, this part:
- name: Mac Sign
if: ${{ matrix.platform == 'macos' && env.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
env:
APPLE_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
uses: godotengine/godot-cpp-template/.github/actions/sign@main
with:
FRAMEWORK_PATH: bin/macos/macos.framework
APPLE_CERT_BASE64: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_BASE64 }}
APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERT_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_DEV_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_ID }}
APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_DEV_TEAM_ID }}