Plugins guide

· 7 min read

Extend Acme’s functionality with powerful plugins.

What Are Plugins?

Plugins add new features and automate tasks in Acme Design Studio.

Why Use Plugins?

Automation: Automate repetitive tasks and save time.

Enhanced Features: Add functionality not built into Acme.

Integrations: Connect with external tools and services.

Productivity: Streamline your workflow with specialized tools.

Installing Plugins

Get started with the plugin ecosystem.

Browse Plugins

Access the plugin library:

  1. Plugins → Browse Plugins
  2. Or search directly in Quick Actions (Cmd /)
  3. Browse categories or search by name

Plugin Categories

Productivity:

  • Batch rename
  • Auto layout helpers
  • Layer organization

Content:

  • Lorem ipsum generators
  • Image placeholders
  • Icon libraries

Design:

  • Color palettes
  • Gradient generators
  • Pattern creators

Export:

  • Advanced export options
  • Code generators
  • Asset optimization

Data:

  • JSON importers
  • Spreadsheet integration
  • API connectors

Installing

To Install:

  1. Find plugin in browser
  2. Click Install
  3. Plugin appears in Plugins menu
  4. Some plugins require account setup

Permissions: Review requested permissions:

  • Read access - View your designs
  • Write access - Modify your designs
  • Network - Make API calls
  • Storage - Save plugin data

Essential plugins for every designer.

Content & Images

Unsplash Free stock photos directly in Acme.

Use case: Insert high-quality placeholder images.

Iconify Browse 200,000+ icons from multiple icon libraries.

Use case: Find and insert icons without leaving Acme.

Content Reel Generate realistic placeholder content.

Use case: Fill designs with realistic names, emails, avatars.

Lorem Ipsum Generate placeholder text in multiple languages.

Use case: Fill text layers with dummy content.

Color & Style

Coolors Generate beautiful color palettes.

Use case: Color scheme inspiration and generation.

Color Contrast Checker Check WCAG accessibility compliance.

Use case: Ensure text meets contrast requirements.

Color Palettes Extract color palettes from images.

Use case: Generate color schemes from photos.

Material Design Color Palette Google’s Material Design colors.

Use case: Apply Material Design color system.

Layout & Organization

Auto Layout Quickstart Quickly apply Auto Layout with smart defaults.

Use case: Speed up Auto Layout setup.

Rename It Batch rename layers with powerful patterns.

Use case: Clean up layer names across selection.

Sorter Sort layers alphabetically or by position.

Use case: Organize messy layer hierarchies.

Clean Document Remove unused styles and components.

Use case: Clean up files and reduce file size.

Prototyping

Autoflow Draw flow arrows between screens automatically.

Use case: Visualize user flows and navigation.

Device Frames Wrap designs in realistic device mockups.

Use case: Present designs in device context.

GIF Export Export prototypes as animated GIFs.

Use case: Share quick animations without prototype links.

Accessibility

Stark Comprehensive accessibility toolkit.

Use case: Check contrast, simulate color blindness, generate reports.

A11y Annotation Kit Add accessibility annotations to designs.

Use case: Document accessibility requirements for developers.

Focus Orderer Visualize and manage focus order.

Use case: Ensure logical keyboard navigation.

Developer Tools

Inspect Generate code from designs.

Use case: Export CSS, iOS, Android code.

SVG Export Advanced SVG export options.

Use case: Optimize SVGs for web use.

JSON Generator Export design data as JSON.

Use case: Use design values in code.

Using Plugins

Run and configure plugins.

Running Plugins

From Menu:

  1. Plugins → [Plugin Name]
  2. Plugin UI appears

From Quick Actions:

  1. Press Cmd /
  2. Type plugin name
  3. Press Enter

Recent Plugins: Access recently used plugins at top of Plugins menu.

Plugin Interfaces

Simple Plugins: Some plugins run immediately with no UI:

  • Click to run
  • Action completes
  • Notification confirms

UI Plugins: Others show an interface:

  • Configure options
  • Preview changes
  • Apply when ready

Example - Content Reel:

1. Select text layers
2. Plugins → Content Reel
3. Choose content type (names, emails, etc.)
4. Configure options
5. Click "Apply"

Plugin Settings

Some plugins have settings:

Access Settings:

  1. Plugins → Manage Plugins
  2. Find plugin
  3. Click Settings icon
  4. Configure preferences

Common Settings:

  • API keys
  • Default preferences
  • Account connections
  • Keyboard shortcuts

Plugin Workflows

Integrate plugins into your workflow.

Content Generation

Placeholder Content Flow:

  1. Design layout with text layers
  2. Run Lorem Ipsum for body text
  3. Run Content Reel for names and emails
  4. Run Unsplash for images
  5. Design is now filled with realistic content

Color Design

Color Exploration Flow:

  1. Import inspiration image
  2. Run Color Palettes to extract colors
  3. Create color styles from palette
  4. Apply throughout design
  5. Run Color Contrast Checker to verify accessibility

Icon Management

Icon Workflow:

  1. Run Iconify when you need an icon
  2. Search for icon
  3. Choose style (outline, filled, etc.)
  4. Insert and customize
  5. Create components for frequently used icons

File Cleanup

Cleanup Flow:

  1. Run Sorter to organize layers
  2. Run Rename It to fix layer names
  3. Run Clean Document to remove unused items
  4. File is now organized and optimized

Developing Plugins

Create your own plugins (see API Reference for details).

When to Build

Build a plugin when you:

  • Repeatedly do the same manual task
  • Need to integrate with external service
  • Want to share utility with team
  • Need functionality Acme doesn’t provide

Plugin Ideas

Automation:

  • Batch operations
  • Style applications
  • Content generation

Integrations:

  • CMS connections
  • API integrations
  • Export to specific formats

Utilities:

  • Calculations
  • Data transformations
  • Custom checks

Learning Resources

Official Docs: Check API Reference for complete documentation.

Example Plugins: Study open-source plugins on GitHub.

Community: Join Acme plugin developers community.

Managing Plugins

Keep your plugins organized.

Plugin Library

View all installed plugins:

Plugins → Manage Plugins

Shows:

  • Installed plugins
  • Plugin descriptions
  • Version numbers
  • Last updated
  • Settings access

Updating Plugins

Auto Updates: Most plugins update automatically.

Manual Updates:

  1. Plugins → Manage Plugins
  2. Click Update if available
  3. Read changelog
  4. Confirm update

Uninstalling

Remove plugins you don’t use:

  1. Plugins → Manage Plugins
  2. Find plugin
  3. Click Uninstall
  4. Confirm removal

Note: Plugin data may be preserved for reinstallation.

Favorites

Mark frequently used plugins:

  1. Plugins → Manage Plugins
  2. Click star icon to favorite
  3. Favorites appear at top of Plugins menu

Plugin Security

Stay safe with plugins.

Permission Review

Before Installing:

  • Review requested permissions
  • Understand why plugin needs each permission
  • Only install from trusted sources

Permissions:

  • Read - View your designs
  • Write - Modify designs
  • Network - Make API calls
  • Storage - Save plugin settings

Trusted Sources

Official Plugins: Verified by Acme team - safest option.

Community Plugins: From community developers - review carefully.

Private Plugins: For your team only.

Best Practices

Security Tips:

  • Don’t grant unnecessary permissions
  • Review updates before accepting
  • Uninstall unused plugins
  • Report suspicious plugins
  • Keep plugins updated

Troubleshooting

Fix common plugin issues.

Plugin Won’t Run

Try:

  1. Restart Acme
  2. Check if plugin needs update
  3. Verify you have selection if required
  4. Check plugin permissions
  5. Reinstall plugin

Unexpected Results

Debug Steps:

  1. Undo the change (Cmd Z)
  2. Verify your selection
  3. Check plugin settings
  4. Try with simple example
  5. Contact plugin developer

Performance Issues

If plugins slow down Acme:

Solutions:

  • Close unused plugin UIs
  • Uninstall plugins you don’t use
  • Run plugins on smaller selections first
  • Check for plugin updates
  • Report issue to developer

Plugin Errors

If plugin shows error:

  1. Note error message
  2. Try again with simpler input
  3. Check plugin documentation
  4. Contact plugin support
  5. Report bug if needed

Plugin Recommendations

Starter plugin pack by use case.

For UI Design

  • Iconify - Icons
  • Content Reel - Placeholder content
  • Auto Layout Quickstart - Layout
  • Stark - Accessibility
  • Unsplash - Images

For Illustration

  • Color Palettes - Colors from images
  • Pattern Generator - Repeating patterns
  • Gradient Generator - Complex gradients
  • SVG Export - Optimized exports

For Productivity

  • Rename It - Batch rename
  • Sorter - Layer organization
  • Clean Document - File cleanup
  • Batch Operations - Bulk edits
  • Quick Actions - Shortcuts

For Collaboration

  • Specs - Developer handoff
  • Export Kit - Asset export
  • Version Compare - Compare versions
  • Annotation Kit - Design notes

For Prototyping

  • Autoflow - Flow diagrams
  • Device Frames - Mockups
  • GIF Export - Animations
  • Interactive Components - Advanced prototypes

Advanced Usage

Power user tips.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Set Custom Shortcuts:

  1. Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts
  2. Find plugin command
  3. Set custom shortcut
  4. Save

Quick Access: Assign shortcuts to your most-used plugins.

Combining Plugins

Chain plugins together:

Example - Full Content Flow:

  1. Run Content Reel for user data
  2. Run Unsplash for avatars
  3. Run Iconify for icons
  4. Run Color Contrast Checker for verification

Batch Processing

Use plugins on multiple artboards:

  1. Select all artboards or frames
  2. Run plugin
  3. Plugin processes all selected items
  4. Much faster than one-by-one

Plugin Data

Some plugins save data:

Persistent Settings: Plugins remember your preferences.

Project Data: Some plugins store data per-file.

Synced Data: Cloud-connected plugins sync across devices.

Community & Support

Get help and discover more.

Finding Help

Plugin Documentation: Most plugins have docs linked in description.

Community Forum: Ask questions and share tips.

Plugin Developer: Contact info usually in plugin details.

Sharing Tips

Community Contributions: Share your plugin workflows and discoveries.

Reviews: Help others by reviewing plugins you use.

Tutorials: Create tutorials for complex plugins.

Next Steps