Suggestion for Managing Multiple User’s Plugins

[WaterRat]

Pro Tools keeps all the plugins in one system folder, which is fine if there is only one user or if all the users are authorised to use all the installed plugins but if they have different plugins authorised by their own iLoks each user will be greeted by a stream of popups asking for authorisation each time the system is loaded by someone else and finally by the request to move them all to “unused”
I’ve seen a post by someone else where they keep engineers personal plugins in separate folders and move them in and out of the main plugin folder as required however there is another solution I’ve found for Windows ( I think there is something similar for MAC but not sure)
This assumes that all users have individual Widows Logins which uses a feature called “Symbolic Links” which is a bit like a folder shortcut that can be followed by the OS
This also relies on the fact that Pro Tools doesn’t mind plugins being in sub folders and also doesn’t error if it can’t read the content of the folder and just ignores it.
The basic procedure is as follows:
1) Install your personal plugins then group them into a folder.
2) Move this folder to your desktop
3) Create a Symbolic link from this folder back to the Pro Tools Plugin folder.

Pro Tools will then follow this link as if it was a sub directory of the main Pro Tools plugin folder but as the Folder is stored on the users’ desktop it will only be able to read the contents if that user is logged in.

You can create a Symbolic Link using a command line command “mklink” or there is a third party app called “Link Shell Extension “ https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlink...l#introduction
That allows you to do it all with a couple of simple mouse clicks.

Having recently upgraded from PT10 HD to Ultimate I have to say that I’m very surprised that the handling of multiple users has not been improved or have a missed something ?