Stubs & Updates

Learn how to create stubs for sharing projects, replace stubs, and keep operators updated.

What are Stubs?

Stubs are lightweight versions of POPX operators that remove all internal component data while preserving the operator’s connections and parameter values. This makes them ideal for sharing projects with collaborators who may not have POPX installed.

When you create stubs, the internal TouchDesigner networks inside each POPX operator are deleted, leaving only the component shell with its parameters and I/O connections intact. This significantly reduces project file size and allows others to open your project without requiring a POPX installation.

Note: Stubbed operators will not function until they are replaced with full POPX operators. They serve purely as placeholders to preserve your network structure.

Creating Stubs

To create stubs for your POPX operators:

Select the main POPX component.
Navigate to the Stubs parameter page.
Click the Create Stubs button.
Confirm the action in the dialog that appears.

Replacing Stubs

When you receive a project with stubbed POPX operators, you’ll need to replace them with full operators to restore functionality. This requires having POPX installed.

Select the main POPX component.
Navigate to the Stubs parameter page.
Click the Replace Stubs button.
Confirm the action in the dialog that appears.

Keeping Operators Updated

POPX includes an update system that allows you to refresh all operators in your project to the latest installed version. This is useful when you’ve installed a new release of POPX and want to update existing projects.

Select the main POPX component.
Navigate to the POPX parameter page.
Click the Update All button.
Confirm the action in the dialog that appears.

Best Practices

For Project Sharing: Always create a backup before creating stubs. For complex network configurations, insert Null POPs between POPX operators and multi-input POPs to ensure all connections are properly preserved. Document which POPX version was used in your project. Keep an unstubbed version for your own continued development.

For Version Updates: For complex network configurations, insert Null POPs between operators to ensure connections are preserved during updates. Read the release notes before updating. Test the update on a copy of your project first. Update all operators at once to avoid version mixing.