Create a plugin for NINA 3.3, using .NET 10, from either the command line or Visual Studio. Start with a minimal manifest and NUnit tests, then select only the examples you need.
The template pins NINA.Plugin 3.3.0.1060-nightly and sets the minimum NINA version to 3.3.0.1060.
On Windows, install the .NET 10.0.4xx SDK, PowerShell 7 and, for IDE development, Visual Studio 2026 with the .NET desktop development workload and support for that SDK feature band.
Install the template from NuGet.org, then create your plugin:
dotnet new install NINA.Plugin.Templates
dotnet new nina-plugin -n MyPlugin --displayName "My First Plugin" --plugin-author "Your Name" --repository https://github.com/you/MyPlugin
cd MyPlugin
dotnet testThe same installed template appears as NINA Plugin in Visual Studio's Create a new project dialog. Restart Visual Studio after installation if necessary.
For a direct download, get NINA.Plugin.Templates.nupkg from the latest release, then run dotnet new install ./NINA.Plugin.Templates.nupkg from your download directory.
Add a working sequence instruction and a settings page when creating the project:
dotnet new nina-plugin -n MyPlugin --instruction --settings --github-actions --manifest-pr --displayName "My First Plugin" --plugin-author "Your Name" --repository https://github.com/you/MyPluginUse dotnet new nina-plugin --help for all selections. Every functional example is opt-in. Tests are included unless you specify --tests false. GitHub Actions are optional; --manifest-pr also enables them.
- Developer handbook: setup, architecture, every extension point, testing and publishing.
- Feature catalog: choose examples and understand their behavior.
- Publishing: tag-driven releases and optional central manifest PRs.
- Migration: move from the old wizard without changing your plugin identity.
- Maintaining this template: packaging, test matrix and NINA version upgrades.