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# Types of Customization in Softimage

You can create add-on packages and plug-ins for customization in Softimage. Plug-in items can be commands, events, filters, menus, properties, custom displays, viewport modes or callbacks (graphic sequencer). The difference between an add-on package and a plug-in is that an add-on package is a set of plug-ins packaged together for easy installation, and a plug-in is a single item that extends the functionality of Softimage, such as a shader, a script, or a compiled operator.

You can create plug-ins that are self-installing, or you can create a single add-on package that contains the main library or script file and any additional files, such as preset files, help files, images files, and others. However, only these tools can be self-installing:

- Custom Commands

- Custom Operators

- Custom Properties

- Custom ICENodes

- Custom Renderers

- Custom Shaders

- Custom Filters

- Custom Events

- Standard and Contextual Menus

- Custom Display Host Callbacks

If you are deploying tools that are not in this list (for example, a Custom Fx Operators cannot be self-installing), you can use add-on packages. For more information, see What are my Deployment Options?.

For more information on customization possibilities, see Customizing Softimage using the SDK.