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CKPE supports plugins. You can create your own project in C/C++, but it is best to study or use a ready-made project TestPlugin.

Create a project dynamic library .dll in MS Visual Studio 2022 or newer. Include path should be: $(SolutionDir)CKPE\Include;$(SolutionDir)CKPE.PluginAPI\Include;$(SolutionDir)CKPE.Common\Include;$(IncludePath).

Library path should be: $(SolutionDir)$(Platform). And add a list of libraries: CKPE.lib;CKPE.Common.lib;CKPE.PluginAPI.lib;%(AdditionalDependencies)

Also, depending on your needs, you may need to additionally Include and .lib the specific game you want to support. For example, if you need EditorAPI assets.

At the beginning dllmain.cpp write the following:

#include "windows.h"

#include <CKPE.Module.h>
#include <CKPE.MessageBox.h>
#include <CKPE.StringUtils.h>
#include <CKPE.PathUtils.h>
#include <CKPE.PluginAPI.PluginAPI.h>

using namespace CKPE;

Next specify the export functions and data that will be processed in CKPE.

extern "C"
{
    __declspec(dllexport) PluginAPI::CKPEPluginVersionData CKPEPlugin_Version;
    __declspec(dllexport) bool CKPEPlugin_HasDependencies() noexcept;
    __declspec(dllexport) uint32_t CKPEPlugin_GetDependCount() noexcept;
    __declspec(dllexport) const char* CKPEPlugin_GetDependAt(uint32_t id) noexcept;
    __declspec(dllexport) uint32_t CKPEPlugin_Load(const PluginAPI::CKPEPluginInterface* intf) noexcept;
}

Let's tell about them in more detail:

1. __declspec(dllexport) PluginAPI::CKPEPluginVersionData CKPEPlugin_Version;. Export data contains short information about your plugin, the structure is described in detail here.

The simplest example:

__declspec(dllexport) PluginAPI::CKPEPluginVersionData CKPEPlugin_Version =
{
    CKPE::PluginAPI::CKPEPluginVersionData::kVersion,
    1,
    "Test plugin",
    "Perchik71",
    CKPE::PluginAPI::CKPEPluginVersionData::kGameSkyrimSE,
    0,
    { MAKE_EXE_VERSION_EX(1, 5, 73, 0), 0 },
    0
};

This example will tell CKPE that this plugin is only for Skyrim and version 1.5.73. In other versions, CKPE will notify you of an incompatible plugin and ask user to continue running without the plugin or stop running.

2. __declspec(dllexport) bool CKPEPlugin_HasDependencies() noexcept;. If your plugin clearly has a dependency on the installed patches in CKPE, you must return true in this function, after which CKPE will call __declspec(dllexport) uint32_t CKPEPlugin_GetDependCount() noexcept;, where you must return the explicit number of dependent patches, and __declspec(dllexport) const char* CKPEPlugin_GetDependAt(uint32_t id) noexcept; you must return the name of the dependent patch.

The simplest example:

__declspec(dllexport) bool CKPEPlugin_HasDependencies() noexcept(true)
{
    return true;
}

__declspec(dllexport) std::uint32_t CKPEPlugin_GetDependCount() noexcept(true)
{
    return 1;
}

__declspec(dllexport) const char* CKPEPlugin_GetDependAt(std::uint32_t id) noexcept(true)
{
    return "Console";
}

This example says that you need an output patch to the application console, usually there are errors and the process that CK is doing at the moment and eventually ends up in the .log file. These messages are displayed in the Console window.

3. __declspec(dllexport) uint32_t CKPEPlugin_Load(const PluginAPI::CKPEPluginInterface* intf) noexcept;. It is called at the very end, here you directly write all the logic of initializing your patch and what it should do.

 __declspec(dllexport) uint32_t CKPEPlugin_Load(const PluginAPI::CKPEPluginInterface* intf) noexcept(true)
{
    auto path = std::make_unique<wchar_t[]>(MAX_PATH);
    if (!path) return false;
	
	// init plugin .log file
    auto sfname = PathUtils::GetCKPELogsPluginPath() + L"TestPlugin.log";
    PathUtils::CreateFolder(PathUtils::ExtractFilePath(PathUtils::Normalize(sfname)));

    if (!PluginAPI::UserPluginLogger.Open(sfname))
    {
        CKPE::_ERROR(L"Couldn't create \"%s\" file", sfname.c_str());
        return false;
    }

	/*
    ... 
	<BEST YOUR CODE>
	...
	*/

    return true;
}

If everything is successful, you must return a non-zero value, otherwise return 0.

The structure of PluginAPI::CKPEPluginInterface is described here, it has a QueryInterface() function, which does not return anything useful yet, and no interfaces have been implemented. The GetPluginHandle() function returns the index of the plugin, but this is relevant only within the limits of the CKPEPlugin_Load() function, after its completion, the index is irrelevant.

You can get the path to yours .dll is in the most main function, however, you cannot use the CKPE interfaces at this stage, as you have not received them yet.

BOOL APIENTRY DllMain(HMODULE hModule, DWORD ul_reason_for_call, LPVOID lpReserved)
{
    if (ul_reason_for_call == DLL_PROCESS_ATTACH)
    {
        // Getting the file name of this dll
        GetModuleFileNameA(hModule, szPluginDllFileName, MAX_PATH);

        // Here, your code, if you need it here...
    }
    
    return TRUE;
}