Node.js (Native) - New Project

What’s CreativeEditor SDK?#

CreativeEditor SDK (CE.SDK) lets you integrate a customizable image and video editor into your web app. It includes filters, text overlays, and other media editing tools, and adapts easily to your use case.

CreativeEditor SDK is a commercial product. To use it, you need a valid license key. If you don’t have one yet, you can get a free trial or purchase a license.

Who Is This Guide For?#

This guide is for developers who:

• Need native C++ performance for image and video processing in a Node.js environment.
• Want to use CE.SDK’s native Node.js package for automation or backend processing with GPU-accelerated video export.
• Prefer a script-based approach for design generation, image exports, and video rendering.

What You’ll Achieve#

• Install and configure CE.SDK Engine using the native Node.js bindings.
• Load and manipulate design scenes programmatically.
• Export designs as PNG images without requiring a UI.

Prerequisites#

Before getting started, ensure you have:

• Node.js v20 or later installed. (Download Node.js).
• A valid CE.SDK license key - Required for engine initialization. Start a free trial to get your license key.
• A supported platform: macOS (ARM or x64) or Linux (x64).

Step 1: Set Up Your Project#

Create a new project folder and navigate into it:

mkdir my-cesdk-native-project
cd my-cesdk-native-project

Next, create a new index.mjs file manually or by running:

touch index.mjs

Step 2: Install CE.SDK Native for Node.js#

Run the following command to install the native package:

npm install @cesdk/node-native

Your project structure should now look like this:

/my-cesdk-native-project
  ├── node_modules
  ├── index.mjs
  └── package.json

Step 3: Write Your Script#

Modify index.mjs to initialize CE.SDK Engine and process a scene:

import fs from 'fs/promises';
import CreativeEngine from '@cesdk/node-native';

async function main() {
  // Configuration for the engine
  const config = {
    license: 'YOUR_CESDK_LICENSE_KEY',
  };

  // Initialize CE.SDK Engine
  const engine = await CreativeEngine.init(config);
  console.log('CE.SDK Engine initialized');

  try {
    // Load a scene from a URL
    await engine.scene.loadFromURL(
      'https://cdn.img.ly/assets/demo/v3/ly.img.template/templates/cesdk_instagram_photo_1.scene',
    );

    // Find the first page in the scene
    const [page] = engine.block.findByType('page');

    // Export the scene as a PNG image
    const pngBuffer = await engine.block.export(page, 'image/png');

    // Save the exported image to the file system
    await fs.writeFile('./example-output.png', Buffer.from(pngBuffer));

    console.log('Export completed: example-output.png');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error processing scene:', error);
  } finally {
    // Dispose of the engine to free resources
    engine.dispose();
  }
}

main().catch(console.error);

Step 4: Run the Script#

Once everything is set up, run your script using:

node index.mjs

This code processes the scene and generates an image file named example-output.png in your project directory.

Troubleshooting & Common Errors#

Error: Cannot find module '@cesdk/node-native'

• Verify the package is installed: npm ls @cesdk/node-native.
• Ensure you’re on a supported platform (macOS ARM/x64 or Linux x64).

Error: Invalid license key

• Verify that your license key is correct and not expired.

Development Best Practices#

• Dispose resources - Always call engine.dispose() in a finally block to free memory.
• Use async/await - Engine operations including initialization, loading scenes, and exporting are asynchronous.

Next Steps#

Congratulations! You’ve successfully integrated CE.SDK Engine using the native Node.js bindings. Next, explore:

• Serve assets from your server
• Import media
• Automating creative workflows