[dist] Generate installer artifacts dynamically rather than persisting in git

Author: Breakthrough

.gitignore

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 docs/_build/
 website/build/
+scripts/local/
 tests/resources/*
 *.mp4
 *.jpg

RELEASE-PLAN.md

@@ -5,16 +5,13 @@ Version referenced below as `X.Y[.Z]` - replace with the real version throughout
 
 ## 0. Branch setup
 
-- [X] Create / fast-forward release branch: `releases/X.Y` off `main`.
-- [X] All release-prep commits land on `releases/X.Y` (never directly on `main` during the freeze - commits are usually halted to `main` until the release branch is cut, after which the release branch is merged back into `main` and development resumes).
+- [ ] Create / fast-forward release branch: `releases/X.Y` off `main`.
+- [ ] All release-prep commits land on `releases/X.Y` (never directly on `main` during the freeze - commits are usually halted to `main` until the release branch is cut, after which the release branch is merged back into `main` and development resumes).
 
 ## 1. Code & version
 
 - [ ] Bump `__version__` in `scenedetect/__init__.py`.
-- [ ] Bump the installer project: `python scripts/update_installer.py` (rewrites `ProductVersion`, regenerates `ProductCode`, updates the MSI filename via the AdvancedInstaller CLI). Add `--sync-files` after `pyinstaller` if any bundled dependency versions changed since the last release - this re-syncs APPDIR from `dist/scenedetect/` and replaces the manual "delete install dir + re-add files" GUI step. `scripts/pre_release.py --release` asserts the resulting `ProductVersion` matches `__version__`.
-- [ ] No `-dev` / pre-release suffix on the version string for a final release.
-
-> **Note:** `pyproject.toml` does not declare a `version` field - the single source of truth is `scenedetect/__init__.py`; the Windows installer `.aip` is the only other place to keep in sync.
+- [ ] Regular release: No `-dev` suffix or other, pre-release: has `-dev0`, `-dev1`, ...
 
 ## 2. Docs
 

appveyor.yml

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ cache:
   - 'ffmpeg-%ffmpeg_version%-full_build.7z -> appveyor.yml'
   - 'packaging\windows\installer\advinst.msi -> appveyor.yml'
   - '%LOCALAPPDATA%\uv\cache -> pyproject.toml'
+  - 'C:\Program Files\Inkscape -> appveyor.yml'
 
 # Branches applies to tags as well. We only build on tagged releases of the form vX.Y.Z-release
 branches:
@@ -52,6 +53,12 @@ install:
   # we just extracted; otherwise pre_release.py and pyinstaller analysis crash on
   # `import scenedetect`. The runtime hook (pyi_rth_scenedetect.py) does the same at exe runtime.
   - 'SET IMAGEIO_FFMPEG_EXE=%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\\dist\\ffmpeg\\ffmpeg.exe'
+  # Inkscape is required by scripts/pre_release.py --release (regenerates installer JPGs
+  # from the master SVG). Not preinstalled on the AppVeyor VS2019 image; cached
+  # in `C:\Program Files\Inkscape` (see cache: section) so we only re-install when
+  # the cache is busted (appveyor.yml changes).
+  - if not exist "C:\Program Files\Inkscape\bin\inkscape.exe" choco install inkscape -y --no-progress
+  - 'SET PATH=%PATH%;C:\Program Files\Inkscape\bin'
 
   - echo * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
   - echo * *                          BUILDING WINDOWS EXE                           * *