diff --git a/cmake/external/ObsPluginHelpers.cmake b/cmake/external/ObsPluginHelpers.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82b00f086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmake/external/ObsPluginHelpers.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+# Functions for generating external plugins
+
+set(EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/rundir")
+
+function(install_external_plugin_data_internal target source_dir target_dir)
+	install(DIRECTORY ${source_dir}/
+		DESTINATION "${target}/${target_dir}"
+		USE_SOURCE_PERMISSIONS)
+	add_custom_command(TARGET ${target} POST_BUILD
+		COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy_directory
+			"${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/${source_dir}" "${EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR}/$<CONFIGURATION>/${target}/${target_dir}"
+		VERBATIM)
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs data
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'data_loc' specifies the directory of the source of the data
+function(install_external_plugin_data target data_loc)
+	install_external_plugin_data_internal(${target} ${data_loc} "data")
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs data in an architecture-specific data directory on windows/linux (data/32bit or data/64bit).  Does not apply for mac.
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'data_loc' specifies the directory of the source of the data being installed
+function(install_external_plugin_arch_data target data_loc)
+	if(APPLE)
+		set(_bit_suffix "")
+	elseif(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
+		set(_bit_suffix "/64bit")
+	else()
+		set(_bit_suffix "/32bit")
+	endif()
+
+	install_external_plugin_data_internal(${target} ${data_loc} "data${_bit_suffix}")
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs data in the target's bin directory
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'data_loc' specifies the directory of the source of the data being installed
+function(install_external_plugin_data_to_bin target data_loc)
+	if(APPLE)
+		set(_bit_suffix "")
+	elseif(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
+		set(_bit_suffix "/64bit")
+	else()
+		set(_bit_suffix "/32bit")
+	endif()
+
+	install_external_plugin_data_internal(${target} ${data_loc} "bin${_bit_suffix}")
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs an additional binary to a target
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'additional_target' specifies the additional binary
+function(install_external_plugin_additional target additional_target)
+	if(APPLE)
+		set(_bit_suffix "")
+	elseif(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
+		set(_bit_suffix "64bit/")
+	else()
+		set(_bit_suffix "32bit/")
+	endif()
+
+	set_target_properties(${additional_target} PROPERTIES
+		PREFIX "")
+
+	install(TARGETS ${additional_target}
+		LIBRARY DESTINATION "bin"
+		RUNTIME DESTINATION "bin")
+	add_custom_command(TARGET ${additional_target} POST_BUILD
+		COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+			"$<TARGET_FILE:${additional_target}>"
+			"${EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR}/$<CONFIGURATION>/${target}/bin/${_bit_suffix}$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:${additional_target}>"
+		VERBATIM)
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs the binary of the target
+# 'target' is the target project being installed
+function(install_external_plugin target)
+	install_external_plugin_additional(${target} ${target})
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs the binary and data of the target
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+function(install_external_plugin_with_data target data_loc)
+	install_external_plugin(${target})
+	install_external_plugin_data(${target} ${data_loc})
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs an additional binary to the data of a target
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'additional_target' specifies the additional binary
+function(install_external_plugin_bin_to_data target additional_target)
+	install(TARGETS ${target}
+		LIBRARY DESTINATION "data"
+		RUNTIME DESTINATION "data")
+	add_custom_command(TARGET ${target} POST_BUILD
+		COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+			"$<TARGET_FILE:${target}>"
+			"${EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR}/$<CONFIGURATION>/${plugin_target}/data/$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:${target}>"
+		VERBATIM)
+endfunction()
+
+# Installs an additional binary in an architecture-specific data directory on windows/linux (data/32bit or data/64bit).  Does not apply for mac.
+# 'target' is the destination target project being installed to
+# 'additional_target' specifies the additional binary
+function(install_external_plugin_bin_to_arch_data target additional_target)
+	if(APPLE)
+		set(_bit_suffix "")
+	elseif(CMAKE_SIZEOF_VOID_P EQUAL 8)
+		set(_bit_suffix "/64bit")
+	else()
+		set(_bit_suffix "/32bit")
+	endif()
+
+	install(TARGETS ${target}
+		LIBRARY DESTINATION "data${_bit_suffix}"
+		RUNTIME DESTINATION "data${_bit_suffix}")
+	add_custom_command(TARGET ${target} POST_BUILD
+		COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E copy
+			"$<TARGET_FILE:${target}>"
+			"${EXTERNAL_PLUGIN_OUTPUT_DIR}/$<CONFIGURATION>/${plugin_target}/data${_bit_suffix}/$<TARGET_FILE_NAME:${target}>"
+		VERBATIM)
+endfunction()