Loading plug-ins question...

BigDogues · Post by **BigDogues** » February 6th, 2006, 1:29 am

Hi all, maybe I am just dumb as a stump, but I cannot for the life of me figure out how to load a plug-in. If someone could give me a little tutorial I sure would appreciate it. Perhaps you could post it as a sticky for others that are plug-in challenged such as myself.
Thanks in advance,
Phil

jonny · Post by **jonny** » February 6th, 2006, 2:40 am

they dont need to be loaded. Just put the .dll file in the plugin directory, and call them in your screen configuration. For example, I'm using the split-title plugin to display the first part of an mp3 (the artist). The screen configuration looks like this:

-$dll(splittitle.dll,1,$WinampTitle,)-

and it displays this on the lcd:

-Super Furry Animals-

All of the plugins have the same basic setup:

$dll([plugin name],[function],[parameter 1],[parameter 2])

the functions are the different things the plugin will do, and the two parameters are what the plugin is operating on. Look at the readme that came along with the plugin for the specifics.

Post by **limbo** » February 6th, 2006, 7:33 am

Yeah right

For more info check the program site:
http://lcdsmartie.sourceforge.net/

BigDogues · Post by **BigDogues** » February 6th, 2006, 7:17 pm

Still no joy.

I have read throughh all the other plug in instructions on the site. Most refer to replacing the config.ini file with a new one. I am trying to load the j.river plug-in and this plug in does not have an .ini file. I was assuming that it would show up on the Misc. tab but now I am thinking that I was mistaken. I put the two .dlls in the plug-in folder but I see nothing that relates to them when I start LCDsmartie. Am I correct in assuming that I am to just write in the entry lines into the screen area and that's the way it works?

The plug-in can be found here http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthre ... ht=smartie
Thanks,
Phil

Post by **limbo** » February 6th, 2006, 8:22 pm

Take the following steps:

Check is you can call other plugin e.g.: $dll(splittitle.dll,1,about,function)

If you get an error message please hit us back here with the error message... or read this
If not try to load another plugin e.g. demo plugin.

If you succeed with the above tries try to load again the J river plugin. In case that you getting erro message please report it here ( the message description).

ReverseEngineered · February 8th, 2006, 10:01 pm

Big,

You are absolutely right. You will not, in any way, know if the plugin can be found or not. It will not show up under the Misc. tab and there will be no indication that a plugin is loaded (perhaps this is a design flaw?). However, it's easy to tell if it's there: just trying using it.

Edit your current config so that one of your screens says this:
$dll(JRMC_Now.dll,1,artist,true)

This is a line straight out of the plugin's examples. If this does not work for you (should display the artist's name of the currently playing song), then the plugin is not loaded correctly, and hopefully limbo's suggestions will help fix the problem.

Make sure JRMC is infact loaded and playing before you try this.

BigDogues · Post by **BigDogues** » February 9th, 2006, 2:59 pm

Thanks RE,
That is the information I was looking for.

I followed Limbo's instructions and loaded the .net framework and the .dlls and still wasn't having any success. I will try that tonight when I get home from work.
Are the entry lines only available on the tabs if someone creates a new config file? I have noticed that some plug-ins have them and others do not.
Thanks again.

ReverseEngineered · February 10th, 2006, 6:58 pm

I'm not sure on this one. I have loaded several plugins and have never seen the tabs change. I have also loaded the config that comes with the WinAMP Spectrum Analyzer plugin, and it didn't change the tabs either. Perhaps it is possible, and some plugins add functionality to do it, but I haven't seen it thus far (and don't believe there is functionality in LCD Smartie to allow this). I'll have to save those more intimate details to somebody like Limbo.