Overview

How to configure plugin settings

Plugins Settings

If a plugin does not have it's own configuration section, you may configure the settings under Plugins. Plugins include both 'built-in' plugins provided with MediaPortal, and extensions. They are sorted by the type of plugin: Windows Plugins, External Player Plugins and Process Plugins

You may configure some basic settings on the Main Plugins Configuration screen:

• Enable/Disable - Toggles or disable the plugin. When Enabled, the Plugin is active and will display in MediaPortal on the screen you select (Home or Plugins).
• In Home - Displays the plugin on the Classic or Basic Home screen.
  Note: The plugins listed on Basic Home screens are controlled by the skin, many of which include a menu editor or generator that allows you to select which items or plugins to display.
• In Plugins - Displays the plugin on the Plugins menu.
  Note:  Basic Home screens may not list all your plugins. You must select a Basic Home option to access the Plugins screen or else go to the Classic Home screen and select Plugins from there.
• Confg - if the Config button is 'active' you may select it to configure specific settings for the plugin.

Note: If you want to see the selected Plugin in the main menu on the Home screen, you must also enable the Home plugin. However, if the plugin has no user interface (i.e. a process plugin) it will not display on either the Home or Plugins windows in MediaPortal. 

Desktop shortcut

For convenience, you may create a shortcut to a plugin configuration window If you open it frequently. You need to find the name of the plugin dll file. You can ask the plugin author or in the forum if you can't find it.

Example

To create a shortcut to Moving Pictures configuration window:

Right click on your desktop, click New > Shortcut and then paste in the following:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\PluginConfigLoader.exe" /plugin="C:\Program Files (x86)\Team MediaPortal\MediaPortal\plugins\Windows\MovingPictures.dll"

Note: Adjust the "C:\Program Files (x86)\" part accordingly to how your system is set up.

Incompatible Plugins

If a plugin is not compatible with your current version of MediaPortal it will not appear in Plugins Configuration.  You need to install the correct version of the plugin.  Incompatible Plugins will be listed in a separate section after Process Plugins

MediaPortal 'built-in' Plugins

The term plugin is used in MediaPortal to describe almost every feature, since technically all the features are plugins.

All plugins are displayed and configured in Configuration > Plugins, however, features also have their own configuration settings (see below).  

There are several different types of plugins in MediaPortal.

Window Plugins

Window Plugins* *contain a user interface and allow the user to interact with them or alter the user interface.

Feature Plugins

In MediaPortal, features are technically plugins. However features have their own configuration setting, see Configuration.

In Configuration > Plugins, you can only enable/disable the feature or choose to display it on either the Home or Plugins screen.

• Videos
• DVD DIscs/Images
• TV
• Radio
• Music
• Pictures
• Weather
• Plugins

GUI Plugins

These window plugins enable you to customize the user interface (GUI):

• Settings - Configure some settings using the Settings button in MediaPortal GUI.
• Home - Configure some aspects of the Home screen such as date formats, menu setup, sort order, etc.
• TopBar - Configure display settings for the navigation top bar (useful for mouse users).

Additional Window Plugins

In addition to the Features and GUI Plugins, some plugins are included with MediaPortal. These plugins are developed and supported along with the MediaPortal software, thus they are only updated when a new version of MediaPortal is released. 

• RSS News
• Wikipedia 
• Sudoku
• Tetris

External Player Plugins

External Player plugins play media files using external applications:

• iTunes
• Winamp

Process Plugins

Process plugins work in the background without any user interface:

• PowerScheduler
• LastFMScrobbler
• MiniDisplay (successor of External Display plugin) 
• MusicDB Reorganization

Extensions - Plugins

The vast majority of plugins are extensions and are provided and supported by 3rd party developers. However, they can be installed using the standard MediaPortal Extension Installer (MPEInstaller or MPEI) and configured using the same interface as all other plugins, see Configuration > Plugins. These plugins are usually Window Plugins, but can be External Player or Process plugins as well.

For more information on extending Mediaportal see Extensions > Plugins.