Playing video

Video playback has to be provided by a separate application.

To launch a video player you would need to create a data/script_external_viewer program (for example, a shell script on Linux) that can interface with your preferred video player.

Nightshade will call script_external_viewer with command line arguments of "start" and then the filename of the video. Other command line options you need to support are "pause", "resume", and "stop". Stop should exit the video player.

It is only on Digitarium OP3 platform planetarium systems where the altitude, azimuth, etc. parameters are supported as explained in the StratoScript command reference. If you think anything could be clearer there let me know.

Rob

Rob, can you recommend a good external viewer program to go with Nightshade? I often use mplayer but can set up VLC or just about anything else.

Thanks,

Jim

Hello Starguy,

mplayer is fine to play videos. It's the best in my eyes.

As Rob said, you have to create an eXecutable file named "script_external_viewer" in the /data/ directory and containing for example this shell command:.

if [ "$1" = "start" ]; then mplayer -fs -osdlevel 0 $2 ; fi
if [ "$1" = "stop" ]; then killall mplayer ; fi

It's a bit harsh but it works. If someone has a better command to propose...

Best regards

Sorry, did you talk about Linux?

In which editor or programm I can create an eXecutable file named "script_external_viewer"?

Yes, Linux.

With shell commands written into a text editor, saved with the name "script_external_viewer" and eXecutable with the proper rights.

>chmod +x script_external_viewer

On a prompt for example, I think that it works (or with a contextual menu option on the file).

Is it any method to get rid of "starting external viewer" window on Linux version when scripts starts to play video file?

I found the solution: piece of code needs to be commented out in src/app_command_interface.cpp

From

#ifdef DESKTOP
   stapp->ui->show_message("Started external viewer:\n\n" +
                           args["filename"], 5000);
#endif

to:

/* #ifdef DESKTOP
   stapp->ui->show_message("Started external viewer:\n\n" +
                           args["filename"], 5000);
#endif */