Accessing the side bar and play menu

Dev Community Dev/API Corner
1

I’m wondering if a plugin can access the “side bar” (for lack of a better term), where Plex in the TV and Movies has additional buttons other than just play and shuffle. I know I can do the related content and stuff but I’m wondering if I am able to create my own buttons and/or functions over there. For instance, in TV and Movies there is a “…” button that lets you access additional functions like deleting the file, etc.

For that matter is it possible to replicate the behavior of, say, the TV show listing where instead of when I select an item from the list and it just plays that instead it brings up an info page on that selection where I can play it? I’m thinking, again, along the lines of the TV section where you click on an episode and all the details are there and THEN you choose to hit play. I’ve noticed that the web site does it this way automatically but the PMP and the Roku Plex just play it instantly.

Along those lines, is it possible to trap the remote/keyboard commands during playback? For instance if I wanted to change the right remote button to skip to the next track of my plugin or something like that. I would really love to have a button to show an on screen info menu with details about the item currently playing with my own custom information (but realize this might be out of the realm of possibility).

2

Sadly no.

The framework is there for allowing playback using a predefined way, and can not alter the interface.

3

Ok, thank you. I saw that there were playback modification commands but I was unclear if they were only for controlling the outside website (i.e., modifying skip forward/back for skipping forward/back on the flash player you are streaming from), I assume those commands are the ones you are referencing.

When you refer to altering the UI, does that include my sub question about when you select a video item being able to see the details of it rather than play it, like it does in the TV shows section?

4

When I was ref. to the UI, I meant you can’t call stuff outside the channel, like emulate press a button, or execute a javascript etc.

You are locked inside the channel framework, and the only info you can present to the users, is by the directory objects within the framework