This plugin controls the Foobar2000 media player. It can also display the current playing song after some configuration and with the proper Foobar2000 plugin.

Requirements:
- Desktop Sidebar version 1.05 build 108 or better.
- Foobar2000.

Installation:
- Download the DSPACKAGE file from the Extension Exchange.
- Double click the file when Desktop Sidebar is running.

Additional Recommended Setup Steps:
- In order to display the currently playing song info, please download and install the Foobar2000 foo_np_simple plugin (place it in the Program Files\Foobar2000\components directory).
- Set the following options in Foobar2000:
--- Display -> Default User Interface -> System Tray:
----- Always show systray icon
----- Minimize to system tray (this will enable Foobar to minimize to the system tray while you can control it through the panel and here music).
- Add the Foobar2000 panel to Desktop Sidebar.
- Right click the panel and choose Panel Properties.
- In the Panel Properties, specify the path to the song text file, the path to the Foobar2000 exe, the update interval and whether or not to show the currently playing song info.

Version 1.2, Release August 13, 2006:
- Added option to close Foobar when playback is stopped.

Version 1.1, Released March 7, 2006:
- Now compatible with build 108 and better.
- Improved Panel Properties dialog box (thanks to an update in Desktop Sidebar).

Notes/Known Issues:
- I didn't implement PAUSE functionality because there was no way to know Foobar's status (only to change it), so things could get messed up.
- The button which is supposed to MUTE/UNMUTE the volume (like it does in the Media Player panel) is actually a RANDOM button (plays a randomly-chosen song from the playlist).
- The SHOW/HIDE button only shows Foobar and doesn't hide it because of the same problem described above in the first note.
- There are known issus with the Autofit of this. If the currently playing song text changes, the height of the panel is not changed accordingly. My advice is to set the Text Writer Foobar plugin to write the same height of text for all the cases.

Please post feedback in this forum thread. Thank you!

Nice work I didn't know you can do these things with scripted panels

Normally i keep my nowplaying.txt in c:\program files\foobar2000\nowplaying.txt. The plugin wont let me put that path in because it is too long.

You should also make the plugin's options remember the path to the file if you do not press enter after typing the path and only hit ok.

The plugin also seems to lose its options and revert to the default values when you change a skin.

Other than that, works great, keep up the good work.

btw, Here is a link to the latest foo_text for anyone who couldnt find it.

There's nothing GoMa can do in order to prevent it. That's how DS controls scripted-panels.

Just scroll the Value tab a little bit to the left so you'll be able to write more. GoMa should set an option to maximize that window (if it is possible) so that there'll be more space to write.

Unfortunately Prism is right. These are problems in Desktop Sidebar and not specifically in my panel and I can't control it.

have to go now... but i will test it in a few hours
good job guys !

See attached post to understand what I was talking about.

And GoMa - Are you sure that you can't set a maximize button to that window?

Really nice!
Been looking for this.
Thanks!
EDIT: I can't use it, because my foobar is installed in E:\kebabin puoli\Program Files\foobar2000\foobar2000.exe
Could you somehow add support for longer paths?
EDIT2: Sorry didn't read the other comments

So have you got it to work? You could resize the data field in the Panel Properties by dragging the seperator.

plugin works nice
thanks bro

one question:
how can i chane looks [skin?] of buttons ?

The buttons use the same skin as the Windows Media Player or Winamp panels. You could try different Desktop Sidebar skins, or you could also edit the skin yourself using the Skin Editor, and change the values of mpPlay, mpStop, etc.

i dont know if it is a bug, but when im clicking play button [foobar is not running], foobar is activating but it doesnt play at the begining.

It probably is a bug. I will check it when I get home.

There is a serious problem with the plugin where I cannot properly change the path to my foobar. For example, mine is at "e:\program files\foobar2000\foobar2000.exe" and when I try to change it from your default settings, it will limit my characters so I cannot enter the correct path, making the plugin both useless and frustrating.

Try resizing the column where you enter the data. That should give you sufficient space for the path.
Unfortunately, this is not under my control. I'm sorry.

A great plugin!! I only made some shortcut of foobar2000 before use this ^^
e.g "C:\Program Files\foobar2000\foobar2000.exe" /play

I want to ask how to hide the panel title by default?
Everytime windows XP startup with the panel title title of this plugin,
I need to hide it manually.....

I'm happy you like the panel.
As for the panel title - it is a global bug in Desktop Sidebar (not only in my panel, but also not in all panels...). In order to get it to hide the title, you could manually modify the settings file. I don't have DS on the computer I'm using, so this is from memory - it might not be 100% accurate.
1) Close Desktop Sidebar.
2) Open the settings file (usually c:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\Desktop Sidebar\sidebar105.settings) in Notepad.
3) Find the line (Ctrl-F) which says:
<panel class="Foobar2000">
4) A little below this line, there will be a line that contains the text "decorated". Change the 0 value in this line to 1.
5) Restart DS.

Problem solved
But I found the value should be "0" rather than "1" in my case

How can I add foobar panel in DS

thanks

Download the panel from here: http://www.desktopsidebar.com/ffdetails.php?id=232

Open it while DS is opened (make sure you use the required DS version - b.88 in this case) and follow the instructions

Thanks I knew that page, but what how to do - Add the Foobar2000 panel to Desktop Sidebar.


Additional Recommended Setup Steps:
- In order to display the currently playing song info, please download and install the Foobar2000 foo_text plugin (place it in the Program Files\Foobar2000\components directory).
- Set the following options in Foobar2000:
--- Display -> Default User Interface -> System Tray:
----- Always show systray icon
----- Minimize to system tray (this will enable Foobar to minimize to the system tray while you can control it through the panel and here music).
--- Components -> Text Writer:
----- Enable text file writing.
----- Events / Write file on: Startup, Quit, New track, Stop, Unpause, Stop (normal), Stop (new track).
----- Write only if contents will change.
----- Specify Output Path.
- Add the Foobar2000 panel to Desktop Sidebar.
- Right click the panel and choose Panel Properties.
- In the Panel Properties, specify the path to the song text file, the path to the Foobar2000 exe, the update interval and whether or not to show the currently playing song info.

Thanks a lot

Right click Desktop Sidebar and choose Add Panel. Choose Foobar2000 from the list and click Add.

it doesn't have


thanks

You mean Foobar2000 doesn't show in the list?
Have you done this:

Thanks for your helping.

DSPACKAGE does it a format of DS, because search from the website, it like a format, but I am not sure, so i just the the foo_text.dll as foo_test.DSPACKAGE, but it did not work. Do I need to download, if I do where can i download it


thanks a lot

Download this file. Double click it (i.e. open it) when Desktop Sidebar is running. Desktop Sidebar should ask you if you want to install it for Everyone or Just for Me - click OK.

Thanks a lot

I have a new question, how can I add "Random" button in the plan

Thanks

From the first post -

Thanks for your helping, but I am stupid and poor English, so can I do it or not, if i do,
how can I do it


thanks a lot again

You need to click the mute button of the panel (see screenshot).

thanks a lot

HI I have a problem with this plugin

When I try to add it to my sidebar 1.04 build 75 it crashes the whole Sidebar.

What can I do?

As stated in the first page -
This panel requires build 85 and up - download build 90 from the main page. It's stable enough for use.

Silly me I need to buy glasses then
Sorry for bothering you. And really graet job. Keep it up

Thanks.

Hi GoMa,
Thx for the plugin!

BTW, are you familiar with the Winamp API Emulator (foo_winamp_spam) or AMIP (foo_amipwrapper)? Both can be found >here<.
IMHO both give a far more elegant solution to song info retrieval, and even the play state (playing/paused). With foo_winamp_spam foobar integrates quite nicely wih the Winamp plugin, but not completely.. Real real-time foobar support would be great!

If not possible to retrieve the playing state of the track, could you please change the plugin to play/pause anyway when clicking the button? Visual feedback not necessary

TIA!
-eph

Hello. I am new to both ds, and the foobar panel, so excuse me if this has been asked/answered elsewhere.

I can not seem to get settings saved for this panel. The apply button does not become enabled after I edit either the pathToSongFile or pathToFoobar options, and the Ok button fails to save any changes I make. I can toggle the showCurrentPlayingSong option, but nothing else saves after I close the properties dialog. I even tried toggling the yes/no option to enable the apply button, then editing the path field and pressing apply, but it always reverts to the default path.

Is there a registry entry or xml file somewhere I can edit with the appropriate values for my system?

The problem occurs in ds versions 1.05.94 and 1.04.75


Thanks for any suggestions.

After you change the value, you need to press ENTER (the key on the keyboard).
If you still have problems, you can manually modify the settings file (this is not highly recommended...) - it's an XML file:
c:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Desktop Sidebar\sidebar105.settings
Open the file in Notepad - search for foobar in that file, the settings will be below this.

Hi! I hope you can help me with the following GoMa: Whenever I try to add the Foobar panel to the Sidebar I get the following error:

The first line is dutch, it translates as "can't make panel Foobar 2000" and in the same time DS goes a little weird with the skin
Also I find it a little peculiar that it doesn't make any difference if choose ja (yes) or nee (no): in both cases nothing happens, except that DS goes normal, but without the foobar panel...

I've followed all your recommended setup thingys as far as I know, so I'm quite puzzled. Both new to foobar and DS, I dont have quite the knowledge of both to solve this kind of problems.
Further info you might like to know: The foobar-installation was foobar_0.8.3_special, DS is version 1.05 build 109.

If any of this sentences doesn't read well: I wrote this around 3:20 AM local time (lazy day tomorrow

In build 109 something was changed in DS, and I have to change something in the panel to make it work again. I haven't been home yet since the build was released, and I'll do my best to release the compatible version this weekend.

I'm curious, GoMa, what was changed?

Script panel syntax has changed slightly to make them a bit simpler to write.

Oh OK. You had me worried that other panels might not be working correctly. It has been a while since I've run a panel installation....

Hi GoMa,

I was wondering if you were able to update the installer over the weekend.

thanks!

No. But I promise I'll work on it whenver I can.