Plugins are windows dll build with MMB SDK (software development kit). Plugins expands the functionality of MMB.
Plugins can behave the same way as other objects. This section is for developers. The plugins are compiled using VC++ and the MMB SDK. If you are user of some MMB plugin please refer to the documentation included with the plugin.
Note: The MMB plugins are dll's and plugins made for MMB. Other plugins like plugins for Photoshop will be not working !
To load plugin: Menu Object - Plug In - draw plugin rectangle on the work area
The rectangle says: Plugin (Empty), double click on it and from the properties window you can load the dll.
Dll can be external or embedded. If the plugin DLL stays external, you don't have to write <SrcDir> if the plugin will be in the same directory as the autorun.exe or in the subdirectory Plugins.
After you load the DLL, MMB will ask you if you want to use embed the plugin or not. If you select yes, the plugin will be embedded.
Plugin can have its own properties. If this is the case of the plugin - the Plugin properties will be enabled.
Also some plugins require one, two or three bitmaps to be loaded - then the Image 1...3 will be enabled.
The plugins for MMB are in the sub-directory Plugins. By default there is only one sample plugin TenBlobs.dll
Script Action: Plugin can have also a script on click assigned to it. If user clicks on the Plugin Object this script runs.
Some plugins (like standard Dll's) doesn't require any MMB interface and they don't display anything as objects.
For example dll which has its own separate window or dll, which play some special sound format etc..
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If you would like to develop your own plugin, take a look at this page.
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You can load any system dll without MMB interface as a plugin (use PluginRun("PlugIn","GlobalVoidFunction")), the properties will say Unknown Interface but you can still run a global void functions from it. The first parameter is the loaded Plugin object. The DLL doesn't have to be made with the SDK.
There are few Functions in the script for such dll's or plugins. A detailed description of MMB Plugins and a description of Plugin related scripting commands, can be found here.
And where you can find the Plugins? There are few basic plugins in MMB\Plugins folder. But you can find much more plugins for example in MMB File Library and don't miss also this MMB Plugins discussion.
If you don't know what plugin you are looking for, we would strongly suggest you to look at PluginIndex . This great help compilation contains list of all important MMB plugins available for MMB, along with detailed help for each plugin! This is definitely something you don't have to miss!