VideoLan VLC Player Client (HTTP) - Version 2.0.0#
Module Summary#
Controls VideoLAN VLC Media Player running on a network connected compute, using the HTTP API.
Note: This module replaces the TCP version. The TCP module has been deprecated and no longer supported.
Module Status#
If you encounter any issues with this module, or have any feedback regarding its operation, please contact our support team.
Release Notes#
Version 2.0#
Initial implementation: This module replaces VideoLAN VLC Player TCP Client.
Minor point releases (eg. 1.1.x) will be for small fixes and may not be listed here.
Configuration#
Download VLC Player from the VideoLAN website
Storing Media for playback#
By default, VLC player points to its own installation directory for media files, the default for Windows being: C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC.
For ease of use, media files can be placed here or a sub directory or this directory.
The relative file path will need to be prepended to the file name in Add To Playlist and Enqueue To Playlist Actions.
Running VLC Player to Allow Remote Control#
Details on how to enable the web interface can be found on the VLC Wiki
Operation#
One IO module Instance must be created for each VLC Player application.
Instance Properties#
Set the VLC Player IP Address and VLC Player Port Number to that of the host machine/set when running the commands in the last section.
The Username for the HTTP API is not necessarily required and can be left empty in most cases.
The Password should match the password set the Configuration settings.
Status Variables#
The IO Modules tab of the web interface provides Status Variables to shows information about the module and monitor its state.
Triggers#
Any Response Received#
Fires when a response is received from the VLC Player in response to an Action. The first Trigger variable will be the current playback state followed by a result messages, which may be an error.
Condition#
Playback State#
Matches true if the playback State matches the current known State of the VLC Player.
Actions#
Play Playlist#
Starts the playlist running.
If Item ID is anything but Optional, the playlist will begin from this item. If the Item ID is set to Optional or the VLC Player does not recognise the Item ID, the playlist will begin from the start.
Note: The Item ID may not match the ID in VLC Player. Check the instance status variable in the web interface to find out the correct ID.
Play Item and Stop#
Plays the Item ID once and then stops playback.
Note: This Action is not inherently part of the API. The file plays and then the remaining time is used to decide when to stop the playlist. The Stop Playback Action will be called when the remaining time reaches 0.
Note: The Item ID may not match the ID in VLC Player. Check the instance status variable in the web interface to find out the correct ID.
Add To Playlist#
Adds the media file (File Name) to the end of the playlist.
If the media file is anywhere other than the install directory location, the relative file path will need to be prepended to the file name eg. media/file.mov.
Add To Playlist and Start Playback#
Adds the media file (File Name) to the playlist and starts the media file running.
If the file is anywhere other than the install directory location, the relative file path will need to be prepended to the file name eg. media/file.mov.
Jump to Next Item Next#
Starts the next media file running.
Jump To Previous Item#
Starts the previous media file running.
Pause Playback#
Pauses current playback.
Toggle Pause#
Toggles between playing and pausing the playlist.
Resume If Paused#
Resumes the playlist it is it currently paused.
Stop Playback#
Stops all playback.
Sort Playback#
TODO: API Call does not currently work as expected.
Delete Item From Playlist#
Deletes the Item ID from the playlist.
If the Item ID does not exist or is set to None, no media file will be deleted.
Note: The Item ID may not match the ID in VLC Player. Check the instance status variable in the web interface to find out the correct ID.
Empty Playlist#
Clears the entire playlist - use with care.
Add Subtitle to Current Playing File#
Adds the subtitle file (File Name) as displays the text over the current playing file
If the subtitle file is anywhere other than the install directory location, the relative file path will need to be prepended to the file name eg. media/file.mov.
Set Volume Level#
Sets the Value of the volume either as a percentage, absolute value or relative plus or minus Format.
Set Audio Delay#
Sets the audio Delay in seconds of the playlist.
Set Subtitle Delay#
Sets the subtitle Delay in seconds of the playlist.
Set Playback Rate of Current Item#
Sets the playback Rate of the current running media file.
Note: This applies only to the current item and the rate will be reset when the next media file plays. This is a limitation of the API.
Set Aspect Rate#
Sets the aspect Ratio of the playlist.
Toggle Random Playback#
Toggles between random on and off.
Toggle Loop#
Toggles between loop off and loop all.
Note: It is not possible to define the loop type from the Action. This is a limitation of the API.
Toggle Repeat#
Toggles between repeat on and repeat off.
Note: It is not possible to define the repeat type from the Action. This is a limitation of the API.
Toggle Fullscreen#
Toggles fullscreen mode.
Note: It is not possible to define the fullscreen state from the Action. This is a limitation of the API.
Execute Command#
Executes a custom Command.
Most commands of the API are available through Actions, however if there is a Command that is not supported, this Action can be used. It is not necessary to prepend ?command= to the Command.
The list of API commands can be found on the VLC Wiki.
Support#
If you encounter any issues with this module, please contact our support team.