Developer Resources and Utilities

BrightAuthor Plugins

The functionality of BrightAuthor can be extended with numerous plugins and custom scripts. We maintain a repository of tested and documented plugins at the BrightSign GitHub page.  

 

MRSS Feed Generator

You can use the following sample batch file for Windows will generate MRSS manifest (.xml) files for a set of audio/video/image files.  The MRSS feed file will be written in the folder it is run from.  The batch file will need to be edited in Notepad or another text editor to set configuration parameters.  After setting the configuration it can be run interactively or automated.  If you run it interactively it will provide diagnostic/usage information.

Older simpler MRSS generators in case they are needed/desired for specific purposes:

Media List Feed Generator

A Media List feed is a specially-formatted RSS feed that can be used as a feed source to the following states:

  • Audio List
  • Image List
  • Video List
  • Media List
  • Audio Play File (BrightAuthor)
  • Image Play File (BrightAuthor)
  • Video Play File (BrightAuthor)
  • On Demand (BrightAuthor:connected)

This sample batch file for Windows will generate a Media List feed (specially-formatted MRSS .xml) containing the audio/video/image files in the folder it is run from.

The batch file will need to be edited in Notepad or another text editor to set configuration parameters.  After setting the configuration it can be run interactively or automated.  If you run it interactively it will provide diagnostic/usage information.

Zone Converter Tool

If you use authoring software such as Photoshop and Illustrator to create digital signage content, you can use this tool to easily convert a digital canvas to BrightAuthor zones. Use the links below to download the tool and view the Technical Note that explains how to use it.

BrightScript Syntax Highlighter Extensions

If you build custom BrightScript autorun files, you can use the following text editor extensions to make BrightScript more readable. Please refer to the BrightScript 3.0 Reference Manual to learn more about the BrightScript framework, syntax, and functions, or refer to the Object Reference Manual to learn about about the standard library of objects, interfaces, and methods.

Note: All credit for these extensions goes to their respective authors.

IntelliJ IDEA

Author: Interfaced
IntelliJ IDEA Ver: 2018.3+
Plug-in Ver: 0.2.0
Provides syntax highlighting, code folding, auto indentation, statement auto-completion, and GoTo declaration.

Installation:

  1. Press Ctrl/Cmd+Alt+S to open the Settings/Preferences dialog.
  2. Go to Plugins.
  3. Click the Marketplace tab.
  4. Type "BrightScript" into the search dialog.
  5. Click Install.
  6. Click OK in the Settings dialog and restart IntelliJ IDEA.

Notepad++

Author: Lee Dydo
Notepad++ Ver: 6.3
Plug-in Ver: N/A
Comes in two configurations: One for the default theme and one for custom themes that have black backgrounds. This highlighter supports built-in functions, global functions, and functions for every object type.
 
Installation:
  1. While Notepad++ is open, navigate to Language > Define Your Language.
  2. Click Import... and locate the downloaded "BrightScriptDefault.xml" or "BrightScriptBlack.xml" file.
  3. Click Open.
  4. Close and reopen the Notepad++ application. 
  5. Apply the BrightScript extension to an open file by opening the Language menu and selecting the "BrightScript" plug-in. The application will also use the BrightScript extension to display any .brs  files you open.

pybrightsign

Author: Michael Ottoson
Version: 0.9.4
Beta Version released July 9, 2021

BrightSign APIs for humans. This python module simplifies using the BrightSign BSN/BSNEE REST API. This Beta release is pretty stable but it is still subject to breaking changes in later releases.

See https://pypi.org/project/pybrightsign/ for the latest documentation.

 

TextMate

Author: Craig Mink
TextMate Ver: 2.0.1
Plug-in Ver: N/A
A bundle that includes syntax highlighting, commands, and inch-mark line comments. This extension is also compatible with any text editor that can load TextMate bundles. Please visit this page for up-to-date changes and information.
 

Textpad

Author: Richard Nixon
Textpad Ver: 5.4
Plug-in Ver: N/A
Provides colorization for objects, comments, and syntax elements.
 
Installation:
  1. Copy and paste the downloaded "brightscript.syn" file to the System folder of the Textpad application. A common file path for this folder would be C:\Program Files\TextPad 5\system
  2. While Textpad is open, close any open document windows and navigate to Configure > Choose Preferences.
  3. Select Document Classes and click the New symbol (next to the Delete symbol).
  4. Enter a name for the new User Defined Class (e.g. "BrightScript") and click Apply
  5. Expand the Document Classes menu using the + button.
  6. Select your new User Defined Class.
  7. Click the New symbol in the Files in class... list.
  8. Enter "*.brs" into the field and click Apply.
  9. Expand your new User Defined Class using the + button.
  10. Select the Syntax menu.
  11. Check the Enable syntax highlighting box.
  12. Locate the "brightscript.syn" file in the Syntax definition file dropdown menu.
  13. Click Apply. Then click OK. Syntax highlighting will now be applied to any .brs file you open.

Visual Studio

Author: Matt Duffield
Visual Studio Ver: 2010
Plug-in Ver: 1.7
Features collapsing/expanding Sub and Function code blocks, quick info hovering for keywords, and optimization for large files. Please visit this page for more information.
 

VIM

Author: Dylan Doxey
Visual Studio Ver: N/A
Plug-in Ver: N/A
Features BrightScript syntax highlighting for Vim.
 
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