Plugin with custom GUI

jan_t

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if it is somehow possible to create a plugin with an entirely custom GUI.

I think I have a good idea of how the auto plugin system works and I see how to use the Qt[PluginName] class for implemnting custom interactions between the controls.

However, I would like to create a GUI with custom widgets etc. Is it possible to access the layout, add Qt widgets, etc. Or would this require creating new widget classes and touching code outside the plugin folder (e.g. the auto plugin class)?

And help or idea would be very welcome!

Many thanks

Jan

SigmundAI

Sigmund: Great question, Jan! Short answer: yes—you can ship a plugin with a fully custom Qt GUI without touching OpenSesame core. You don’t have to use the auto-plugin UI; instead, provide your own editor class that builds any layout/widgets you like and synchronizes state with your item.

How it works

• Runtime item: your [PluginName] class (the item that runs/ prepares during the experiment). It owns the parameters and handles to_string()/from_string() for script persistence.
• Custom editor: a Qt[PluginName] class that builds the tab UI. Here you can:
  • Compose arbitrary Qt widgets/layouts (standard or your own custom widgets).
  • Wire signals to update the item’s parameters and notify the experiment of changes.
  • Implement refresh() to load current item state into the widgets when the tab is shown.

You do not need to modify the auto plugin system or core. The plugin loader will prefer your Qt[PluginName] editor if present. You can keep all code inside your plugin folder.

Typical structure

• plugin_name/
  • plugin_name.py (runtime item)
  • qtplugin_name.py (custom editor)
  • info.yaml (metadata)
  • resources/ (icons, optional)
  • custom widgets (if any), imported locally by your editor class

Key tips

• Single source of truth: the item’s attributes are canonical; the editor reads/writes them and calls experiment.notify_change() after updates.
• Script sync: ensure to_string()/from_string() mirror your parameters so users can edit via script as well.
• No heavy work in the editor thread; keep computation in prepare/run.
• Desktop vs OSWeb: a custom Qt editor is desktop-only (that’s fine—editor UI is always desktop). For runtime behavior, ensure compatibility if your plugin needs to work with OSWeb; otherwise mark desktop-only in metadata.

If you want, share which widgets/behaviors you have in mind (e.g., a preview canvas, drag-and-drop lists, validators), and I’ll sketch a minimal skeleton: runtime item with clean serialization and a Qt editor building a fully custom layout, including how to register/refresh and propagate changes.

cvanbuck

Hi @jan_t ,

I wasn't sure myself so I asked Sigmund AI (our OpenSesame expert assistant) and pasted its response above.

Hopefully this helps!

Claire