Plugins won't load

MIP
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1

I have installed the Smart Client on a computer that already had the MIP SDK and its plugins on it, plus one of my own. None of the plugins appear in the client. The “MIP Plug-ins” section doesn’t even appear in the XProtect toolbar.

Here are the specifics:

  1. The SDK and the Smart Client are installed at [D:\Milestone,](file:D:/Milestone,) not the boot drive. So the plugins are in [D:\Milestone\MIPPlugins](file:D:/Milestone/MIPPlugins) and the Smart Client is in [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client.
  2. Both the SDK and Smart Client are version 2016R3.
  3. Windows 10 Professional.
  4. Under Options, Panes, MIP Plug-ins is Available in all modes.
  5. The Milestone license is a development (trial) license.
  6. Trying with User Access Control cranked all the way down made no difference.

I have a smilar setup on a Windows 7 machine, and the plugin works there, but it is installed on drive C.

Do I have to install everything on drive C for plugins to load?

2

Correction: The plugins are installed at [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugins.

3

For clarification, there is no directory [D:\Milestone,](file:D:/Milestone,) it is “[D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone”.

4

You cannot use [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin, you must use [C:\Program](file:C:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin

This is hardcoded behaviour.

Two facts

  • The Smart Client can be installed in D:
  • The plug-in directory covering all 64 bit environments has to be [C:\Program](file:C:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin

So you are welcome to put the Smart Client in [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client and the plug-ins in [C:\Program](file:C:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin this should work very fine.

A Smart Client installed at

[D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client

Will load plug-ins from

  • [C:\Program](file:C:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin
  • [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client\MIPPlugin

But if you use [D:\Program](file:D:/Program) Files\Milestone\XProtect Smart Client\MIPPlugin only the Smart Client will load the plug-in, the Event Server or Management Client will not load it from there.

My recommendation: To avoid unnecessary complication (and issues caused by mistakes derived from unnecessary complication) use [C:\Program](file:C:/Program) Files\Milestone\MIPPlugin for all your plug-ins.

5

For the best explanation:

See the MIP Documentation - Plug-in Development - Getting Started - Plug-in Location