The Options
Menu
Winamp can be customized
even further from this tab, allowing you to micromanage
many of the automatic player's features.
Here are
the options and explanations for them that you are offered:
Read
titles on demand or load - When Winamp reads a file
in check these boxes to configure when it reads any file
or ID3 information to subsequently display. You can set
it to read titles on demand (i.e. when the file is actually
played) or upon load (i.e. when you load the file into the
playlist)
Convert
%20 to Space - Sometimes when you download a file from
the Web, Web browsers replace spaces in the filename with
%20. When this option is checked, Winamp automatically converts
any %20 to a space.
Convert
Underscore to Space - Many users will name .MP3 files
using underscores instead of spaces in the name; for example,
artist_title_date.mp3. Checking this box automatically converts
those underscores into spaces.
Allow
Multiple Instances - If you click on this box, it allows
Winamp to have more than one Winamp player functioning at
a time. On most systems, Winamp requires use of the DirectSound
output plug-in in order to play multiple MP3s at once.
Show
Splash Screen - The Winamp splash screen that displays
when you first run Winamp can be disabled or enabled by
this option.
Playlist
Always on Top Linked - This causes the Winamp program
to remain on your screen when you switch to another program.
Equalizer
Doublesize Linked - Checking this box keeps the equalizer
linked in size to the main Winamp faceplate.
Litestep
VWM Compatible Mode - When enabled, this box allows
Winamp to stay offscreen, which is good for Litestep's virtual
window manager.
Always
on Litestep Virtual Desktops - This box makes Winamp
always appear on virtual desktops in Litestep.
Default
extension for unknown file types: - Uses this file type
when you attempt to play a file that has no extension recognized
by Winamp.
Process
Priority Class - Adjusts the Priority Class of Winamp
when a track is playing. The priority class is set to Normal
by default and should be left their unless you find files
are skipping because of other processes on your machine
taking precedence. If so then you can move this notch up
some for potentially better results.
Display
Options
The second of the two options
preference screens is the Display Options screen. This display
controls how Winamp looks.
Here are
the options and explanations for them that you are offered:
Always
show Clutterbar - The Clutterbar is the strip of letters
that runs down the left side of the Vis menu can be removed.
Some skins don't look right with it enabled.
Display
tooltips in Winamp's main window - Toggles display of
a small text box explaining the functions of features when
the mouse pointer hovers over an interface element.
Scroll
song title in the Windows taskbar - Allows the full title
of the song to scroll on the button that Winamp places on
the taskbar.
Use Winamp-styled
(skinned) cursors - When the mouse pointer is over the
Winamp window, Winamp defaults to using the mouse pointers
it has assigned or people have created with new skins. If
you do not like the Winamp mouse pointers, you can disable
them by unchecking this box.
Dim titlebars
when inactive - The titlebar is dimmed when the Winamp
window is not active and this box is checked.
Snap Windows
at # Pixels - This function causes Winamp to snap to comfortable
positions when moved.
Use bitmap
font for main title display - This function causes Winamp
to use the bitmap font that is part of the interface skins
to display song titles. If you want to make Winamp use a normal
Windows font then uncheck this box. The main reason to do
this is to have support for songs using international characters
in their title information display properly.
Show Numbers
in Playlist - This feature allows you to place a track
number along side each file loaded within the playlist. This
feature only applies to the playlist window.
Playlist
Font Size - This sets the font size on the playlist. The
default is 10 pixels.
Winamp
also allows users to decide where Winamp will be displayed
when it is running. The bottom of the Options menu holds a
box called Show Winamp In. In this box there are four options:
Taskbar Only, System Tray Only, Taskbar and System Tray, and
None.
Plug-ins
Preferences
One of the Winamp player's
most entertaining features is the usage of plug-ins. The Plug-ins
preferences section is the very guts of the Winamp player.
Plug-ins interact with the file being played by Winamp in
several different fashions. Most plug-ins add a visual component
to the Winamp player, although some change the sound or even
the interface of the player. The main catagories of plug-ins
are visualization, audio processing, audio input, audio output,
and general plug-ins.
On the main Plug-ins Settings
screen you have several configuration choices that control
how the entire plug-in subsystem of Winamp works.
Tip
- All plug-ins for Winamp are by default stored
in the Plug-ins directory in the main Winamp folder.
Since Winamp defaults to the Program Files folder on Windows-based
machines, you can usually find this folder at c:\Program Files\Winamp\Plugins.
In version
2.10+ of Winamp it is possible to set different directories
for your Visualization and DSP/Effects plug-ins all
others will remain stored in the default plug-ins directory.
Visualization
Plug-in Directory - Clicking this button brings up a
directory selection dialog box where you can change the
specific directory Winamp looks for visualization plug-ins.
This is nice if you want to have separate directories for
various plug-in types.
DSP/Effect
Plug-in Directory - A new feature in version 2.10+ of
Winamp is the chance to set a separate directory for your
DSP/Effect plug-ins from that of the visualization and other
plug-ins.
Visualization
Plug-in Priority - Use this slidebar if a visualization
plug-in seems out of sync with the music playing move it
up a notch or two from the default Normal setting.
Auto
execute visualization plug-in on play - Checking this
box will automatically start whichever the current visualization
plug-in when a song is started. It is by default not checked.
Disable
built-in visualization when visualization plug-in active
- Checking this box will turn off the main player console's
visualization when any visualization plug-in is running.
Flush
plug-in name cache - Used to flush the plug-in cache
Winamp uses. This is a good button to press every now and
then. By clicking on it Winamp will remove any plug-in names
appearing in the preferences section that are no longer
installed. It will also check to see if names and such have
been updated due to new versions of plug-ins being downloaded
and installed.
Input
Device
The Input Plug-ins tell
Winamp how to operate when processing sound. The Input plug-in
preferences section will show you a list of each plug-in
currently installed. Choose each one and hit configure to
bring up the corresponding preference dialog to configure
how that specific Input Plug-in should work.
There should
be at least six input plug-ins in the Input Plug-Ins box.
Make sure you have each of the ones listed here:
-
Nullsoft
MIDI Player v0.53 (x86) [IN_MIDI.DLL]
-
Nullsoft
Nitrane MPEG Audio Decoder (x86) [IN_MP3.DLL]
-
Nullsoft
Waveform File Decoder v1.15 (x86) [IN_WAVE.DLL]
-
Nullsoft
CD/Line Input Player v1.01 (x86) [IN_CDDA.DLL]
-
Nullsoft
Module Decoder v1.25 (x86) [IN_MOD.DLL]
-
Nullsoft
WINAMP/WMA Plugin v0.99 (x86) [IN_WM.DLL]
