Warning

This is the documentation the latest work-in-progress version of MPF!

This is the documentation for MPF 0.56, which is the “dev” (next) release of MPF that is a work-in-progress. This is probably ok, and means you’ll be on the latest, cutting-edge version of MPF.

However, if you want a more stable version, select the v:stable version from the lower-left corner of this page, which is the most recent version that is not getting new updates.

If you are new to MPF, we have recently rewritten the installation process which only applies to this “latest” 0.56, so you probably want to stay here because the prior installation process doesn’t work on the latest OS and Python versions.

Config Players

An important concept to using the YAML-based configuration files is something we call config players.

Config players in MPF have nothing to with the actual human players of your machine, rather, they are things that “play” based on configurations.

Config players are used in both the machine-wide and mode-specific config files, and also in show steps.

  • In a config file, the config players are setup via the <config_player_name>_player: section of the file.
  • In show steps, config players are accessed via the <config_player_name>s: setting.

Some examples:

  • You play sounds via a config file in the sound_player: section, and you play sounds from a show step via the sounds: setting for that step.
  • You show slides on a display via a config file in the slide_player: section, and you show slides from a show step via the slides: setting for that step.
  • You set the color of LEDs via a config file in the light_player: section, and you set colors from a show step via the lights: setting for that step.
  • You set player and machine variables based on events in the variable_player: section (this is commonly used for scoring in your machine), and you set variables from a show step via the variables: setting of that step.
  • etc.

Video about events in MPF:

Video about shows:

Standalone Config Player

General syntax looks like this in a standalone player:

Normal syntax

example_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere:
    <depends on the player>

For example (show_player; short syntax):

show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere:
    your_show: play
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere:
    your_show: play

Another example (show_player; long syntax):

show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere:
    your_show:
      action: play
      sync_ms: 1000
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere:
    your_show:
      action: play
      sync_ms: 1000

One line syntax

This is not supported in all players. This usually performs the default action on the element:

example_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere: <depends on the player>

An example (show_player):

show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere: your_show
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
show_player:
  event_which_is_posted_elsewhere: your_show

Subscription syntax

This is not supported for all variables and all players. It will perform the action (i.e. play a show or enable a light) when the condition becomes true. Later it will remove/stop the action (i.e. stop the show or disable the light) when the condition becomes false.

example_player:
  "{machine.test_machine_var == 23}":
      <depends on the player>

An example (light_player):

light_player:
  "{current_player.score > 1000000}":
    score_1M: white
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
light_player:
  "{current_player.score > 1000000}":
    score_1M: white

See Conditional Events for details about conditionals.

Config Player in a Show

All config players also work in shows. However, you need to skip the event which triggers the player since the action is triggered by the show.

Normal syntax

This supports the same syntax as above (just without the event). Also note that instead of example_player: it becomes examples:.

- duration: 2s
  examples:
    <depends on the player>

For example (show_player; short syntax):

##! show: test
- duration: 2s
  shows:
    your_show: play
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
##! show: test
- duration: 2s
  shows:
    your_show: play

Another example (show_player; long syntax):

##! show: test
- duration: 2s
  shows:
    your_show:
      action: play
      sync_ms: 1000
This example is tested to be valid MPF config. However, it is not integration tested.
##! show: test
- duration: 2s
  shows:
    your_show:
      action: play
      sync_ms: 1000

One line syntax

There is no one line syntax in shows.

There are several different config players in MPF and MPF-MC. Click on each below for specific details of how to use them, with explanations of how to use them in config files and in shows.