Find out in this guide how to get and install the main plugins. You may have noticed that some streamers or youtubers display a gearbox or an input module on the screen. You think that this could be useful for you to progress and you would like to have access to it, it is possible thanks to the Openplanet tool.
Install the Openplanet tool
Openplanet is a tool external to the Trackmania game that will allow you, among other things, to install various plugins to improve and facilitate your game experience. In this guide, we will only focus on the installation of these. For your information, this tool is only available in English. Be careful and follow the installation steps correctly.
Before proceeding, and as a precaution, we advise you to close your game and the Ubisoft launcher to complete the installation. Once this step is complete, you can download Openplanet. Take the latest version. If you get an error message when downloading, you can force the download.
During the installation, you must choose the installation folder for Openplanet, choose the one for Trackmania. The path should be similar to the one below:
If you want to uninstall Openplanet afterwards, simply go to add/remove a program and search for Openplanet in the list.
Setting up Openplanet
Once the installation is complete, you can launch Trackmania. In game, Openplanet appears as a bar at the top of your screen. You can choose to make the toolbar invisible by simply pressing F3 by default. Pressing the same key again will make it reappear. It is possible to change this key to your liking. To do so, go to Openplanet > Settings > Overlay key.
Get the different plugins
In general, you can go to the popular plugins. You can also go directly to the Plugin Manager integrated in Openplanet. From there, you can access all the plugins already installed, the different categories of plugins, see the information about each one and install them. In this case, the installation is simplified, we advise you to use this method.
Plugin formats and installations
There are two formats for plugins: ".op" and ".as". Check the extension for installation; it differs according to the format.
To install a plugin, you can use the Plugin Manager or you can go to the OpenplanetNext user folder.
You can access it via the toolbar via Openplanet > Open user folder. In this folder you will find several items:
- The "Plugins" sub-folder allows you to install plugins in ".op" format
- The "Scripts" sub-folder allows you to install plugins in ".as" format
Once you have downloaded the plugin of interest, simply drag it into the appropriate folder. Once this step is complete, you can either (re)launch your game or refresh the plugins via Developer > Restart script engine. If you have installed the plugins with the Plugin Manager, everything should already be in place correctly.
Plugin n°1 - The Dashboard
This plugin is probably the most useful plugin of all that has brought you this far. The speed management is a major point in Trackmania. What could be more practical than to see directly on your screen when a gear change is about to take place? This is possible thanks to the Dashboard plugin.
Here is the link to the Dashboard plugin. It is a ".op" format to be put in the "Plugins" folder. You can also find it directly via the Plugin Manager and install it easily via this (recommended), by clicking on install in the information page.
First of all, you need to check if the Dashboard is active or not. Press F3 to bring up Openplanet and then go to Scripts and check if the "Dashboard" option is checked.
You will be able to modify several parameters via the Dashboard, in particular: to make appear a gearbox and your inputs. We advise you to launch a race in training mode. This will allow you to see the rendering directly in game and make adjustments accordingly.
How do I make the gearbox appear?
Access the control panel via Openplanet > Settings > Dashboard and then :
- Check the "Show gearbox" box to make the module appear.
- Check the "Move gearbox" box to place it where you want it. You can use this opportunity to adjust the size. When this is done, uncheck this box.
How do you make the inputs appear?
This plugin allows you to see your inputs in real time, whether you're playing with the keyboard or the joystick; this can be extremely useful when driving on ice. For more information, please visit our guide to driving on ice.
Access the control panel via Openplanet > Settings > Dashboard and then :
- Check the "Show controller/pad" box to make the module appear. On the keyboard, you will have the default arrows. If you plug in a controller, the visual will change to match the smoothsteer capability.
- Check the "Move controller/pad" box to place it where you want it. You can use this opportunity to adjust the size. When it is done, uncheck this box.
To change the colours of the gearbox or inputs, go to the relevant tabs at the top of the Dashboard menu, Gamepad/Gearbox/Keyboard.
Plugin 2 - Displaying medals
When you are in the middle of a race and playing without a ghost for example, you might want to see the time you need to beat to get the different medals: bronze, silver and gold. Thanks to the following plugin, you will be able to display these different times.
Here is the link to the Medals plugin. It is a ".op" format to be put in the "Plugins" folder. You can also find it directly via the Plugin Manager and install it easily via this (recommended), by clicking on install in the information page.
If you didn't know it yet (SPOILER ALERT), there is a fourth unreferenced medal: the author medal. You unlock it when you achieve a time that beats the best time achieved by the creators, during the validation and design of the track. This "Medals" plugin allows you to display this particular time to beat. You can also display your personal record.
To choose which time you want to display, go to Openplanet > Settings > Ultimate Medals and check the desired medals. You can move the medals module to the desired position. To fix the position, check "Lock window position" in the Display Settings tab. In addition, you can display the track name in the Additional Info tab.
Plugin n°3 - The checkpoint counter
This last plugin is not a necessity but can be interesting, especially on long circuits. As its name suggests, the "Checkpoint Counter" plugin displays the number of checkpoints present on the circuit and allows you to follow your progress.
Here is the link for the plugin Checkpoint counter. It is a ".op" format to be put in the "Plugins" folder. You can also find it directly via the Plugin Manager and install it easily via this (recommended), by clicking on install in the information page.
After installing the different plugins here is what you could get in game:
Here you are in possession of different tools to make your game experience more pleasant but also to improve yourself. This list is of course not exhaustive, there are many other plugins available on the Openplanet website. If you still don't know how to change your cameras in game, no need for a plugin, refer to our camera guide to learn more.
