napari plugin installation workflow

Sometimes you may need to perform a task that isn’t currently done in napari. napari can be extended using plugins written by the napari community. This is a fairly detailed flowchart of the steps needed to install a plugin into napari. Written steps summarizing the flowchart follow.

Written steps summarizing the flowchart

• Search napari-hub.org for a plugin.

  • Is there an appropriate plugin?

    • Make note of plugin data:

      • name

      • prerequisites

      • any other details needed

    • Make sure all prerequistes are met.

• Open napari

  • Go to File>Plugins>Install/Uninstall plugins

  • Search for the plugin in the list of available plugins. Enter the name or partial name of the plugin in the filter box to narrow the search.

    • Is the plugin available?

      • Click install button on right end and wait for installation to complete.

      • Verify the plugin shows as installled in the list of installed plugins.

      • If the pluging appears in napari Plugin list, launch it and use it.

  • If, after installing the plugin from the list of available plugins, it does not appear in the list of installed plugins:

  • Close and reopen napari.

    • If the pluging appears in the list of installed plugins, launch it and use it.

    • If not, refer to plugin documentation on napari-hub.org for instructions, i.e. Some form of manual installation, such as using pip install on the command line: python -m pip install plugin-name.

• If the plugin still does not appear in the napari plugin list, seek help from the plugin developer.

If there is not an appropriate plugin, find another solution, such as:

• Ask on Zulip for plugins not available on napari-hub.

• Ask fellow researchers if they are aware of other plugins that solve the problem or how they found other potential plugins that may help.

• Write a plugin of your own.