Run AVI Files inside a Picture Box

[Ali Rizwan]

Hi all,
Following Code will allow you to run any AVI file in a Picture Box.
Comment and Rate it!

API Declarations

Const WS_CHILD = &H40000000                    
 
Private Declare Function mciSendString Lib "winmm.dll" Alias _                    
    "mciSendStringA" (ByVal lpstrCommand As String, _                    
    ByVal lpstrReturnString As String, ByVal uReturnLength As Long, _                    
    ByVal hwndCallback As Long) As Long                    
 
Private Declare Function mciGetErrorString Lib "winmm.dll" Alias _                    
    "mciGetErrorStringA" (ByVal dwError As Long, _                    
    ByVal lpstrBuffer As String, ByVal uLength As Long) As Long                    
 
Private Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32.dll" Alias _                    
    "GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, _                    
    ByVal lpszShortPath As String, ByVal cchBuffer As Long) As Long

Module CODE

' FileName is a string containing the full path of the file.                    
' Window is the PictureBox in which you want that the movie                    
' is played; the movie is automatically resized to the picture box                    
 
Sub PlayAVIPictureBox(FileName As String, ByVal Window As PictureBox)                    
    Dim RetVal As Long                    
    Dim CommandString As String                    
    Dim ShortFileName As String * 260                    
    Dim deviceIsOpen As Boolean                    
 
    ' Retrieve short file name format                    
    RetVal = GetShortPathName(FileName, ShortFileName, Len(ShortFileName))                    
    FileName = Left$(ShortFileName, RetVal)                    
 
    ' Open the device                    
    CommandString = "Open " & FileName & " type AVIVideo alias AVIFile parent " & _
                       CStr(Window.hWnd)                    & " style " & CStr(WS_CHILD)                    
    RetVal = mciSendString(CommandString, vbNullString, 0, 0&)                    
    If RetVal Then GoTo error                    
        ' remember that the device is now open                    
        deviceIsOpen = True                    
        ' Resize the movie to PictureBox size                    
        CommandString = "put AVIFile window at 0 0 " & CStr _                    
        (Window.ScaleWidth / Screen.TwipsPerPixelX) & " " & _                    
        CStr(Window.ScaleHeight / Screen.TwipsPerPixelY)                    
        RetVal = mciSendString(CommandString, vbNullString, 0, 0&)                    
    If RetVal <> 0 Then GoTo error                    
 
    ' Play the file                    
    CommandString = "Play AVIFile wait"                    
    RetVal = mciSendString(CommandString, vbNullString, 0, 0&)                    
    If RetVal <> 0 Then GoTo error                    
 
    ' Close the device                    
    CommandString = "Close AVIFile"                    
    RetVal = mciSendString(CommandString, vbNullString, 0, 0&)                    
    If RetVal <> 0 Then GoTo error                    
 
    Exit Sub                    
 
error:                    
    ' An error occurred.                    
    ' Get the error description                    
    Dim ErrorString As String                    
    ErrorString = Space$(256)                    
    mciGetErrorString RetVal, ErrorString, Len(ErrorString)                    
    ErrorString = Left$(ErrorString, InStr(ErrorString, vbNullChar) - 1)                    
 
    ' close the device if necessary                    
    If deviceIsOpen Then                    
        CommandString = "Close AVIFile"                    
        mciSendString CommandString, vbNullString, 0, 0&                    
    End If                    
 
    ' raise a custom error, with the proper description                    
    Err.Raise 999, , ErrorString                    
 
End Sub 

Using in a Form

'Create a Form with a PictureBox and a Command Button
Option Explicit
 
Private Sub Command1_Click()
    PlayAVIPictureBox "c:\winnt\clock.avi", Picture1
End Sub

Regards
>> ALI <<

[BorlandDelphi]

This is amazing,very good

[Plater]

Maybe it is because I am not using VB6, but using this code elsewhere, while technically "working" is a little queezy.
If I move the window that the picturebox is on, the video doesn't stay with it.
Like if i move the window 10 pixels to the right, the left 10 pixels on the video will be gone (as if the video was drawn on a laayer BEHIND the gui window and that layer doesn't move with the gui window)
Any thoughts?