Problem with Animated GIFs

[Armin Zingler]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Try this:
control panel -display: Folder "settings", button "advanced", folder
"problem... ", reduce hardware acceleration to minimum. Accept.

(maybe text's slightly differ; I don't have the English OS version)

Does it make a difference?


Armin

[Phil]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs


"Armin Zingler" <az.nospam@free net.dewrote in message
news:%23OQzdxz3 HHA.1484@TK2MSF TNGP06.phx.gbl. ..

Try this:
control panel -display: Folder "settings", button "advanced", folder
"problem... ", reduce hardware acceleration to minimum. Accept.
>
(maybe text's slightly differ; I don't have the English OS version)

Control PanelDisplaySet tingsAdvancedTr oubleshooting

>
Does it make a difference?

No. I set the acceleration to None, but it makes no difference.

[Armin Zingler]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

"Phil" <N/Aschrieb

>
"Armin Zingler" <az.nospam@free net.dewrote in message
news:%23OQzdxz3 HHA.1484@TK2MSF TNGP06.phx.gbl. ..

Try this:
control panel -display: Folder "settings", button "advanced",
folder "problem... ", reduce hardware acceleration to minimum.
Accept.

(maybe text's slightly differ; I don't have the English OS
version)

>
Control PanelDisplaySet tingsAdvancedTr oubleshooting

Does it make a difference?

>
No. I set the acceleration to None, but it makes no difference.

Hmmm.. Another attempt: Add a Timer (system.windows .forms.timer), set
interval to 10. In it's tick event, call ThePicturebox.R efresh. Any
difference?

Try booting in safe mode. Difference?


Armin

[Hoop]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

On Aug 15, 3:13 am, "Phil" <N/Awrote:

Hi,
Can you use AxAnimation in Express? It would be in the Tools/Choose
ToolBox items, and select the Com tab.

>
I have AXBrowse.AXBrow ser but not AXAnimation.
Presumably this is something that is part of some other application and
needs to be installed separately.
>

Thats what I am currently using. Also, there is a project in Code
Project named .NET Animation Control that you can add, I have tried
that also and it works. I do use .avi files though.

>
I would like to be able to use AVI files too, so I may check that out.
>
Thanks,
Phil.

Hi,
In the ToolBox items, click the com tab and look for an item that you
can named,
Microsoft Animation Control 6.0(SP4). Placing that on your form will
allow you to run
animations. If you do not see that, click the browse and go to Windows/
System32
and look for a dll named mscomctl2, something like that, and adding it
should give the amination
control.
Jeff

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Hi Phil,

Sorry for my delayed reply!

You have mentioned that you found a workaround to use WebBrowser to display
the animated GIFs on a form. But the problems of this workaround are that
it's difficult to change the back ground color of the WebBrowser control
and load the animated GIFs from the application resources.

I have done some research on these two problems, but unfortunately I didn't
find a solution for them.

In fact, animated GIF has stored timing interval information of each frame
in the GIF file itself. We can retrieve it through the PropertyItems
property of the Image class. Once we get this information, we could use a
System.Windows. Forms.Timer component to control and display the animated
GIF. The following is a sample, which requires you add a PictureBox on the
form.

Imports System.Drawing. Imaging
Imports System.IO

Public Class Form1

Dim gif As Image = Image.FromFile( Application.Sta rtupPath &
"\test1.gif ")

Dim fcount As Integer = gif.GetFrameCou nt(FrameDimensi on.Time)
Dim interval(fcount ) As Integer

Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVa l sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles MyBase.Load

Dim item As PropertyItem = gif.GetProperty Item(20736)
Dim index As Integer = 0

For i As Integer = 0 To gif.GetFrameCou nt(FrameDimensi on.Time) - 1
interval(i) = BitConverter.To Int32(item.Valu e, index)
index += 4
Next
ShowGif()
' the timing interval storted in the GIF file is of the unit of
centi-second
Me.Timer1.Inter val = interval(findex ) * 10
Me.Timer1.Start ()
End Sub

Dim findex As Integer = 0
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByV al sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Timer1.Tick
findex += 1
If (findex = fcount) Then
findex = 0
End If

ShowGif()
Me.Timer1.Inter val = interval(findex ) * 10

End Sub

Private Sub ShowGif()
gif.SelectActiv eFrame(FrameDim ension.Time, findex)
Me.PictureBox1. Invalidate()

End Sub

Private Sub PictureBox1_Pai nt(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.Windows. Forms.PaintEven tArgs) Handles PictureBox1.Pai nt
e.Graphics.Draw Image(gif, New Point(0, 0))
End Sub
End Class

I display the GIF you provided using the above code and the animation on
the PictureBox is not slower than it is in IE.

Please try my sample code out on your side and let me know the result.

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

[Phil]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Thanks Linda, I'll give this a try and let you know if it helps.
Cheers,
Phil.

"Linda Liu [MSFT]" <v-lliu@online.mic rosoft.comwrote in message
news:avfSiYu4HH A.6140@TK2MSFTN GHUB02.phx.gbl. ..

Hi Phil,
>
Sorry for my delayed reply!
>
You have mentioned that you found a workaround to use WebBrowser to
display
the animated GIFs on a form. But the problems of this workaround are that
it's difficult to change the back ground color of the WebBrowser control
and load the animated GIFs from the application resources.
>
I have done some research on these two problems, but unfortunately I
didn't
find a solution for them.
>
In fact, animated GIF has stored timing interval information of each frame
in the GIF file itself. We can retrieve it through the PropertyItems
property of the Image class. Once we get this information, we could use a
System.Windows. Forms.Timer component to control and display the animated
GIF. The following is a sample, which requires you add a PictureBox on the
form.
>
Imports System.Drawing. Imaging
Imports System.IO
>
Public Class Form1
>
Dim gif As Image = Image.FromFile( Application.Sta rtupPath &
"\test1.gif ")
>
Dim fcount As Integer = gif.GetFrameCou nt(FrameDimensi on.Time)
Dim interval(fcount ) As Integer
>
Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVa l sender As System.Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles MyBase.Load
>
Dim item As PropertyItem = gif.GetProperty Item(20736)
Dim index As Integer = 0
>
For i As Integer = 0 To gif.GetFrameCou nt(FrameDimensi on.Time) - 1
interval(i) = BitConverter.To Int32(item.Valu e, index)
index += 4
Next
ShowGif()
' the timing interval storted in the GIF file is of the unit of
centi-second
Me.Timer1.Inter val = interval(findex ) * 10
Me.Timer1.Start ()
End Sub
>
Dim findex As Integer = 0
Private Sub Timer1_Tick(ByV al sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.EventArg s) Handles Timer1.Tick
findex += 1
If (findex = fcount) Then
findex = 0
End If
>
ShowGif()
Me.Timer1.Inter val = interval(findex ) * 10
>
End Sub
>
Private Sub ShowGif()
gif.SelectActiv eFrame(FrameDim ension.Time, findex)
Me.PictureBox1. Invalidate()
>
End Sub
>
Private Sub PictureBox1_Pai nt(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As
System.Windows. Forms.PaintEven tArgs) Handles PictureBox1.Pai nt
e.Graphics.Draw Image(gif, New Point(0, 0))
End Sub
End Class
>
I display the GIF you provided using the above code and the animation on
the PictureBox is not slower than it is in IE.
>
Please try my sample code out on your side and let me know the result.
>
Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support
>

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Hi Phil,

Have you tried my sample code out? How about the problem now?

If the problem is still not solved, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for using our MSDN Managed Newsgroup Support Service!

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

[Phil]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

>

Have you tried my sample code out?
>

Sorry, I have been away.

How about the problem now?

Yes, your code works very well The animated GIF displays correctly.

I added a second picture box and loaded the same image in normally, and it
is very clear that the default code in the picturebox control itself is
displaying the animation too slowly and is missing out frames. This would
definitely therefore appear to be a bug in the picturebox control, although
it is puzzling why other people don't see the same problem. I guess it must
be something to do with my hardware. If you'd like any extra information
about my PC set-up to help track down the error, please let me know.

Meanwhile I'll have a go at building your code into a new custom control,
that I can use in place of the picturebox whenever I need to display an
animated GIF.

Thanks,
Phil.

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Hi Phil,

Thank you for your feedback! I am glad to hear that my code works on your
side.

I think also the problem may be specific to your hardware. You may have a
try on another PC to see if the problem still exists.

If convenience, please send me the information about your PC set-up and I
will record it in our internal database. It will definitely help to improve
our product. (To get my actual email, remove 'online' from my displayed
email address.)

We appreciate your contribution to our product!

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support

[Phil]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

>
If convenience, please send me the information about your PC set-up and I
will record it in our internal database. It will definitely help to
improve
our product. (To get my actual email, remove 'online' from my displayed
email address.)
>

System:
Microsoft Windows XP
Professional
Version 2002
Service Pack 2

Computer:
AMD Sempron(tm) Processor
3000+
1.81 GHz, 512 MB of RAM
Physical Address Extension

Display Adapter:
WinFast PX6200 TC

Monitor:
Ergovision 975TCO95

Display Properties
Screen resolution 128x1024
Color quality Highest (32 bit)
Advanced:
Normal size (96 DPI)
Screen refresh rate 85 Hertz
There is also a GeForce 6200 TurboCache tab which displays further nVidia
settings. I'm not sure if any of these may be relevant.

HTH
Phil.

[rowe_newsgroups]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Screen resolution 128x1024

Wow, that must be one narrow monitor.

:-)

Thanks,

Seth Rowe

[Phil]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs


"rowe_newsgroup s" <rowe_email@yah oo.comwrote in message
news:1188556121 .670500.134000@ l22g2000prc.goo glegroups.com.. .

>Screen resolution 128x1024

>
Wow, that must be one narrow monitor.

oops, should have been 1280 not 128 :-)

[Linda Liu [MSFT]]

Re: Problem with Animated GIFs

Hi Phil,

Thank you for your reply!

I will record this information in our inner database.

If you have any other question in the future, please don't hesitate to
contact us. It's our pleasure to be of assistance!

Have a nice day!

Sincerely,
Linda Liu
Microsoft Online Community Support