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 "[url="http://www.andreavb.com/API_WINMM.html"]winmm.dll[/url]" 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 "[url="http://www.andreavb.com/API_WINMM.html"]winmm.dll[/url]" Alias _                    
	"mciGetErrorStringA" (ByVal dwError As Long, _                    
	ByVal lpstrBuffer As String, ByVal uLength As Long) As Long                    

Private Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "[url="http://www.andreavb.com/API_KERNEL32.html"]kernel32.dll[/url]" 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?