Binaryworld - How to run an AVI inside a PictureBox control ... [ VB -> Graphics ]

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

Click here to copy the following block

' Play an AVI file in a PictureBox synchronously.
'
' 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

Usage

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'Create a Form with a PictureBox and a Command Button
Option Explicit

Private Sub Command1_Click()
PlayAVIPictureBox "c:\winnt\clock.avi", Picture1
End Sub