Play Avi File In Picture Box

Play an avi file inside a picture box. The AVI file will be resized to the size of the picture box.

Preparations

Add 1 Command Button (named Command1), and 1 Picture Box (named Picture1) to your form.

Module Code

Declare Function mciSendString Lib "winmm" Alias "mciSendStringA" _
(ByVal lpstrCommand As String, ByVal lpstrReturnString As String, _
ByVal uReturnLength As Long, ByVal hwndCallback As Long) As Long

Declare Function mciGetErrorString Lib "winmm" Alias _
"mciGetErrorStringA" (ByVal dwError As Long, ByVal lpstrBuffer As String, _
ByVal uLength As Long) As Long

Declare Function GetShortPathName Lib "kernel32" Alias _
"GetShortPathNameA" (ByVal lpszLongPath As String, _
ByVal lpszShortPath As String, ByVal cchBuffer As Long) As Long

Public Const WS_CHILD = &H40000000
Form Code


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

Private Sub Command1_Click()
'replace 'c:\myfile.avi' with the name of the AVI file you want to play
    PlayAVIPictureBox "c:\myfile.avi", Picture1
End Sub
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