.AVI display in Visual Basic Applications

rryan · Post by **rryan** » Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:10 pm

GIF Animator 5.05 ESRB
Source Images: .png
Output: .AVI (uncompressed)
Application Use: Visual Basic 6.0

The .avi files I create in GIF animator do not display correctly in my VB applications. The .avi files look perfect in the preview and in Windows Media Player, but when I run them in VB they are split and reflected. The file runs, but the images are all distorted.

I can use any other .AVI i created without GIF Animator using the ANIMATE control and they all play perfectly. I can also get the same distortion if I just open a previously good .AVI and the resave it with GIF Animator.

I did have a trial version installed previously, but I uninstalled prior to installing the purchased version.

Is this a symptom of the trial version or is there something else going on?

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Sat Jul 21, 2007 6:02 am

There are many options for saving in .avi format... which one are you using? In the save dialog box you'll find the "Options" button to select a variety of settings.

rryan · Post by **rryan** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 3:31 pm

Data Track: VIDEO ONLY
Custom Size; 62x31

Advanced TAB: Playback Drive: Custom
nothing checked

Compression: None

I have tried just about every combination I can think of just to see if I could find anything.

As I said, the real indicator is that I can take any other previously good .avi created with other programs and when I resave them in GIF Animator as an .avi they display incorrectly in the VB application.

rryan · Post by **rryan** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 7:20 pm

OK this issue definitely has something to do with the Ulead UNCOMPRESSED .AVI file output and the draw function of the ANIMATE control in Visual Basic.

If I take the .AVI file from GIF Animator and just run it through "Any Video Converter" to the same UNCOMPRESSED .avi file format, the "converted" file from ANY Video Converter displays perfectly. It is definitely related to how the .AVI is output from GIF Animator.

Post by **VikingAnimations** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 10:52 pm

Looks like a job for the Ulead programmers to look into...

Appears you have a workaround, at least.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 12:58 am

GIF Animator isn't my strong point - that honour belongs to Robert (Viking animations)

What I do know though is - uncompressed avi eats up 65 GB of hard drive space per hour. This is extremely huge and unworkable. Hence the need for compression. When working with video - perhaps with VideoStudio / MediaStudio / MovieFactory we tend to use the compression format DV type 1 quite extensively. This uses 13 GB per hour and is more manageable.

Video that are shared on the internet tend to use the compression formats
DivX Xvid and MPEG4 which eat up 700 MB per hour.

You need to try different types of compression to establish which one is the most suited to your project.

rryan · Post by **rryan** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:11 pm

I agree that UNCOMPRESSSED .avi files are less than desireable, but Visual Basic ANIMATE control can only play .AVI files that are uncompressed or RLE compressed (8 bits).

With the application that I'm running the animation in, I'm not trying optimize the animation; I just need it to display properly. BTW the RLE compression also displays incorrectly in VB.

Thanks for the suggestion though.

rryan · Post by **rryan** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 10:53 pm

I finally reached ULEAD Technical Support. They said it sounded like a bug and I would be contacted for further information.

I'll post an update if they actually contact me and find a resolution.