AVI Object and Codecs

[Greg]

Hi!
I'm making a game with some movies in *.avi and I'm using AVI Object to play them in my game. Some of the peoples who were testing the game, had an error about MCI Device.
I thought that could be a video codes, and I was right. I checked that my game needs Windows Media VCM 9 Codec. And now my question: How to add that codec to my game, so nobody won't have to install it manually?

[Yves]

I think you have to run a Microsoft codec install program from the installer of your game. From what you say, it seems it's the codec installation package for WMP 6.4 : http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/forpros/format/codecdownload.aspx

[Paul_Boland]

If you create a stand along movie and your users play it via Media Player while they are connected to the internet, if that persons computer doesn't have the required codec, Media Player will automatically download and install it for them. I used this system with Shooting Stars.

[Greg]

Eeeeee... I'm not playing movie in the Windows Media Player, but in my game through AVI object...

BTW
Can I do something to disable user from playing my movie through Windows Explorer?

[LazyCoder]

What I do is I encrypt the file with the cypher object, then when the video is to be played, I make a copy of it, and unencrypt the copy, and play that. It works fine except that there is nothing stopping the user from moving the unencrypted file while it is being played.

[Paul_Boland]

Eeeeee... I'm not playing movie in the Windows Media Player, but in my game through AVI object...

Hi Pasiunia.

Yes, I understand that, but you asked for a way to get the required codec installed on a users computer if they don't have it. Shooting Stars has a total of 40 movies which play throughout the game but of course, the player has to have the Windows Media Video codec installed for it to work. So how do I make sure they have it, and if they don't, that they can get it?

On the Shooting Stars CD is a folder called Movie Tester. In here is a small ten second movie and a text file. Here is a copy of the text file:

**********

Shooting Stars contains over 17 minutes of fully rendered 3D movie footage. This footage is saved in Microsoft Windows WMV format which means it is compatible with Windows Media Player. You will find a video clip in the Movie Tester folder on the Shooting Stars CD which is saved in this format. If you can see and hear this video clip, you can play Shooting Stars. If you can't, establish an internet connection and then run the clip in Windows Media Player. Windows will automatically connect to the Microsoft website and download the required codec (driver) to play the clip. Once the clip is running, you can play Shooting Stars.

If you do not have Microsoft Windows Media Player installed, you can download it from the Microsoft website.
http://www.microsoft.com

**********

Once a user plays the movie in Windows Media Player, if they have the codec to play it, great! The movie plays and that means the in game movies will play. If they don't have the correct codec, Windows Media Player will contact the Microsoft website and download and install the required codec. Once installed, the movie plays and so the in game movies play. And once installed, it's installed for good. Short of actually putting the codec on the CD (I'm not sure about licencing here so it's not on the Shooting Stars CD), this is by far the easiest way to get the required codec onto everyones computer.