Use Flash in C#?

Hello!

I need some help with getting this "Flash Component Wrapper" to work. I have managed to do accomplish everything till the part when you are supposed to add code at

"Public Form1() {...}"

where VS2005 does not find the .LoadMovie() or FSCommand. I mean, I can see it in IntelliSense but when it debugs I get these errors:

"The type 'AxShockwaveFlashObjects.AxShockwaveFlash' is defined in an assembly that is not referenced. You must add a reference to assembly 'AxInterop.ShockwaveFlashObjects.1.0, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null'.",

"'AxShockwaveFlashObjects.AxShockwaveFlash' does not contain a definition for 'LoadMovie'",

"'AxShockwaveFlashObjects.AxShockwaveFlash' does not contain a definition for 'FSCommand'",

"The type or namespace name '_IShockwaveFlashEvents_FSCommandEventHandler' does not exist in the namespace 'AxShockwaveFlashObjects' (are you missing an assembly reference?)", and

"The name 'OnFsCommand' does not exist in the current context"

What's wrong, and how can I fix this?

Any help at all is appreciated!

Regards,
// Zolomon

You have to do what the error message says:

Quote:

---

You must add a reference to assembly 'AxInterop.ShockwaveFlashObjects

---

Yeah, I already had though. Noticed it was a 3 year old .dll file that I used from a previous application that I had tested. Found an updated version now.

Although I still have problems,
I can manage to get the control onto the form, but not to show the .swf file.
I have refollowed the steps in a separate solution and managed to get it to work
but not in my current one... Could a picturebox be interferring?

I guess the wrapper class just makes things "easier" :D

I would do it without that wrapper class. It looks like not too much extra stuff with the wrapper.

How do you mean? It isn't necessary to do it?

Because I get an error, telling me that the reference isn't fully registered or similar, when I try to add the shockwave flash control on my form in C#...?


Regards,
//Zolomon

Try downloading and installing the most recent Flash Player. I seem to recall that some older versions worked OK in .NET 1.1 but not .NET 2.0, while newer versions work in both. I may be off the mark but it's worth a try.

Ah, thanks! I'll try that.

Nope doesn't work...

"Failed to import the ActiveX control. Please ensure it is properly registered." is what I'm currently looking at. (That's why I used the wrapper!)

What version failed for you?

I installed the latest flash and then added three COM components and tried to use them, these two failed:

Name: Shockwave Flash Object
Path: ...\Flash9d.ocx
Library: Shockwave Flash
Last modified: 2007-06-11

Name: Shockwave ActiveX Control
Path: ...\SwDir.dll
Library:
Last modified: 2007-08-07

I created a new C# project, added and droped the Flash9d.ocx control to the form, registered it, redropped it to the form sucessfully, set the Movie property to a swf file I made, ran program and al is good.

Ah, okay. Could you tell me how you "registered" it?
I don't have the reference that is needed for that control built in, so I had to download it
and put it in the same dir as the program + wrapper.
Which version of VS do you use? Or C# Express?

I use VS 2005 Team Suite

I went and explicitly installed Flash 9.0d. Then I registered the ocx with "Regsrv32 C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\Flash9.0d.ocx" from the run box. You should have installed the flash browser plugin as you need more then just the single ocx file. There are at least 4 or 5 files used for the plugin.

Ah, thank you! I'll give that a try! :)

This should be the correct link to download and install the flash plugin.

http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/downl...ShockwaveFlash

Hmm.. I know that I used "regsrv32" for about two days ago, but now it says that the command doesn't exist? Starting to feel that something fishy is going on here... (something is wrong with my computer that is. ;P)
Ah, thanks! Had it already installed though. :)

Sorry, bit of dyslexia. Its regsvr32

Ah, now it worked! Thanks a lot! But my .ocx file is called Flash9d.ocx and not Flash9.0d.ocx, is there any big difference do you think?

Same file. I had just typed it in and mistakenly added the 0. part lol.

Aha, okay. :)
Hmm.. It still doesn't work, continues to say "Failed to import ActiveX...". :/

Do I have to do anything with the files from the plugin or are those automatically used?

No, it uses them automatically. I think you may have the control added from your initial attempts which were pointing to the file in your application directory instead of the new installed system32\macromed\flash directory.

Remove the showkwave flash control from your toolbox and readd it and make sure the one you pick is the one in the system32 dir I mentioned.

The control I used was the one you mentioned, and readded it (now it's called Macromedia Flash Factory Object), but I still get the failure message.

No its in there at least twice. Once as that and another farther down the list as "Shockwave Flash Object". They both use the same ocx file and in the same file path too.

Yeah, and both produce the same message. Should I drop this and forget about it and use the wrapper instead?

Hmm, do you have SP-1 for 2005 installed?

Nope, says "Version 8.0.50727.762 (SP.05727.7600)"?
I think I have it installed for Visual C# Express though.

In the About dialog it should list the apps installed and service pack 1 should be listed as a separate item.

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Version 8.0.50727.867 (vsvista.050727-8600)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Version 2.0.50727

Installed Edition: Enterprise
'...
'...
Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite - ENU Service Pack 1 (KB926601)

Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
Version 8.0.50727.762 (SP.050727-7600)
Microsoft .NET Framework
Version 2.0.50727

Installed Edition: Professional

"Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition - ENU Service Pack 1 (KB926749)
This service pack is for Microsoft Visual C# 2005 Express Edition - ENU.
If you later install a more recent service pack, this service pack will be uninstalled automatically.
For more information, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926749"

Hmm.. That's C# Express SP-1.. I guess that's not it?

Hmm, are you running both VS 2005 Pro and C# 2005 Express?

Yeah, use C# express for XNA, became tedious to add references etc. in Pro. ;)

So then it looks like you dont have the SP for VS 2005 Pro then.

Hmm, you can also try unregistering that other flash ocx that you were originally working with in your apps root dir.

regsvr32 /u :C\whatever path to your working dir\flash9d.ocx

Then restart VS and open your project. You may need to make sure it doesnt show up in the COM list with that old path too.

Hmm.. Should I really do that? I mean, the control works in C++ but not in C#? Should I try to reregister is afterwards or just add it again?

Thanks by the way. (What was the SP for by the way, any way I can get it?)

Checkout this MSDN page for info and links to download each version dependingon the VS type you have installed.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/bb265237.aspx

Ah, thank you! *Downloads*

Np ;)

Just thinking that if you can try creating a new solution and do this small process of adding the flash9d.ocx to the toolbox and form to see if it works. Thinking that maybe the original solution you are working with may be a bit messed with the wrapper and/or wrong ocx referenced.

Installed, but things still don't work. :/ And they still showed up after unregistering them.

Thanks though!

Did you create a new project?

You only unregistered the ocx in your app directory and not the one in the system32/macromed/flash directory?

The one in the app directory was never registered, only referenced to?

Rather, it wouldn't be registered, got an error telling me there was something in the DllRegisterStart that was missing (not sure abou the error).

Yes, lest start fresh.

Remove the shockwave flash control from your toolbox. Then click Tools > Choose toolbox items... and make sure all controls are unchecked that have to do with flash. Also, in the project properties > references tab remove all references to flash or shockwave, if any. Then try registering the flash9d.ocx control again to make sure with "regsvr32 C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\flash9d.ocx"

Then start again with choosing the toolbox item - shockwave flash9d.ocx in the C:\Windows\System32\Macromed\Flash\flash9d.ocx directory. Drop that control on to your form and it should work.

Oh, it works, finally! :D

Thanks a lot for sticking up with me!

(Although it doesn't appear to be the same one I used for the wrapper..? Can't find the ".Flash.LoadMovie("URL")", where can I find documentation about this, do you happen to know?)

Nevermind, just found out how to do it!

On the other hand, no, it doesn't work. It works for one application that I tested it with but not with my current one?

Probably because the current app that you started out on still has the invaliud reference and/or ocx control referenced.

But woot! that we finally got it working in a new blank project. :)

No.. I removed all the references, unregistered and reregistered the ocx and added the controls. It only seemed to work in that one blank project, not in any new ones either. :/

I'll see if I can get it to work once more. :)

You could always copy the files over to the new working project so you dont have to recreate the entire project. Copy the .cs files and then add existing. ;)