Comments on: Using the AIR 2.0 Native Process API to control MPlayer http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/ Participating in Life. Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:04:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rohit http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1542 Rohit Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:08:25 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1542 This comment thread really got me thinking. I too am working on a video player application in air and was wondering if somehow i can actually play videos with mplayer and add a transparent canvas in air to cover this. I understand after xp this is not possible in the way discussed, but is there any other way? I would love it if I could add multiple format support to my AIR application.<br><br>One way is alchemy port of ffmpeg...but thats a lot of work..any suggestions?? This comment thread really got me thinking. I too am working on a video player application in air and was wondering if somehow i can actually play videos with mplayer and add a transparent canvas in air to cover this. I understand after xp this is not possible in the way discussed, but is there any other way? I would love it if I could add multiple format support to my AIR application.

One way is alchemy port of ffmpeg…but thats a lot of work..any suggestions??

]]> By: Rohit http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1537 Rohit Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:08:25 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1537 This comment thread really got me thinking. I too am working on a video player application in air and was wondering if somehow i can actually play videos with mplayer and add a transparent canvas in air to cover this. I understand after xp this is not possible in the way discussed, but is there any other way? I would love it if I could add multiple format support to my AIR application.<br><br>One way is alchemy port of ffmpeg...but thats a lot of work..any suggestions?? This comment thread really got me thinking. I too am working on a video player application in air and was wondering if somehow i can actually play videos with mplayer and add a transparent canvas in air to cover this. I understand after xp this is not possible in the way discussed, but is there any other way? I would love it if I could add multiple format support to my AIR application.

One way is alchemy port of ffmpeg…but thats a lot of work..any suggestions??

]]> By: Michael Christoff http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1534 Michael Christoff Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:27:34 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1534 No worries, at least I learned something =)<br><br>Btw, it looks like Visa and above do things without an overlay according to<br>the wikipedia article. No worries, at least I learned something =)

Btw, it looks like Visa and above do things without an overlay according to
the wikipedia article.

]]> By: Shane Doolan http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1533 Shane Doolan Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:48:30 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1533 No you are not missing anything, I must be wrong in presuming os x would work in a similar way to windows. It would appear that os x does not use a color key and/or also takes into account if the window is clipped when determining which pixels to replace with video when performing the overlay.<br><br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_overlay" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_overlay</a><br><br>I tried it on my machine running xp and can confirm it works, but I cant supply you a screenshot as the screenshot fails as expected when using video overlays... <br><br>Sorry for leading you up the garden path! No you are not missing anything, I must be wrong in presuming os x would work in a similar way to windows. It would appear that os x does not use a color key and/or also takes into account if the window is clipped when determining which pixels to replace with video when performing the overlay.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardware_overlay

I tried it on my machine running xp and can confirm it works, but I cant supply you a screenshot as the screenshot fails as expected when using video overlays…

Sorry for leading you up the garden path!

]]> By: Michael Christoff http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1532 Michael Christoff Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:12:51 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1532 Not sure, I'm missing something, but I gave it a try on os x and it didn't<br>seem to work. Checkout this screenshot:<br><br><a href="http://img.skitch.com/20100623-1m6t852ww8r6hjjdjas9yf6umf.jpg" rel="nofollow">http://img.skitch.com/20100623-1m6t852ww8r6hjjd...</a><br><br>I didn't size the AIR window to be exactly the size of the mplayer window...<br>is that a requirement? I figured I would get a cut off picture, but it would<br>at least prove or disprove the theory. Maybe I'm still misunderstanding how<br>the overlay works. Not sure, I'm missing something, but I gave it a try on os x and it didn't
seem to work. Checkout this screenshot:

http://img.skitch.com/20100623-1m6t852ww8r6hjjd…

I didn't size the AIR window to be exactly the size of the mplayer window…
is that a requirement? I figured I would get a cut off picture, but it would
at least prove or disprove the theory. Maybe I'm still misunderstanding how
the overlay works.

]]> By: Shane Doolan http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1531 Shane Doolan Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:02:01 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1531 thats exactly what I am saying, except that mplayer uses a key color of #020202. <br><br>And again thats only tested in xp but I since the overlay is done by the graphics hardware I presume it would work the same in any operating system.<br><br>Let me know if you try it. thats exactly what I am saying, except that mplayer uses a key color of #020202.

And again thats only tested in xp but I since the overlay is done by the graphics hardware I presume it would work the same in any operating system.

Let me know if you try it.

]]> By: Michael Christoff http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1530 Michael Christoff Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:55:06 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1530 That is pretty interesting! I was unaware that video overlays worked like this. So what your saying is that if I create an AIR window with the background color #000001, startup a video with mplayer, then position the AIR window in front of the video (keeping the size the same) the video will show in the AIR window? That is pretty interesting! I was unaware that video overlays worked like this. So what your saying is that if I create an AIR window with the background color #000001, startup a video with mplayer, then position the AIR window in front of the video (keeping the size the same) the video will show in the AIR window?

]]> By: Shane Doolan http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1529 Shane Doolan Tue, 22 Jun 2010 23:23:28 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1529 The color #000001 is the key color VLC selects to be replaced when the graphics card performs a video overlay, MPlayer uses #020202. To see what I mean press print screen on a playing video, you will get an (almost) black box in your screenshot where the video was playing. Take the same screenshot and drag it infront of the playing video and you will see the playing video appear in the screenshot.<br><br>In this way you could control the size and location of mplayer or vlc in the background. All clicks, mouse moves, hot keys would be captured and handled by the Air application as the Air app maintains focus.<br><br>Like I said its not pretty, and I have not tried this on anything other than windows xp. Just thought it could be an interesting approach to try. The color #000001 is the key color VLC selects to be replaced when the graphics card performs a video overlay, MPlayer uses #020202. To see what I mean press print screen on a playing video, you will get an (almost) black box in your screenshot where the video was playing. Take the same screenshot and drag it infront of the playing video and you will see the playing video appear in the screenshot.

In this way you could control the size and location of mplayer or vlc in the background. All clicks, mouse moves, hot keys would be captured and handled by the Air application as the Air app maintains focus.

Like I said its not pretty, and I have not tried this on anything other than windows xp. Just thought it could be an interesting approach to try.

]]> By: Michael Christoff http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1528 Michael Christoff Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:46:34 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1528 I get what your saying Shane. From what I can see though it doesn't look like mplayer already has an API for controlling the video rectangle so that would be something that definitely could be done but would require moderately extensive mplayer source digging and a pretty good understanding how the GUI layer works on all of the platforms (the part that AIR abstracts!). Also, like you mentioned, it could get messy for certain interaction cases in the window, for example double click for full screen, showing on screen controls when the mouse moves, capture hot keys properly.<br><br>Also, what do you mean by #000001? Don't you mean #000000 (black)? What is the purpose of having a slightly non-black target? I get what your saying Shane. From what I can see though it doesn't look like mplayer already has an API for controlling the video rectangle so that would be something that definitely could be done but would require moderately extensive mplayer source digging and a pretty good understanding how the GUI layer works on all of the platforms (the part that AIR abstracts!). Also, like you mentioned, it could get messy for certain interaction cases in the window, for example double click for full screen, showing on screen controls when the mouse moves, capture hot keys properly.

Also, what do you mean by #000001? Don't you mean #000000 (black)? What is the purpose of having a slightly non-black target?

]]> By: Shane Doolan http://mchristoff.com/2009/12/using-the-air-2-0-nativeprocess-api-to-control-mplayer/comment-page-1/#comment-1527 Shane Doolan Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:07:40 +0000 http://mchristoff.com/?p=111#comment-1527 I may be off target, but couldnt you position mplayer or vlc behind the Air app matching the size and location of a target rectange filled with the color #000001?<br><br>As long as Video output is accelerated (therefore using an Overlay) the video should appear in place of the rectangle.<br><br>Its not pretty, but as long as you could keep mplayer/vlc in the backgroud and the rectangles lined up it would appear as if the video was in the Air app.<br><br>To try it out simply create an empty app or or open paint and give something a backgroud color of #000001 and drag it over a vlc/mplayer window... I may be off target, but couldnt you position mplayer or vlc behind the Air app matching the size and location of a target rectange filled with the color #000001?

As long as Video output is accelerated (therefore using an Overlay) the video should appear in place of the rectangle.

Its not pretty, but as long as you could keep mplayer/vlc in the backgroud and the rectangles lined up it would appear as if the video was in the Air app.

To try it out simply create an empty app or or open paint and give something a backgroud color of #000001 and drag it over a vlc/mplayer window…

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