Welcome

  ICDVideo Custom Control

Image Control  Design Ltd.

Overview

About

Important Note - Please Read.

Properties

Events

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control Design Ltd.


Overview

What is the ICDVIDEO.VBX ?

Simply put, a tool that can be used to easily add live video capabilities to programs written in Visual Basic ®. In order for this tool to work, a video card called the MediaPro ® Plus from a company called ROMBO ® is required.

With this VBX  and the above noted video card your programs will be able to display live and frozen video images on any form or control in your program with other controls, text and images overlaid.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Properties List

This VBX  contains the following non-standard properties :

BackColor (Differances to standard VB property)

Blue

Brightness

              BufferAddress

CaptureImage

Contrast

DisplayAddressX

DisplayAddressY

DisplayWindowX

DisplayWindowY

EasySetup

FileMode

FileName

FileType

FreezeVideo

Green

HighColor

Hue

Index (Important - do not use this property)

Interlace

Mute

PaletteSkew

Red

Saturation

ShiftClockStart

TrueColor

VGA_Clock

VGA_HorzSync

VGA_VertSync

VideoSource

VideoStandard

Any properties not listed above are Standard Visual Basic  Properties, please see the Visual Basic on-line help for these.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Display Appearance

Properties : Red , Green , Blue , Brightness , Contrast , Saturation , Hue.

The adjustment of these properties effects the appearance of the video image in the control.

Red :

Adjusts the Red component of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Green :

Adjusts the Green component of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Blue :

Adjusts the Blue component of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Brightness :

Adjusts the brightness of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Contrast :

Adjusts contrast of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Saturation :

Adjusts the colour saturation of the video image. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Hue :

Adjusts the way in which the colour is decoded ie : by moving to one extreme reds will appear green. Range 0 - 63.

Datatype : Integer.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Video Alignment

Properties : Backcolor, DisplayAddressX, DisplayAddressY, DisplayWindowX, DisplayWindowY, HighColor, Interlace, Shift Clock Start, True Color, VGA_Clock , PaletteSkew.

Backcolor :

Specifies the video overlay color ie : any object overlayed on the Display Window with this colour will display the video image. Selected from VB palate. Colours chosen for this property must be solid, and not all colours will work.

Datatype : Long

DisplayWindowX  and DisplayWindowY :

Controls the position of the window displaying the video image within the control, adjust these to position the video image within the boundaries of the control if any of the Background is visible. Ranges : Display Window X = 0 - 2047 , Display Window Y = 0 - 1023.

Datatype : Integer

DisplayAddressX  and DisplayAddressY :

Controls the position of the video image within the Display Window , adjust this to remove black lines from the top or left of the image or to show chopped images to the right or bottom. Ranges : Display Address X =  0 - 1023 , Display Address Y = 0 - 511.

Datatype : Integer

HighColor :

Sets the Video  Card for Hi Colour Mode, activating the VGA buffer module ( if available ). Note that not all VGA cards need this option set, but on some VGA cards the video image will be corrupted with the BackColour appearing at random points within the video image. If this is the case then it will be necessary to select this option. Range = TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

Interlace :

Set this option if the current screen mode is interlaced. Range = TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

ShiftClockStart :

Adjusts the left position of the video image to the video input, use to ensure that the left part of the image is aligned with the video. Range = 0 - 127.

Datatype : Integer

TrueColor :

Sets the Video Card to display in True Colour mode. Range = TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

VGAClock :

Switches the feature connector buffer module on ( if available ). Range = TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

PalletteSkew :

This controls the switching of between the VGA and video display. Adjusting this property is can 'fine tune' the live video image and redress any problems with the image not matching the display window horizontally ie : if the Backcolor is showing through in any areas. Range 0 - 3.

Datatype : Integer

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Sound Properties

Properties : Volume , Mute .

Volume :

Adjusts the volume of the audio output ( if connected ) of the Video  Card. Range 0 - 63

.

Datatype : Integer

Mute :

Switches off the Audio Output from the Video Card. Range TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Freeze Video Property

Properties : FreezeVideo.

FreezeVideo :

Setting this property to TRUE freezes the current video image. Note frozen images do not resize, resizing will occur when the image is unfrozen. Range = TRUE or FALSE.

Datatype : Boolean

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Image Capture Properties

Properties : BufferAddress, CaptureImage, Filename, FileMode, FileType

The control provides the facility for capturing and saving the video image at any given time. If the VGA video mode is 800x600 or higher the saved image will be halved horizontally. This is a function of the MediaPro  video card and not this control. The image may however be resized to it original shape with a suitable paint package.

CaptureImage

Setting this property to TRUE at any time will capture the video image and save it to the selected file. This property automatically resets back to false. Range TRUE or FALSE

Datatype : Boolean

BufferAddress

This is the Extended memory address that is the start of a 1 Megabyte long memory store used for capturing images. This block of memory must appear in a space where the PC does not have any real memory fitted. Range 1 - 64

NOTE: Address's above 16 may not work on some machines, the result being that an empty image is saved.

Datatype : Integer

Filename :

The name of the file to save the captured image to ( standard dos/windows format ie : max 8 characters ).  A file extension is automatically added to the filename which reflects the fileType selected.

Datatype : String

FileType :

The file type which the ICDVIDEO Control creates when an image is captured. Options as follows :

0 = Bitmap

1 = TIFF

2 = PCX

3 = 32 Bit TARGA

4 = 24 Bit TARGA

5 = 16 Bit TARGA

6 = IBM® MOTION

Datatype : Integer

FileMode :

Sets color resolution etc for selected FileType. Options as follows :

0 = 24 Bit Color (not valid for PCX filetype)

1 = 256 Color

2 = 256 Greyscale

Datatype : Integer

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Easy Setup Utility

Property : EasySetup

Setting this property to TRUE Design Mode  will popup the Dialog Box shown, providing a method for quickly and easily adjusting the appearance of the Video  Image. Range = TRUE or FALSE

Datatype : Boolean

Easy Setup Utility Dialog Box :-

Click on the Dialog Box controls to view Help on each item.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Video Source Properties

Properties : VideoSource , VGA_HorzSync , VGA_VertSync , VideoStandard.

VideoSource :

Selects which video input is in use on the video card. The options are as follows :

CVBS (Composite)	=	0

S-VHS	=	1

Internal CVBS	=	2

Internal S-VHS	=	3

Datatype : Integer

VGA_HorzSync :

Specifies whether the VGA resolution uses positive or negative sync pulses for Horizontal Sync. Range TRUE = positive , FALSE = negative.

Datatype : Boolean

VGA_VertSync :

Specifies whether the VGA resolution uses positive or negative sync pulses for Vertical Sync. Range TRUE = positive , FALSE = negative.

Datatype : Boolean

VideoStandard :

Specifies the video input standard currently connected to the video card. Either NTSC (Japan and USA) or PAL (rest of world). Range : 0 = PAL , 1 = NSTC .

Datatype : Boolean

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Important Note
Important Notes

Please read the following note before using the ICDVIDEO Custom Control.

As the VBX  is reliant upon the Video  Card Hardware, we have limited it to one instance only. If you attempt to create another instance of the VBX on a form, Visual Basic  will return an 'Out of Memory' error. Do not worry you are not really out of memory, this is due to a quirk with Visual Basic & Single instance VBX's, just click on the 'OK' button to continue.

However, you may have multiple forms within your application containing the VBX, but when in Design Mode or Run Time you can only display one of these forms at a time. In run time you must ensure that you unload a form containing the VBX before you load another containing the VBX. In design time you must close any form containing the VBX before you can open another or place another VBX on a new form.

When Saving the Project or Compiling the application you must ensure that you close any forms with the VBX on first, otherwise the 'Out of Memory' message will occur and the compile or save will be aborted.

 This control may only be placed directly onto a form or be nested 1 level in another container control (eg Frame etc).  If you place this control into a stack of several containers the video will not reposition when the parent form is moved.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Index Property

The index property is unused on the control as the control does not support control arrays. However the index property must be included to conform to Visual Basics requirements.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


Events

Supported Events

The ICDVIDEO Custom Control  supports the following Standard Visual Basic  Events. For help on these please see the Microsoft Visual Basic on-line help.

Click

DblClick

DragDrop

DragOver

KeyDown

KeyPress

KeyUp

MouseDown

MouseMove

MouseUp

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control  Design Ltd.


About

ICDVIDEO Custom Control  - Ver 1.00

Copyright Image Control  Design Ltd 1994 - 95

Limited Demonstration Copy.

Overview

This Custom Control has been produced by : -

Image Control Design Ltd

7 Manor Close,

Havant.

Hampshire.

PO9 1BD

UK

Fax / BBS Line : +44 (0) 1705 479775

Should you have any queries or wish to purchase either a fully operational copy of this control, or the ROMBO  MediaPro + Video  Card, please contact us on the above Fax or Bulletin Board Service. Alternatively contact us by post at the above address.

Image Control Design are a specialist software and hardware design house. We develop software applications for Monitoring and Control applications for various areas of industry, including Process Control, Building Management, and Marine Control Systems.

Copyright 1994-95 Image Control Design Ltd.


Glossary

C

Custom Control

I

Image Control

M

MediaPro

R

ROMBO

V

VBX

Video

Visual Basic


Visual Basic

Windows based programming language marrying the simplicity of the Basic language with the power of Visual Object Orientated Programming. By Microsoft Corporation.


MediaPro

An Interface Card for Live Video Image Input into the PC.


ROMBO

ROMBO - Company that produces the MediaPro+ Video Card.

ROMBO

2B Young Square

Brucefield Industrial Park

Livingston

West Lothian

EH54 9BX

TEL: +44 (0) 1506 414631

FAX: +44 (0) 1506 414634


VBX

The name given to Visual Basic Custom Controls which are tools that add to the funcionality of Visual Basic.


Custom Control

Tools that add to the funcionality of Visual Basic.


Video

Video - Output from one of the following sources:

   Closed curcuit TV cameras

   Video tape player/tuner

   Video Camera

   Any other source that can output either Composite    or S-VHS


Image Control

Image Control Design Ltd.

Software & Electronic Control System Designers

FAX:  +44 (0) 1705 479775