Flash object displays as a black box... why?

[DrJeseuss]

I'm using an XML Gauge found here and on most PC's all is fine, but on my (OLD) laptop, it shows only a black box. The laptop is running 2k3 and screen resolution is 32bit, so not too terrible, and yes I have flash ActiveX installed. I can display the flash fine in an IE browser window, but when displaying in an AutoIt GUI, it's just a black box. Here's the AutoIt code I'm using to place the flash in the GUI:

GUICreate("Embedded Flash", 640, 680, (@DesktopWidth - 640) / 2, (@DesktopHeight - 680) / 2, BitOR($WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, $WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, $WS_CLIPCHILDREN))
    $Flash = _CreateSWF('C:\Gauges\gauge.swf',10,10,400,300)


Func _CreateSWF($SWFPath, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH, $SWFBGColor = "#505050")
    ; Create Flash Object
    $SWFObj = ObjCreate("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash")
    $SWFActiveX = GUICtrlCreateObj( $SWFObj, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH)
    ; Configure Flash Object
    With $SWFObj
        .Movie = $SWFPath
        .ScaleMode = 3 ;0 showall, 1 noborder, 2 exactFit, 3 noscale
        .bgcolor = $SWFBGColor
        .Loop = True
        .allowScriptAccess = "Always"        
        .FlashVars = '&xml_source=' & $xmlfile 
      EndWith
        Return $SWFObj
EndFunc

Has anyone seen this issue or have any ideas? I've tried upping the screen resolution up to 1024x768 but no help. Also, I tried 32bit and 16bit color, but again no help. Why would it work in IE but not AutoIt?

[PsaltyDS]

I'm using an XML Gauge found here and on most PC's all is fine, but on my (OLD) laptop, it shows only a black box. The laptop is running 2k3 and screen resolution is 32bit, so not too terrible, and yes I have flash ActiveX installed. I can display the flash fine in an IE browser window, but when displaying in an AutoIt GUI, it's just a black box. Here's the AutoIt code I'm using to place the flash in the GUI:

GUICreate("Embedded Flash", 640, 680, (@DesktopWidth - 640) / 2, (@DesktopHeight - 680) / 2, BitOR($WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, $WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, $WS_CLIPCHILDREN))
    $Flash = _CreateSWF('C:\Gauges\gauge.swf',10,10,400,300)


Func _CreateSWF($SWFPath, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH, $SWFBGColor = "#505050")
  ; Create Flash Object
    $SWFObj = ObjCreate("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash")
    $SWFActiveX = GUICtrlCreateObj( $SWFObj, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH)
  ; Configure Flash Object
    With $SWFObj
        .Movie = $SWFPath
        .ScaleMode = 3;0 showall, 1 noborder, 2 exactFit, 3 noscale
        .bgcolor = $SWFBGColor
        .Loop = True
        .allowScriptAccess = "Always"       
        .FlashVars = '&xml_source=' & $xmlfile 
      EndWith
        Return $SWFObj
EndFunc

Has anyone seen this issue or have any ideas? I've tried upping the screen resolution up to 1024x768 but no help. Also, I tried 32bit and 16bit color, but again no help. Why would it work in IE but not AutoIt?

Well, your demo is kind of pitiful, since it can't be run without some debugging... But, modified for an .swf file I actually have, this sort of works:

#include <GuiConstants.au3>
#include <WindowsConstants.au3>

GUICreate("Embedded Flash", 640, 680, (@DesktopWidth - 640) / 2, (@DesktopHeight - 680) / 2, BitOR($WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, $WS_CLIPSIBLINGS, $WS_CLIPCHILDREN))
$Flash = _CreateSWF('C:\Program Files\Rimage\QuickDisc\Printing.swf', 10, 10, 400, 300)
GUISetState()

Do
    Sleep(20)
Until GUIGetMsg() = $GUI_EVENT_CLOSE

Func _CreateSWF($SWFPath, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH, $SWFBGColor = "#505050")
; Create Flash Object
    $SWFObj = ObjCreate("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash")
    If Not IsObj($SWFObj) Then
        MsgBox(16, "Error", "$SWFObj is not an object")
        Return SetError(1, 0, 0)
    EndIf
    $SWFActiveX = GUICtrlCreateObj($SWFObj, $SWFL, $SWFT, $SWFW, $SWFH)
; Configure Flash Object
    With $SWFObj
        .Movie = $SWFPath
        .ScaleMode = 3;0 showall, 1 noborder, 2 exactFit, 3 noscale
        .bgcolor = $SWFBGColor
        .Loop = True
        .allowScriptAccess = "Always"
    ;.FlashVars = '&xml_source=' & $xmlfile
    EndWith
    Return $SWFObj
EndFunc  ;==>_CreateSWF

I had to add the #include's, set the state on the GUI, add a loop to keep the script running, and comment out the undeclared $xmlfile reference. The animation ran once and then stopped, so I guess the .Loop = True didn't take.

muttley

Edit: fixed code tag

Edited July 24, 2008 by PsaltyDS

[Bert]

I ran into this. Take a look at my vollyviewer. (Link in sig) It is a Flash player, and it may have a solution you can use.

[DrJeseuss]

PsaltyDS: pitiful demo yes. Sorry, I should have noted this was only a piece of the whole script which is rather large. The rest of it didn't seem to matter as far as the problem, so I posted up only the flash embed I'm using. My hope was that someone would recognize a problem, or have encountered such an issue. The script I have here is functional on most PC's, just not the laptop in AutoIt. But the same flash does work in IE on the laptop. So it's safe to assume the issue is with AutoIt, or the script to embed the flash in combination with something about the laptop. Thanks though.

Volly: I've read through your flash player, but as it's rather extensive I'm not finding the corrective part you referred to. What in your player differs from my embed that could be used to prevent the black display on certain systems? Thanks for the help.