2.13 Play Video Files

The PdfFileWriter supports embedding video files in the PDF document. Full examples of playing video files are given in the page 7 of OtherExample.cs. Adding a video file requires the use of three classes. First you need to embed the video file in the PDF document.

Second you need to define how the video is to be played. The PdfDisplayMedia class has a number of methods to control the video display. Please refer to the class' source code and the documentation help file. For example: RepeatCount or ScaleMedia. If you want to play the video in a floating window you must use SetMediaWindow method.

Third you need to define the area on the PDF page that the user must click in order to activate the video. If you want to activate the video when the annotation area is visible, use ActivateActionWhenPageIsVisible.

// define annotation rectangle that has the same aspect ratio as the video
PdfRectangle AnnotRect = ImageSizePos.ImageArea(480, 360,
AreaLeft, AreaBottom, AreaRight - AreaLeft, AreaTop - AreaBottom, ContentAlignment.MiddleCenter);

// create display media object
PdfDisplayMedia DisplayMedia = new PdfDisplayMedia(PdfEmbeddedFile.CreateEmbeddedFile(Document, "LooneyTunes.mp4"));

// create annotation object
PdfAnnotation Annotation = Page.AddScreenAction(AnnotRect, DisplayMedia);

// activate the video when the page becomes visible
// Annotation.ActivateActionWhenPageIsVisible(true);

// define X Object to paint the annotation area when the video is not playing
PdfXObject AnnotArea = AnnotationArea(AnnotRect.Width, AnnotRect.Height, Color.Lavender, Color.Indigo, "Click here to play the video");
Annotation.Appearance(AnnotArea);

Floating window video display

// create display media object
PdfDisplayMedia DisplayMedia = new PdfDisplayMedia(PdfEmbeddedFile.CreateEmbeddedFile(Document, "Omega.mp4"));

// activate display controls
DisplayMedia.DisplayControls(true);

// repeat video indefinitly
DisplayMedia.RepeatCount(0);

// display in floating window
DisplayMedia.SetMediaWindow(MediaWindow.Floating, 640, 360, WindowPosition.Center,
	WindowTitleBar.TitleBarWithCloseButton, WindowResize.KeepAspectRatio, "Floating Window Example");

Double LineSpacing = ArialNormal.LineSpacing(12.0);
Double TextPosX = PosX + 0.5 * AreaWidth;
Double TextPosY = PosY + 0.5 * AreaHeight + LineSpacing;
Double TextWidth = Contents.DrawText(ArialNormal, 12.0, TextPosX, TextPosY, TextJustify.Center, "Click this text to play video");
TextPosY -= LineSpacing;
Contents.DrawText(ArialNormal, 12.0, TextPosX, TextPosY, TextJustify.Center, "in floating window");

// create annotation object
PdfRectangle AnnotRect = new PdfRectangle(TextPosX - 0.5 * TextWidth, TextPosY - ArialNormal.DescentPlusLeading(12.0),
	TextPosX + 0.5 * TextWidth, TextPosY + ArialNormal.AscentPlusLeading(12.0) + LineSpacing);
Page.AddScreenAction(AnnotRect, DisplayMedia);