Vista - Video Panel control XAML description for Viewing Webcam in WPF

Hi im trying to develop an app that requires a webcam to be integrated within
the xaml gui. This was easy with vb.net c# programming using a videopanel.
The only way i have been able to integrate the webcam so far in xaml is using
the xaml mediaelement descriptor and streaming the webcam, but ultimately
this is a cumbersome, slow and inefficient approch that isnt really useful to
me. Can anyone help because to be honest im a little dumfounded as to why
such functionality has not been implemented already. how about <mediaelement
source="my computer\logitech quickcam" i know in reality the control cant be
this simple, but it shouldnt be far off!!!! thanks.

Sorry, there is no easy way to integrate webcam output in a MediaElement.
This feature has been frequently requested, so it is high on our list of
priorities for the next release of Avalon.

Thanks,
Tom

"sashah" wrote:

> Hi im trying to develop an app that requires a webcam to be integrated within
> the xaml gui. This was easy with vb.net c# programming using a videopanel.
> The only way i have been able to integrate the webcam so far in xaml is using
> the xaml mediaelement descriptor and streaming the webcam, but ultimately
> this is a cumbersome, slow and inefficient approch that isnt really useful to
> me. Can anyone help because to be honest im a little dumfounded as to why
> such functionality has not been implemented already. how about <mediaelement
> source="my computer\logitech quickcam" i know in reality the control cant be
> this simple, but it shouldnt be far off!!!! thanks.

Here are a couple of other options that may also work (please note they are
not xaml only):

1) Host your webcam content using DirectShow
(http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...capsample.asp),
and display it in WPF using the HwndHost class. There should be an article
in the SDK about the interoperability architecture that covers this. This
allows you to easily insert an Hwnd "black box" into a WPF app, but you will
not be able to get any kind of advanced compositing (i.e., this window will
always be on top with full opacity). Another option with the same limitation
is to use an HwndSource.

2) You should be able to implement a custom protocol handler using Windows
Media Player. A uri in this form can then be passed on to the MediaElement
or MediaPlayer classes. More info on the method that needs to be implemented
at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...reamforurl.asp.
The only drawback of this is that the protocol is registered locally for all
apps.

Thanks,
Ed

"Tom Mulcahy [MSFT]" wrote:

> Sorry, there is no easy way to integrate webcam output in a MediaElement.
> This feature has been frequently requested, so it is high on our list of
> priorities for the next release of Avalon.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
>
> "sashah" wrote:
>
> > Hi im trying to develop an app that requires a webcam to be integrated within
> > the xaml gui. This was easy with vb.net c# programming using a videopanel.
> > The only way i have been able to integrate the webcam so far in xaml is using
> > the xaml mediaelement descriptor and streaming the webcam, but ultimately
> > this is a cumbersome, slow and inefficient approch that isnt really useful to
> > me. Can anyone help because to be honest im a little dumfounded as to why
> > such functionality has not been implemented already. how about <mediaelement
> > source="my computer\logitech quickcam" i know in reality the control cant be
> > this simple, but it shouldnt be far off!!!! thanks.

Another approach is to write your own DShow source filter that takes a webcam
input and provides the data to the DShow topology.

"Ed Maia [MSFT]" wrote:

> Here are a couple of other options that may also work (please note they are
> not xaml only):
>
> 1) Host your webcam content using DirectShow
> (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...capsample.asp),
> and display it in WPF using the HwndHost class. There should be an article
> in the SDK about the interoperability architecture that covers this. This
> allows you to easily insert an Hwnd "black box" into a WPF app, but you will
> not be able to get any kind of advanced compositing (i.e., this window will
> always be on top with full opacity). Another option with the same limitation
> is to use an HwndSource.
>
> 2) You should be able to implement a custom protocol handler using Windows
> Media Player. A uri in this form can then be passed on to the MediaElement
> or MediaPlayer classes. More info on the method that needs to be implemented
> at
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...reamforurl.asp.
> The only drawback of this is that the protocol is registered locally for all
> apps.
>
> Thanks,
> Ed
>
> "Tom Mulcahy [MSFT]" wrote:
>
> > Sorry, there is no easy way to integrate webcam output in a MediaElement.
> > This feature has been frequently requested, so it is high on our list of
> > priorities for the next release of Avalon.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Tom
> >
> > "sashah" wrote:
> >
> > > Hi im trying to develop an app that requires a webcam to be integrated within
> > > the xaml gui. This was easy with vb.net c# programming using a videopanel.
> > > The only way i have been able to integrate the webcam so far in xaml is using
> > > the xaml mediaelement descriptor and streaming the webcam, but ultimately
> > > this is a cumbersome, slow and inefficient approch that isnt really useful to
> > > me. Can anyone help because to be honest im a little dumfounded as to why
> > > such functionality has not been implemented already. how about <mediaelement
> > > source="my computer\logitech quickcam" i know in reality the control cant be
> > > this simple, but it shouldnt be far off!!!! thanks.