# Creating graphical application with video

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [June 26, 2006, 10:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483 "2006-06-26T10:51:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Geert_F)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 10:51am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483/1 "2006-06-26T10:51:15Z")

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Hello,

I have to teach my sister how to create an application that can show  
pictures  
and small video files on a windows-based system and get some user input  
in  
return. Being able to work fullscreen is optional, but would be nice.

In short, I’m looking for an easy to use library set that comes with  
video  
capabilities enabled and that can handle user interaction as clear as  
possible.

All suggestions (and examples) are welcome.

Greetings,  
Geert.

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**Author:** ![Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Geert_F)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 4:08pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483/2 "2006-06-26T16:08:09Z")

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On 6/26/06, Geert F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> All suggestions (and examples) are welcome.  
> SDL can show images and videos but is not really a gui toolkit.  
> [Ruby/SDL](http://www.kmc.gr.jp/~ohai/rubysdl.en.html)

ruby-gnome2 + gstreamer might work.  
[http://ruby-gnome2.sourceforge.jp/hiki.cgi?Simple+Audio+Player](http://ruby-gnome2.sourceforge.jp/hiki.cgi?Simple+Audio+Player)

IMHO the easiest way to show pictures and videos would be  
HTML plus JavaScript for interactivity.

But it’s harder to read and write to disk that way.

HTH,  
Ilmari

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**Author:** ![Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Geert_F)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2006, 4:23pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483/3 "2006-06-26T16:23:59Z")

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On 6/26/06, Geert F. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote:

> All suggestions (and examples) are welcome.
> 
> Greetings,  
> Geert.

It’s not Ruby, but Flex ( [http://labs.adobe.com/flexproductline](http://labs.adobe.com/flexproductline) )  
would be the best option. You could open a binary socket to a Ruby  
back-end to get a DB or file access.

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**Author:** ![Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Geert\_F](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/Geert_F)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2006, 9:30am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/creating-graphical-application-with-video/64483/4 "2006-06-27T09:30:37Z")

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disk access is indeed necessary.

I’ve been experimenting with SDL and rubysdl yesterday and managed to  
stream video, althought it was not very fluently (I think smpeg is used  
in the precompiled Windows rubysdl package). Next, I found ffmpeg, which  
also works in combination with SDL, which seems more mature and  
performant than smpeg (correct me if I’m wrong), but only had the time  
to try things in C++. Hopefully I can find a ready-made ruby interface  
for SDL/ffmpeg (all suggestions are welcome ofcourse). The good thing is  
that I could compile both SDL and ffmpeg using MinGW on a M$-machine.

Greetings,  
Geert.