refactor(loadscreen): Refactor the single player load screen to use TheDisplay for intro video playback by Mauller · Pull Request #2273 · TheSuperHackers/GeneralsGameCode

Mauller · 2026-02-08T12:53:45Z

Merge with rebase

This breaks out changes from #2053 that involve the refactoring of the video playback.

I split this into two commits, one with the changes to TheDisplay for adding extra functionality, the second is the load screen refactor changes.

The other changes will come along after for video scaling options and for disabling the custom overlay during video playback.

This also fixes how the video playback is displayed in the progress bar.
Now the video progress filles the entire bar before resetting the bar for the normal data loading portion of the intro screen.

Replicate in generals

…lay for video playback (#)

Mauller · 2026-02-08T12:55:43Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/GUI/W3DGameWindow.cpp

 	}

+	// if the display has a movie playing then we need to draw the displays video buffer
+	if (TheDisplay->isMoviePlaying())


This is added in addition to the original drawing functionality as some screens still use the original method, such as the challenge load screen.

The challenge load screen does something more complex with it's video handling and needs looking at seperate from this change.

greptile-apps · 2026-02-08T12:57:09Z

Greptile Summary

Refactored single player load screen video playback to use TheDisplay's internal video management instead of local video buffer/stream handling. This centralizes video playback logic and improves the progress bar to accurately reflect video playback progress (0-100% during video, then resets for data loading).

Key changes:

Moved video buffer/stream management from SinglePlayerLoadScreen to Display object
Added getMovieProgress() method to track video playback progress
Added parameterless drawVideoBuffer() and drawScaledVideoBuffer() overloads that use internal buffers
Simplified load screen video loop by delegating to TheDisplay->playMovie() / stopMovie()
W3DGameWindow now renders Display's video buffer when isMoviePlaying() is true
Progress bar now properly fills during video playback and resets to 0% after completion

Confidence Score: 5/5

This PR is safe to merge with minimal risk
Well-structured refactoring that centralizes video playback logic. The changes properly delegate responsibility from LoadScreen to Display, improving code organization. Previous concerns about null pointer checks have been addressed. The implementation correctly handles video progress tracking and progress bar updates. All interface changes maintain compatibility through proper virtual method overloading.
No files require special attention

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/Display.cpp	Implemented `getMovieProgress()` to calculate video progress as frame ratio (0.0 to 1.0) with null check
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp	Refactored to use TheDisplay for video playback instead of local video management, simplified the loop, improved progress bar to fill during video playback, added explicit reset of progress bar after video completes
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/W3DDisplay.cpp	Implemented parameterless overloads that delegate to existing methods using internal `m_videoBuffer` and `m_videoStream`
GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/GUI/W3DGameWindow.cpp	Added rendering logic to draw Display's video buffer when `isMoviePlaying()` is true, enabling centralized video playback

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant LoadScreen as SinglePlayerLoadScreen
    participant Display as TheDisplay
    participant VideoPlayer as TheVideoPlayer
    participant GameWindow as W3DGameWindow
    participant WindowManager as TheWindowManager

    Note over LoadScreen: Video Playback Refactoring

    LoadScreen->>Display: playMovie(movieLabel)
    Display->>VideoPlayer: open(movieLabel)
    VideoPlayer-->>Display: VideoStream
    Display->>Display: createVideoBuffer()
    Display->>Display: allocate buffer
    Note over Display: Stores m_videoStream & m_videoBuffer

    loop While isMoviePlaying()
        LoadScreen->>Display: isMoviePlaying()
        Display-->>LoadScreen: true
        LoadScreen->>Display: getMovieProgress()
        Display-->>LoadScreen: frameIndex/frameCount
        LoadScreen->>LoadScreen: Update progress bar
        LoadScreen->>WindowManager: update()
        LoadScreen->>Display: update()
        Note over Display: frameDecompress() & frameRender()
        Display->>Display: Process video frame
        LoadScreen->>Display: draw()
        Display->>GameWindow: drawVideoBuffer(coords)
        GameWindow->>Display: isMoviePlaying()
        Display-->>GameWindow: true
        GameWindow->>Display: drawVideoBuffer(x, y, x+w, y+h)
        Note over GameWindow: Renders video to screen
    end

    LoadScreen->>Display: stopMovie()
    Display->>Display: Close stream & free buffer
    LoadScreen->>LoadScreen: Reset progress bar to 0

_{Last reviewed commit: 53ae2e5}

greptile-apps

_{3 files reviewed, 1 comment}

_{Edit Code Review Agent Settings | Greptile}

greptile-apps · 2026-02-08T12:57:12Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp

@@ -548,51 +515,23 @@ void SinglePlayerLoadScreen::init( GameInfo *game )

 			TheGameEngine->serviceWindowsOS();

-			if(!m_videoStream->isFrameReady())
-			{
-				Sleep(1);
-				continue;
-			}
-
-			m_videoStream->frameDecompress();
-			m_videoStream->frameRender(m_videoBuffer);
-
-// PULLED FROM THE MISSION DISK
-//			moveWindows( m_videoStream->frameIndex());
-
-			m_videoStream->frameNext();
-
-			if(m_videoBuffer)
-				m_loadScreen->winGetInstanceData()->setVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer);
-			if(m_videoStream->frameIndex() % progressUpdateCount == 0)
-			{
-				shiftedPercent++;
-				if(shiftedPercent >0)
-					shiftedPercent = 0;
-				Int percent = (shiftedPercent + FRAME_FUDGE_ADD)/1.3;
-				UnicodeString per;
-				per.format(L"%d%%",percent);
-				TheMouse->setCursorTooltip(UnicodeString::TheEmptyString);
-				GadgetProgressBarSetProgress(m_progressBar, percent);
-				GadgetStaticTextSetText(m_percent, per);
-
-			}
-			TheWindowManager->update();
-
 			// redraw all views, update the GUI
+			TheWindowManager->update();
+			TheDisplay->update();
 			TheDisplay->draw();
 		}


Progress bar update logic was removed during video playback. The old implementation updated the progress bar based on video frame count, but now the loop only checks isMoviePlaying() without updating any visual progress indicator. Check whether this removal was intentional.

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review. Path: GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp Line: 502:522 Comment: Progress bar update logic was removed during video playback. The old implementation updated the progress bar based on video frame count, but now the loop only checks `isMoviePlaying()` without updating any visual progress indicator. Check whether this removal was intentional. How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

The removal was intentional as the progress bar handling was already considered a hack and added nothing to the video playback

It actually does show a loading bar at the bottom. Seen in USA 01 Mission Load Screen:

It actually does show a loading bar at the bottom. Seen in USA 01 Mission Load Screen:

i know, i removed the loading bar since it doesn't really add anything and the code behind it functioning for showing the video playback is hacky. The portion of the bar that progresses while the video plays back is a small 1/20 th of the bars overall length. So seems better to just use it to report loading progress.

The window it is part of also has to be hidden when rescaled videos are played otherwise it shows behind the video.

I think the purpose of the loading bar is to show how long the video will play? Would be good to keep it.

I think the purpose of the loading bar is to show how long the video will play? Would be good to keep it.

I can check it again but i am sure the video doesn't fill the bar during playback, it only fills a tiny portion at the beginning and the rest is filled when the rest of the game data is loading.

If that is the case, maybe we fix the loading bar. It should be possible to calculate the loading progress because the video length is known.

Managed to implement the video bar, while making it progress with the video playback, in an easier way than i initially expected.

xezon

Does the loading bar in videos still work?

Mauller · 2026-02-13T10:31:27Z

Does the loading bar in videos still work?

No i removed the video playback being part of the loading bar since the code behind it is hacky and it didn't add anything to the playback.
The window the bar is part of also needs hiding when rescaled videos are played otherwise the stretched background image shows behind the video.

Mauller · 2026-02-14T16:26:03Z

Tweaked to now show and properly update the progress bar during the video playback.

The bar now correctly displays where the video is during its playback, the bar then gets reset for the normal loading portion of the intro screen.

greptile-apps

_{8 files reviewed, 1 comment}

_{Edit Code Review Agent Settings | Greptile}

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/Display.cpp

Mauller · 2026-02-15T10:06:15Z

This should be good to go

greptile-apps

_{8 files reviewed, 2 comments}

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greptile-apps · 2026-02-15T10:09:25Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/W3DDisplay.cpp

+void W3DDisplay::drawScaledVideoBuffer()
+{
+	drawScaledVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, m_videoStream);
+}


Missing null check before dereferencing m_videoBuffer and m_videoStream. The original method at line 2813 doesn't check either, but since this is being called from W3DGameWindow.cpp:398 which already checks isMoviePlaying(), it should be safe. However, defensive programming suggests adding a check here as well.

Suggested change

void W3DDisplay::drawScaledVideoBuffer()

{

drawScaledVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, m_videoStream);

}

void W3DDisplay::drawScaledVideoBuffer()

{

if (m_videoBuffer && m_videoStream)

drawScaledVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, m_videoStream);

}

_{Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!}

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review. Path: GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/W3DDisplay.cpp Line: 2847:2850 Comment: Missing null check before dereferencing `m_videoBuffer` and `m_videoStream`. The original method at line 2813 doesn't check either, but since this is being called from `W3DGameWindow.cpp:398` which already checks `isMoviePlaying()`, it should be safe. However, defensive programming suggests adding a check here as well. ```suggestion void W3DDisplay::drawScaledVideoBuffer() { if (m_videoBuffer && m_videoStream) drawScaledVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, m_videoStream); } ``` <sub>Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!</sub> How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

greptile-apps · 2026-02-15T10:09:26Z

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/W3DDisplay.cpp

+void W3DDisplay::drawVideoBuffer( Int startX, Int startY, Int endX, Int endY )
+{
+	drawVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, startX, startY, endX, endY);
+}


Missing null check for m_videoBuffer before dereferencing. While isMoviePlaying() checks both pointers, adding a guard here provides an extra safety layer.

Suggested change

void W3DDisplay::drawVideoBuffer( Int startX, Int startY, Int endX, Int endY )

{

drawVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, startX, startY, endX, endY);

}

void W3DDisplay::drawVideoBuffer( Int startX, Int startY, Int endX, Int endY )

{

if (m_videoBuffer)

drawVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, startX, startY, endX, endY);

}

_{Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!}

Prompt To Fix With AI

This is a comment left during a code review. Path: GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngineDevice/Source/W3DDevice/GameClient/W3DDisplay.cpp Line: 2869:2872 Comment: Missing null check for `m_videoBuffer` before dereferencing. While `isMoviePlaying()` checks both pointers, adding a guard here provides an extra safety layer. ```suggestion void W3DDisplay::drawVideoBuffer( Int startX, Int startY, Int endX, Int endY ) { if (m_videoBuffer) drawVideoBuffer(m_videoBuffer, startX, startY, endX, endY); } ``` <sub>Note: If this suggestion doesn't match your team's coding style, reply to this and let me know. I'll remember it for next time!</sub> How can I resolve this? If you propose a fix, please make it concise.

xezon · 2026-02-15T10:13:37Z

So is this still a pure refactor or now a bugfix?

xezon

Greptile still has comments

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/Display.h

Mauller · 2026-02-15T10:42:43Z

So is this still a pure refactor or now a bugfix?

it's prob a mix of both with the change of the load bar behaviour

…yer intro videos

Mauller · 2026-02-15T10:46:39Z

Tweaked

refactor(display): Add the ability to use internal buffers in TheDisp…

df5756a

…lay for video playback (#)

Mauller self-assigned this Feb 8, 2026

Mauller added Minor Severity: Minor < Major < Critical < Blocker Gen Relates to Generals ZH Relates to Zero Hour Refactor Edits the code with insignificant behavior changes, is never user facing labels Feb 8, 2026

Mauller commented Feb 8, 2026

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Mauller force-pushed the Mauller/refactor-loadscreen-video-playback branch from 54be1bc to a71ec34 Compare February 14, 2026 16:25

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GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/Display.cpp Show resolved Hide resolved

Mauller force-pushed the Mauller/refactor-loadscreen-video-playback branch from a71ec34 to 03e38b6 Compare February 15, 2026 10:05

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GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/Display.h Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

refactor(loadscreen): Use TheDisplay for video playback of single pla…

53ae2e5

…yer intro videos

Mauller force-pushed the Mauller/refactor-loadscreen-video-playback branch from 03e38b6 to 53ae2e5 Compare February 15, 2026 10:46

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Greptile Summary

Confidence Score: 5/5

Important Files Changed

Sequence Diagram

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