ConnectPlus - Desktop Video Player MVP

A futuristic Windows Desktop application built with C# WinForms (.NET 8) featuring video playback, virtual camera streaming, and AI integration capabilities.

Features

• ✨ Futuristic Neon UI - Purple and blue dark theme with glow effects
• 🎬 Video Playback - Powered by LibVLC for robust video support
• 🔄 Loop Playback - Toggle continuous video looping
• 🔊 Volume Control - Adjustable volume slider
• 📹 Virtual Camera - Stream video to OBS Virtual Camera via FFmpeg
• 🔐 Local Activation - Demo activation system with hardware ID validation
• 🤖 AI Ready - Placeholder services for Whisper and Ollama integration

Project Structure

ConnectPlus/
 ├─ ConnectPlus.sln              # Solution file
 ├─ ConnectPlus/
 │  ├─ ConnectPlus.csproj        # Project file
 │  ├─ Program.cs                 # Application entry point
 │  ├─ AppConfig.cs               # Configuration settings
 │  ├─ Resources/                 # Application resources
 │  ├─ Forms/                     # WinForms UI
 │  │   ├─ SplashForm             # Splash screen with fade animation
 │  │   ├─ ActivationForm         # License activation window
 │  │   └─ MainForm               # Main video player interface
 │  ├─ Services/                  # Business logic services
 │  │   ├─ HwidService            # Hardware ID generation
 │  │   ├─ LicenseService         # Activation management
 │  │   ├─ VideoService           # LibVLC and FFmpeg wrapper
 │  │   └─ AiService              # AI integration (Whisper/Ollama)
 │  └─ Libs/                      # External libraries documentation
 └─ README.md                     # This file

Prerequisites

• Visual Studio 2022 (or later) with .NET 8 SDK
• Windows 10/11 (64-bit recommended)
• LibVLC - Video playback library (see Libs/README_LIBS.md)
• FFmpeg - Video streaming tool (see Libs/README_LIBS.md)
• OBS Studio - For virtual camera (optional, for streaming feature)

Installation & Setup

1. Clone or Extract Project

Open the solution file ConnectPlus.sln in Visual Studio 2022.

2. Install NuGet Packages

The following packages are automatically restored via the .csproj file:

• LibVLCSharp.WinForms (v3.8.0) - WinForms video player control
• LibVLCSharp (v3.8.0) - LibVLC .NET bindings
• NAudio (v2.2.1) - Audio processing (for future features)
• Newtonsoft.Json (v13.0.3) - JSON serialization

If packages don't restore automatically:

Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Package Manager Console
PM> dotnet restore

3. Configure External Libraries

Edit ConnectPlus/AppConfig.cs and set the paths:

public static string LibVlcPath { get; set; } = @"C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC";
public static string FfmpegPath { get; set; } = @"C:\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe";

Important: See Libs/README_LIBS.md for detailed setup instructions.

4. Build the Project

1. Right-click the solution → Restore NuGet Packages
2. Build → Build Solution (Ctrl+Shift+B)
3. Ensure build succeeds with no errors

5. Run the Application

Press F5 or click Start to run the application.

Usage

First Launch

1. Splash Screen - The app starts with a fade-in splash screen
2. Activation - Enter the demo license key: DEMO-KEY-1234
3. Main Form - After activation, the main video player opens

Using the Video Player

1. Open File - Click "OPEN FILE" to select a video file
2. Play/Pause - Control playback with the PLAY and PAUSE buttons
3. Loop - Toggle loop mode (button changes from purple to blue when ON)
4. Volume - Adjust volume with the slider (0-100%)
5. Virtual Camera - Click "START VIRTUAL CAMERA" to stream video to OBS

Virtual Camera Setup

1. Start OBS Studio
2. Go to Tools → Start Virtual Camera
3. In ConnectPlus, load a video and click START VIRTUAL CAMERA
4. The video will stream to OBS Virtual Camera
5. Use the virtual camera in other applications (Zoom, Teams, etc.)

Activation

The MVP uses a local activation system:

• Demo Key: DEMO-KEY-1234
• Activation File: Stored in %APPDATA%\ConnectPlus\connectplus_activation.json
• Hardware ID: Generated from CPU, BIOS, and MAC address

Development

Adding New Features

• Video Processing: Extend VideoService.cs
• AI Integration: Implement methods in AiService.cs
• UI Components: Add forms in Forms/ directory
• Configuration: Update AppConfig.cs

Code Style

• C# 10+ features (nullable reference types enabled)
• Async/await for I/O operations
• Service-based architecture
• WinForms with custom styling

Troubleshooting

LibVLC Initialization Error

• Verify LibVlcPath in AppConfig.cs points to the correct folder
• Ensure libvlc.dll exists in that folder
• Check if you're using 64-bit LibVLC for a 64-bit build

FFmpeg Not Found

• Verify FfmpegPath in AppConfig.cs
• Test FFmpeg in Command Prompt: ffmpeg -version

Virtual Camera Fails

• Ensure OBS Virtual Camera is running
• Check video file path is valid
• Verify video codec (H.264 recommended)

Activation Issues

• Check %APPDATA%\ConnectPlus\ folder exists
• Verify file permissions
• Try deleting connectplus_activation.json and reactivating

Future Enhancements

• Whisper integration for real-time transcription
• Ollama integration for AI summaries
• Multiple video source support
• Playlist management
• Video effects and filters
• Network streaming support
• Cloud activation system

License

This is an MVP project. License terms to be determined.

Support

For issues and questions:

1. Check Libs/README_LIBS.md for library setup
2. Verify all paths in AppConfig.cs
3. Ensure all prerequisites are installed

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Built with: C# .NET 8, WinForms, LibVLC, FFmpeg

Theme: Futuristic Neon Purple + Blue Dark UI