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Download ActiveXperts SMS and MMS Toolkit 5.1 (6826 KB - .exe file)

Download Manual (623 KB - .htm file)

ActiveXperts.com > SMS and MMS Toolkit > About SMS > Picture Messages

Sending picture messages with SMS and MMS Toolkit or SMS Messaging Server

What are picture messages ?

Picture messages are small bitmap images that can be used on mobile phones as a background image,
screensaver or to display the service provider's logo the phone is currently connected to.

Small black and white picture messages can be send using SMS.
to send coloured picture messages, SMS cannot be used, because the number of bytes that has to be transferred would require a huge number of SMS messages.
This content is always sent using MMS. MMS is also supported by the SMS and MMS Toolkit.

How are picture messages encoded ?

To send picture messages using SMS, the picture has to be encoded as a binary message first.
The binary part of a picture message containing a simple 72x28 pixel picture is encoded as follows:

Octet(s) Value Description

1 30 Format version used, should be zero.

2 00 Start of text part

3,4 00 27 Length of the text

5 - 32 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20
61 6E 20 41 63 74 69 76
65 58 70 65 72 74 73 20
70 69 63 74 75 72 65 20
6D 65 73 73 61 67 65 This is an ActiveXperts picture message

33 02 Start of picture part
34 48 Width of the bitmap ( 0x48 = 72 pixels )

35 1C Height of the bitmap ( 0x1C = 28 pixels )

36 01 Number of colors in the bitmap ( Always 1 )

37-289 07 FC 00 00 00 7F FF FF
FE 03 DF 00 00 00 70 00
00 3E 07 8F C0 00 00 D8
00 00 E4 0F DF E0 00 00
8C 00 07 86 1F F8 F0 00
01 86 00 1C 0C 3F E0 39
6D EF F3 00 F0 08 7F 40
1C 00 03 01 83 80 14 FF
81 CE 00 02 00 DE 00 18
FD 23 67 3B 7F 80 70 00
30 FE 06 B3 80 04 00 00
00 28 F4 8D 59 C0 0C 00
00 00 50 F8 1A AC E6 DE
00 00 00 60 F2 35 56 70
18 00 00 00 C0 E0 6A AB
38 10 00 00 00 A0 C0 D5
55 98 30 00 00 01 40 81
AA AA CC 3F FF FF FF 80
83 55 55 6C 15 55 55 55
40 86 AA AA A6 00 00 00
00 00 8D 55 55 66 00 00
00 00 00 CA AA AA CF 00
00 00 00 00 CD 55 55 9B
00 00 00 00 00 E6 AA AB
37 80 00 00 00 00 F3 55
56 6D C0 00 00 00 00 F9
AA AC 79 E0 00 00 00 00
FC D5 58 00 F0 00 00 00
00 7E 6A B0 38 F8 00 00
00 00 3F 35 64 7C 7C 00
00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
00 00 00 00 The actual bitmap data. The data is encoded as 1 bit per pixel

Because a single SMS message can only send 140 bytes of user data, the encoded data has to be splitted up.
This is done while sending the encoded messages through the SmsProtocolSmpp or SmsProtocolGsm object.

Using the PictureMessage object

The SMS and MMS Toolkit makes it easy to generate and deliver picture messages. You can send picture messages using a GSM modem (or GSM phone), or using an SMPP provider.
Use the 'SmsDataPicture' object to format the message of the SMS, and use the regular 'SmsProtocolGsm' or 'SmsProtocolSmpp' functions to send the picture message.

The following code snippets show how to encode picture messages:

Encode a picture message:

Set objPicture                = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsDataPicture" )
Set objConstants              = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants"   )

objPicture.BitmapFile         = "C:\Images\72x28.bmp"
objPicture.Text               = "This is an ActiveXperts picture message"
objPicture.PictureType        = objConstants.asPICTURE_MESSAGE

objPicture.Encode

Encode a caller group icon:

Set objPicture                = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsDataPicture" )
Set objConstants              = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants"   )

objPicture.BitmapFile         = "C:\Images\72x14.bmp"
objPicture.PictureType        = objConstants.asPICTURE_CALLERGROUP

objPicture.Encode

Enode an operator logo:

Set objPicture                = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsDataPicture" )
Set objConstants              = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants"   )

objPicture.BitmapFile         = "C:\Images\72x14.bmp"
objPicture.PictureType        = objConstants.asPICTURE_OPERATORLOGO
objPicture.CountryCode        = 204 
objPicture.NetworkCode        = 16  

objPicture.Encode

Remove the current operator logo:

Set objPicture                = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsDataPicture" )
Set objConstants              = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants"   )

objPicture.PictureType        = objConstants.asPICTURE_OPERATORLOGO_RESTORE

objPicture.Encode

Used Parameters

BitmapFile

The full path to the picture file. This has to be a .bmp file with one of the following formats:

For picture messages:

72 x 14 x 1 BPP
72 x 14 x 4 BPP
72 x 14 x 8 BPP
72 x 14 x 16 BPP
72 x 14 x 24 BPP
72 x 14 x 32 BPP
72 x 28 x 1 BPP
72 x 28 x 4 BPP
72 x 28 x 8 BPP
72 x 28 x 16 BPP
72 x 28 x 32 BPP

For caller group icons and operator logos:

72 x 14 x 1 BPP
72 x 14 x 4 BPP
72 x 14 x 8 BPP
72 x 14 x 16 BPP
72 x 14 x 24 BPP
72 x 14 x 32 BPP

If a bitmap contains colors, the bitmap will be converted to black and white automatically.
You can download the bitmaps used in the code samples here:

72x14.bmp (1 KB - .bmp file)

72x28.bmp (1 KB - .bmp file)

Text

The text to be send with a picture messages. The text is diplayed below the picture on the recipients phone.
This field is only used for the 'asPICTURE_MESSAGE' message type.

PictureType

You can specify what sort of picture message to send, by setting this property.
The following types of picture messages are supported:

Number	ActiveXperts Constant	Description
0	asPICTURE_MESSAGE	Bitmap and text
1	asPICTURE_CALLERGROUP	Caller Line Identification Icon
2	asPICTURE_OPERATORLOGO	Operator Logo
3	asPICTURE_OPERATORLOGO_RESTORE	Remove Operator Logo

NetworkCode

This property is only used for operator logo's. Operator logo's are only displayed when the phone is connected to the network associated with the operator logo.
To associate the logo with a network you have to specify the NetworkCode and CountryCode of the network ( MCC and MNC ). For a list of network codes click here.

CountryCode

Sending the encoded data

After all parameters has been set, you have to call the 'Encode' function.
If everything is okay, the encoded data is stored in the 'EncodedMessage' property.
The encoded data can be send using the SmsProtocolSmpp or SmsProtocolGsm object or queued to the SMS Messaging Server database.
Sending picture messages using the DialUp object is not supported.

To retrieve an encode message from the object, using the 'EncodedMessage' property.
Please note that you have to set the messagetype to 'asMESSAGETYPE_DATA_UDH' because the picture message data is encoded as 8 bit message data
and includes UDH information for application port addressing.
The samples below demonstrates how to send the messagedata using the SmsProtocolSmpp and SmsProtocolGsm objects:

SmsProtocolSmpp:

   objSmsProtocol = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsProtocolSmpp" )
   objSmsMessage  = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsMessage"      )
   objConstants   = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants"    )

   objPicture.Encode
  
   objSmsProtocol.Server            = "smpp.activexperts-labs.com"
   objSmsProtocol.SystemID          = "AX008"
   objSmsProtocol.SystemPassword    = "812056"
   
   objSmsProtocol.Connect

   If ( objSmsProtocol.LastError = 0 ) Then
       
	   objSmsMessage.Recipient  = "+31647134225"
       objSmsMessage.Format     = objConstants.asMESSAGEFORMAT_DATA_UDH
       objSmsMessage.Data       = objPicture.EncodedMessage
     
	   objSmsProtocol.Send ( objSmsMessage )
   End If

   objSmsProtocol.Disconnect

SmsProtocolGsm:

   objSmsProtocol = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsProtocolGsm" )
   objSmsMessage  = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsMessage" )
   objConstants   = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants" )
   
   objPicture.Encode
   
   objSmsProtocol.Device   = "COM1"
   
   objSmsMessage.Format    = objConstants.asMESSAGEFORMAT_DATA_UDH
   objSmsMessage.Recipient = "+31647134225"
   objSmsMessage.Data      = objPicture.EncodedMessage

   objSmsProtocol.Send ( objSmsMessage )

Sending picture messages using the SMS Messaging Server

It also possible to send picture messages using the SMS messaging server.
Use the following script to queue a picture message:

' Sending a picture message using the ActiveXperts SMS Messaging Server
'
Dim objMessageDB
Dim objPicture  
Dim objMessageOut
Dim nParts

' Create the SMS Messaging Server API objects
Set objMessageDB    = CreateObject ( "AxSmsServer.MessageDB" )
Set objConstants    = CreateObject ( "AxSmsServer.Constants" )

' Create the SMS and MMS Toolkit objects
Set objPicture      = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsDataPicture" )
Set objConstantsTk  = CreateObject ( "ActiveXperts.SmsConstants")

' Encode the picture message

objPicture.PictureType  = objConstantsTk.asPICTURE_MESSAGE
objPicture.BitmapFile   = "C:\72x28.bmp"
objPicture.Text         = "This is an Activexperts picture message"

objPicture.Encode

If ( objPicture.LastError <> 0) Then
    WScript.Echo "Error occured while encoding picture message: " & objPicture.GetErrorDescription ( objPicture.LastError )
    WScript.Quit
End If

' Queue the message

' Open the Message Database
objMessageDB.Open

If( objMessageDB.LastError <> 0 ) Then
    WScript.Echo "Error occured while opening message database: " & objMessageDB.GetErrorDescription ( objMessageDB.LastError )
    WScript.Quit
End If

' Write the message

Set objMessageOut = objMessageDB.Create
   
If( objMessageDB.LastError <> 0 ) Then
    WScript.Echo "Error occured while creating new message: " & objMessageDB.GetErrorDescription ( objMessageDB.LastError )
    WScript.Quit
End If

objMessageOut.Direction = objConstants.MESSAGEDIRECTION_OUT
objMessageOut.Type      = objConstants.MESSAGETYPE_SMS 
objMessageOut.Status    = objConstants.MESSAGESTATUS_PENDING
objMessageOut.Recipient = "+31647134225"
objMessageOut.ChannelID = 0    ' Any available SMS channel
objMessageOut.Body      = objPicture.EncodedMessage
objMessageOut.BodyFormat= objConstants.MESSAGEBODYFORMAT_DATAUDH
      
objMessageDB.Save objMessageOut 

' Close the database

objMessageDB.Close
WScript.Echo "Ready"

The ActiveXperts SMS and MMS Toolkit is a SMS development component (SDK). This control can be used by any Windows development platform, including Visual Basic .NET, Visual CSharp .NET, ASP .NET (VB,CS), ASP, Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Visual Studio/Visual C++, Borland Delphi and C++ Builder, PHP, ColdFusion, HTML, VBScript and any other ActiveX/COM compliant platform. The SMS and MMS Toolkit is an ActiveXperts Software B.V. Product.