Enhanced metafiles do not appear in a non-active state in a OLE client when they are used by the server to render the image. A call to CDC::PlayMetaFile() in the OnDraw of the COleServerItem-derived class fails if it is passed an enhanced metafile.

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When an OLE client application asks the server for a metafile representation of the server data when it is in an inactive state or using Paste Special, the application asks for it in a standard metafile format (CF_METAFILEPICT). The server cannot respond to this request. However, most images can be rendered without a problem using standard metafiles.

When COleClientItem::Draw calls the IViewObject2::Draw to render the cached metafile representation, it needs to receive a metafile and not an enhanced metafile. When COleServerItem::OnDraw is called, the DC passed is for a standard metafile, not an enhanced metafile, so the rendering into the DCneeds to be limited to items understood by a standard metafile.

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If your server is using enhanced metafiles, and the client is asking it to render to an standard metafile, you need to make a conversion. You can use GetEnhMetafileBits() to get each command of the enhanced metafile and copy the commands to a standard metafile using SetMetafileBitsEx(), or you can use the GetWinMetaFileBits() function to make the conversion.

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This behavior is by design.

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Use the metafile format rather than the enhanced metafile. Check the documentation on the features of enhanced metafiles to determine whether this usage is appropriate for your application.

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For more information on enhanced metafiles, see the "Enhanced-Format Metafiles" section in Online Help.

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