Saving form and contents as bitmap

**dbanning** · Apr 17 '07, 07:50 PM

Sorry I am using VB6 to do this

**Tig201** · Apr 17 '07, 08:31 PM

in windows if you hold the alt key while pressing the print screen key it will capture a screen shot of only the active window. you could then paste it into paint or whatever picture editor you use. as to a way to do it with VB6 I don't know.

**dbanning** · Apr 17 '07, 08:35 PM

Originally posted by Tig201

in windows if you hold the alt key while pressing the print screen key it will capture a screen shot of only the active window. you could then paste it into paint or whatever picture editor you use. as to a way to do it with VB6 I don't know.

Thanks I did not know that shortcut I might be able to do something with that, Thanks againg all help is apprieciated.

**Killer42** · Apr 17 '07, 09:46 PM

Originally posted by dbanning

Thanks I did not know that shortcut I might be able to do something with that, Thanks againg all help is apprieciated.

Yes, that's the quick and easy way to grab a shot of the current window in Windows.

If you need to do it in your code, I'd suggest you start by searching for how to build a screensaver in VB. I have done this, many years ago, and the first thing many screensavers do is to grab a copy of the screen, so they can play with it. I'm sure this could be adapted to capture just the part displaying your window.

**dbanning** · Apr 18 '07, 08:09 AM

Originally posted by Killer42

Yes, that's the quick and easy way to grab a shot of the current window in Windows.

If you need to do it in your code, I'd suggest you start by searching for how to build a screensaver in VB. I have done this, many years ago, and the first thing many screensavers do is to grab a copy of the screen, so they can play with it. I'm sure this could be adapted to capture just the part displaying your window.

Thanks I will look into that, What about sendkey command is there any way to use this to press alt and print screen and then pull the image from the clipboard and save it.

I have tried this a bit but think I must need a timer to release the keypress alo if I code

Sendkey "Alt + print screen",true

for some reson numlock comes on so obviously im guessing print screen is not the name vb gives to this key?

**Tig201** · Apr 18 '07, 12:26 PM

I looked around and found this:www.thescripts. com/forum/thread13968.htm l

I also played around and got the following code to work:

Code:

Option Explicit

Const VK_MENU = 18
Const VK_SNAPSHOT = 44
Const KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY = &H1
Const KEYEVENTF_KEYUP = &H2

Private Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, 0, 0   'Send ALT key
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, 0, 0   'Send PRINT SCREEN key
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release PRINT SCREEN key
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release ALT key
End Sub

This put a screen shot of my form in the clipboard hope it helps.

**dbanning** · Apr 18 '07, 12:35 PM

Originally posted by Tig201

I looked around and found this:www.thescripts. com/forum/thread13968.htm l

I also played around and got the following code to work:

Code:

Option Explicit

Const VK_MENU = 18
Const VK_SNAPSHOT = 44
Const KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY = &H1
Const KEYEVENTF_KEYUP = &H2

Private Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, 0, 0   'Send ALT key
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, 0, 0   'Send PRINT SCREEN key
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release PRINT SCREEN key
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release ALT key
End Sub

This put a screen shot of my form in the clipboard hope it helps.

That is very useful I will attemp to use this later once i return from work thanks for going to the effort of looking into this for me it is much apprieciated.

I will let post an outcome later

**dbanning** · Apr 18 '07, 07:09 PM

you code works perfectly thanks again, I have tuned it up abit and added in some extra bis and now it works exactly as i want.

Code:

Option Explicit

Const VK_MENU = 18
Const VK_SNAPSHOT = 44
Const KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY = &H1
Const KEYEVENTF_KEYUP = &H2

Private Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32.dll" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)

Private Function SaveFormPic() As Picture
Dim pic As StdPicture
 Set pic = Clipboard.GetData(vbCFBitmap)
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, 0, 0   'Send ALT key
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, 0, 0   'Send PRINT SCREEN key
  DoEvents
  keybd_event VK_SNAPSHOT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release PRINT SCREEN key
  keybd_event VK_MENU, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release ALT key
  DoEvents
  Set SaveFormPic = Clipboard.GetData(vbCFBitmap)
 Clipboard.SetData pic, vbCFBitmap
End Function

Private Sub Command1_Click()
 SavePicture SaveFormPic, "C:\MyPic.jpg" 'picture location
 Clipboard.Clear
End Sub

Thanks for all your help

**Tig201** · Apr 18 '07, 07:16 PM

Glad to help

**Killer42** · Apr 18 '07, 10:20 PM

Originally posted by dbanning

you code works perfectly thanks again, I have tuned it up abit and added in some extra bis and now it works exactly as i want.
...code...

Thanks for sharing that. If it's OK with you, I'll add it to the Tips & Tricks at the top of the VB forum. (Once I've had time to try it out, of course.)

**Killer42** · Apr 18 '07, 10:23 PM

Originally posted by Tig201

I looked around and found this:
...

Thanks Tig20. I plan to put this stuff in the Tip & Tricks for the VB forum.

Question, though - do you know whether this would be affected by the existing keyboard state?

I mean, say the user pressed the ALT key just before this code executed, ot was holding the key down - would it make a difference?

I'll try it out myself and see, when I get a chance. But thought you may have already done so.

**dbanning** · Apr 19 '07, 07:58 AM

Your welcome to use the code I have tried the original version and my new verison with the saving of the file and both work perfectly.

Very useful code i will make note of it incase i need to use it again.

I also try holding alt while clicking the command button and it does not have any effect on the code and still does what it is suppose to do.

My program has linked the save file path to a text box on my form where I have the path of a drive and dir box to select a folder snd then automatically generating the file name from some variables.

My programs purpose is using a second form with a picture box on the first form can change the backcolour of this form and alos the square color(picture box) it then calculates the square size dependin on how many squares you want across and down and will run the image(form2). clicking the form moves the square through all its positions.

I also wanted to be able to save the indiviual bitmaps which is what I wanted this code for.

The only problem I have now is that the first image shows the first form as the second form has not quite displayed yet.

I need a timer in my code to delay for a while until the form has loaded either that or ask it to wait until form2 has loaded.

Any suggestions on the second choice?

**Tig201** · Apr 19 '07, 12:24 PM

Originally posted by Killer42

Thanks Tig20. I plan to put this stuff in the Tip & Tricks for the VB forum.

Sure go right ahead. You may want to add this link as well I found it through a link in the thread I linked to, and it was where I found the “keybd_event” code and examples. allapi.mentalis .org/apilist/keyb_event.shtm l

Originally posted by Killer42

Question, though - do you know whether this would be affected by the existing keyboard state?

I mean, say the user pressed the ALT key just before this code executed, ot was holding the key down - would it make a difference?

I'll try it out myself and see, when I get a chance. But thought you may have already done so.

I tried it in a button and could not click on the button while holding the Print screen key on the keyboard so you may want to check that if you are calling this through a timer or something like that.

The other thought I had is if a specific key interferes with the screen capture and is held down, it may be a problem but I don’t know of any keys that will do this. If there is a specific key you could probably release that key to get around it.

Code:

Const VK_ProblemKey = 30 'example assuming 30 represents a problem key
..........
 keybd_event VK_ProblemKey, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0   'Release ProblemKey

if you know of any key that does this please let me know so I can try releasing it.

**Tig201** · Apr 19 '07, 12:36 PM

Originally posted by dbanning

My program has linked the save file path to a text box on my form where I have the path of a drive and dir box to select a folder snd then automatically generating the file name from some variables.

My programs purpose is using a second form with a picture box on the first form can change the backcolour of this form and alos the square color(picture box) it then calculates the square size dependin on how many squares you want across and down and will run the image(form2). clicking the form moves the square through all its positions.

I also wanted to be able to save the indiviual bitmaps which is what I wanted this code for.

The only problem I have now is that the first image shows the first form as the second form has not quite displayed yet.

I need a timer in my code to delay for a while until the form has loaded either that or ask it to wait until form2 has loaded.

Any suggestions on the second choice?

I'm not sure about this but I think that calling the code from your first form is keeping it as the active window, you might want to figure a way out to call it from your second form so it will be the active window. Perhaps the “Form_GotFocus” function with a public flag to determine whether you want to capture a screen shot when you activate the form.

Saving form and contents as bitmap

Saving form and contents as bitmap

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