Dynamic creation of bitmaps

I'm creating a chess game (mostily in OpenGL) and am currently designing the backgrounds. Currently, I just can open any Bitmap, which is fairly cool. I was wondering, though, if it is possible to take a snap shot of the desktop (using WinAPI) and then convert it to a *.bmp file, all within the program (i.e. the program has to do it). Note: I know how to the get the bitmap into, say a picture box. The question has, how do I get that into a standard bitmap file.

this article may help:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q161299

.......but that doesn't entirely answer my question (however, it did answer many other questions!).

I know how to get bitmaps (e.g. the desktop) using API. My problem is that I have to turn that into an external file (i.e.

Code:

---

sub exportBMP ()
  dim fileNum as integer

  fileNum = freeFile

  open *.bmp for binary as fileNum 'Open a file for ouput as binary
  . 
  . 'This is the part I need to know (header, file format...)
  .
  close fileNum
end sub

---

But again, thanks for the link, it is quite useful.:)

For the file format of a bmp file you can look at wotsit.org.

If you want to do it the easy way, you should get your bitmap into a picture box (you seem to know how you should do that) and then save the contents of the picture box with SavePicture.

if you just want to save a bitmap without any special things you can use the savepicture method of the picturebox.

Yes, but remember anything you transfer onto the Picturebox must be saved from the .Image, not the .Picture of the PictureBox.