Screen Capture Program !!

[alexdata]

Here i hand you a copy of my ScreenCapture program.. v1.0

+ This progam can capture a window or entire screen
and save as BMP or JPG(1-100% color quality,JPG only)

+It can hide in the SystemTray..

- Still cant capture video on all machines.. (will try to fix that)


DOWNLOAD HERE:
# Get The Program Here #

http://alexdata.webhop.net/ (Best Viewed in 1024X768)

I will upload the Newest version to that page above at all times
and then I will post here , what changes have been made..

On that page you can download the whole Program or the latest Update to it..

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If you find any bugs,please tell me this at:
http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.p...hreadid=265673
(this tread! ,hehe)
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[da_silvy]

you do know you can delete posts

[alexdata]

If you're like me and dont like to download "uncommercial" programs, then i have some tips for you!

1.) Download Antivirus (1year free) from ...Norton Antivirus
(and scan whatever you download..it also scans Zip files)

2.) Install a Virtual PC like VMware WorkStation4 or Microsoft VirtualPC
Then you can try ANY program on these "virtual machines" without interrupting your normal/real machine.. and MS VirtualPC even has the benefit of you beeing able to UNDO any changes done to your VirtualPC (truely genious)

If you're afraid of viruses, search for other posts in my name (alexdata) and see that i make good,clean programs that usally gets downloaded and tested..
(Here is one example link from me)

[Acidic]

It looks quite nice, but there should be at least these two other funcions:
1.view the image full screen (I know it sounds wierd as it was taken from full screen).
2. You should be able to change the location of the file. if I use my swedish PC then the file won't go to the desktop as the location of it is:
c:\windows\skrivbord\

3. Video capture. I'd love a freeware video capture, Actually I need one for one of my IT projects, so if you could do that by the end of nex month would be great. Could you please e-mail me when you have done a significant upadte too? my e-mail address is
[email protected]

actually, about point one. Maybe instead you should be able to zoom in and look about the picture before saving it.

[alexdata]

Yes, to answer you second question first.. I am working on the "VIDEO GRABBING FEATURE".... (its just a little hard to figure out)

And yes, the zoom/magnify thing can be done...I will work on it and see what i can discover!
(EX: you click on the small picture of the fll screen,and it opens a fullscreen window with the picture of your screenshoot in it,and if you click that picture..it willl remove it and return to the Screencap app again...)

About your swedish computer, is it a win98/95 ??
and is the one where its working a NT/2000/XP ??

(cause i believe its the API's that makes it not work so well)
Also one more thing, in the next versions i will make an Installer/Uninstaller which will have the needed .DLL .OCX that comes with XP so that it hopefully work on win95/98)
-so i will upload a bigger InstallPack to another server and give the link to it here...So that it can work on all computers!


Cause i use an API to find the desktop...and the mydocuments folder...

I have made some changes to the GUI in the next version,and have already finished a code to choose between desktop and documents folder (might add so that you can enter your own folder) (i'll look into that! I was just trying to stay away from the register/ini files... as that slows everything down a little)

but again! thanks for your good and fast reply...
I will strive to make any changes that people asks for...

[Bruce Fox]

Suggestion: (Asthetics) Group the "Capture" buttons together (one on top), and the "Save" types together (one on top).

[Acidic]

Oooh, I can't wait until the Video capture is done. *drool*

About my swedish PC, I haven't tried it on that PC (as it is in Sweden and I'm in the UK now), but I was just pointing out that it might not work. If you use APIs it should probably work fine though.
oh BTW, now I'm using win 98 and it works fine.

I don't get why you need the registry to store the file in a folder of the users choice. But then again, what you've done is beyond me, so if you say so I believe you.

Another feuture that you might want is allowing the user to only capture a pre-defined area of the screen. Another one:
when the user presses Print Screen, the screen goes into this application thingy, not into the clipboard.

Ooh oh, *brain wave*, this might take a while to make but here goes:
The whole application is hidden on Windows startup. Only being visible in the system tray (unless user starts the application up properly). Then when the user clicks Print Screen, this program opens up containing the image.

oooh, oh and another idea.
Maybe this program could store 5-6 images without them being saved (obviously it looses the images at end of run-time), so that the user can quickly press Print Screen a few times before having to save the images. Maybe these images could be kept in tabs until saved or cleared. Just an idea.

[MartinLiss]

See if you can add any features from this.

[alexdata]

Thanks for all idea's... Some of them require me to learn more about different things... But some of these features i have been working on... And soon to come, a better version of this program..

Give me like a day or so...,hehe (im getting cocky!)

And martinliss, i will implement some of the features from the code you suggested!

So please stay put, and i will give you folks an update to work on!

[Acidic]

Here is what I did to throw up an error:
I clicked on "Capture Active Window", then minimized the screen, As it was trying to take the picture, the error popped up. I have Win 98 SE if it helps. Image of error attached. Oh and I have managed to repeat the error, so it wasn't a one off.

Another bug:
When I use the windows "minimize everything" button, this minimized too, but when I then try restoring this window, it goes to system tray.

Also, the program doesn't store my prefs on whether I want it to start up automatically or not. Every time I open the program and click on the tab, both checkboxes are blank.
Could you please tell me where in the registry this is stored, so that I can see if it saved the options.

[Acidic]

The look of the proggie was OK, neither better nor worse, I can definately use it. When I say the minimize button, I'm talking about the button near the start button. (see img (taken with your proggie))


more things:
You can open two of the prgrams, I'd find it better if only one of them can be open at a time.
It should be more obvious that the time delay for a active window capture is 5 secs. maybe there should also be the option of it taking the image on a keypress.

Here's something else that took my a while to figure out:
If I press take active window, then minimize and have no focus, it comes up with a black screen. If I do the same but press on the desktop, it thinks the desktop is the active window and takes a print screen of it. That is probably how you wanted it but I thought you should know.

I'm not very fond of the "always on top either".

Oooh, big bug found, I can't resize window at all, it dissappears. to sys tray


Hmm. I'm re-reading this post now (the next morning). I've noticed that it might have sounded as I was asking you to customize the program to how I like it. Bad me *slaps myself*. I DO mean these comments as suggestions only. Will someone else please try this program out and go bug-hunting too. Then I won't seem like the guy wanting it my way all the time.

I appologise for any missunderstanding. I know this is your project.

[alexdata]

I took your advices..and started all over again...
Cause it was a little complicated to make everything work as planned (asked/wanted) in the version as it was... So i started all over agian,and made more functions,,so that the button call functions instead of just executing their own code!

This way i can customize it more easily,and add new features faster, so there will be a slight longer wait for the next version,but i will make sure that most of your wishes are in it...
And then you can "yell" more at me when you get the new test version! ok?

And PS: i loved your comments, and read it as advices only, not only as you *slapping* me with wants...hehe

But funny edit of your post, liked it !!!

hehe, stay tuned for update, will try to work fast..(sure .hehe.)

[ruaVB2?]

Man What time zone are you in? The twighlight zone? Your update is dated NOVEMBER 28 2003 . . . yet it's only October ... (Maybe I just have a super slow connection )

What I really wanted to say is does your prog do a FORM capture which goes beyond the limits of the screen? Could be a nifty thing for e-mailing reports.......

Anybody up for the challenge?

[alexdata]

And yes, i didnt even notice that my computer somehow was set to the wrong month (wonder who did that)
But yes, i must be in some twilight zone...
For that question of yours.. ehh .. capture outside the screens visible area? well,im sure the code i use dont do that,and i've never heard of code that does that?.. Not even sure how i should attack that problem... hmm..
Canyou fill me in with what you know,then i'll look into it (i will also try to edit the date on my site (hehe)
Sorry for making you believe you had a superslow connection!

[ruaVB2?]

Darn it! I was hoping you were really one month ahead .... I was going to ask you for the lottery winning numbers for next month!

BTW Great piece of code!

[Acidic]

Alexdata, are you still planning to include video capture? Also, when (roughly) is your next version going to be done. I know you started from scratch, but I just love testing your software.

When it's finnished, will you make it open source?

[dis1411]

so.. erm... how does this belong in the codebank

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by dis1411
so.. erm... how does this belong in the codebank

You're right. I moved it to here.

[alexdata]

I promized to post my program... around this date/time..

So here it is..

All major functions are working correctly...
Also all some new features have been added...

I have not managed to implement the HOTKEYS in this release..but i suppose that by tomorrow i will release an update on my page (and post info on that here)
Also the one reqquest from Acidic, about beeing able to se the captured picture in a bigger window will come in the next release..

PS: small info, when you Minimize/Maximize the application using the ICON in the systemtray, it can sometimes be a little slow, but this is not a bug.. this is because of how the capture program works... (to avoid capturing itself...cause why would we want that)

So please download and test the program from my site...
http://alexdata.webhop.net (ps, feel free to comment my webdesign aswell)

I have released this programin a handy Installer, so you can also easily Uninstall the program, as you are used to !! (in controlpanel)

Thanks for taking the time to test it.. and try to find bugs,errors and wanted functions (keep in mind that HOTKEYS and a "ZOOM" function will be released as an update around tomorrow !!

[Acidic]

Nice one, I can't find a single bug.
One tiny little thing though.
I really don't care about JPEG quality, just presume it's always 100. Then you can make the menu about where the file gets saved bigger.

Another suggestion, as I heave mentioned earlier. You should be able to capture many images before you save them. Maybe this prgram could make a temporary save, then you can browse through them, and save them properly. When this program closes, then all temporary saves would be deleted.

And when oh when oh when is video capture going to be implemented?

Nice job though

[alexdata]

It has now gotten this:
- a lot of hotkeys!
- ability to preview the picture captured in a bigger window!
(click on the picture that appears in the program after clicking a button)
- gotten faster,some of the code, fixed a few small bugs..
- Still working on the Video part - its so hard to make it work..


I hope you folks can test it out, and see if you can find any bugs!?!
It happens from time to time that the window wont appear infront of the others when capturing "the acive window" as for now i cant find out why.... (code is executed and works,so ...)


But anyway... Go download the UPDATE if you already have the Program.. (or else, download them both!!)

Install the "UpdateSCP.exe" (as of 8.nov.2003) and try out the new features (after you have installed "installscp.exe" as of 3.nov.2003)

Thanks for all comments so far,and for any new that will come !!

[Acidic]

Again, good job. Everything works. The only small bugs are in the help bit (a few typos).

By the way, I found software that does video capture, but when recording from the whole screen it only does 1 frame per second. So I presume that video capture eats processor power. Maybe this is why it was hard for you to get it working well.
Anyway, I hope that you figure it out.

Argh, bug found:
I have set it to start with windows and to minimize. It does not start. When I run it myself, it says it already is running.

Could you please tell me where in the registry the settings are kept,.

[alexdata]

It is simply you or your computer who was not exited correctly..
And therefore the program was never shut down properly!

---
There is a .REG file in the folder (C:\program files\screencapturepro) click on it and press yes/ok and then it will be running fine after that...
(called: Fix Reg Errors.Reg) also a shortcut to it in Start-programs-screencapturepro--> fix start errors
---

Im working on that bug,but for now it is a little hard, as the register is somehow very stupid (in my eyes)
(might switch ti an INI file instead, for everything but the Start When Windows Starts..part)

And about the video capture,try Camtasia Studio2 (very good)
But as you said, there are problems getting the speed right,and it eats upto 90% of processor,even on 1Ghz's so it is a problem,and also you have something called hardware acceleration,and when that is active,the screencapture program cant capture video and such.. So im working on a way to disable that if one would like to (for grabbing video frames and such)

But but.... (i'll try to clean up my typos in the help screen,and maybe release a short video on the site,to show all features,cause im sure everyone has missed some of them,,hehe)

Ever tried to double click on the "Location to save files" list ??
Try it and you'll see something fun!

[Acidic]

Here is what I did. I run you .reg file (which resets all the settings). Then run the program. Then close it. Then try running it again. It says it is already running. In order to get it running again, I have to run the .reg file again.

[alexdata]

I have tried it on both 98 , ME and XP without the same result.. But i can make an update, where we remove the code that detects if two instances are running!

And then i can try to make it check this from some ini file or so...
Hm..

I'll try to do it fast,but im kinda busy for the time beeing!