Save a screenshot?

[Joacim Andersson]

Since your program doesn't have the focus when you want to save the screen. You might want to look into using the RegisterHotKey function to register a hotkey to be used to save the screen. You could then use the code posted by Hack above in the callback function to save the image.

[Jacob123]

What makes you so sure I dont have focus? Like i said, i have already hooked the keyboard for use of it ingame, so i can just press a button and it saves a screen.

so yes i do have focus. i will try the code now, thanks

[Joacim Andersson]

I'm sorry I didn't read your origional post careful enough.

[Jacob123]

Does anyone know if i could possibly blueprint all these images im saving with some simple text at the bottom or something?

I have the filenames saved based on the time right now.

BTW can i save them as jpg instead of bmp because bmp is large files

[Joacim Andersson]

You could put the image inside a memory dc and use DrawText and then store it or simply put it in a hidden PictureBox and use the Print statement and then save the image (the PicBox need to have the AutoRedraw property set). To save as a JPG you need some third party control. I think I have a simple BMP2JPG dll somewhere, I'll see if I can dig it out for you.

[Keithuk]

Bmp2Jpeg.dll

http://www.vbforums.com/showthread.php?t=335938

[Jacob Roman]

Here's the DirectX approach to saving snapshots. You can save it as bmp as well as jpg or any other format. DirectX does it for you.

Public Sub DirectX_Snapshot(ByVal File_Path As String)
 
    Dim Surface As Direct3DSurface8
    Dim SrcPalette As PALETTEENTRY
    Dim SrcRect As RECT
    Dim Direct3D_Display_Mode As D3DDISPLAYMODE
 
    'get display dimensions
    Direct3D_Device.GetDisplayMode Direct3D_Display_Mode
 
    'create a surface to put front buffer on,
    'GetFrontBuffer always returns D3DFMT_A8R8G8B8
    Set Surface = Direct3D_Device.CreateImageSurface(Direct3D_Display_Mode.Width, Direct3D_Display_Mode.Height, D3DFMT_A8R8G8B8)
 
    'get data from front buffer
    Direct3D_Device.GetFrontBuffer Surface
 
    'we are saving entire area of this surface
    
    With SrcRect
    
        .Left = 0
        .Right = Direct3D_Display_Mode.Width
        .Top = 0
        .bottom = Direct3D_Display_Mode.Height
        
    End With
 
    'save this surface to a BMP file
    'Direct3DX.SaveSurfaceToFile File_Path, D3DXIFF_BMP, Surface, SrcPalette, SrcRect
 
    'save this surface to a JPG file
    Direct3DX.SaveSurfaceToFile File_Path, D3DXIFF_JPG, Surface, SrcPalette, SrcRect
 
'Here are some more formats
 
'D3DXIFF_TGA
'D3DXIFF_PNG
'D3DXIFF_DIB
'D3DXIFF_DDS
'D3DXIFF_PPM
'D3DXIFF_FORCE_DWORD <---- Don't know what that does.
 
End Sub

And in your game loop, you put this in:

'Declare this variable in the General Declarations
 
       Dim Snapshot_Number As Long
 
       'Then put this in your loop
 
        If DirectInput_Key_State(DIK_F12) Then
            
            If Dir$(App.Path & "\Snapshots\", vbDirectory) = "" Then
                
                MkDir App.Path & "\Snapshots\"
                
            End If
            
            If Dir$(App.Path & "\Snapshots\SNAP" & Format(Snapshot_Number, "####") & ".jpg") = "" Then
            
                DirectX_Snapshot App.Path & "\Snapshots\SNAP" & Format(Snapshot_Number, "####") & ".jpg"
            
            End If
            
            While Dir$(App.Path & "\Snapshots\SNAP" & Format(Snapshot_Number, "####") & ".jpg") <> ""
                
                DoEvents
                
                Snapshot_Number = Snapshot_Number + 1
                
            Wend
            
        End If

[RobCrombie]

Hi Jacob Roman,

If any of us want to build a stand alone pgm using your code, is there any other things we need to declare (or know), to build into the pgm.

Your sample aimed at jacob123, assumes that he has Directx 'stuff' already in his pgm (which he has).

Thanks for sharing,