9/6/2016 DOTNETTRICKS:ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinFormsApplication

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ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinForms
Application
PostedbyAbhishekSuronMonday,April12,2010
Labels:.NET,CodeProject,WinForms,WPF 4Comments

Iwaswonderinghowonecancapturescreenshotfroman
application.Isawmanyapplicationwasdoingthem.Thisthought
mademeinterestedtowriteanapplicationthatcantake
ScreenShot.Inthisarticle,Iwilldemonstratehowonecantake
screenshotdirectlyfromtheDesktopareausingWinFormsand
WPF.

WinFormsApplication

InWinFormsapplication,itisveryeasytograbascreen
snapshot.TodothisyouonlyneedtocreateanobjectofBitmap,
onwhichyouwanttodrawtheimage,getGraphicsobjectfrom
theBitmapandthenuseCopyFromScreenmethodtoactually
drawtheimageintotheBitmap.Todemonstrateletusconsider
thismethod:

publicvoidCaptureScreen(doublex,doubley,double
width,doubleheight)
{
intix,iy,iw,ih;
ix=Convert.ToInt32(x);
iy=Convert.ToInt32(y);
iw=Convert.ToInt32(width);
ih=Convert.ToInt32(height);
Bitmapimage=newBitmap(iw,ih,

System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format32bppArgb);
Graphicsg=Graphics.FromImage(image);

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g.CopyFromScreen(ix,iy,ix,iy,
newSystem.Drawing.Size(iw,ih),
CopyPixelOperation.SourceCopy);
SaveFileDialogdlg=newSaveFileDialog();
dlg.DefaultExt="png";
dlg.Filter="PngFiles|*.png";
DialogResultres=dlg.ShowDialog();
if(res==
System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
image.Save(dlg.FileName,
ImageFormat.Png);
}

TheabovecodetakesStartX,StartY,widthandheightand
savestheimageintothedisk.Inthismethod,Icreatedanobject
ofBitmapwhereIwouldbegoingtodrawtheimage.Thereare
largenumberofPixelFormatsupportedbytheBitmapobject.
Youcanchooseanyoneofthemwhichsuitsyou.AsIamworking
on32Bittruecolorenvironment,IusedFormat32bppArgb.

Afterdoingthis,youneedtoactuallydrawintotheBitmapobject.
Todothis,youneedtogetgraphicsobjectfromtheimage.I
usedGraphics.FromImage(image)tograbthegraphicsobject
fromtheimage,sothatthegraphicscoulddrawintotheBitmap
object.

FinallyIcalledg.CopyFromScreenwhichactuallycapturesthe
screensnapshot,justlikewhatScreenshotdoesandwriteson
theBitmap.TheargumentthatIhavepasseddeterminesthe
dimensionoftheimage.Thex,y,widthandheightdetermines
wherefromthescreenthesnapshotshouldstartanditswidth
andheightuptowhichitmustgo.Atlast,Iusedimage.Saveto
savetheimageinPngformatinthedisk.

Youshouldnote,ifyouwanttransparencyinyourimage,you
shouldusePNG,asitsupportstransparency.

AlittleDepth

Ifyouwanttoknowwhatexactlyhappensinbackground,letus
useDllImporttodemonstratetheconcept.ActuallyScreen

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9/6/2016 DOTNETTRICKS:ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinFormsApplication

captureismadeusingaAPIcalltoBitBlt.Thismethodcanbe
calledwithappropriatedimensionjustasthemanagedmethod
CopyFromScreen,andgettheimage.
ToimplementusingNativecode:

internalclassNativeMethods
{

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
publicexternstaticIntPtrGetDesktopWindow();
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
publicstaticexternIntPtrGetWindowDC(IntPtr
hwnd);
[DllImport("user32.dll",CharSet=CharSet.Auto,
ExactSpelling=true)]
publicstaticexternIntPtrGetForegroundWindow();
[DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
publicstaticexternUInt64BitBlt(IntPtrhDestDC,
intx,inty,
intnWidth,intnHeight,IntPtrhSrcDC,
intxSrc,intySrc,System.Int32dwRop);

TheNativeMethodBitBltactuallythemostusefulmethodinthis
context.Tograbtheimageusingthisyoucanuse:

publicvoidSaveScreen(doublex,doubley,double
width,doubleheight)
{
intix,iy,iw,ih;
ix=Convert.ToInt32(x);
iy=Convert.ToInt32(y);
iw=Convert.ToInt32(width);
ih=Convert.ToInt32(height);
try
{
BitmapmyImage=newBitmap(iw,ih);
Graphicsgr1=Graphics.FromImage(myImage);
IntPtrdc1=gr1.GetHdc();
IntPtrdc2=
NativeMethods.GetWindowDC(NativeMethods.GetForegroundWi
ndow());

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9/6/2016 DOTNETTRICKS:ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinFormsApplication

NativeMethods.BitBlt(dc1,ix,iy,iw,ih,dc2,
ix,iy,13369376);
gr1.ReleaseHdc(dc1);
SaveFileDialogdlg=newSaveFileDialog();
dlg.DefaultExt="png";
dlg.Filter="PngFiles|*.png";
DialogResultres=dlg.ShowDialog();
if(res==
System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
myImage.Save(dlg.FileName,
ImageFormat.Png);
}
catch{}
}

Inthisfunction,IamdoingthesamethingthatIdidforthe
earlier.Thedifferenceisthat,hereImausingNativeMethodto
invoketheBitBltdirectlyratherthanusingtheManagedcode
6
CopyFromScreenmethod.
Share
Ifyouwanttocapturethewholeworkingarea,youcanuse
StumbleUpon
Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.X,
Submit
Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Y,
Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Width,and
Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Height
1
asitsarguments.

SampleApplication

Inthissampleapplication,youwillfindaWPFapplicationthat
allowsyoutocaptureapartofthescreen.Letslookhowitworks
:

1.Runtheapplication,youwillbeprovidedwithascreenwhere
youcandragmousetotakescreenshot.

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9/6/2016 DOTNETTRICKS:ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinFormsApplication

2.AfteryoudragthemouseandReleasethemouse,youwillsee
adialogboxtosavetheimage.

3.Finallyafteryousave,youwillseethesnapshotinpngformat.

ThusitisveryeasytoworkwithScreencapture.

Ihopeyouwilllikethisapplication.

DownloadtheSampleApplication
ScreenShotSample.Zip(50KB)
Shoutit SubmitthisstorytoDotNetKicks
Megusta A6personaslesgustaesto.Registrarteparaverqulesgustaatus
amigos.

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Jointhediscussion

AbhishekSur 6yearsago
Seetakingsnapinstreamingvideowillbeacompletely
differentapproach.Iwillexplainthatinanotherarticle.

Fortimebeingyoucantry
http://www.vbhelper.com/howto...
1 Reply Share

senpisey 3yearsago
thisexampleisverygoodbutwhyiusecan'tMouseUpevenin
WPF?
Reply Share

ashkan 5yearsago
thanksforthecode,thishelpedmealotinwhatI'mtryingto
do.thereisjustoneverysmallthingwhichIthinkyouhaveto
fixinthecodeincaptureScree()insteadof:
g.CopyFromScreen(ix,iy,ix,iy,
newSystem.Drawing.Size(iw,ih),
CopyPixelOperation.SourceCopy)

youshouldput:

g.CopyFromScreen(ix,iy,0,0,
newSystem.Drawing.Size(iw,ih),
CopyPixelOperation.SourceCopy)

becausewewanttocopythecapturedgraphicsto(0,0)ofthe
destinationfile.
Reply Share

Anonymous 6yearsago
Thisisanexcellentarticle,fantasticwork.Justonequestion,I
wanttocreateastreamingapp(similartowhatremote
desktoporremoteassistancedoes).Wouldsimplycapturing
http://www.abhisheksur.com/2010/04/screencaptureusingwpfwinforms.html 6/17
9/6/2016 DOTNETTRICKS:ScreenCaptureinWPF&WinFormsApplication
desktoporremoteassistancedoes).Wouldsimplycapturing
thewindowcontentsrepeatedlyandstramingbeefiicientif
donethisway?Ifnot,isthereastandardwayofcapturing
windowsinavideoformatthroughdotNet?
Reply Share

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