Screen Capture and Save as an Image

The following example source code shows how to capture the screen and save it to an image.

The following example source code shows how to capture the screen and save it to an image. Hope you find it useful.

/* Author: Perry Lee
* Submission: Capture Screen (Add Screenshot Capability to Programs)
* Date of Submission: 12/29/03
*/
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
// If you have any questions regarding functions (methods) imported from
// GDI32.dll and User32.dll refer to 'msdn.microsoft.com'
class GDI32
{
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern bool BitBlt(int hdcDest,int nXDest,int nYDest,int nWidth,int nHeight,int hdcSrc,int nXSrc,int nYSrc,int dwRop);
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern int CreateCompatibleBitmap(int hdc,int nWidth, int nHeight);[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern int CreateCompatibleDC(int hdc);
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern bool DeleteDC(int hdc);
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern bool DeleteObject(int hObject);
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern int GetDeviceCaps(int hdc,int nIndex);
[DllImport("GDI32.dll")]
public static extern int SelectObject(int hdc,int hgdiobj);
class User32
{
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern int GetDesktopWindow();
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern int GetWindowDC(int hWnd);
[DllImport("User32.dll")]
public static extern int ReleaseDC(int hWnd,int hDC);
}
class Example
{
public void CaptureScreen(string fileName,ImageFormat imageFormat)
{
int hdcSrc = User32.GetWindowDC(User32.GetDesktopWindow()),
hdcDest = GDI32.CreateCompatibleDC(hdcSrc),
hBitmap = GDI32.CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdcSrc,
GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,8),GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,10)); GDI32.SelectObject(hdcDest,hBitmap);
GDI32.BitBlt(hdcDest,0,0,GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,8),
GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,10),hdcSrc,0,0,0x00CC0020);
SaveImageAs(hBitmap,fileName,imageFormat);
Cleanup(hBitmap,hdcSrc,hdcDest);
}
private void Cleanup(int hBitmap,int hdcSrc,int hdcDest)
{
User32.ReleaseDC(User32.GetDesktopWindow(),hdcSrc);
GDI32.DeleteDC(hdcDest);
GDI32.DeleteObject(hBitmap);
}
private void SaveImageAs(int hBitmap,string fileName,ImageFormat imageFormat)
{
Bitmap image =
new Bitmap(Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)),
Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)).Width,
Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)).Height);
image.Save(fileName,imageFormat);
}
}

Explanation of methods:

public void CaptureScreen(string fileName,ImageFormat imageFormat)
{
int hdcSrc = User32.GetWindowDC(User32.GetDesktopWindow()), // Get a handle to the desktop window
hdcDest = GDI32.CreateCompatibleDC(hdcSrc), // Create a memory device context
hBitmap = GDI32.CreateCompatibleBitmap(hdcSrc, // Create a bitmap and place it in the memory DC
GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,8),GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,10));
// GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,8) returns the width of the desktop window
// GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,10) returns the height of the desktop window
GDI32.SelectObject(hdcDest,hBitmap); // Required to create a color bitmap
GDI32.BitBlt(hdcDest,0,0,GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,8), // Copy the on-screen image into the memory DC
GDI32.GetDeviceCaps(hdcSrc,10),hdcSrc,0,0,0x00CC0020);
SaveImageAs(hBitmap,fileName,imageFormat); // Save the screen-capture to the specified file using the designated image format
Cleanup(hBitmap,hdcSrc,hdcDest); // Free system resources
}
private void Cleanup(int hBitmap,int hdcSrc,int hdcDest)
{
// Release the device context resources back to the system
User32.ReleaseDC(User32.GetDesktopWindow(),hdcSrc);
GDI32.DeleteDC(hdcDest);
GDI32.DeleteObject(hBitmap);
}
private void SaveImageAs(int hBitmap,string fileName,ImageFormat imageFormat)
{
// Create a bitmap from the Windows handle
Bitmap image = new Bitmap(Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)),
Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)).Width,
Image.FromHbitmap(new IntPtr(hBitmap)).Height);
image.Save(fileName,imageFormat);
}