VB3 Copying Entire Screen into a Picture Box in Visual Basic

- Microsoft Visual Basic programming system for Windows,

  versions 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0

SUMMARY

Using the Windows API call BitBlt, you can capture the entire Microsoft Windows screen and place the image into a Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows picture box.

First, get the handle to the desktop. Then use the desktop window handle to get the handle to the desktop's device context (hDC). Finally, use the Windows API call BitBlt to copy the screen into the Picture property of a Visual Basic for Windows picture box control.

MORE INFORMATION

Step-by-Step Example

1. Add a picture box (Picture1) to Form1.

2. Set the following properties:

      Control    Property      Value
      ------------------------------
      Picture1   AutoRedraw    True
      Picture1   Visible       False
   
   

3. Add the following code to your .BAS module:

   Type lrect

         left As Integer
         top As Integer
         right As Integer
         bottom As Integer
   

   End Type

      Declare Function GetDesktopWindow Lib "user" () As Integer
      Declare Function GetDC Lib "user" (ByVal hWnd%) As Integer
      ' Enter the following Declare on one, single line:
      Declare Function BitBlt Lib "GDI" (ByVal hDestDC%, ByVal X%, ByVal Y%,
         ByVal nWidth%, ByVal nHeight%, ByVal hSrcDC%, ByVal XSrc%,
         ByVal YSrc%, ByVal dwRop&) As Integer
      ' Enter the following Declare on one, single line:
      Declare Function ReleaseDC Lib "User"(ByVal hWnd As Integer, ByVal hDC
         As Integer) As Integer
      Declare Sub GetWindowRect Lib "User" (ByVal hWnd%, lpRect As lrect)
      Global Const True = -1 'Comment out this line if using Visual Basic 3.0.
      Global Const False = 0 'Comment out this line if using Visual Basic 3.0.
      Global TwipsPerPixel As Single
   
   

4. Add the following code to the Form1 Click event procedure:

      Sub Form_Click ()
         Call GrabScreen
      End Sub
   
      Sub GrabScreen ()
   
         Dim winSize As lrect
   
         ' Assign information of the source bitmap.
         ' Note that BitBlt requires coordinates in pixels.
         hwndSrc% = GetDesktopWindow()
         hSrcDC% = GetDC(hwndSrc%)
         XSrc% = 0: YSrc% = 0
         Call GetWindowRect(hwndSrc%, winSize)
         nWidth% = winSize.right             ' Units in pixels.
         nHeight% = winSize.bottom           ' Units in pixels.
   
         ' Assign informate of the destination bitmap.
         hDestDC% = Form1.Picture1.hDC
         x% = 0: Y% = 0
   
         ' Set global variable TwipsPerPixel and use to set
         ' picture box to same size as screen being grabbed.
         ' If picture box not the same size as picture being
         ' BitBlt'ed to it, it will chop off all that does not
         ' fit in the picture box.
         GetTwipsPerPixel
         Form1.Picture1.Top = 0
         Form1.Picture1.Left = 0
         Form1.Picture1.Width = (nWidth% + 1) * TwipsPerPixel
         Form1.Picture1.Height = (nHeight% + 1) * TwipsPerPixel
   
         ' Assign the value of the constant SRCOPYY to the Raster operation.
         dwRop& = &HCC0020
   
         ' NOTE: function call must be on one line:
         Suc% = BitBlt(hDestDC%, x%, Y%, nWidth%, nHeight%,
                       hSrcDC%, XSrc%, YSrc%, dwRop&)
   
         ' Release the DeskTopWindow's hDC to Windows.
         ' Windows may hang if this is not done.
         Dmy% = ReleaseDC(hwndSrc%, hSrcDC%)
   
         'Make the picture box visible.
         Form1.Picture1.Visible = True
      End Sub
   
      Sub GetTwipsPerPixel ()
         ' Set a global variable with the Twips to Pixel ratio.
         Form1.ScaleMode = 3
         NumPix = Form1.ScaleHeight
         Form1.ScaleMode = 1
         TwipsPerPixel = Form1.ScaleHeight / NumPix
      End Sub
   
   

5. Run the program. Click Form1.

6. Using the mouse, change the size of the form to see more of the picture box. With a little work, you can use this as a screen saver program.