Capturing a window that isn't on top

[Achilles]

Anybody have any pointers on what sort of functions might be able to do this? Basically I want to be able to get a screen shot of a window that is not the window on top. _ScreenCapture_CaptureWnd will only capture the region that the window is in.. if there is another window on top then it won't work.

Windows 7 seems to have a lot of this build in with their new menu bar. If I could use the same functions they do that would be ideal.. I've looked through all of the _WinAPI functions but I don't seem to see anything that would work. If there was some sort of way to hook into the active feed for what the window is displaying that would be amazing.

Alternatively if someone knows of an easy and light way to hook events like any windows losing focus that would work too.. 'cause then I could just grab a screen shot real quick before it gets covered up. (Preferably something more elegant than a while loop waiting for the top window to change.)

Edited June 11, 2011 by Achilles

[Mat]

You should try WM_PRINT. You will need to create a DC... My guess would be to get the window DC and then create a compatible bitmap DC and draw on that (not that I know exactly what you should be doing, not my speciality).

Edit: Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd145216(v=vs.85).aspx

You will want: PRF_NONCLIENT | PRF_CHILDREN

Edited June 11, 2011 by Mat

[UEZ]

Look at Windows Screenshooter where you can select the GUI handle and it will take a screenshoot of it.

Br,

UEZ

[Achilles]

Look at Windows Screenshooter where you can select the GUI handle and it will take a screenshoot of it.

Br,

UEZ

thanks! that looks like exactly what I wanted.

@Mat: I think that's what UEZ's program does exactly lol