Develop a screen-grab tool using C# and the Windows API
What you'll learn
Develop a functional and useful screen-grab tool.
Understand how to import Windows API functions.
Be able to deal with screen-handling even on multi-monitor systems.
Understand hotkeys that trigger actions throughout Windows.
Understand the Windows Procedure (WndProc).
Requirements
Basic knowledge of C# programming (complete beginners should first study my 'Learn C# Programming' course)
Visual Studio (free or commercial edition).
Description
Create a screen-capture tool in C#. In this course you will follow the development of a complete project from the ground up. You will end up with a utility that grabs images from screen and saves them to disk in multiple image formats.
In this course you will develop programs that do all the following
Grab an image of the entire screenGrab an image of a selected windowGrab an image from a second or third monitorMark an area of the screen with the mouse and grab that areaAdd an image of the mouse pointer to grabbed imagesCalculate screen coordinates and offsetsSave images to disk in various image formatsCreate hotkeys to trigger the screen-capture from any applicationUse forms and picture boxes to display imagesUse Windows API functions to add extra features to C#Use file dialogs to save and load imagesCreate transparent and translucent windowsMake forms draggable using API functionsOverride the Windows Procedure to handle events
This is a project-based course that comes with all the source code ready-to-run. It provides a great way for C# programmers to move beyond the basics to explore the development of more complex C# applications.
Overview
Section 1: The Basics of Screen Capture
Lecture 1 Welcome to the course
Lecture 2 What You will Learn from This Course
Lecture 3 ReadMe
Lecture 4 Source Code Archive
Download from free file storage
Lecture 5 A Simple Screen-Grabber
Lecture 6 Pausing Before Screen Capture
Lecture 7 Saving images
Lecture 8 Using Windows API functions
Lecture 9 Saving an image of a selected window
Lecture 10 Saving an image from a secondary screen
Lecture 11 X and Y positions on Multi-screen systems
Lecture 12 Using a PictureBox
Lecture 13 Adding a Save File Dialog
Lecture 14 Using File Dialogs
Lecture 15 Selecting Image Formats
Section 2: Extra Features
Lecture 16 Making the screen-grab tool more useful
Lecture 17 Selecting and Capturing an Area of Screen
Lecture 18 Making a Form Transparent
Lecture 19 Making a Transparent Form Draggable
Lecture 20 Compatibility with Windows versions
Lecture 21 Grabbing The Mouse Pointer
Lecture 22 Drawing the Mouse 'Cursor'
Lecture 23 Creating Hotkeys
Lecture 24 Registering Hotkeys
Lecture 25 WndProc – What is a Windows Procedure?
Lecture 26 Bringing a Window to Front
Lecture 27 Adding The Finishing Touches
Lecture 28 Going Further
Intermediate C# programmers looking for a project to extend their knowledge,C# programmers who want to learn to use the Windows API,Programmers wanting to understand screen-handling and image capturing
Screenshots

#