Question

Capturing a screen using direct draw?

Asked by: msachin

    I will like to know, is it better to capture the screen image using directX or BitBlt when I want it to store in the memory? I was trying the directX way to do this but the lock call is failing. Can anyone suggest what is wrong there? I am giving the code snippet below.

LPDIRECTDRAW4               g_pDD = NULL;        // DirectDraw object
LPDIRECTDRAWSURFACE4        g_pDDSPrimary = NULL;// DirectDraw primary surface
     
int WINAPI Winmain(HINSTANCE hInst, HINSTANCE hPrev, LPSTR lpCmdLine, int nCmd){
    DDSURFACEDESC2              ddsd;
    HRESULT                     hRet;
    LPDIRECTDRAW                pDD;
 
     if(DirectDrawCreate(NULL, &pDD, NULL) == DD_OK){
           pDD->QueryInterface(IID_IDirectDraw4, (LPVOID *) & g_pDD);        //Successful
           g_pDD->SetCooperativeLevel(*phWnd, DDSCL_NORMAL);               //Successful
           ZeroMemory(&ddsd, sizeof(ddsd));
           ddsd.dwSize = sizeof(ddsd);
           ddsd.dwFlags = DDSD_CAPS;
           ddsd.ddsCaps.dwCaps = DDSCAPS_PRIMARYSURFACE;
           g_pDD->CreateSurface(&ddsd, &g_pDDSPrimary, NULL);             //successful

      DDSURFACEDESC2 DDSurfaceDesc;
      
      ZeroMemory(&DDSurfaceDesc, sizeof(DDSurfaceDesc));
      DDSurfaceDesc.dwSize = sizeof(DDSURFACEDESC2);
       
        hRet = g_pDDSPrimary->Lock(NULL, &DDSurfaceDesc, DDLOCK_SURFACEMEMORYPTR, NULL);   //FAILING??????????
        if(hRet == DD_OK){
               //how to proceed here            ?????????????????????????????????
               g_pDDSPrimary->UnLock()
        }
        else
              retrurn FALSE;       //Lock has failed
}

I have tried by assigning the various parameters with no success. Can anyone help me getting out of the problem.

Thanks,
Sachin

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Asked On
2003-09-10 at 03:53:36ID20734409
Tags

ddsurfacedesc

,

ddsurfacedesc2

,

capture

Topic

DirectX Graphics & Game Programming

Participating Experts
4
Points
0
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: n8shadowPosted on 2003-10-03 at 02:57:10ID: 9483473

maybe you can post the dx-errorcode from your failed lock.

an first suggestion is to use another lock flags. i lock my surfaces with the following:
DDLOCK_WAIT | DDLOCK_NOSYSLOCK | DDLOCK_SURFACEMEMORYPTR
where i had never problems.


 

by: _corey_Posted on 2003-10-06 at 12:00:59ID: 9500221

What kind of screen image do you want to capture?  Like just an application window?

If so, can explain how to do it without DirectX also if you like.

 

by: msachinPosted on 2003-10-07 at 20:26:08ID: 9510870

n8shadow I will try with the suggestions given by you today.
_corey_ I want to capture the given part of the screen periodically. Currently I am using BitBlt for that. I wanted to know if DirectX will be a better option(efficient with respect to time) for this or not. Am I using the right approach in my sample code? If yes, what is the problem there and if no then what is the correct approach.


Thanks,
Sachin

 

by: _corey_Posted on 2003-10-08 at 13:19:56ID: 9516180

Storing to memory? not processing and then to file?  BitBlt is actually decently fast.  I don't know how much of an improvement DirectX would give vs coding complexity.  I have not used it in that fasion before.

However, with DirectX you might get the different devices/surfaces in that area of the screen easier.  I'm not sure what's going to be in that screen location.

I wish to see how n8's settings suggestion works out.

 

by: msachinPosted on 2003-10-08 at 22:02:26ID: 9518395

n8 even the flags suggested by you are not working. When I try with FAILED macro it returns failure. When I get the return value, it goes to the default statement in switch. I am checking for DD_OK, DDERR_INVALIDPARAMS, DDERR_INVALIDOBJECT, DDERR_SURFACEBUSY, DDERR_SURFACELOST, DDERR_WASSTILLDRAWING, DDERR_OUTOFMEMORY.

corey, I am not storing it in files. All are the memory processing only.

 

by: n8shadowPosted on 2003-10-09 at 01:29:07ID: 9519068

okay then do the next:

1: post returncode
2a: if u haven't installed dx debug libraries - do this
2b: if u have them installed, go to dx setup and switch to debug libraries
2c: set debuglevel of ddraw to the highest level and start your program and watch outputwindow what directx tells.

 

by: SpazMODicPosted on 2003-12-01 at 12:08:30ID: 9852591

PAQed - no points refunded (of 125)

SpazMODic
EE Moderator

 

by: ManjeshPosted on 2004-01-28 at 22:34:38ID: 10225189

hello iam not completly gone through all the comments, but when i saw ur code

i saw the missing peice of code , ie u need to call GetSurfaceDesc before u can lock on

the DirectSurface.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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