Hello,
I'm trying to make a small window that creates an alpha effect over the area of the desktop that is present. To do this, I need to get the bitmap data of the desktop underneath the window. Does anyone know of a way I can capture the desktop image without my window being present on it?
If you window is not present how can it have an area underneath it?
Use GetDC(NULL) for the whole screen Then create a compatible DC, bitmap and BitBlt the section you want on to it.
Fill a BITMAPINFO then use GetDIBits to retrive info on the BMP, then use these values to again call GetDIBits and get the actual data.
Convert from the current color depth and then try to display with your new colour depth. ie 16 bit (4bit for each colour, 4 unused or 5bit each colour 1 unused), 24 (bmp is array of RGBQUADs) or 32bit (1byte for each colour + 1 byte for blending and intensity)
Remember some graphics cards may use differnet formats. And BMP's are BGR not RGB and are bottom to top. That is the last line is the top line of the image.
Last edited by novacain; 04-28-2003 at 12:50 AM.
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