Printing a Panel

[Adam Sandler]

Hello,

I took a look at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...31(VS.71).aspx
which gives a code sample on how to print a form. To print a panel, I
just substituted 'p' for 'this':

private void CaptureScreen(P anel p)
{
Graphics myGraphics = p.CreateGraphic s();
Size s = p.Size;
memoryImage = new Bitmap(s.Width, s.Height, myGraphics);
Graphics memoryGraphics = Graphics.FromIm age(memoryImage );
IntPtr dc1 = myGraphics.GetH dc();
IntPtr dc2 = memoryGraphics. GetHdc();
BitBlt(dc2, 0, 0, p.ClientRectang le.Width,
p.ClientRectang le.Height, dc1, 0, 0, 13369376);
myGraphics.Rele aseHdc(dc1);
memoryGraphics. ReleaseHdc(dc2) ;
}

private void printDocument1_ PrintPage(objec t sender,
System.Drawing. Printing.PrintP ageEventArgs e)
{
e.Graphics.Draw Image(memoryIma ge, 0, 0);
}

Unfortunately, the output is sketchy... the capture even gets portions
of the screen which is not part of the application... for example, I
see the start menu button and taskbar in the print.

Is this the only way to print my panel? Basically, the panel I'm
trying to print just contains other, smaller, panels aligned in a grid
format. Each of the smaller panel just has a label inside.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Peter Duniho]

On Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:33:47 -0700, Adam Sandler <co****@excite. comwrote:

[...]
Unfortunately, the output is sketchy... the capture even gets portions
of the screen which is not part of the application... for example, I
see the start menu button and taskbar in the print.

That's some odd code. As a general suggestion, you may want to try to
avoid using .NET 1.1 samples. :)

A lot of stuff has been added to .NET since then and there are usually
much more convenient ways to approach problems. As an example, the code
you're showing has basically been replaced by Control.DrawToB itmap and/or
Graphics.CopyFr omScreen.

Of course, either of those would still have similar issues to what you've
seen. Graphics.CopyFr omScreen for obvious reasons would, but it turns out
that Control.DrawToB itmap does too. Unfortunately, there is no 100%
reliable answer to your question. However, one thing you might want to
look at is using p/invoke to send a WM_PRINT message to the form you're
trying to print. The message isn't guaranteed to be supported by every
window, but I think that for the built-in Windows stuff it usually is.

Pete

[Leo Seccia]

Hello Adam,

Did you try to use the CopyFromScreen method instead GetHdc and IntPtrs...
You might have more luck that way...

eg.
[..]
// Set the bitmap object to the size of the screen
bmpScreenshot = new Bitmap(regionSi ze.Width, regionSize.Heig ht,
PixelFormat.For mat32bppArgb);

// Create a graphics object from the bitmap
gfxScreenshot = Graphics.FromIm age(bmpScreensh ot);

// Take the screenshot from the upper left corner to the right
bottom corner
gfxScreenshot.C opyFromScreen(o ffsetX, offsetY, 0, 0, regionSize,
CopyPixelOperat ion.SourceCopy) ;
[..]

I use this code to do something very similar to what you want to do. And it
works.

Best of luck to you.

Leo

"Adam Sandler" <co****@excite. comwrote in message
news:f0******** *************** ***********@q27 g2000prf.google groups.com...

Hello,

I took a look at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...31(VS.71).aspx
which gives a code sample on how to print a form. To print a panel, I
just substituted 'p' for 'this':

private void CaptureScreen(P anel p)
{
Graphics myGraphics = p.CreateGraphic s();
Size s = p.Size;
memoryImage = new Bitmap(s.Width, s.Height, myGraphics);
Graphics memoryGraphics = Graphics.FromIm age(memoryImage );
IntPtr dc1 = myGraphics.GetH dc();
IntPtr dc2 = memoryGraphics. GetHdc();
BitBlt(dc2, 0, 0, p.ClientRectang le.Width,
p.ClientRectang le.Height, dc1, 0, 0, 13369376);
myGraphics.Rele aseHdc(dc1);
memoryGraphics. ReleaseHdc(dc2) ;
}

private void printDocument1_ PrintPage(objec t sender,
System.Drawing. Printing.PrintP ageEventArgs e)
{
e.Graphics.Draw Image(memoryIma ge, 0, 0);
}

Unfortunately, the output is sketchy... the capture even gets portions
of the screen which is not part of the application... for example, I
see the start menu button and taskbar in the print.

Is this the only way to print my panel? Basically, the panel I'm
trying to print just contains other, smaller, panels aligned in a grid
format. Each of the smaller panel just has a label inside.

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Adam Sandler]

On Jun 10, 3:59 am, "Leo Seccia" <[e-mail] mwrote:

Hello Adam,

Did you try to use the CopyFromScreen method instead GetHdc and IntPtrs...
You might have more luck that way...

eg.
[..]
// Set the bitmap object to the size of the screen
bmpScreenshot = new Bitmap(regionSi ze.Width, regionSize.Heig ht,
PixelFormat.For mat32bppArgb);

// Create a graphics object from the bitmap
gfxScreenshot = Graphics.FromIm age(bmpScreensh ot);

// Take the screenshot from the upper left corner to the right
bottom corner
gfxScreenshot.C opyFromScreen(o ffsetX, offsetY, 0, 0, regionSize,
CopyPixelOperat ion.SourceCopy) ;
[..]

I use this code to do something very similar to what you want to do. And it
works.

Excellent... this works. Thank-you very much for the assistance.

I do have one question though when event is fired, the capture gets
the menuitem, from where the click occurs, in the image. Is there a
way to delay calling the capture function until the menuitem goes
away?

Thanks!

[Leo Seccia]

I'm glad it worked.

You could try something like:
Application.DoE vents();
System.Threadin g.Thread.Sleep( 1000); //or less than a
second...

(But of course, that is a bit of a bodge... :-) )

Optionally, you might try to bring the panel to front or hide the menu item
before taking the screenshot...

Good luck to you. Let me know how you solve this one.

Regards,

Leo

"Adam Sandler" <co****@excite. comwrote in message
news:b3******** *************** ***********@u36 g2000prf.google groups.com...

On Jun 10, 3:59 am, "Leo Seccia" <[e-mail] mwrote:

>Hello Adam,

Did you try to use the CopyFromScreen method instead GetHdc and
IntPtrs...
You might have more luck that way...

eg.
[..]
// Set the bitmap object to the size of the screen
bmpScreenshot = new Bitmap(regionSi ze.Width,
regionSize.Hei ght,
PixelFormat.Fo rmat32bppArgb);

// Create a graphics object from the bitmap
gfxScreenshot = Graphics.FromIm age(bmpScreensh ot);

// Take the screenshot from the upper left corner to the
right
bottom corner
gfxScreenshot.C opyFromScreen(o ffsetX, offsetY, 0, 0,
regionSize,
CopyPixelOpera tion.SourceCopy );
[..]

I use this code to do something very similar to what you want to do. And
it
works.

Excellent... this works. Thank-you very much for the assistance.

I do have one question though when event is fired, the capture gets
the menuitem, from where the click occurs, in the image. Is there a
way to delay calling the capture function until the menuitem goes
away?

Thanks!

[Adam Sandler]

On Jun 11, 8:24 am, "Leo Seccia" <[e-mail] mwrote:

I'm glad it worked.

You could try something like:
Application.DoE vents();
System.Threadin g.Thread.Sleep( 1000); //or less than a
second...

(But of course, that is a bit of a bodge... :-) )

Optionally, you might try to bring the panel to front or hide the menu item
before taking the screenshot...

Good luck to you. Let me know how you solve this one.

Leo, still haven't solved this one yet... perhaps I'll spend more time
on it this weekend. Thanks for the advice thus far!