2nd Frame Screenshot?

Normal screenshots are simple as is taking one of a frame, however what i can't do is take a screenshot of a frame thats not visible so frame 2 etc from frame 1. Is it possible?

Basically what i want to try is like in graphics apps where you have a basic preview and a render button. Preview is simple but whatever i try i can't get it to render the second frame.

I have tried switching in a fastloop/event then back at the end i get a blank screen returned. I have tried putting the Screen Capture object on the second frame and triggering it by globals but it doesn't trigger until frame 2 is the active/visible frame.

I think if the Screen Capture object allowed you to enter a frame number it would be simple but it doesn't. Is it possible? or if not any ideas how to render a image of another frame from the first another way? thanks

Bump

No, screen capture obj. does, as in name, SCREEN capture, not frame. You must somehow jump to this frame and tell her (global vals should be useful) to make screenshot.

Sub-app object? That allows you to show (actually run) another frame without leaving the first frame.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkhog

No, screen capture obj. does, as in name, SCREEN capture, not frame. You must somehow jump to this frame and tell her (global vals should be useful) to make screenshot.

---

I tried this but could not get it to work, if anyone has a working example that would be a big help. The problem i got is via globals it wouldn't trigger without the frame being in focus, since i don't want the user to see that i tried a fastloop but got blank images back because it won't trigger correctly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dynasoft

Sub-app object? That allows you to show (actually run) another frame without leaving the first frame.

---

Thats nothing to do with what i want really, i need it to render a .png / .jpg etc rather than preview the next frame. Sorry i should have been clearer about that, subapps i can do with no trouble. As far as i know you cannot use the Screen Capture object on a sub app though, when i try i don't see anything from it.

I think it might require a actual new MMF feature or extension to be able to do it, whatever i try i can't get it to work but if it's possible hopefully someone knows.

Can't you just capture the frame before-hand yourself and just show an image of it at runtime? It's not like a frame that isn't running will change at all...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dynasoft

Can't you just capture the frame before-hand yourself and just show an image of it at runtime? It's not like a frame that isn't running will change at all...

---

It is running though it changes by globals, you oviously don't get the idea or are thinking of something else, it's suppost to be a graphics app that previews the results on the first frame with a render button to save the results (frame 2) full scale to an image.

Even though it seems like a very simple task basically it seems like MMF can't handle this sort of thing due to missing extensions/features.

Atom, can you provide a small example of your work thus far? I am still confused on what your graphics results will be. You say there are changes that will be reflected on a second frame. Are you causing various objects to move or appear when the second frame is loaded?

You could just view the second frame with the Subapplication Object without using a screen capture.

Here is an example:
www.skiosk-esd.com/clickteam/MMF2_examples/View2ndFrame.mfa

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DT

Atom, can you provide a small example of your work thus far? I am still confused on what your graphics results will be. You say there are changes that will be reflected on a second frame. Are you causing various objects to move or appear when the second frame is loaded?

You could just view the second frame with the Subapplication Object without using a screen capture.

---

I didn't save anything because it wouldn't work whatever i tried. I was trying to make a template for it because it's such a basic feature in graphics apps yet MMF can't do it easily sadly.

Thanks but you misunderstand and i have alread said a few times now just viewing the second frame with the sub app is not what i want. However a preview is part of it and it's basically like your example only i want it to save the image also.

What i want is a rendered image of the 2nd or another frame so actually a .png or .jpg saved of the frame after clicking a button and selecting a save location. I want to do it all via the first frame after clicking a button.

So i already had a preview and setup just like in the mfa you posted but now how do i make it save that preview in the original view you would see if it was actually on frame 2 to a image format?

I have actually requested a extension for it as it seems theres actually no way in MMF2 to do it -

http://www.clickteam.com/epicenter/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=130528#Post1305 28

But even Looki who makes great extensions said it's probably not possible. I think it will actually have to be included in MMF and that seems like it won't be anytime soon. MMF is doing a HWA update to improve graphics yet it doesn't have basic stuff like this by default already which is kind of frustrating as i want to make audio/graphics apps with it mainly.

ok, how is the "rendered image" being added to the second frame? Perhaps there is a way to do this but I need more detail please.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DT

ok, how is the "rendered image" being added to the second frame? Perhaps there is a way to do this but I need more detail please.

---

It's not added to the second frame it's saving the image from the 2nd frame. You design the look with controls/globals from frame 1 and preview it just like what you posted before. It has a extra render/save button on frame 1 that saves the render/frame2 to a image when pressed.

I have updated the example. This is not exactly what you asked for but it does allow you to preview, send global values to change the preview (and the original) and to screen capture the full size version.

I basically doubled the width of the first screen and put all the controls on the right side. Then on start of frame I center the screen to the right side of the frame. Now all of the actions are following the global values on the left side of the screen and the preview frame. When you click the button the screen centers on the left half and captures the frame. (to the clipboard in this example).

Open MSPaint and press Ctrl-V to see the capture.

www.skiosk-esd.com/clickteam/MMF2_examples/View2ndFrame.mfa

Well i could do all this from the start which is why i asked here about doing it from the second frame, i could take a screenshot, send globals, change frame position and use the sub app so as you say it's not what i asked for. Sorry i know i must be annoying telling you this and thanks but i have already said it was not what i wanted before you posted.

I was also planning to capture at different size which is why i needed it done from the second frame, say 1000x1000 or 2500x2500 resolution and use the frame. This was the best method i had tried from what i did but it means you can only capture at the size of the app using the screen capture object and also have to setup doubles.

This whole thread is hinting to me that as well as audio (sequencers, synthesis, midi editing) MMF is not up to the task with graphics either. So not exactly the multimedia development package i was originally thinking it would be. Don't get me wrong i think its a great app but just missing a lot of things and needs adjustments. More extensions/options should be included by default also (not 3rd party). Something to save the frames should be standard really. The screen capture method also does not do transparency well and has lots of downsides. If something like the extension idea happened it would solve a lot of things graphics app wise, but it doesn't seem it's going to happen unless the developers actually add it in but it should already be there really.

No problem and I take no offense. My only other advice is to use the subapp object to preview and record the options changed via the global values. THEN, jump to the second frame which will enact these global value changes and save the image. While I do know that other programs can does thinks like this they tend to be photo specific and not a general application tool like MMF. Sorry if you are unable to achieve a solution for this very specific task.

Thanks DT, i apreciate yours and others help. I tried doing that and switching to the second frame to capture but had no luck with this as the extension events wouldn't trigger correctly, do you have an example of it working correctly if possible?

Hmm, lets try this one...

www.skiosk-esd.com/clickteam/MMF2_examples/View2ndFrame.mfa

Changes passed to the second screen and previewed in the subapplication on the first. Button click sets a global value and when interpreted on the second screen captures to clipboard.

Thanks this works the best yet, however how do you make it capture a larger 2nd frame but stay the same on the frame1? So uneven sized frames with the second frame at say 2000x2000 but frame 1 as it is right now, if i try it clips the image to the app size.

Bump

This may not be possible. You are trying to use a programming tool to emulate all the functionality of a photo editing suite.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DT

You are trying to use a programming tool to emulate all the functionality of a photo editing suite.

---

Not really, a basic saving system like this should be standard. I don't see why it's so hard to do really. The app is called Multimedia Fusion also and if it's true you can't do basic tasks like this clickteam should remove comments like -

Quote:

---

Multimedia Fusion provides you with everything you need to start creating software of your own imagination and design.

---

From the product page, because thats simply not true and it doesn't handle things other than games as well from my experience so far.

At the end of the day all im trying to do is save a graphic i create from a frame to a image. It really shouldn't be so hard to achieve, but the program is missing various options and relys on 3rd party extensions for most things. I don't like being negative but thats my thoughts about it.

If that's all you are trying to do you should be able to use the Overlay object. just paste your graphic into this then use the overlay object to save the BMP. If you want to convert the image then use the image manipulator.

I believe the object you need to be using is the Overlay or Overlay redux object to achieve the results you want.

Do you have an example if possible?

I don't have an example. Have a play with the overlay object as this has the functions you are looking for. It will paste in objects over a preloaded image that can be resized within the overlay. you can use multiple overlays to paste into each other too. The Transparency thing will be tricky; you will probably need the image manipulator too.
I made a mapping application a while ago with MMF1.5 and remember using the overlay object to export to a bmp for a final printout. I remember a while ago someone using the overlay object to assist with a realistic terrain rendering engine. Impressive when you know how to use MMF really.

I can't find any examples for that extension in the mmf folder and i can't get it to save with a set path after pasting the image into the overlay, there doesnt seem to be a file selector command for it either. If i can get a basic idea of how it works i could probably figure something out.

you can store the directory path using the file object.

Frame #1:
+Start of Frame
-(Screen Capture) Set Filename [Expression] to AppDrive$+AppDir$+"Filename.png"

+Press button (or whatever...)
-(Screen Capture) Capture Screen
-Go To Frame #2


Frame #2:
+Start of Frame
-(Picture) Set to AppDrive$+AppDir$+"Filename.png"

Still doesn't work -

Always paste object into overlay

When button is clicked - Open save selector, FileSelReturn$( "File" )

i type a name with .bmp and it saves nothing. Can someone make a quick example please?

Also does this have the same limitation as before where it uses the application size or visible frame area only? And does it work with the sub app also?

Ok no worries i needed to make sure it was on the frame area and resize and position it. Will test it a bit more.

Ok i have done a few tests, doesn't work well either really unfortunately, or at least my attempts won't -

http://www.box.net/shared/0pautkts5o

It can't handle transparency, and also won't work if you just have a transparent area rather than an image, seems odd for a overlay module.

Next i can't get the file object to trigger with a global again. It was working if i did it via the same frame though but not what i want. I had to change the objects over to the first frame and send it all via globals but it won't work anyway now.

Now i notice sub app doesn't display things if its resized and was bigger on the second frame. Im not even sure if it worked correctly it would save at a larger size on frame2 but i hope so.

The resize in the subapp won't resize all windows controls if this is what you are talking about.. There is a tickbox on the subapp area that should fix the refresh problem.

Ah yeah stretch to object, that fixes the sub app but what about the main stuff? Why doesn't it trigger with globals?