Taking a screenshot in HWA?

I've read a couple of threads about this problem but I haven't got a clear answer yet: is it possible to take/save a screenshot of the frame in runtime with HWA?
The Screen Capture Object simply doesn't work with HWA, and that's known: but is there any other way to do that?
I need to take snapshots of the current game screen both to generate a thumbnail to be inserted in the savegame file and to switch from the current frame to an options screen pausing what's going on behind it (I tried the method of saving the frame position and switching to the other frame but in HWA "Keep display from previous frame" is another feature that doesn't work!).

I think the "keep display / desktop" feature not working is probably tied into the screenshot problem. I suppose they are kinda related.

It would be nice to have a workaround to this.

I built some menus into the same frame so they could share backgrounds in HWA but with some things (especially options) that would be quite complicated and time-consuming.

'The Big Box' object has a screen capture option under Misc. which works quite well in HWA... :)

Hey, good find. I seem to remember trying a couple of extensions. Never heard of that one!
Thanks!

It has to do with the difference between software rendering and hardware rendering. I think some things just aren't going to work without a lot more work. It's probably the same reason why games like Rayman had great transitions, but once games started using hardware acceleration rather than software, these transitions became harder to reproduce. It's all under the hood issues though, nothing any of us will understand unless we actually work up close and personal with the coding behind MMF2.

Entirely speculation though, I'm not stating any of this as fact.

I think you're absolutely right.

I would think that since the HWA display-output is arrived at via totally different methods. I think getting these considerations to 'plug-in' to HWA is probably the only thing left for Clickteam to attack now that HWA runs really steadily in my experience.

Anyhow -is still a good find and I'll give it a shot try-out I can.

It's very easy to convert the object. It should be no problem for Yves. The only problem might be capturing the screen and replace the black area by the frame, but capturing only the frame shouldn't be a problem.

Yeah most extensions should be able to get ported, only the ones clickteam has the source for though. Apparently overlay redux won't be because they don't have the code for that though. I guess though when things are finalized for HWA and Java there will be a new SDK out. So hopefully if some don't make it to the HWA version there is a chance they might happen later.

I think a good idea would be to make a sticky thread list of extensions that work now. I think i suggested this but it seems it won't happen, it would be faster for users to test if there was problems that way.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bradley

'The Big Box' object has a screen capture option under Misc. which works quite well in HWA... :)

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Big Box object tested. It successfully makes a screenshot of the whole screen, not of the game frame only; and the image is available in the clipboard. Is it possible to shot the mere frame (with HWA!) and maybe save it?

I'm really not sure if it could do that, I just remembered that the option for screenshots was available in the big box object and tested it in HWA. When it worked I thought I would let you know... :)

Perhaps if you could somehow simulate the [alt] + [prtscr] key presses this would give you a screenshot of the frame in the clipboard, but I am not sure if this is even possible.

Sorry I cant be of more help...

Again, it's possible with the normal screen capture object. Only "Capture Frame" doesn't work in HWA. If you select an area (you can retrieve the window position and client area using the Window Control Object) and use "capture screen" action, you should be able to do it.

The problem is - It would capture the area in front of the window, too. I'm not sure if the frame area does that, too. It's annoying anyway.

Isn't there a way to 'push' the App window to the front?

There is, but that might be very annoying and unwanted by the user. ;)

Move it back! :grin:

They won't even know what hit 'em.

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Originally Posted by Looki

The problem is - It would capture the area in front of the window, too. I'm not sure if the frame area does that, too. It's annoying anyway.

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I guess that's true. It's never a problem if capturing the screen is an action performed by the player (because then the application would have focus for sure), but I guess it can be a problem if the application does it on it's own behalf. Besides, if HWA is out soon as well as the new extension SDK for it, it only needs to be used as a temporary workaround.