Video Screen Capture

Targets Windows
1

Users of an in-house app I wrote sometimes complain of random crashes that we are unable to duplicate. I spent a few hours figuring out the COM interface for the Snagit screen shot and video capture tool and am posting it here so others can use it. Snagit comes with a 15 day free trial and costs $49 if you want a licensed copy. This code captures the window that calls the routine, but it can also be set to capture the whole screen or set portions of it.

Public Sub StartCapture()
  if Running Then 
    EndCapture
    app.SleepCurrentThread 500
  end if
  Running = True
  VideoCapt = new SNAGITLib.VideoCapture
  VideoCapt.MuteMic = True
  VideoCapt.MuteSystemAudio = True
  VideoCapt.ForegroundPreview = False
  VideoCapt.EnablePreviewWindow = False
  VideoCapt.OutputVideoFile.Directory = SpecialFolder.Documents.Child("SnagIt").NativePath
  VideoCapt.OutputVideoFile.FileNamingMethod = SNAGITLib.snagOuputFileNamingMethod.sofnmAuto
  VideoCapt.Input = SNAGITLib.snagVideoInput.sviWindow
  VideoCapt.InputWindowOptions.SelectionMethod = SNAGITLib.snagWindowSelectionMethod.swsmActive
  VideoCapt.IncludeCursor = True
  VideoCapt.HideRecordingUI = True
  VideoCapt.Start
  TimeOutTimer.Period = TimeOut * 1000
  TimeOutTimer.Mode = Timer.ModeSingle
  
End Sub

To stop the recording

Public Sub EndCapture()
  TimeOutTimer.Mode = Timer.ModeOff
  VideoCapt.Stop
  Running = False
  VideoCapt = nil
  End Sub

Running is a boolean and the code stops the current instance before launching another one. Not doing this causes the MuteMic and MuteSystgemAudio routines to crash requiring a Windows restart before the routine will work again. The timer halts the video after a specified period. Installing Snagit will create the specified folder or you can put the files anywhere.

2

Does this sort the crash, or are you asking if any of us have an idea as to the crash?

3

Snagit COM server will crash if you open two instances at the same time and you set MuteMic or MuteSystemAudio true. Its just a warning to anyone wanting to use the program.

4

How can I test your application?

5

Download Snagit from their website. The first 15 days are free, I tested it on a window with a button with the first part of the code above in the action event and with a label where the time updated every second. A second button with the bottom part of the code sample stops the capture. You also need to Insert the ActiveX Compnent SNAGIT 1.0 Type Library into your app.