request: can I automate screen capture/paste in background? (VBA question)

[Keith]

I need to document a new system/process, and our first attempts have been to
printscreen, switch to powerpoint, add a blank slide, paste the screenshot,
then go back to the source system and do the next screenshot.

It would be so much faster and easier if I could set up some code so PP2003
could just stay in the background, and when I hit the printscreen key, have
it automatically trigger a macro to create the slide, paste the image, and
return me to where I was when I hit the printscreen key.

Is this possible, and if so, can anyone provide some code snippet ideas? I
haven't messed with intercepting keys before, and I'm familiar with the
Excel object model but not powerpoint.

Thanks!!
Keith

 

[Kathy Jacobs]

Keith,
Check out SnagIt from TechSmith - It will let you automate the screen
captures so that they are taken every X amount of time. It will also allow
you to send the output directly to PPT (SnagIt 8.2 feature). The only thing
you will have to watch out for is that all of the snags go on the same
slide, so you will need to move them to new slides after you finish your
captures.
--
Kathy Jacobs, Microsoft MVP OneNote and PowerPoint
Author of Kathy Jacobs on PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint and OneNote information at www.onppt.com

I believe life is meant to be lived. But:
if we live without making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived

 

[Keith]

Kathy- thanks for the heads-up; we also have a license for Captivate, but
for this particular project we will be capturing screenshots on four
different PCs (playing the role of 4 different people in the process we are
documenting) and I don't have a budget for additional licenses for Captivate
or other software. I've done some copy/paste automation from Excel to
Powerpoint before, so I figured if I could just intercept the printscreen
command, I might be able to write a simple macro that I could put on all 4
PCs without having to worry about licensing ;-) and maybe even use an
inputbox to grab a quick description of which part of the process is being
documented and stick it in the notes section of the slide.
Thanks!
Keith

 

[Steve Rindsberg]

Keith,
Check out SnagIt from TechSmith - It will let you automate the screen
captures so that they are taken every X amount of time. It will also allow
you to send the output directly to PPT (SnagIt 8.2 feature). The only thing
you will have to watch out for is that all of the snags go on the same
slide, so you will need to move them to new slides after you finish your
captures.

SnagIt was my first thought too.

But I'd probably have it save to file, then use one of the batch import methods
here to bring 'em in, one image per slide, if that's what's needed.

BATCH IMPORT images into PowerPoint
http://www.pptfaq.com/FAQ00050.htm