[Image-SIG] Screen capture...

[Jason Cunliffe]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Denis" <spirou@carolo.com>

> Open-Source : no problem.
> Cross-platform : I don't think ImageMagick would compile on a
> Win box.

The Good news is VNC very cross-platform [they call it 'Any-to-Any'], and
even has recompiled binaries for ftp also.

> I've played with VNC, but I don't think it would be that easy
> to "connect" it to PIL. In my head, it's far from a screen
> capture app.

<quote from http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/howitworks.html >
The VNC protocol is a simple protocol for remote access to graphical user
interfaces.   It is based on the concept of a remote framebuffer or RFB. In
the past we have tended to refer to the VNC protocol as the RFB protocol, so
you may have seen this term in other publications.  The protocol simply
allows a server to update the framebuffer displayed on a viewer. Because it
works at the framebuffer level it is potentially applicable to all operating
systems, windowing systems and applications. This includes X/Unix, Windows
3.1/95/NT and Macintosh, but might also include PDAs, and indeed any device
with some form of communications link. The protocol will operate over any
reliable transport such as TCP/IP.
</quote>

How it Works
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/howitworks.html
Screenshots
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/screenshots.html
VNC Protocol
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/protocol.html


Easy? Depends on one's skill..
Alas I am not a C/C++ programmer so it is harder for me to say. But
installing and running VNC is very easy. There are a number of add-ons and
modifications people have made, VNC has a small but bright, focused user
community.

I see severl possible approaches:

A. 'Tweak' NVC client to allow python to grab and convert images uses PIL,
ImageMagick etc.

B. Embed Python inside of a VNC Server / Client.

C. Implement a version of VNC in Python eigther from scracth or more likely
by taking VNC and making it a Python extension module.

VNC Contributions
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/contribs.html


Source and binaries from:
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/download.html

any thoughts?

- Jason
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Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']