ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK – VB.NET – Record Screen Video from Command Line Console

Home
/
Articles
/
ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK – VB.NET – Record Screen Video from Command Line Console

printable version:
ByteScout-Screen-Capturing-SDK-VB-NET-Record-Screen-Video-from-Command-Line-Console.pdf

How to record screen video from command line console in VB.NET with ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK

Write code in VB.NET to record screen video from command line console with this step-by-step tutorial

Learn how to record screen video from command line console in VB.NET with this source code sample. Want to record screen video from command line console in your VB.NET app? ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK is designed for it. ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK is the tool for developers who want to add screen capturing in their application. Can record screen into video and into single screenshots. Output formats are WMV, AVI, WebM for video and PNG for screenshots. You can adjust output video size, quality, resolution, framerate, video and audio codecs. Includes special privacy features for blacking out sensitive information on screen. Can also capture video from web camera, can add overlays with text or images.

This code snippet below for ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK works best when you need to quickly record screen video from command line console in your VB.NET application. This VB.NET sample code is all you need for your app. Just copy and paste the code, add references (if needs to) and you are all set! Test VB.NET sample code examples whether they respond your needs and requirements for the project.

You can download free trial version of ByteScout Screen Capturing SDK from our website to see and try many others source code samples for VB.NET.

On-demand (REST Web API) version:
Web API (on-demand version)

On-premise offline SDK for Windows:
60 Day Free Trial (on-premise)

Module1.vb

      Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Globalization
Imports System.Threading
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices

Imports BytescoutScreenCapturingLib

' NOTE: if you are getting error like "invalid image" related to loading the SDK's dll then 
' try to do the following:
' 1) remove the reference to the SDK by View - Solution Explorer
' then click on References, select Bytescout... reference name and right-click it and select Remove
' 2) To re-add click on the menu: Project - Add Reference
' 3) In "Add Reference" dialog switch to "COM" tab and find Bytescout...
' 4) Select it and click "Add" 
' 5) Recompile the application 
' Note: if you need to run on both x64 and x86 then please make sure you have set "Embed Interop Types" to True for this reference

Module Module1
    Public Class Win32Interop
        <DllImport("crtdll.dll")> _
        Public Shared Function _kbhit() As Integer
        End Function
    End Class

    Sub Main(ByVal args As String())
        Dim capturer As New Capturer()

        If args.Length < 1 Then
            usage(capturer)
            Exit Sub
        End If

        capturer.OutputFileName = args(0)
        capturer.CapturingType = CaptureAreaType.catRegion

	' set border style
        capturer.CaptureAreaBorderType = CaptureAreaBorderType.cabtDashed

	' uncomment to enable recording of semitransparent or layered windows (Warning: may cause mouse cursor flickering)
	' capturer.CaptureTransparentControls = true

	' // WMV and WEBM output use WMVVideoBitrate property to control output video bitrate
   	' // so try to increase it by x2 or x3 times if you think the output video are you are getting is laggy
	' capturer.WMVVideoBitrate = capturer.WMVVideoBitrate * 2



        setParams(args, capturer)

        Try
            capturer.Run()

	' IMPORTANT: if you want to check for some code if need to stop the recording then make sure you are 
	' using Thread.Sleep(1) inside the checking loop, so you have the loop like
	' Do 
	' Thread.Sleep(1) 
	' While StopButtonNotClicked

            Console.WriteLine("Starting capture - Hit a key to stop ...")

            Dim s As String = capturer.CurrentVideoCodecName
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Using video compressor - {0}", s))

            s = capturer.CurrentAudioCodecName
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Using audio compressor - {0}", s))

            s = capturer.CurrentAudioDeviceLineName
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("Using audio input line - {0}", s))

            Dim i As Integer = 0
            Dim spin As String = "|/-\"
            While Win32Interop._kbhit() = 0
                Console.Write(String.Format(vbCr & "Encoding {0}", spin(i)))
                i = i + 1
                i = i Mod 4
                Thread.Sleep(50)
            End While

            capturer.Stop()

        ' Release(Resources)
        System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ReleaseComObject(capturer)
        capturer = Nothing

            Console.Write(vbLf & "Done")
            Console.Read()
        Catch generatedExceptionName As Exception
            Console.WriteLine(capturer.LastError)
        End Try
    End Sub

    Private Sub usage(ByVal capturer As Capturer)
        Console.WriteLine("Usage : CaptureScreenCSharp.exe <outfilename> [left] [top] [width] [height] [fps] [v-codec] [a-codec] [audioline]" & vbLf)
        Console.WriteLine("[left, top, width, height] is the rectangle to be captured")
        Console.WriteLine("[v-codec] is the index of the video codec in the list to use.")
        Console.WriteLine("[a-codec] is the index of the audio codec in the list to use.")
        Console.WriteLine("[audioline] is the index of the audio line in the list to capture from")
        Console.WriteLine("If either codec is unspecified, it defaults to 'Microsoft Video 1' and 'GSM 6.10'")
        Console.WriteLine("If audioline is unspecified, it uses the microphone")
        Console.WriteLine("To capture the currently playing output, select the stereo, mono or wave mix")

        Console.WriteLine("Installed Video Codecs (Note : Not all of them may work)")

        For i As Integer = 0 To capturer.VideoCodecsCount - 1
            Dim name As String = capturer.GetVideoCodecName(i)
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("    {0}. {1}", i, name))
        Next

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Installed Audio Codecs (Note : Not all of them may work)")
        For i As Integer = 0 To capturer.AudioCodecsCount - 1
            Dim name As String = capturer.GetAudioCodecName(i)
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("    {0}. {1}", i, name))
        Next

        Console.WriteLine(vbLf & "Audio input lines")
        For i As Integer = 0 To capturer.CurrentAudioDeviceLineCount - 1
            Dim name As String = capturer.GetCurrentAudioDeviceLineName(i)
            Console.WriteLine(String.Format("    {0}. {1}", i, name))
        Next
    End Sub

    Private Sub setParams(ByVal args As String(), ByVal capturer As Capturer)
        If args.Length > 1 Then
            Dim left As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(1))
            capturer.CaptureRectLeft = left
        End If

        If args.Length > 2 Then
            Dim top As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(2))
            capturer.CaptureRectTop = top
        End If

        If args.Length > 3 Then
            Dim width As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(3))
            capturer.CaptureRectWidth = width
        End If

        If args.Length > 5 Then
            Dim height As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(5))
            capturer.CaptureRectHeight = height
        End If

        If args.Length > 6 Then
            Dim fps As Single = Single.Parse(args(6), CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)
            capturer.FPS = fps
        End If

        If args.Length > 7 Then
            Dim vCodec As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(7))
            capturer.CurrentVideoCodec = vCodec
        End If

        If args.Length > 8 Then
            Dim aCodec As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(8))
            capturer.CurrentAudioCodec = aCodec
        End If

        If args.Length > 9 Then
            Dim aLine As Integer = Integer.Parse(args(9))
            capturer.CurrentAudioDeviceLine = aLine
        End If
    End Sub

End Module