Taking screenshot programmatically

[texasnomad]

Are there any prewritten methods to take a chart screenshot programmatically? I developed a jpg graphic that plots statistical distributions, but I need to view what the chart was doing at the time for it to make any sense.

[NinjaTrader_AdamP]

texasnomad,

It looks like someone figured out a way to do this. Here is a link to an example of sendmail sending a chart screen shot.

http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/local_links.php?action=jump&catid=6&id=377

Im sure you could probably adapt it to your needs.

Please let me know if I may assist further.

[texasnomad]

Thanks. I'll take a look.

[texasnomad]

It's actually pretty easy. Use "ChartControl" in lieu of "chart and it works fine.

System.Drawing.Bitmap bmp = new System.Drawing.Bitmap(chart.ChartPanel.Width, chart.ChartPanel.Height, PixelFormat.Format16bppRgb555);
                chart.ChartPanel.DrawToBitmap(bmp, chart.ChartPanel.ClientRectangle);

[NinjaTrader_AdamP]

texasnomad,

I am happy you have resolved your issue.

Please don't hesitate to contact us should you require additional assistance.

[texasnomad]

The ChartPanel only updates in a strategy and not in an indicator, per this post. Does anyone have a suggestion of how to make it update in an indicator?

http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/forum/showthread.php?t=44836&highlight=ChartPanel

[koganam]

The ChartPanel only updates in a strategy and not in an indicator, per this post. Does anyone have a suggestion of how to make it update in an indicator?

http://www.ninjatrader.com/support/f...ght=ChartPanel

Are you sure about that?

I have found that when I try to capture any of the ChartPanel, the Parent, or the ParentForm, regardless, I get an empty window showing the Panel but no candles, or any other content drawn.

Maybe they changed something in 7.x, in the way that they construct the chart? It is strange though, because even if I change the code to capture the entire screen instead of just the NT chart, it captures the screen, with all windows showing their uncovered content, except for the NT chart, which still shows up as a blank palette. Hm.

Then again, all the ChartControl functions are unsupported, so there is nothing to cavil about.

[texasnomad]

No, it actually seems to be wrong. I took the post's word for it. When I tried it, I keep running into the same problems.

[texasnomad]

I tried using the chart's Paint and AfterPaint events to get the graphic and draw it to a bmp. I still can't get it working.

using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Forms;

 #region Variables
        private Bitmap bmp;        
        #endregion

        protected override void OnStartUp()
        {
            ChartControl.Paint += new PaintEventHandler(OnChartPaint);
            bmp = new Bitmap(800,600);
        }
        
        protected void OnChartPaint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)
        {
            e.Graphics.DrawImageUnscaled(bmp,0,0);
            bmp.Save(@"C:\testImage.jpg",ImageFormat.Jpeg);
        }

        protected void OnTermination()
        {
            ChartControl.Paint -= new PaintEventHandler(OnChartPaint);    
        }

[koganam]

I tried using the chart's Paint and AfterPaint events to get the graphic and draw it to a bmp. I still can't get it working.

using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Forms;

 #region Variables
        private Bitmap bmp;        
        #endregion

        protected override void OnStartUp()
        {
            ChartControl.Paint += new PaintEventHandler(OnChartPaint);
            bmp = new Bitmap(800,600);
        }
        
        protected void OnChartPaint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)
        {
            e.Graphics.DrawImageUnscaled(bmp,0,0);
            bmp.Save(@"C:\testImage.jpg",ImageFormat.Jpeg);
        }

        protected void OnTermination()
        {
            ChartControl.Paint -= new PaintEventHandler(OnChartPaint);    
        }

And when you do that, what does testImage.jpg look like?

[Hans B]

I had the same happening to me. I'm currently using the following to save my chart.

#region Global Variables

public string DefaultFileLocation = Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolde r.MyDocuments) + "\\NinjaTrader 7\\charts\\";

#endregion

#region fnSaveChart

[Description("Saving the active chart to a file")]
public void fnSaveChart (ChartControl chart, string Description, string Location)
{
if ( Historical ) return;

if ( Location == "<default>" ) Location = DefaultFileLocation;

string tFileName = Location
+ Description + " "
+ Instrument.FullName.ToString() + " "
+ "(" + BarsPeriod.Value + " " + BarsPeriod.Id + ") "
+ Time[0].Year.ToString() + "-"
+ Time[0].Month.ToString("00") + "-"
+ Time[0].Day.ToString("00") + " "
+ Time[0].Hour.ToString("00") + "."
+ Time[0].Minute.ToString("00") + "."
+ Time[0].Second.ToString("00") + "."
+ "jpg";

if (chart.ParentForm.WindowState == FormWindowState.Minimized)
{
Print("[fnSaveChart]Chart form window state must be maximized or normal to capture. Chart not saved.");
return;
}

try
{
// create the bitmap (empty)
Bitmap bitmap = new System.Drawing.Bitmap(chart.ChartPanel.Width, chart.ChartPanel.Height, PixelFormat.Format16bppRgb555);
// get bitmap of chart panel
chart.ChartPanel.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, chart.ChartPanel.ClientRectangle);

bitmap.Save( tFileName, ImageFormat.Jpeg );
}

catch (Exception ex)
{
Print ("[fnSaveChart] Exception: " + ex);
}

return;
}

#endregion

Note that you need to create the "\charts" folder

The function is called via

fnSaveChart (ChartControl, "End Trade", @"<default>");

Which results in something like

[koganam]

Interesting. I have pretty much the same code except for escaping Historical. I will have to see if that is the real difference. As I stated above, I get a blank canvas when I use the same technique.

[texasnomad]

And when you do that, what does testImage.jpg look like?

It's totally black for me, too.

[texasnomad]

This is the part that I believe that I left out. I'll have to check on it when I get more time.

chart.ChartPanel.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, chart.ChartPanel.ClientRectangle);

I was only passing ChartPanel and not the ClientRectangle property directly.

[Hans B]

Sometimes I also use this one. Rather than saving the active chart, it saves the screen (or all of them if you have mutliple).

try
{
int Screens = Screen.AllScreens.Length; // dell8300 2 screen, laptop 1 screen

Bitmap bitmap = new Bitmap(Screens * Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Width, Screen.PrimaryScreen.Bounds.Height); // adjusted for dual screens
Graphics graphics = Graphics.FromImage(bitmap as Image);
graphics.CopyFromScreen(0, 0, 0, 0, bitmap.Size);

bitmap.Save(tFileName, ImageFormat.Jpeg);
}

I remember also having empty screens in the beginning, but don't recall the exact reason any more. I think it was because the SaveChart action was called before the NT had completed the build of the screen. Once I programmed it so that it would do the SaveChart at the moment of a trade or at a given time it worked (and hasn't failed me yet). Do note that I'm using it in Strategies only.