Saving Clipboard data as picture

[OTWarrior]

ITT, How would you reference the clipboard's data when it is a picture (ie: you have copied a picture to the clipboard), and save it to a file?

I have looked high and low for an answer and have yet to find one. I know you can do this in vb6 (that is the answer I keep finding) and I know you can do this for text, but there must be some way of doing this?

Any help would be much appreciated.

[stanl]

If the picture is a bitmap, you can access the clipboard as type CF_DIB which VBA can handle by calling a .wsc file. Other image formats are a bit more complicated.

Could you post more specifics about what you are trying to accomplish?

Stan

[OTWarrior]

Ideally I would want to do it in Access, but it is fine if it is in another office app.

I want to create a macro that will save the contents of the clipboard (if a picture, especially if someone has pressed "printscreen") to a jpg, bmp or png file to a location on their computer. I would prefer a straight save to the location rather than pasting it to word or paint and saving it (i did see one sort of solution using sendkeys and timing events, but that wouldn't be suitable).

Thanks for your reply. Hope what I am looking for is clearer to you.

[Tommy]

I found this at this location. I have not tested and don't have access to test it with.

http://groups.google.ca/group/microsoft.public.access.modulesdaovba/browse_thread/thread/674742b64c6e7d01/3e95e8f696986245?lnk=st&q=getclipboarddata(cf_bitmap)+visual+basic&rnum=2&s afe=on

Option Compare Database 
Option Explicit 
 
Private Declare Function apiDeleteObject Lib "gdi32" _ 
Alias "DeleteObject" (ByVal hObject As Long) As Long 
 
Private Sub cmdCreateIPicture_Click() 
     ' *********************
     ' You must set a Reference to:
     ' "OLE Automation"
     ' for this function to work.
     ' Goto the Menu and select
     ' Tools->References
     ' Scroll down to:
     ' Ole Automation
     ' and click in the check box to select
     ' this reference.
     
    Dim lngRet As Long 
    Dim lngBytes As Long 
    Dim hPix As IPicture 
    Dim hBitmap As Long 
     'Dim hPicBox As StdPicture
     
    Me.OLEBound19.SetFocus 
     'Me.OLEbound19.SizeMode = acOLESizeZoom
    DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdCopy 
    hBitmap = GetClipBoard 
    Set hPix = BitmapToPicture(hBitmap) 
    SavePicture hPix, "C:\ole.bmp" 
    apiDeleteObject (hBitmap) 
    Me.Image0.Picture = "C:\ole.bmp" 
     
    Set hPix = Nothing 
End Sub 
 
 ' Here's the code behind the code module
 
Option Compare Database 
Option Explicit 
 
Private Const vbPicTypeBitmap = 1 
 
Private Type IID 
    Data1 As Long 
    Data2 As Integer 
    Data3 As Integer 
    Data4(7) As Byte 
End Type 
 
Private Type PictDesc 
    Size As Long 
    Type As Long 
        hBmp As Long 
        hPal As Long 
        Reserved As Long 
    End Type 
     
    Private Declare Function OleCreatePictureIndirect Lib _ 
    "olepro32.dll" _ 
    (PicDesc As PictDesc, RefIID As IID, _ 
    ByVal fPictureOwnsHandle As Long, _ 
    IPic As IPicture) As Long 
     
     '''Windows API Function Declarations
     
     'Does the clipboard contain a bitmap/metafile?
    Private Declare Function IsClipboardFormatAvailable Lib "user32" (ByVal 
    wFormat As Integer) As Long 
     
     'Open the clipboard to read
    Private Declare Function OpenClipboard Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) 
    As Long 
     
     'Get a pointer to the bitmap/metafile
    Private Declare Function GetClipboardData Lib "user32" (ByVal wFormat As 
    Integer) As Long 
     
     'Close the clipboard
    Private Declare Function CloseClipboard Lib "user32" () As Long 
     
     'Create our own copy of the metafile, so it doesn't get wiped out by
    subsequent clipboard updates. 
    Declare Function CopyEnhMetaFile Lib "gdi32" Alias "CopyEnhMetaFileA" 
    (ByVal hemfSrc As Long, ByVal lpszFile As String) As Long 
     
     'Create our own copy of the bitmap, so it doesn't get wiped out by
    subsequent clipboard updates. 
    Declare Function CopyImage Lib "user32" (ByVal handle As Long, ByVal un1 
    As Long, ByVal n1 As Long, ByVal n2 As Long, ByVal un2 As Long) As Long 
     
     'The API format types we're interested in
    Const CF_BITMAP = 2 
    Const CF_PALETTE = 9 
    Const CF_ENHMETAFILE = 14 
    Const IMAGE_BITMAP = 0 
    Const LR_COPYRETURNORG = &H4 
     ' Addded by SL Apr/2000
    Const xlPicture = CF_BITMAP 
    Const xlBitmap = CF_BITMAP 
     
     '*******************************************
     'DEVELOPED AND TESTED UNDER MICROSOFT ACCESS 97 VBA ONLY
     '
     'Copyright: Lebans Holdings 1999 Ltd.
     '           May not be resold in whole or part. Please feel
     '           free to use any/all of this code within your
     '           own application without cost or obligation.
     '           Please include the one line Copyright notice
     '           if you use this function in your own code.
     '
     'Name:      BitmapToPicture &
     '           GetClipBoard
     '
     'Purpose:   Provides a method to save the contents of a
     '           Bound or Unbound OLE Control to a Disk file.
     '           This version only handles BITMAP files.
     '           '
     'Author:    Stephen Lebans
     'Email:     Step...@lebans.com
     'Web Site:  www.lebans.com
     'Date:      Apr 10, 2000, 05:31:18 AM
     '
     'Called by: Any
     '
     'Inputs:    Needs a Handle to a Bitmap.
     '           This must be a 24 bit bitmap for this release.
     '
     'Credits:
     'As noted directly in Source :-)
     '
     'BUGS:
     'To keep it simple this version only works with Bitmap files of
    16 Or 24 bits. 
     'I'll go back and add the
     'code to allow any depth bitmaps and add support for
     'metafiles as well.
     'No serious bugs notices at this point in time.
     'Please report any bugs to my email address.
     '
     'What's Missing:
     '
     '
     'HOW TO USE:
     '
     '*******************************************
     
    Public Function BitmapToPicture(ByVal hBmp As Long, _ 
        Optional ByVal hPal As Long = 0&) _ 
        As IPicture '
         
         ' The following code is adapted from
         ' Bruce McKinney's "Hardcore Visual Basic"
         ' And Code samples from:
         ' http://www.mvps.org/vbnet/code/bitmap/printscreenole.htmv
         ' and examples posted on MSDN
         
         ' The handle to the Bitmap created by CreateDibSection
         ' cannot be passed directly as the PICTDESC.Bitmap element
         ' that get's passed to OleCreatePictureIndirect.
         ' We need to create a regular bitmap from our CreateDibSection
         'Dim hBmptemp As Long, hBmpOrig As Long
         'Dim hDCtemp As Long
         
         'Fill picture description
        Dim lngRet As Long 
        Dim IPic As IPicture, picdes As PictDesc, iidIPicture As IID 
         
         'hDCtemp = apiCreateCompatibleDC(0)
         'hBmptemp = apiCreateCompatibleBitmap _
         '(mhDCImage, lpBmih.bmiHeader.biWidth, _
         'lpBmih.bmiHeader.biHeight)
         
         'hBmpOrig = apiSelectObject(hDCtemp, hBmptemp)
         
         '  lngRet = apiBitBlt(hDCtemp, 0&, 0&, lpBmih.bmiHeader.biWidth, _
         '        lpBmih.bmiHeader.biHeight, mhDCImage, 0, 0, SRCCOPY)
         
         'hBmptemp = apiSelectObject(hDCtemp, hBmpOrig)
         'Call apiDeleteDC(hDCtemp)
         
        picdes.Size = Len(picdes) 
        picdes.Type = vbPicTypeBitmap 
        picdes.hBmp = hBmp 
         
         ' No palette info here
         ' Everything is 24bit for now
         
        picdes.hPal = hPal 
         ' ' Fill in magic IPicture GUID
        {7BF80980-BF32-101A-8BBB-00AA00300CAB} 
        iidIPicture.Data1 = &H7BF80980 
        iidIPicture.Data2 = &HBF32 
        iidIPicture.Data3 = &H101A 
        iidIPicture.Data4(0) = &H8B 
        iidIPicture.Data4(1) = &HBB 
        iidIPicture.Data4(2) = &H0 
        iidIPicture.Data4(3) = &HAA 
        iidIPicture.Data4(4) = &H0 
        iidIPicture.Data4(5) = &H30 
        iidIPicture.Data4(6) = &HC 
        iidIPicture.Data4(7) = &HAB 
         '' Create picture from bitmap handle
        lngRet = OleCreatePictureIndirect(picdes, iidIPicture, True, IPic) 
         '' Result will be valid Picture or Nothing-either way set it
        Set BitmapToPicture = IPic 
    End Function 
     
    Function GetClipBoard() As Long 
         ' Adapted from original Source Code by:
         '* MODULE NAME:     Paste Picture
         '* AUTHOR & DATE:   STEPHEN BULLEN, Business Modelling Solutions Ltd.
         '*                  15 November 1998
         '*
         '* CONTACT:         Step...@BMSLtd.co.uk
         '* WEB SITE:        http://www.BMSLtd.co.uk
         
         ' Handles for graphic Objects
        Dim hClipBoard As Long 
        Dim hBitmap As Long 
        Dim hBitmap2 As Long 
         
         'Check if the clipboard contains the required format
         'hPicAvail = IsClipboardFormatAvailable(lPicType)
         
         ' Open the ClipBoard
        hClipBoard = OpenClipboard(0&) 
         
        If hClipBoard <> 0 Then 
             ' Get a handle to the Bitmap
            hBitmap = GetClipboardData(CF_BITMAP) 
             
            If hBitmap = 0 Then Goto exit_error 
             ' Create our own copy of the image on the clipboard, in the
            appropriate format. 
             'If lPicType = CF_BITMAP Then
            hBitmap2 = CopyImage(hBitmap, IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, 
            LR_COPYRETURNORG) 
             '   Else
             '  hBitmap2 = CopyEnhMetaFile(hBitmap, vbNullString)
             ' End If
             
             'Release the clipboard to other programs
            hClipBoard = CloseClipboard 
             
            GetClipBoard = hBitmap2 
            Exit Function 
             
        End If 
         
exit_error: 
         ' Return False
        GetClipBoard = -1 
    End Function 
     
     

VBA tags courtesy of www.thecodenet.com

[OTWarrior]

Doesn't quite work, seems to want to copy an ole object all the time.

Plus it fills up the clipboard, so copy and paste no longer work "out of memory".

Thanks for the effort though, is almost there

[Charlize]

The original coding in this file was from Stephen Bullen. He used a form with a picture object on it. The picture object was filled with the data on the clipboard. Anyway, I've written a routine that uses his functions to deal with a picture on the clipboard. The routine will allow you to select the destination where you want to save your picture (bmp file) and you may choose your name. If no picturedata is present, you will be informed.

Just press printscreen, select the workbook with this routine and run the routine save_a_picture.

Hope you'll like this one.

Charlize

[OTWarrior]

That is perfect Charlize. Thank you very much.
(sorry for the late reply, been too busy with other projects to test it

[coulombe]

You're a rock star, mate. That's just what I needed. Thanks for posting that!

[flexalmdude]

thank you workin fine

[doctorcpu]

Quote:   Originally Posted by: Charlize The original coding in this file was from Stephen Bullen. He used a form with a picture object on it. The picture object was filled with the data on the clipboard. Anyway, I've written a routine that uses his functions to deal with a picture on the clipboard. The routine will allow you to select the destination where you want to save your picture (bmp file) and you may choose your name. If no picturedata is present, you will be informed. Just press printscreen, select the workbook with this routine and run the routine save_a_picture. Hope you'll like this one. Charlize

New to this board so I may have not replied correctly.

Please email me a copy of your modified code bit as I'm trying to do the same thing or if there is a way to do this in Excel 2010, let me know. Thanks,

[Charlize]

Quote:   Originally Posted by: doctorcpu New to this board so I may have not replied correctly. Please email me a copy of your modified code bit as I'm trying to do the same thing or if there is a way to do this in Excel 2010, let me know. Thanks,

Just download the zip from a few posts above. Tried it in excel 2010 and works as described (at least for me).

Charlize

[doctorcpu]

Thanks for the reply, I was trying to get this to run in Excel 2010 64BIT.

[gpowers66]

Quote:   Originally Posted by: Charlize Just download the zip from a few posts above. Tried it in excel 2010 and works as described (at least for me). Charlize

Looking for the zip file that you are referencing. If you can repost it I would be very appreciative. Thank you.

[Charlize]

As requested the zip with excel file.

Charlize

[Aflatoon]

Stephen's code will not work in 64bit Office as it is. I do not have 64bit installed to test, but I believe it should convert as follows:

 
 '***************************************************************************
 '*
 '* MODULE NAME:     Paste Picture
 '* AUTHOR & DATE:   STEPHEN BULLEN, Office Automation Ltd
 '*                  15 November 1998
 '*
 '* CONTACT:         Stephen@oaltd.co.uk
 '* WEB SITE:        http://www.oaltd.co.uk
 '*
 '* DESCRIPTION:     Creates a standard Picture object from whatever is on the clipboard.
 '*                  This object can then be assigned to (for example) and Image control
 '*                  on a userform.  The PastePicture function takes an optional argument of
 '*                  the picture type - xlBitmap or xlPicture.
 '*
 '*                  The code requires a reference to the "OLE Automation" type library
 '*
 '*                  The code in this module has been derived from a number of sources
 '*                  discovered on MSDN.
 '*
 '*                  To use it, just copy this module into your project, then you can use:
 '*                      Set Image1.Picture = PastePicture(xlPicture)
 '*                  to paste a picture of whatever is on the clipboard into a standard image control.
 '*
 '* PROCEDURES:
 '*   PastePicture   The entry point for the routine
 '*   CreatePicture  Private function to convert a bitmap or metafile handle to an OLE reference
 '*   fnOLEError     Get the error text for an OLE error code
 '***************************************************************************
 
Option Explicit 
Option Compare Text 
 
 ''' User-Defined Types for API Calls
 
 'Declare a UDT to store a GUID for the IPicture OLE Interface
Private Type GUID 
    Data1 As Long 
    Data2 As Long 
    Data3 As Long 
    Data4(0 To 7) As Byte 
End Type 
 
 'Declare a UDT to store the bitmap information
Private Type uPicDesc 
    Size As Long 
    Type As Long 
        hPic As LongPtr 
        hPal As LongPtr 
    End Type 
     
     '''Windows API Function Declarations
     
     'Does the clipboard contain a bitmap/metafile?
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function IsClipboardFormatAvailable Lib "user32" (ByVal wFormat As Long) As Long 
     
     'Open the clipboard to read
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function OpenClipboard Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As LongPtr) As Long 
     
     'Get a pointer to the bitmap/metafile
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetClipboardData Lib "user32" (ByVal wFormat As Long) As LongPtr 
     
     'Close the clipboard
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function CloseClipboard Lib "user32" () As Long 
     
     'Convert the handle into an OLE IPicture interface.
    Private Declare PtrSafe Function OleCreatePictureIndirect Lib "olepro32.dll" (PicDesc As uPicDesc, RefIID As GUID, ByVal fPictureOwnsHandle As LongPtr, IPic As IPicture) As Long 
     
     'Create our own copy of the metafile, so it doesn't get wiped out by subsequent clipboard updates.
    Declare PtrSafe Function CopyEnhMetaFile Lib "gdi32" Alias "CopyEnhMetaFileA" (ByVal hemfSrc As LongPtr, ByVal lpszFile As String) As LongPtr 
     
     'Create our own copy of the bitmap, so it doesn't get wiped out by subsequent clipboard updates.
    Declare PtrSafe Function CopyImage Lib "user32" (ByVal handle As LongPtr, ByVal un1 As Long, ByVal n1 As Long, ByVal n2 As Long, ByVal un2 As Long) As LongPtr 
     
     'The API format types we're interested in
    Const CF_BITMAP = 2 
    Const CF_PALETTE = 9 
    Const CF_ENHMETAFILE = 14 
    Const IMAGE_BITMAP = 0 
    Const LR_COPYRETURNORG = &H4 
     
     ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
     ''' Subroutine: PastePicture
     '''
     ''' Purpose:    Get a Picture object showing whatever's on the clipboard.
     '''
     ''' Arguments:  lXlPicType - The type of picture to create.  Can be one of:
     '''                          xlPicture to create a metafile (default)
     '''                          xlBitmap to create a bitmap
     '''
     ''' Date        Developer           Action
     ''' --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     ''' 30 Oct 98   Stephen Bullen      Created
     ''' 15 Nov 98   Stephen Bullen      Updated to create our own copies of the clipboard images
     '''
     
    Function PastePicture(Optional lXlPicType As Long = xlPicture) As IPicture 
         
         'Some pointers
        Dim h As Long, hPicAvail As Long, hPtr As LongPtr, hPal As LongPtr, lPicType As Long, hCopy As LongPtr 
         
         'Convert the type of picture requested from the xl constant to the API constant
        lPicType = IIf(lXlPicType = xlBitmap, CF_BITMAP, CF_ENHMETAFILE) 
         
         'Check if the clipboard contains the required format
        hPicAvail = IsClipboardFormatAvailable(lPicType) 
         
        If hPicAvail <> 0 Then 
             'Get access to the clipboard
            h = OpenClipboard(0&) 
             
            If h > 0 Then 
                 'Get a handle to the image data
                hPtr = GetClipboardData(lPicType) 
                 
                 'Create our own copy of the image on the clipboard, in the appropriate format.
                If lPicType = CF_BITMAP Then 
                    hCopy = CopyImage(hPtr, IMAGE_BITMAP, 0, 0, LR_COPYRETURNORG) 
                Else 
                    hCopy = CopyEnhMetaFile(hPtr, vbNullString) 
                End If 
                 
                 'Release the clipboard to other programs
                h = CloseClipboard 
                 
                 'If we got a handle to the image, convert it into a Picture object and return it
                If hPtr <> 0 Then Set PastePicture = CreatePicture(hCopy, 0, lPicType) 
            End If 
        End If 
         
    End Function 
     
     
     ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
     ''' Subroutine: CreatePicture
     '''
     ''' Purpose:    Converts a image (and palette) handle into a Picture object.
     '''
     '''             Requires a reference to the "OLE Automation" type library
     '''
     ''' Arguments:  None
     '''
     ''' Date        Developer           Action
     ''' --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     ''' 30 Oct 98  Stephen Bullen      Created
     '''
     
    Private Function CreatePicture(ByVal hPic As LongPtr, ByVal hPal As LongPtr, ByVal lPicType) As IPicture 
         
         ' IPicture requires a reference to "OLE Automation"
        Dim r As Long, uPicInfo As uPicDesc, IID_IDispatch As GUID, IPic As IPicture 
         
         'OLE Picture types
        Const PICTYPE_BITMAP = 1 
        Const PICTYPE_ENHMETAFILE = 4 
         
         ' Create the Interface GUID (for the IPicture interface)
        With IID_IDispatch 
            .Data1 = &H7BF80980 
            .Data2 = &HBF32 
            .Data3 = &H101A 
            .Data4(0) = &H8B 
            .Data4(1) = &HBB 
            .Data4(2) = &H0 
            .Data4(3) = &HAA 
            .Data4(4) = &H0 
            .Data4(5) = &H30 
            .Data4(6) = &HC 
            .Data4(7) = &HAB 
        End With 
         
         ' Fill uPicInfo with necessary parts.
        With uPicInfo 
            .Size = Len(uPicInfo) ' Length of structure.
            .Type = IIf(lPicType = CF_BITMAP, PICTYPE_BITMAP, PICTYPE_ENHMETAFILE) ' Type of Picture
            .hPic = hPic ' Handle to image.
            .hPal = IIf(lPicType = CF_BITMAP, hPal, 0) ' Handle to palette (if bitmap).
        End With 
         
         ' Create the Picture object.
        r = OleCreatePictureIndirect(uPicInfo, IID_IDispatch, True, IPic) 
         
         ' If an error occured, show the description
        If r <> 0 Then Debug.Print "Create Picture: " & fnOLEError(r) 
         
         ' Return the new Picture object.
        Set CreatePicture = IPic 
         
    End Function 
     
     ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
     ''' Subroutine: fnOLEError
     '''
     ''' Purpose:    Gets the message text for standard OLE errors
     '''
     ''' Arguments:  None
     '''
     ''' Date        Developer           Action
     ''' --------------------------------------------------------------------------
     ''' 30 Oct 98   Stephen Bullen      Created
     '''
     
    Private Function fnOLEError(lErrNum As Long) As String 
         
         'OLECreatePictureIndirect return values
        Const E_ABORT = &H80004004 
        Const E_ACCESSDENIED = &H80070005 
        Const E_FAIL = &H80004005 
        Const E_HANDLE = &H80070006 
        Const E_INVALIDARG = &H80070057 
        Const E_NOINTERFACE = &H80004002 
        Const E_NOTIMPL = &H80004001 
        Const E_OUTOFMEMORY = &H8007000E 
        Const E_POINTER = &H80004003 
        Const E_UNEXPECTED = &H8000FFFF 
        Const S_OK = &H0 
         
        Select Case lErrNum 
        Case E_ABORT 
            fnOLEError = " Aborted" 
        Case E_ACCESSDENIED 
            fnOLEError = " Access Denied" 
        Case E_FAIL 
            fnOLEError = " General Failure" 
        Case E_HANDLE 
            fnOLEError = " Bad/Missing Handle" 
        Case E_INVALIDARG 
            fnOLEError = " Invalid Argument" 
        Case E_NOINTERFACE 
            fnOLEError = " No Interface" 
        Case E_NOTIMPL 
            fnOLEError = " Not Implemented" 
        Case E_OUTOFMEMORY 
            fnOLEError = " Out of Memory" 
        Case E_POINTER 
            fnOLEError = " Invalid Pointer" 
        Case E_UNEXPECTED 
            fnOLEError = " Unknown Error" 
        Case S_OK 
            fnOLEError = " Success!" 
        End Select 
         
    End Function 

VBA tags courtesy of www.thecodenet.com

[yoelyfie]

Hello, i tried the above code but i still received the "Out Of Memory" Error

[yoelyfie]

I'm Sorry I tried the Code in MS Access, now i see that your Attached Code is for Excel,

Do you have a code that can be used in access, the other i tried and i'm getting the "Out Of memory" Error

[schneutz69]

Hi yoelyfie,
after experimenting with the code and running into errors, I kept receiving "Out of Memory" messages on normal Copy&Paste actions in the editor. It helped to call CloseClipboard to properly close the Clipboard.

[hobbito]

Many thanks, it's what I was looking for.

[anopre]

Thanks !