1

I have my laptop default screen and second screen. How can I write RealBasic, VisualBasic (Java not possible) application which can allow me to paint on desktop (both screen)?

Joel Coehoorn
  • 399,467
  • 113
  • 570
  • 794
  • Java apps. can only paint to Java components. – Andrew Thompson Jul 08 '11 at 09:59
  • Do you mean draw on the desktop as in the desktop background, or just create a window that is on both? – Jes Jul 08 '11 at 10:55
  • @Jes: "Draw on the desktop as in the desktop background or active other windows". Not painting on its own windows, painting in other windows like shapes/red lines marks etc. –  Jul 08 '11 at 12:28

1 Answers1

2

Most likely you won't be able to draw directly to the screen, but you could potentially grab screenshots of each screen and then draw onto those. Depending on what exactly you're trying to do with your application, it would almost definitely be a more realistic goal to grab a screenshot of each screen and then simply display the screenshots in standard windows that take up the entire screen, letting you then edit and "draw" onto the screen there.

Another option would be to create a transparent window, and then intercept mouse clicks and present information on that window.

If you're using RB on a Mac, you can use the Monkeybread Software Plugin to create a NSWindowMBS and modify the alpha value or an OverlayWindowMBS. It looks like you're trying to do this on Windows, though, so this won't work.

mjdth
  • 6,536
  • 6
  • 37
  • 44
  • 1
    i have a desktop sharing using VNC. I want to paint in my screen with red pen live/real time and help the viewer here is this and that. I cant capture screenshots and draw in another window. Because the whole desktop is live. –  Jul 14 '11 at 15:18
  • I understand, it just might not be completely possible using RealBasic/VB. You could set it up so whenever you need to draw on the screen you activate your app, which then immediately takes a screenshot and can then be drawn on, and then when you continue with your presentation you minimize your app. Unless you're doing something with video or constantly moving items, this could work. If you're working over VNC anyway most likely you won't be working with anything with too much movement where you can't quickly "pause" the screen to draw and explain things. – mjdth Jul 14 '11 at 17:43