Automatic screen capture on 10 screens every X minutes

[Bolimomo]

I have used Camtasia before. While it works nicely but I found myself not needing a video playback. All I need are some static screenshots every few minutes. I have tried a few freeware for screen capture but they didn't work too well.

What I would like to be able to do is to automatically capture my all my screens at every X minutes (e.g. 15 minutes) during the market hours. I don't want to have to define the area of capture every time. (Maybe only once). No prompting. Just capture everything on all my screens and automatically save in some PNG files on my hard drive with some file name conventions.

Potential issue: I have 8 to 10 monitors on my computers. Each is 1920 x 1080 resolution.

Has anybody had any experience with a commerical or free screen capture software that can do this?

 

[helgen_1]

www.timesnapper.com

 

[Bolimomo]

Thanks for the info helgen_1. I will try them out!

 

[samovar]

IrfanView is free and can do automated screen captures.

 

[Bolimomo]

helgen_1: I have tried out timesnapper. It does exactly what I like it to do, quietly in the background. It's a winner! The only thing that I hope could be different is:

#) That it would let me set up a scheduled (M-F) start/stop time. I have set it for record when idling now and later delete anything that are outside my 9:30 am - 4:00 pm EST window.



samovar: Thanks for the info on IrfanView. I will take a look at it too.

 

[nkhoi]

did you try Window Scheduled Tasks to schedule it daily?

 

[NY0BScalper]

Download Macro Express. It's a powerful scripting tool. The scripting language/syntax is very easy; I don't know how to program but I can create anything in Macro Express.

Once you have it installed, you create a new macro. You can active this macro with a hotkey, or just have it be something you double click in the program.

To code the macro, you simply do this:
Text:TextType
and you insert <CONTROL><PRTSCR>
Now go to Timing
Click Delay
Choose "Time Delay in Seconds" For 10 minutes, you want 900 seconds. For 15, you want 1350.

Once you have this done,you copy the code (like copy/paste), go to the last line of text, and paste it. Over and over again, or at least as long as the market. You can always stop the macro during the middle and your screenshot's won't be post.

When you create macro, you can simply copy/paste my code from the Scripting Editor ( I think you patse it there, maybe try direct editor? Both should work):
<TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350><TEXTTYPE:<CONTROL><PRTSCR>
><TDELAY:1350>

Tada!

 

[NY0BScalper]

For some reason, my code didn't go through on elite.

Here's a screenshot:

 

[Bolimomo]

Quote from samovar:

IrfanView is free and can do automated screen captures.

samovar: just tried IrfanView. It is a winner too! Very easy to set up.

But one thing that is annoying to me is that each time IrfanView finishes captuing my screens and creating the file, it beeps. A system beep. I couldn't find the way (if we can) to stop it. Do you know if that beep can be suppressed? (Why did they feel we need to be notified when done with an audio beep?)

 

[samovar]

Quote from Bolimomo:But one thing that is annoying to me is that each time IrfanView finishes captuing my screens and creating the file, it beeps. A system beep. I couldn't find the way (if we can) to stop it. Do you know if that beep can be suppressed?[/B]

Options -> Properties/Settings -> Browsing/Editing -> Beep on... screenshot save.

Glad you like Irfan