GrabIt Professional Help Index

This help file is designed to provide you with a quick and easy way to learn more about GrabIt Professional. If you have a question not covered here please check the program documentation and the read.me file.

File Menu Commands

Edit Menu Commands

Grab Menu Commands

Capturing Menus With GrabIt

Marking Selected Areas Of A GrabIt Child Window

Important User Info and Commands

Window Menu Commands

Obtaining Technical Support

Accelerator Key Reference


The File Menu

File Menu Commands

This Index lists Help topics for the File Menu.

Open

Save

Print

Run Clipboard

Exit


The Edit Menu

Edit Menu Commands

This Index lists Help topics for the Edit Menu.

Copy To The Clipboard

Paste From The Clipboard


The Grab Menu

Grab Menu Commands

This Index lists Help topics for the Grab Menu.

Grab Selected Area

Grab The Entire Window

Grab The Client Area

Grab The Windows Desktop

Hide The Window Menu Switch


The Window Menu

Window Menu Commands

This Index lists Help topics for the Window Menu.

Window Tile

Window Cascade

Window Arrange Icons

Window Close All

The Windows List


Opening A Graphic

Opening An Existing Graphic

To load a bitmap from disk select File from the main menu and choose Open, or

press Ctrl + O. You can select a bitmap or RLE file from the listbox,  or use the directory listbox to move to the location of your bitmap.  Alternately you can double click on the file name to load the image.

In addition,  the open file dialog allows you to examine the image attributes of a bitmap before opening it . To use this feature press the Image Info button


Saving A Graphic
File Save

Choose File Save from the main menu.  Enter the file name of the bitmap in the edit field.  You can convert between various formats by choosing the Options Button on the save dialog. The options are as follows:

Bitmap Options	Color Options

Windows 3.X Bitmap	Monochrome

OS/2 2.0 Bitmap	16 Color

16 color RLE	256 Color

256 Color RLE	24 Bit Color

For users making screen shots for documentation and other presentations,  You can convert your screen shoots to monochrome on the fly by choosing the monochrome option when saving your screen grabs.

 Please Note The Information Below!

File Conversions

Converting from one format to another.  Don't convert 24 Bit or 256 color bitmaps to monochrome when you are using a 256 color driver.  This may result in a loss of portions of the image and could turn the image to solid black.

You can safely convert 16 color bitmaps to monochrome when running a 16 color driver.

You may have other conversion gremlins depending on the graphics card you have. Actually its a function of the drivers that came with your card that may cause you a problem.  I use the standard 800X600 windows driver anytime I want to convert graphics from one format to another.  This will eliminate many of headaches in the long run.

The color radio buttons are only functional for legitimate combinations of image and color options.


Printing Bitmap Files

Print

This option will copy the currently active windows image to the printer. Your bitmap will always be stretched to fit the entire page.  The print function is intended to provide you with hard copy of larger screen grabs.  Icons and smaller size bitmaps will be stretched out of proportion.  The printing process is VERY SLOW so please allow for this so you don't end up canceling your print job.

Image Scaling

GrabIt Pro will size the image currently in its client area to the size of the current page defined in your printer setup. This means that very small  bitmaps will be enlarged to 8 1/2 x 11" if that is the current page definition. This is done so that on full screen captures and images loaded from disk you will get a 1:1 aspect ratio printout. If you wish to print images in a smaller format, simply change your printer setup to reflect a smaller page size.

  Note: If you have any trouble with a bitmap printing correctly with a HP Laser Jet printer you should obtain the new Laser Jet printer driver from the Windows 3.0 or 3.1 supplemental driver disk.  If you are using Windows 3.0 then you will definitely need the new printer driver.  These drivers are available on Compuserve and many BBS systems.  They are also available on our BBS at 602-375-0531 (2400) or 602-375-9945 at 9600 baud.  If you are using a Postscript printer it will take longer to complete the print job than on a PCL printer.


Running The Clipboard Viewer

Run Clipboard

This option lets you quickly check the contents of the clipboard to make certain it contains the image you intend to paste, or to check that the last copy command you issued is indeed in the clipboard.


Exit GrabIt Professional

Exit

This will end your current GrabIt Professional session.


Copy An Image To The Clipboard

Copy Window or Selected Area To The Clipboard

To copy text or graphics

1. Select the area or the child window you want to copy.

2. Choose Edit Copy or press Ctrl+Ins.

3. Choose Edit Paste or press Shift+Ins.


Pasting An Image Into GrabIt Professional

Paste An Image From The Clipboard.

To paste text or graphics

1. Choose Edit Paste or press Shift+Ins. If the clipboard is empty you will receive an

error message.

2. The pasted image will be displayed in its own child window.  The title bar will say

pasted, and will list the size of your pasted image.


Grab A Selected Area

To capture a portion of the screen follow the steps outlined below:

1. Click on Selected Area from the Grab Mark menu selection or press Ctrl + M

2. The GrabIt window will disappear (if you have the hide window on grab menu item

checked.)and the cursor will change into a crosshair.

3. Move the cursor to the UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER of the area you wish to

capture.

4. Press and hold down the LEFT mouse button.

5. As you move the mouse you will see that the area you are marking will be changed to

inverse video.

6. When you have marked the area you wish to capture release the mouse button.

7. The Image will be displayed in a child window.


Grab The Entire Window

Grabbing An Entire Window

To capture an entire Window follow the steps outlined below:

1. Select Entire Area from the Grab menu or press Ctrl + W

2. The GrabIt window will disappear and the cursor will change into a net with a

crosshair.

3. Move the cursor to the Title Bar of the Window you wish to capture.

4. Click on the title bar.

5. Your window grab will be displayed in a child window.


Grabbing The Client Area

To capture the window client area only (no caption bar) follow the steps outlined below:

1. Select Client Area from the Grab menu or press Ctrl + C

2. The GrabIt window will disappear and the cursor will change into a net with a

crosshair.

3. Move the cursor to the client area of the window you wish to capture.

4. Click on the client area.

5. Your client area grab will be displayed in a child window.


Grabbing The Entire Desktop

To capture the entire Windows 3.X desktop follow the steps outlined below:

1. Select Desktop from the Grab menu or press Ctrl + D

2. The GrabIt window will disappear

3. Your desktop grab will be displayed in a child window.


Hiding The Main Window

Hiding The Window When Grabbing An Image

You have the option of not having GrabIt hide its window.  This could be useful if you were going to mark a selected area that was within the GrabIt client area.


Window Tile Command

Window Tile

Tile

Arranges open windows side by side so that all of them are visible.


Window Cascade Command

Cascade

Arranges open windows so that the title bar of each window is visible.


Arrange Icons

Window Arrange Icons

Arrange Icons

Arranges into rows all the currently open screen grab windows that are minimized.


Window Close All

This is a rapid way to close all current screen grab windows. The program will NOT ask you if you want to save any of the screen grabs currently displayed.

Please be careful that you don't accidently close a window before you had the chance to save to disk.


Window List

The Windows List

This list will expand as you continue to grab screens or open files from disk.  When full,  the last line will display the text; More Windows...  When you select this option you will be presented with a dialog box containing a list of all the currently open windows. Choose a window by selecting it from the menu item or from the select window dialog box as displayed below.


Trouble Shooting Help

If you are having trouble with GrabIt you have the following help options available to you.

Shareware Evaluation Users

You can get help by calling our BBS at 602-375-0531 (2400 Baud) or 602-375-9945  (9600 Baud)

Leave a message to the sysop regarding your problem. You will have an answer in a few days.

You can Fax us with your problem at 602-375-9928.  We will return your answer by Fax only so be sure to include your fax number with your question.

You can leave a message in our compuserve mailbox.  Our CIS ID number is 72200,576

Registered Users

You can use the options outlined above, and you can also get direct phone help. Before you call for help YOU MUST HAVE YOUR REGISTRATION NUMBER READY. It will be the first thing we will ask you for when you call.

The tech support phone number is 602-375-9928 and is available from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm Monday - Friday.

Please Note: Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time All Year Long. When daylight savings is in effect we are the same time as the West Coast. The rest of the year we are on the same time as Denver, 1 hour later than the west coast.


Accelerator Key Reference

Listed below are all of the keyboard shortcut keys.

Accelerator Key Reference

Action	Key Combination

Open A File	Ctrl + O

Save A File 	Ctrl + S

Print A File 	Ctrl + P

Copy A Graphic To The Clipboard	Ctrl + Insert

Paste A Graphic From The Clipboard 	Shift + Insert

Grab A Selected Area Of The Screen	Ctrl + M

Grab The Entire Window 	Ctrl + W

Grab The Client Area	Ctrl + C

Grab The Windows Desktop 	Ctrl + D

Hide Window When Grabbing A Screen Shot 	Ctrl + H


Grabbing Menus

Capturing Menus With GrabIt

You may often need to capture the pull down menus of another application for inclusion in program documentation or training manuals. Follow these steps to capture a menu.

1. Display the menu you wish to grab.

2. Press the Print Screen Key on your Keyboard ( Print Scrn)

3. Now switch back to Grabit.

4. Press Shift + Ins to copy the entire contents of your print screen into a GrabIt child

Window.

5. Now move the mouse cursor to the UPPER LEFT HAND corner of the image that

contains the menu you want to save.  Press and HOLD THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON

DOWN.

6. Drag the crosshair cursor to invert the area containing the menu.

7. When you release the left mouse button the area you marked will remain inverted.

8. Press Ctrl + Ins to copy that area to the clipboard.

9. Now press Shift + Ins to insert the new image into a child window.

10. That's all there is to it!  You now have a window that contains only the menu you

need to use.

11. Save your new bitmap to disk


Important Tips

Tips and Other Important Information

File Conversions

Converting from one format to another.  Don't convert 24 Bit or 256 color bitmaps to monochrome when you are using a 256 color driver.  This may result in a loss of portions of the image and could turn the image to solid black.

You can safely convert 16 color bitmaps to monochrome when running a 16 color driver.

You may have other conversion gremlins depending on the graphics card you have. Actually its a function of the drivers that came with your card that may cause you a problem.  I use the standard 800X600 windows driver anytime I want to convert graphics from one format to another.  This will eliminate many of headaches in the long run.

Printer Problems

If you have a problem printing a bitmap, and you are using a HP LaserJet printer be sure that you obtain the new windows 3.1 HP Laserjet driver that is on the windows supplemental drivers disk.


Marking Selected Areas Of A Child Window

You may need to capture only a portion of a screen grab or file opened from disk. Follow these steps to capture a portion of a child window.

1. Move the mouse cursor to the UPPER LEFT HAND corner of the image that

you want to save part of.  Press and HOLD THE LEFT MOUSE BUTTON DOWN.

2. Drag the crosshair cursor to invert the area you want to mark.

3. When you release the left mouse button the area you marked will remain inverted.

4. Press Ctrl + Ins to copy that area to the clipboard.

5. Now press Shift + Ins to insert the new image into a child window.

6. That's all there is to it!  You now have a window that contains only the area you 	selected.

7. Save your new bitmap to disk

 Special Note On Child Window Selected Area Captures

When you mark an area of a child window the inverted rectangle will remain visible until you either click on the window again or select another window. You must clear the inverted rectangle in any child window before performing another screen capture operation.  The program has set the focus to that rectangle so that you may copy and paste it.  If you don't clear it before attempting another screen capture, it will be transferred to the windows desktop and become an inverted area in that window.

So just remember to clear the inverted rectangle from the current child window before you do any further screen captures. Remember to clear it all you have to do is click anywhere on the child window where the rectangle is located, or click on any other child window.