Python screenshot tool (fullscreen/area selection)

screenshot.py

#!/usr/bin/env python3
# Python screenshot tool (fullscreen/area selection)
# Special thanks to @tomk11, @frakman1, @aspotton and @lucguislain for the improvements

import sys
from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtGui
from PyQt5.QtGui import QPixmap, QScreen
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication, QWidget, QLabel, QSizePolicy
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QGroupBox, QSpinBox, QCheckBox, QGridLayout
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QPushButton, QHBoxLayout, QVBoxLayout
from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QFileDialog
from Xlib import X, display, Xcursorfont

# Documentation for python-xlib here:
# http://python-xlib.sourceforge.net/doc/html/index.html


class XSelect:
    def __init__(self, display):
        # X display
        self.d = display

        # Screen
        self.screen = self.d.screen()

        # Draw on the root window (desktop surface)
        self.window = self.screen.root

        # Create font cursor
        font = display.open_font('cursor')
        self.cursor = font.create_glyph_cursor(
            font,
            Xcursorfont.crosshair,
            Xcursorfont.crosshair+1,
            (65535, 65535, 65535),
            (0, 0, 0)
        )

        colormap = self.screen.default_colormap
        color = colormap.alloc_color(0, 0, 0)
        # Xor it because we'll draw with X.GXxor function
        xor_color = color.pixel ^ 0xffffff

        self.gc = self.window.create_gc(
            line_width = 1,
            line_style = X.LineSolid,
            fill_style = X.FillOpaqueStippled,
            fill_rule  = X.WindingRule,
            cap_style  = X.CapButt,
            join_style = X.JoinMiter,
            foreground = xor_color,
            background = self.screen.black_pixel,
            function = X.GXxor,
            graphics_exposures = False,
            subwindow_mode = X.IncludeInferiors,
        )

    def get_mouse_selection(self):
        started = False
        start = dict(x=0, y=0)
        end = dict(x=0, y=0)
        last = None
        drawlimit = 10
        i = 0

        self.window.grab_pointer(
            self.d,
            X.PointerMotionMask|X.ButtonReleaseMask|X.ButtonPressMask,
            X.GrabModeAsync,
            X.GrabModeAsync,
            X.NONE,
            self.cursor,
            X.CurrentTime
        )

        self.window.grab_keyboard(self.d,
            X.GrabModeAsync,
            X.GrabModeAsync,
            X.CurrentTime
        )

        while True:
            e = self.d.next_event()

            # Window has been destroyed, quit
            if e.type == X.DestroyNotify:
                break

            # Mouse button press
            elif e.type == X.ButtonPress:
                # Left mouse button?
                if e.detail == 1:
                    start = dict(x=e.root_x, y=e.root_y)
                    started = True

                # Right mouse button?
                elif e.detail == 3:
                    return

            # Mouse button release
            elif e.type == X.ButtonRelease:
                end = dict(x=e.root_x, y=e.root_y)
                if last:
                    self.draw_rectangle(start, last)
                break

            # Mouse movement
            elif e.type == X.MotionNotify and started:
                i = i + 1
                if i % drawlimit != 0:
                    continue

                if last:
                    self.draw_rectangle(start, last)
                    last = None

                last = dict(x=e.root_x, y=e.root_y)
                self.draw_rectangle(start, last)

        self.d.ungrab_keyboard(X.CurrentTime)
        self.d.ungrab_pointer(X.CurrentTime)
        self.d.sync()

        coords = self.get_coords(start, end)
        if coords['width'] <= 1 or coords['height'] <= 1:
            return

        return [
            coords['start']['x'],
            coords['start']['y'],
            coords['width'],
            coords['height']
        ]

    def get_coords(self, start, end):
        safe_start = dict(x=0, y=0)
        safe_end   = dict(x=0, y=0)

        if start['x'] > end['x']:
            safe_start['x'] = end['x']
            safe_end['x']   = start['x']
        else:
            safe_start['x'] = start['x']
            safe_end['x']   = end['x']

        if start['y'] > end['y']:
            safe_start['y'] = end['y']
            safe_end['y']   = start['y']
        else:
            safe_start['y'] = start['y']
            safe_end['y']   = end['y']

        return {
            'start': {
                'x': safe_start['x'],
                'y': safe_start['y'],
            },
            'end': {
                'x': safe_end['x'],
                'y': safe_end['y'],
            },
            'width' : safe_end['x'] - safe_start['x'],
            'height': safe_end['y'] - safe_start['y'],
        }

    def draw_rectangle(self, start, end):
        coords = self.get_coords(start, end)
        self.window.rectangle(self.gc,
            coords['start']['x'],
            coords['start']['y'],
            coords['end']['x'] - coords['start']['x'],
            coords['end']['y'] - coords['start']['y']
        )


class Screenshot(QWidget):
    def __init__(self):
        super(Screenshot, self).__init__()

        self.screenshotLabel = QLabel()
        self.screenshotLabel.setSizePolicy(
            QSizePolicy.Expanding,
            QSizePolicy.Expanding
        )
        self.screenshotLabel.setAlignment(QtCore.Qt.AlignCenter)
        self.screenshotLabel.setMinimumSize(240, 160)

        self.createOptionsGroupBox()
        self.createButtonsLayout()

        mainLayout = QVBoxLayout()
        mainLayout.addWidget(self.screenshotLabel)
        mainLayout.addWidget(self.optionsGroupBox)
        mainLayout.addLayout(self.buttonsLayout)
        self.setLayout(mainLayout)

        self.area = None
        self.shootScreen()
        self.delaySpinBox.setValue(1)

        self.setWindowTitle("Screenshot")
        self.resize(300, 200)

    def resizeEvent(self, event):
        scaledSize = self.originalPixmap.size()
        scaledSize.scale(
            self.screenshotLabel.size(),
            QtCore.Qt.KeepAspectRatio
        )
        if not self.screenshotLabel.pixmap() \
        or scaledSize != self.screenshotLabel.pixmap().size():
            self.updateScreenshotLabel()

    def selectArea(self):
        self.hide()

        xs = XSelect(display.Display())
        self.area = xs.get_mouse_selection()

        if self.area:
            xo, yo, x, y = self.area
            self.areaLabel.setText(
                "Area: x%s y%s to x%s y%s" % (xo, yo, x, y)
            )
            self.shootScreen()
        else:
            self.areaLabel.setText("Area: fullscreen")
            self.shootScreen()

        self.show()

    def newScreenshot(self):
        if self.hideThisWindowCheckBox.isChecked():
            self.hide()
        self.newScreenshotButton.setDisabled(True)

        QtCore.QTimer.singleShot(
            self.delaySpinBox.value() * 1000,
            self.shootScreen
        )

    def saveScreenshot(self):
        format = 'png'
        initialPath = QtCore.QDir.currentPath() + "/untitled." + format

        fileName, fileSuffixSelection = QFileDialog.getSaveFileName(
            self,
            "Save As",
            initialPath,
            "{} Files (*.{});;All Files (*)".format(
                format.upper(),
                format
            )
        )

        if fileName:
                self.originalPixmap.save(str(fileName), format)

    def copyToClipboard(self):
        if not self.originalPixmap:
            return
        qi = self.originalPixmap.toImage()
        QApplication.clipboard().setImage(qi)

    def shootScreen(self):
        if self.delaySpinBox.value() != 0:
            QApplication.beep()

        # Garbage collect any existing image first.
        self.originalPixmap = None
        screen = QApplication.primaryScreen()
        self.originalPixmap = screen.grabWindow(
            QApplication.desktop().winId()
        )
        if self.area is not None:
            qi = self.originalPixmap.toImage()
            qi = qi.copy(
                int(self.area[0]),
                int(self.area[1]),
                int(self.area[2]),
                int(self.area[3])
            )
            self.originalPixmap = None
            self.originalPixmap = QPixmap.fromImage(qi)

        self.updateScreenshotLabel()

        self.newScreenshotButton.setDisabled(False)
        if self.hideThisWindowCheckBox.isChecked():
            self.show()

    def updateCheckBox(self):
        if self.delaySpinBox.value() == 0:
            self.hideThisWindowCheckBox.setDisabled(True)
        else:
            self.hideThisWindowCheckBox.setDisabled(False)

    def createOptionsGroupBox(self):
        self.optionsGroupBox = QGroupBox("Options")

        self.delaySpinBox = QSpinBox()
        self.delaySpinBox.setSuffix(" s")
        self.delaySpinBox.setMaximum(60)
        self.delaySpinBox.valueChanged.connect(self.updateCheckBox)

        self.delaySpinBoxLabel = QLabel("Screenshot Delay:")

        self.hideThisWindowCheckBox = QCheckBox("Hide This Window")
        self.hideThisWindowCheckBox.setChecked(True)

        self.areaLabel = QLabel("Area: fullscreen")

        optionsGroupBoxLayout = QGridLayout()
        optionsGroupBoxLayout.addWidget(self.delaySpinBoxLabel, 0, 0)
        optionsGroupBoxLayout.addWidget(self.delaySpinBox, 0, 1)
        optionsGroupBoxLayout.addWidget(
            self.hideThisWindowCheckBox,
            1,
            0
        )
        optionsGroupBoxLayout.addWidget(self.areaLabel, 1, 1)
        self.optionsGroupBox.setLayout(optionsGroupBoxLayout)

    def createButtonsLayout(self):
        self.selectAreaButton = self.createButton(
            "Select Area",
            self.selectArea
        )

        self.newScreenshotButton = self.createButton(
            "New Screenshot",
            self.newScreenshot
        )

        self.copyScreenshotButton = self.createButton(
            "Copy to Clipboard",
            self.copyToClipboard
        )

        self.saveScreenshotButton = self.createButton(
            "Save Screenshot",
            self.saveScreenshot
        )

        self.quitScreenshotButton = self.createButton(
            "Quit",
            self.close
        )

        self.buttonsLayout = QHBoxLayout()
        self.buttonsLayout.addStretch()
        self.buttonsLayout.addWidget(self.selectAreaButton)
        self.buttonsLayout.addWidget(self.newScreenshotButton)
        self.buttonsLayout.addWidget(self.copyScreenshotButton)
        self.buttonsLayout.addWidget(self.saveScreenshotButton)
        self.buttonsLayout.addWidget(self.quitScreenshotButton)

    def createButton(self, text, member):
        button = QPushButton(text)
        button.clicked.connect(member)
        return button

    def updateScreenshotLabel(self):
        self.screenshotLabel.setPixmap(
            self.originalPixmap.scaled(
                self.screenshotLabel.size(), QtCore.Qt.KeepAspectRatio,
                QtCore.Qt.SmoothTransformation
            )
        )


if __name__ == '__main__':
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    screenshot = Screenshot()
    screenshot.show()
    sys.exit(app.exec_())

Hi @tomk11 @frakman1 @initbrain

FWIW I was able to fix the problem with the “horrible” sections so the script doesn’t need to shell out to select areas of the screen, added a “copy to clipboard” button, and updated it to work with PyQt5 and Python 3. The clipboard method was added so I could paste the images directly into Slack. Here is my updated fork.

A bit of history:

I cloned this script sometime back in 2013 when it was originally written and it worked great! At the time nothing worked right for me and my three screens except for this script. It was modified to upload files to Dropbox and put the share link in the clipboard. (If I have some time I’ll look to add that support into my new script.)

Hopefully you find this update useful!

Hi @aspotton, It seems the "Select Area" function still not working on Windows because of the module 'fcntl' is not working on Windows. Is there any other way work around to fix it?

@JimEverest I am facing the same problem. Found any way around it yet? I would be really grateful. Thanks