How To How to: Capture Screen Shots (with SDK)

[jeepguy_1980]

There may be a better way to capture screen shots. But this is the method I used.

Files needed:

Download and extract Droid USB Drivers.

Download and extract the Android SDK

Download and install the Java SDK

Download and extract Eclipse
​

Installing USB Drivers:

Connect the Droid into your computer

Let it try to install the drivers

It will fail.

Go to your Device Manager

Select the Droid (it will have a ring around it).

Click update driver

Point to the folder where you extracted the USB drivers

​

Setting up Eclipse:

In your Eclipse folder, open Eclipse.

Help > Install New Software

Use Location:

https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

Check the developer tools box and click Next

Press Next again

Agree to the terms and press finish.

Restart Eclipse
​

Running DDMS:

In Eclipse

Window > Open Perspective

Select DDMS

​

Configuring the Droid:

Settings > Applications > Development

Enable USB Debugging

Capturing the Shot:

Click the Screen Capture icon

Select copy (save as messes up the color)

Paste into your favorite image editor and save.​

 

[blazingwolf]

Great how to. Thanks.

 

[Shiggs]

I get the following error when trying to install the driver.

 

[edenofgarden]

Thanks for the tutorial! I thought I did everything correctly, but this is what I get when I click on "capture"... any ideas?
It seems to get stuck on "capturing", and when I paste it in to an image editor, I just get the white box with an X in it. Hmm..

 

[jeepguy_1980]

Thanks for the tutorial! I thought I did everything correctly, but this is what I get when I click on "capture"... any ideas?
It seems to get stuck on "capturing", and when I paste it in to an image editor, I just get the white box with an X in it. Hmm..

You have to select your device from the left column and then do a screen capture.

The right side of the screen shot you sent says "no client selected."

 

[johnlgalt]

Any ideas if this will work with the MOTODEV all in one setup that Motorola released for Android development?

 

[dugdathug]

It's basically the same instructions, but it fills in more of the blanks.
Droid Screen Capture – How To Droid Bugs

 

[JonKyu]

Is this windows only? I'd like to take screenshots also but I have a mac.

 

[johnlgalt]

According to the link provided, the Motorola SDK comes in Windows, MacOS, and *nix flavors. However, the JAVA site does not list the JAVA SDK for MacOS, listing only Solaris, *nix, and Windows operating systems ( I just checked for both the regular JDK as well as the JDK w/ EE).

I did some searching, and found that according to Java MacOS X 10.4+ should already have the JDK installed, so that step you can most likely skip, as long as you're running Tiger or above.

You should probably read that site a lot more to be 100% this will work - however, the original link provided by dugdathug shows the author stating that he, too, selected the JDK 6 Update 17 with Java EE, whereas the rest of his screen shots show that he in fact selected JAVA EE 5 SDK, which, by reading at the link that I provided, is what seems to be pre-installed on Tiger and above.

If you're unsure, I'd register a login at the developer site I linked to and ask there.

HTH

EDIT: Added the following

@everyone else: I already have the regular JDK (without EE) installed on my system (along with NetBeans 6.7.1, which has most of the other stuff that comes with the EE, including the GlassFish server, etc.

Is there any real need for the JDK w/ EE or is the regular JDK without EE sufficient?

(I suppose I should join the forum for the droidbugs forum and ask there....)

 

[jeepguy_1980]

I was unable to get it to work with Netbeans. I had never even messed with Eclipse until this. However, I only have limited experience with Netbeans and Java programming in general.

 

[johnlgalt]

I am a senior in Computer Science and Mathematics (dual major) at my university- Netbeans is something that I am somewhat familiar with.

However, according to the post from dugdathug, Eclipse itself is not necessary (unless you plan on also developing Android apps). I have NetBeans installed, but actually prefer to code using JCreatorPro (A much better IDE in the sense that it is exactly that - and IDE without all of the bloat the comes with NetBeans (up to a 200+ MB DL!)

 

[jeepguy_1980]

I am a senior in Computer Science and Mathematics (dual major) at my university- Netbeans is something that I am somewhat familiar with.

However, according to the post from dugdathug, Eclipse itself is not necessary (unless you plan on also developing Android apps). I have NetBeans installed, but actually prefer to code using JCreatorPro (A much better IDE in the sense that it is exactly that - and IDE without all of the bloat the comes with NetBeans (up to a 200+ MB DL!)

Eclipse is not required, I wrote this more as a how to for someone not already familiar with Java IDEs and based it around Eclipse, as that seems to be the most popular for the Android SDK. There are a lot of guides on the internet, but they're written for people that are already familiar with this software and are very generic. Most of them consist of three or four lines on don't detail how to install the Android plugin.

While Eclipse is not required, you will need an IDE to run Android SDK plugins. I am sure that the plugins will work with Netbeans and other IDEs, I just found Eclipse to be the most popular for this application.

 

[johnlgalt]

Kewl, thanks for the info.

 

[geli7]

When I open DDMS it's not picking up my phone. There's nothing to select on the left so all the menu options are grayed out. Any ideas?

 

[vonfeldt7]

I messed stuff up with the Droid drivers when I first got my Droid.. and it doesn't show up in device manager anymore under "Other Devices" as "Motorola A855". All that installs is "Motorola A855 USB Device" and "USB Mass Storage Device". All of the other things are missing, as they have already been installed. Any idea on how to delete those drivers? Thanks..

 

[jeepguy_1980]

I messed stuff up with the Droid drivers when I first got my Droid.. and it doesn't show up in device manager anymore under "Other Devices" as "Motorola A855". All that installs is "Motorola A855 USB Device" and "USB Mass Storage Device". All of the other things are missing, as they have already been installed. Any idea on how to delete those drivers? Thanks..

Just delete them from the Device Manager and then when you unplug and re-plug your phone back in to your PC. It should then detect them again. That, or you can click the device and press update drivers and find the folder that they're in.

On a side note, it really is less effort to root your phone and use the app drocap2 to take screen shots directly from your phone.

 

[vonfeldt7]

It doesn't show up in Device Manager... which is what's really making this difficult. And I'm not actually interested in the screetshots, I'm just trying to get the Android SDK to work and this is the only guide that I'm aware of..

*EDIT* I got it figured out, thanks.

 

[tjbugs1]

It doesn't show up in Device Manager... which is what's really making this difficult. And I'm not actually interested in the screetshots, I'm just trying to get the Android SDK to work and this is the only guide that I'm aware of..

*EDIT* I got it figured out, thanks.

How did you fix it? I am having the same problem on my computer

 

[ianholt60]

Hi.
You can use fraps for taking screen shots.
Its best software for capturing screen shots.

 

[johnlgalt]

Wait, Fraps works on the DROID???

 

[tjbugs1]

I am starting to think Vista is whats wrong here, anyone else out there useing vista and making this work?

 

[alostpacket]

Wait, Fraps works on the DROID???

Heh, that user was a spambot.

 

[alostpacket]

I am starting to think Vista is whats wrong here, anyone else out there useing vista and making this work?

Works for me on Vista.

 

[tjbugs1]

32 or 64 bit?

 

[alostpacket]

x64 -- I had originally followed som other instruction but they were essentially the same just less detailed. The other instructions actually didnt even work for me and these helped me learn where the screenshot button was

The driver was the same too.