If I could tell you, it is really easy to achieve this, even without Explorer but you must have DWM on.

This effect (or the rendering) does DWM themselfs on Windows by using those APIs:

        <DllImport("dwmapi.dll")>
        Private Shared Function DwmRegisterThumbnail(dest As IntPtr, src As IntPtr, ByRef thumb As IntPtr) As Integer
        End Function
    
        <DllImport("dwmapi.dll")>
        Private Shared Function DwmUnregisterThumbnail(hThumb As IntPtr) As Integer
        End Function
    
        <DllImport("dwmapi.dll")>
        Private Shared Function DwmUpdateThumbnailProperties(hThumb As IntPtr, ByRef props As DWM_THUMBNAIL_PROPERTIES) As Integer
        End Function
    
        <DllImport("dwmapi.dll")>
        Private Shared Function DwmGetWindowAttribute(hwnd As IntPtr, dwAttribute As Integer, ByRef pvAttribute As Rect, cbAttribute As Integer) As Integer
        End Function
    
        <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>
        Public Structure DWM_THUMBNAIL_PROPERTIES
            Public dwFlags As UInteger
            Public rcDestination As Rect
            Public rcSource As Rect
            Public opacity As Byte
            Public fVisible As Boolean
            Public fSourceClientAreaOnly As Boolean
        End Structure

Then by `DwmGetWindowAttribute` you get basically anything what a DWM renders for a Window, so you basically "register" the Thumbnail by the `DwmRegisterThumbnail` API and all of the hard job of capturing the exact moments are coming from DWM so we can do **basically nothing** and still making this done!

The code looks like this:

        If DwmRegisterThumbnail(destinationHandle, hWndToPeek, _currentThumbnail) = 0 Then
            Dim props As New DWM_THUMBNAIL_PROPERTIES()
            props.dwFlags = &H1 Or &H4 Or &H8 Or &H10
            props.fVisible = True
            props.fSourceClientAreaOnly = False
            props.opacity = 255
    
            props.rcDestination = targetRect
    
            DwmUpdateThumbnailProperties(_currentThumbnail, props)
        End If

Which in the "props" you add some parameters you want to "add" if you want just the ClientAeraOnly etc.

Which also will then appear on an invisible Form with just this image and **it will be totally live.** Not just a pure screenshot...

In some "Apps" like Chrome isn't working well the Live Update, but the Win32 works totally fine! (As how simple they are, then how simple you can manipulate with them :3)

# Submit please your ideas.

1. I'll be planning to add more "Visual Effects" not just this Fading, I choose this because it feels kinda cool! But if you have any other effect you want, let me know!
2. Anyother ideas will be also appreciated :D

  
Made in love by KRR1751<3

What you think about the AeroPeek I am experimenting on?