Read input when window is not active?

Is there any way to check for a hotkey combination while a blitz plus window is not active?

I want to make a screen shot program that will take a shot of a specific area of the screen the user picks with the mouse. But I want the window to be minimized, or maybe in the system tray so the user won't have to deal with it.

So it would have check for a key combination, then let the user drag a rectangle over what he wants to take a shot of all while minimized. I can probably fake the last part by snapshotting the whole desktop, blowing up a fullscreen window, drawing the desktop and letting the user pick on the fake screen.

The hard part is how does a minimized application check for a hotkey or mouse button click (middle mouse for screen shot would be useful for taking a lot of snapshots)?

I know windows programs can do this, I have another program called screenseize that does this but it's kind of flakey. I'd rather make my own to streamline my screen grabbing, which I do a lot of!

I first tried Blitz+'s HotKeyEvent command, but it wouldn't work once the app was minimized. I came up with an userlib solution that will work, I just don't know about using a combination of keys with it. I'm pretty sure modifiers can be detected with this function, so search around and hopefully you can find a solution

; Required Userlib
; .lib "user32.dll"
; GetAsyncKeyState%(vKey%)
win = CreateWindow("Minimize me and hit F10", 100, 100, 250, 100, 0, 1 + 2)

AutoSuspend 0
CreateTimer 60
Repeat
	
Select WaitEvent()
	Case $803: Exit
	
	Case $4001
	; Uncomment to determine a hotkey code
	;For i = 0 To 255 
	;	ret% = GetAsyncKeyState(i)
	;	If ret% Then RuntimeError "Hotkey code is " + Str(i)
	;Next

	If GetAsyncKeyState(121) Then RuntimeError "Hotkey detected" ; F10 Hotkey
	Delay 5

End Select
Forever

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention this does not capture the key, other apps will still receive it after you're done with it.

Eikon, is there any question I have that you can't answer? :)

Probably. Just keep off the fun technical stuff and you'll be OK.

I'll take that as a success, my stalking is done ;)