How to copy from screen 9 different Images using C#?

Question

I'm doing a school project using C# in which I designed a Form in C# that I can draw on and now I need to copy what I draw into a 9 different Images and save them. So far, I tried using the copy from screen function like that:

Size s = this.Size;
Bitmap memoryImage = new Bitmap(s.Width, s.Height, this.CreateGraphics());
Graphics.FromImage(memoryImage).CopyFromScreen(this.Location.X, this.Location.Y, 0, 0, s);
memoryImage.Save(@"C:\Users\omerm\Desktop\projectFinals\ProjectFiles\C-Sharp\Drawing\WinFormsApp1\Digits\1.jpg");

My problem is that the image I get from this code includes parts of my screen that aren't part of my Form. And I also need to copy 9 different images who are fractions of this one instead of just the one and make sure those 9 are around the same shape(squares). does anyone know how to do that?

I'm terrible at explaining this so think that I need to take the original image and cut into 9 like in a tic tac toe board and save each one of them as a different image in the shape of squares instead of the original.

full code:

namespace WinFormsApp1
{
    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        Pen Pen = new Pen(Color.Black, 2);
        int pX, pY;
        Graphics g;

        public object MemoryImage { get; private set; }

        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

        }

        private void pictureBox1_MouseDown(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            pX = e.X;
            pY = e.Y;
        }

        private void pictureBox1_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Left)
            {

                Graphics g = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics();
                g.DrawLine(Pen, pX, pY, e.X, e.Y);

                pX = e.X;
                pY = e.Y;
            }
        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Size s = this.Size;
            Bitmap memoryImage = new Bitmap(s.Width, s.Height, this.CreateGraphics());
            Graphics.FromImage(memoryImage).CopyFromScreen(this.Location.X, this.Location.Y, 0,         0, s);
            memoryImage.Save(@"C:\Users\omerm\Desktop\projectFinals\ProjectFiles\C-Sharp\Drawing\WinFormsApp1\Digits\1.jpg");

        }

        private void ChooseColor(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Pen.Color = ((PictureBox)sender).BackColor;
        }
        
    }
}

Tried looking online but what I look for is really specific.

Graphics g = pictureBox1.CreateGraphics(); is very PROBLEMATIC. You're drawing on a TEMPORARY GRAPHICS. This means your drawing can be ERASED at any time and the user will lose their work. To see this happen, draw something on your form, then MINIMIZE and RESTORE it. The drawing will be gone. This will happen any time your form needs to redraw itself, which the operating system can request at any time in response to events happening outside of your control. — Idle_Mind
– Idle_Mind, Commented Feb 2, 2023 at 16:17

Idle_Mind · Accepted Answer · 2023-02-03 04:52:10Z

Here's an example of persisting the data in a structure and drawing it in the Paint() event. Additionally, I've demonstrated how to tell the PictureBox to draw itself instead of copying the screen:

public partial class Form1 : Form
{

    public Form1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
    }        

    private List<Point> curSquiggle;
    private List<List<Point>> Squiggles = new List<List<Point>>();
    
    private void pictureBox1_MouseDown(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Left)
        {
            curSquiggle = new List<Point>();
            curSquiggle.Add(e.Location);
            Squiggles.Add(curSquiggle);
        }            
    }

    private void pictureBox1_MouseMove(object sender, MouseEventArgs e)
    {
        if (e.Button == MouseButtons.Left)
        {
            curSquiggle.Add(e.Location);
            pictureBox1.Invalidate();
        }
    }

    private void pictureBox1_Paint(object sender, PaintEventArgs e)
    {
        foreach(List<Point> squiggle in Squiggles)
        {
            e.Graphics.DrawLines(Pens.Black, squiggle.ToArray());
        }
    }

    private void button1_Click_1(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.ClientRectangle.Width, pictureBox1.ClientRectangle.Height);
        pictureBox1.DrawToBitmap(bmp, pictureBox1.ClientRectangle);

        // Do something with the bmp, like display it in another form:
        Form frm = new Form();
        frm.AutoSize = true;
        PictureBox pb = new PictureBox();
        pb.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.AutoSize;
        pb.Image = bmp;
        pb.Location = new Point(0, 0);
        frm.Controls.Add(pb);
        frm.Show();
    }

}

Example run:

Here's a different version of the save code which splits the main picture into 9 pieces:

    private void button1_Click_1(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(pictureBox1.ClientRectangle.Width, pictureBox1.ClientRectangle.Height);
        pictureBox1.DrawToBitmap(bmp, pictureBox1.ClientRectangle);

        int cols = 3;
        int rows = 3;
        int cellWidth = bmp.Width / cols;
        int cellHeight = bmp.Height / rows;

        Rectangle destRect = new Rectangle(0, 0, cellWidth, cellHeight);

        List<Bitmap> cells = new List<Bitmap>();
        for(int r=0; r<rows; r++)
        {
            for(int c=0; c<cols; c++)
            {
                Bitmap cell = new Bitmap(cellWidth, cellHeight);
                Rectangle srcRect = new Rectangle(c * cellWidth, r * cellHeight, cellWidth, cellHeight);
                using (Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(cell))
                {
                    g.DrawImage(bmp, destRect, srcRect, GraphicsUnit.Pixel);
                }
                cells.Add(cell);
            }
        }

        foreach(Bitmap cell in cells)
        {
            Form frm = new Form();
            frm.AutoSize = true;
            frm.AutoSizeMode = AutoSizeMode.GrowAndShrink;
            PictureBox pb = new PictureBox();
            pb.SizeMode = PictureBoxSizeMode.AutoSize;
            pb.Image = cell;
            pb.Location = new Point(0, 0);
            frm.Controls.Add(pb);
            frm.Show();
        }            
    }

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