Author Topic: Screenshot Captor - New Quick Capture Bar (Read 28327 times)

mouser · « **on:** November 21, 2012, 04:48 PM »

Just a screenshot showing the draft look of the new (OPTIONAL) quick capture bar. It floats on the desktop on top of other apps and you can drag it around. I may make an option for it to dock at top of screen too.

The idea is that this might be a more friendly interface for people who have trouble remembering hotkeys. It also has the advantage of letting you quickly change what to do with the image after it's captured.

Obviously I need to improve the look of it substantially (better buttons, etc.)

kunkel321 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 21, 2012, 05:23 PM »

Pretty cool. Any chance of making this a front-end for the Screencaster too?

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** November 21, 2012, 05:30 PM »

The screencaster already has a very similar front end, at least in spirit if not in dialog dimensions:
Screenshot - 11_21_2012 , 5_29_18 PM.png

Having said that, eventuallyThe SC Quick Capture Bar will also have options in "what to capture" list to start a screencast, so you'll be able to initiate a screencast from it (as well as from a hotkey in SC, etc.).

tomos · « **Reply #3 on:** November 22, 2012, 05:17 AM »

Great to see -
I think it doesnt need much - a nicer monitor image, maybe remove that outer frame-line and your off ;-)

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** November 22, 2012, 02:21 PM »

Updated screenshot:

Docking is also now implemented -- so you can dock the bar to the top of the screen and it will slide hidden out of the way until you mouse over it.

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** November 22, 2012, 02:35 PM »

As a side note, because Screenshot Captor will refuse to capture an image of the Quick Capture Bar, I had to use the new Easy Screencast Recorder tool to capture a movie of using it and extract the image above from that

tomos · « **Reply #6 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:09 PM »

As a side note, because Screenshot Captor will refuse to capture an image of the Quick Capture Bar, I had to use the new Easy Screencast Recorder tool to capture a movie of using it and extract the image above from that
-mouser (November 22, 2012, 02:35 PM)

that sounds convoluted - for you

looks very nice

mouser · « **Reply #7 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:16 PM »

I've been told it's much too big to be useful.. so perhaps i will try to make a collapse toggle button that will toggle the bar between normal wide mode and a compact mode that hides everything but the Capture button.

tomos · « **Reply #8 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:34 PM »

You could thin it down & reduce the width - would help when docking

(would need smaller icons)

mouser · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:46 PM »

yeah, i might do that.

though note that unlike my LBC this docking bar does not have a mode to dock and reserve screen space -- it docks and then slides out of the way without moving any other maximized windows. so it doesn't actually "take up" any screen real-estate when docked.

tomos · « **Reply #10 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:46 PM »

^ Ah well then you're covered

I suspect I will use this - will make it easier to be flexible with SC

kunkel321 · « **Reply #11 on:** November 22, 2012, 03:55 PM »

...Having said that, eventuallyThe SC Quick Capture Bar will also have options in "what to capture" list to start a screencast, so you'll be able to initiate a screencast from it (as well as from a hotkey in SC, etc.).
-mouser (November 21, 2012, 05:30 PM)

Yup. That's what I meant

Regarding collapsibility, how about having it live on the edge of the screen with only a few pixels showing, but always "on top" of other apps. Clicking the (barely visible) edge causes the whole toolbar to slide onto the screen.
EDIT: Ha! I guess you already thought of that!

Another thought on the GUI: Have it so you can assign "pre-set" combinations of actions (for example "Selected Region" and "Display Main Window" would be a combination), Then the user can optionally have buttons on the toolbar for the Presets.

mouser · « **Reply #12 on:** November 22, 2012, 05:14 PM »

Ok what do you fellows think of this:

Expanded:

Collapsed:

Josh · « **Reply #13 on:** November 22, 2012, 05:19 PM »

You could thin it down & reduce the width - would help when docking
(see attachment in previous post)
(would need smaller icons)
-tomos (November 22, 2012, 03:34 PM)

Mouser,

I am with tomos on this one. I think the toolbar needs to be thinned out and perhaps have the "Then" drop down removed. When I use a tool like this in toolbar mode, I want it to occupy as little screen space as possible. The toolbar is still quite long and large.

Ath · « **Reply #14 on:** November 22, 2012, 05:53 PM »

+1
and I think the bigger/smaller arrows are backward, aren't they supposed to point in the way the 'movement' goes?

kilele · « **Reply #15 on:** November 22, 2012, 07:47 PM »

The gui of this program may serve as an inspiration:
http://www.pointofix.de/

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** November 22, 2012, 10:12 PM »

How about this for collapsed mode:

mouser · « **Reply #17 on:** November 22, 2012, 10:21 PM »

personally i think using the bar in this small a collapse is silly once you see how the docking mode works, but whatever..

cmpm · « **Reply #18 on:** November 22, 2012, 10:38 PM »

-it docks and then slides out of the way-

keep it a good size so i can see it!

tomos · « **Reply #19 on:** November 23, 2012, 02:28 AM »

@cmpm -
the text isn't any smaller in the slim version (in my post above anyways)

FWIW, visually, slim is much nicer/neater looking. Just an opinion though

panzer · « **Reply #20 on:** November 23, 2012, 04:14 AM »

Mouser, download the FS Capture last free version and take a look at their floating bar ... Maybe this will give you some new ideas ...

Josh · « **Reply #21 on:** November 23, 2012, 07:47 AM »

Mouser, do you have a screenshot of the thinner toolbar in expanded mode?

I think this version of the toolbar looks much cleaner, much more visually appealing, and will fit in nicely regardless of where it is placed on the screen.

kunkel321 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 23, 2012, 09:18 AM »

I also agree that slimmer is nicer looking.
Also, as Ath says, the arrow should point in the "desired" direction, not the "current" direction... (IMHO)

howardb · « **Reply #23 on:** December 28, 2012, 02:56 PM »

At the risk of touting the competition, I find the capture bar of FScapture to be by far the easiest to use. It has a (configurable) row of easy to understand icons for each type of capture (e.g., entire desktop, active/current screen, user defined region, scrolling, - - -). Using a drop down menu for these options adds an extra step.

I notice a general tendency of programmers that is increasingly frustrating for me, as a user: Packing more and more options into an application. Each user interface is always a little different. So for each new app., I must learn to navagate a new set of menus, hotspots, hotkeys, settings - - -.

This had been solved for a time when Apple and Microsoft adapted a relatively standard menu interface for everything whatsoever. But this seems to have broken down. Now, so many new whatevers seem to have new looks and feels.

cmpm · « **Reply #24 on:** December 29, 2012, 10:10 AM »

I like the drop down options, very nice.
If I want it to look like faststone, I will use faststone.
But I don't.