Feature Requests For Region Captures - Use Arrow Keys and Solid Region Lines

[bubbajunk]

Mouser, Per your request, I've started a new topic for the post I made in the v4.6 beta thread.

Any chance incorporating the request in this next release that someone made previously to have the arrow keys move / nudge the cursor cross-hairs in Grab Selected Region and Grab Fixed Size Region modes?

Also it would help to have the cross-hairs themselves made more visible to use a solid line as opposed to a dashed line. I sometimes have a hard time seeing the dashed line, a solid line would be more visible. A solid line would need to use some sort of inverse color when moving over lighter and darker backgrounds.

Would love to see these two in the v4.6 release.

[mouser]

Keyboard shortcut nudging sounds reasonable, though its a little bit odd to be doing it while the cursor is under mouse control..

You can of course nudge using keyboard from within SC editor, but thats because you are nudging selection size when its NOT under mouse control.

I continue to believe that if you need to do precise selection and operation, your best best is to just do a rough region capture, and then do your precise selection work INSIDE of SC, where you have full access to nudging, zoom, undo, etc.

So we're talking about nudging the location of the cursor right? Not nudging the starting location selected when left mouse was held down?

Related tip: Did you know that in region selection capture if you change your mind about starting location of capture after youve held down the left mouse, you can hit space bar to reset the starting point to current cursor location.

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I'm open to trying to make the crosshairs more visible, though going to a solid line does raise visibility problems of its own in terms of melting into the background as you say, so i'm not sure about that, but maybe i can try an option to have a "solid" line that uses inverse color to the background.  Won't quite be solid but might be better that dashed for some people?

[bubbajunk]

I agree with you that using the keyboard arrows to nudge cross hairs during capture would be a "bit odd" when used in conjunction with the mouse. That is if the mouse is still the only way to initiate and finalize the capture. What if a keyboard shortcut could also be used to simulate the left mouse click to start the capture?

The workflow could then be to use the mouse the locate cursor to the approximate starting location, then use the arrow keys to fine tune the starting point, and then use a shortcut key to anchor the actual starting point. You could then use the mouse to locate the approximate end point, use arrow keys to fine tune the location, then use the shortcut key to finalize the capture.

The spacebar would be an ideal shortcut key for starting / ending the capture. Since you are already using the spacebar to allow the starting point to be relocated, using the 'Ctrl' key may work just as well since it's accessible by the left hand while the right hand is on the arrow keys. You could either require the shortcut key to be held down during the process, or press/released for the start and end points.

So we're talking about nudging the location of the cursor right? Not nudging the starting location selected when left mouse was held down?

-mouser (September 10, 2013, 04:51 PM)

I'm not sure I understand the difference here between "location of cursor" vs. "starting location". Maybe my explanation of the workflow above helped you better understand what I was thinking. If not, just let me know and I'll try to provide more detail.

Regarding the cross hairs, I'm glad to hear that you are open to using solid lines for the region selections. I think it would help. I just wanted to reaffirm your point, rather than making the line a fixed color, making the lines appear as the inverse of the background color should take care of the 'blending' issue.

[tomos]

I have no idea - but imagine that making line the inverse of the background colour is no men feat, if at all possible.
How about simply a slightly heavier dashed line for the cross-hairs line ?
Or, I was going to say 'marching ants' - but I see that's used for the selected area...

[bubbajunk]

Mouser,

What do you think, next version?

[mouser]

Yes, i will for sure try to get the crosshairs options in the next version.
Arrow keys i will see, but make no promises.

[nschloss]

I too would appreciate being able to nudge the crosshair selection during capture - it would be a great benefit.  For me it's simply more efficient - if I can get it exactly right on capture then I don't have to crop again in SC.  Mouse control (at least with mine) is not as accurate as I would like but being able to nudge by pixel using the cursor keys would be awesome.  I have experienced this functionality in testing other capture utilities and find it very useful.  Hope to see it included!

[edejongh]

Hi,
Fully supports this. I capture Spreadsheets quite a lot and always have trouble to get exact regions captured. I also understand it can be done in editor but would save a lot of time doing it directly in region selection.
Use it in other capture program and its the one (for me) functionality that keeps me going back to it.
Would appreciate.
Thanks.

[cmpm]

In the preferences, Selection Capture Options, if you set When to use Red Box to Objects and Regions, you will get an easy adjustable red box using Region Capture. It can not be adjusted with the arrow keys, but with the mouse pulling it around, it may be a more accurate capture then using region capture without the red box mode.

[edejongh]

The selection that way is basically the same as normal region capture is it not?
Moving the region with the mouse is a lot more difficult than with the cursor for detailed selection.

[cmpm]

I don't see it as the same as a normal region capture.
Did you try it this way?
You can adjust the box width and height by pulling the sides of the red box.

[edejongh]

Yes, did try it.
Still more difficult to make fine adjustments with mouse compared to using the cursor keys.

[cmpm]

Easier sizing then the normal region capture imo.
With all sides and corners moveable.

[Elminster]

A screenshot tool I used before did it this way: the first mouse click was where the rectangle started. Afterwards you could use either the mouse or the arrow keys to pick the exact regions. Another mouse click or enter finished the capture. So you still had to "hit" the right starting point per mouse, but the remaining capture process was pretty efficient.

Alternatively it could be three clicks (1. Start, 2. fine tune starting position per cursors or mouse, 3. set end position per cursor or mouse). I think I'd prefer the two click variant.