MiniCap: set focus back / bigger counter / get image name

[AbteriX]

Hi mouser!

While working with MiniCap I had this questions/suggestions/ideas
which I will write here to you, since I found no real solution and maybe you want to improve the behaviour:


1 - get my focus back:

Every time MiniCap takes a shot, it put the focus to the window to capture.
(and I had to click again into my working window, which is different from the window to capture)

Is there a possibility to put the focus back to the last active window?
(so I am interrupted for a second only

I know MiniCap doesn't know anything about that last window, and I don't know if this is possible to code anyhow, but I have to ask, perhaps there is a solution.



2 - bigger counter than 999?:

$uniquenum$ adds a counter with three digits.

What will happen if I capture more than that amount?
I guess it will continue with 1000,... but the padding is not accurate any more.

Would it makes sense to add another parameter like "-uniquenumsize 5" or an "MiniCap.ini" switch "uniquenum_size=5" ?



3 - get me the image handle/id/name for "-capturehwnd", "-capturepid", "-captureappbyname":

There are apps where it is not that easy to tell which is the real image name,
because the product name could be different, and sometimes there are not useful details visible in e.g. the TaskManager.

I can help myself, but I missed a info tool to tell me the name of the executable of the window I want to capture.

Maybe a feature idea?
I can imagine such little cross-hair buttons on the MiniCap window, to drag&drop onto the window in question to show the wanted details...


.

[mouser]

Is there a possibility to put the focus back to the last active window?

it's a very good idea -- i will try.

$uniquenum$ adds a counter with three digits.
What will happen if I capture more than that amount?
I guess it will continue with 1000,... but the padding is not accurate any more.

correct.
however, keep in mind that for the padding to be "inaccurate" would require you to have screenshots with same name past 9999 counter.

I can imagine such little cross-hair buttons on the MiniCap window, to drag&drop onto the window in question to show the wanted details...

minicap does have something like this already -- it can start up and let the user select the object to capture using the redbox that automatically selects windows under cursor.

but it's not a bad idea to have that function report extra info about the window/process being selected.

[AbteriX]

Can you guys try the new MiniCap (v1.30) beta:

v1.30.01 - Aug 10, 2014 - what's new

• [MinorFeature] Previous foreground window is restored after exit.

-mouser (August 11, 2014, 08:34 AM)

Thanks mouser.
Issue "1 - get my focus back:" works better now.
But this time I tested/captured with an application which detects my typing inputs.
And so I could see: for the short time while the shot is taken, that application takes my writing (which I do in another app) as input. Bad.
Can / will you do here another improvement and block any input from keyboard and mouse for that app I currently capture?
Maybe "global", by I new switch "-preventInteraction"


- - -

As for "3 - get me the image handle/id/name for "-capturehwnd", "-capturepid", "-captureappbyname":"
your answer doesn't help,... becuase it is right, if I launch MiniCap it helps me to capture.
But it doesn't help me to get the image/executable name we need for "-captureappbyname" from command line where I doesn't have the GUI.
Just saying 


-

[mouser]

Can you explain #1 to me a little more -- i'm not sure i understand.

[AbteriX]

Yes, sorry.

- I am writeting in Notepad
- meanwhile I capture another application X per batch every ten seconds
- while app X gets the focus to take the shot, X also gets my keystroke I thought I do in Notepad
- that's bad if I do e.g. Ctrl+S for Notepad, but app X acts on that command because the focus has changed meanwhile to take the shot

I can imagine that it could work if MiniCap can .... I don't know how, - maybe can block (optional) app X from input while taking an shot?

I don't want to make the work to complicated for you. But how I use it(*) I run into this problems.


(*) Working with two monitor setup. Monitor one for current working. Monitor two for watching an ongoing process.
So I capture e.g. a remote session on monitor two for documentation, while still writing a document on monitor one.

Better 

[mouser]

ok, so what i could do is add an option that says not to switch to the target window when taking a screenshot of a target app window, i think that will do what you want.
the only side effect from that will be that it won't be able to capture the semi-transparent effects on the target window background.

thoughts?

[AbteriX]

ok, so what i could do is add an option that says not to switch to the target window when taking a screenshot of a target app window,

-mouser (August 13, 2014, 03:03 PM)

That is possible  ?
That sounds great, even this would solve my focus problem (as your current update do too).
And it would prevent the target app tray icon to blink.

the only side effect from that will be that it won't be able to capture the semi-transparent effects on the target window background.

semi-transparent?    I am after taking screen shots for documentation issues. (I mean here: just to see what have happened) They don't have to be that pretty. I assume I can live whit that 


Sounds fine. Thanks for the offer.
 

[mouser]

Ok I shall give it a try.

[mouser]

Please re-download new beta version and try adding commandline option: -nofocus

[AbteriX]

 

That's fine with the timezones,... delivery over night  


My first test works pretty well:

- Monitor 1 Notepad
- Monitor 2 TotalCommander
- start "" MiniCap.exe -save %myfilename% -captureappbyname TotalCMD.exe -exit -compress 1 -nofocus

While the batch launches MiniCap to take screen shots, i am writing in Notepad and also keep pressing F5 key.

The F5 key writes timestamp in Notepad, but would cause the copy dialog to open in TC,.... but that never happens,
because TC never got the focus while taking screen shots from it. Also TCs' tray icon didn't flash.


Thank you. I think that works. Will test this in real live when I get the change again (calm atm bcof sommer time)

 

BTW: if you want to, you may copy my loop-capturing batch to the help file >> https://www.donation....msg359673#msg359673