Some Feature Requests & Food For Thought (if your brain is on a diet!)

[SuperMan]

Now that I've taken a look around in ScreenShot Captor and been thoroughly impressed with what a great piece of work it is, I have a few immediate thoughts about a couple of small changes that would be useful to me.

1. Add standard Windows file open dialog to tray icon right click context menu.

Why:
I often want to work with files already stored locally rather than capture new ones.  With this feature I could easily open an existing file.  The reason I would like the standard windows file open dialog is because I use another program that adds extensions to that dialog that allow me to have a favorites list to immediately navigate to favorite folders and files.  It also has several other features.  It works with the standard Windows Open and Save As dialogs.

Note: Maybe a good place on the menu is under "Grab screenshot from Webcam" and before "Acquire image from scanner"  ?  Maybe label something like "Open local file" or "Open local image" ?

2. In the main window File command menu add an "Open" command (standard file open dialog).

Why:
Same reason that I would like to have this dialog on the tray icon.  If I am already in the window I would want to use that command.

Note: I'm not fond of using the giant folder icons to navigate.  It's clumsy and uses a lot of screen real estate.  Also it doesn't give you a lot of context to see where you are.  It's easy to get lost.  I prefer the standard Windows file open and Save As dialogs.  The main window already has the Save As... and it's great!  

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So there you have it.  I have lots more ideas, but I think this is the wish list that are my most needed things at this time.

If any of this capability is already available, and I just didn't see it, I apologize.

I am still thinking the uploading features through.  Generally, I like your idea about using a registered account so that you can manage your photos through the host rather than trying to build that same redundant capability into the program.  That makes a lot of sense.  Why spend all that time recreating capability that is already there.  However, I need to try that system for a while to see how it works out.  So I'll report back when I do.  I also like the idea of using an anonymous account because it's just less hassle.  So I hate giving that up.  Clearly SOME things will need to be done -- or would be nice to have done -- through ScreenShot Captor to support even the registered system such as some things that are already being done like copying the URL to the clipboard when uploaded.  I'll check back in after I've thought it through.  You probably have much better ideas about it then I do anyway!

Thanks for considering these things.  I hope they are helpful.  Please let me know if there is any way I can assist.  I'd be more than happy to beta test or anything else.  This program is definitely worth it!  Thanks again!

[SuperMan]

Following up to the comments above about using the basic built-in uploader in non-anonymous mode...

I think it would be fine to use the upload host account in order to keep a record of your uploads and related links and for managing the uploads rather than doing all of that through Screenshot Captor.  I think that is a good plan if that is what you are thinking.  I see no need to duplicate all that functionality in the program.

However, ImageShack requires a premium account in order to gain access to a direct link, or any links to the image in its original size or other selected sizes as well as most of the image related tools.  That's an issue if you don't want a premium account.

For this reason and some others, I think Imgur is currently a better choice for uploads.  It has a lot more features and no fee.

So the question is, can SC be configured for a non-anonymous Imgur account, and if not, that would be my most immediate feature request with regard to uploading rather than having to shell out to ShareX.

Edit to add note:

I just tried using MyImgur (v3.76) as an external uploading tool.  It's nice.  It works well and it performs many of the database keeping tasks that you would need.  But... unfortunately it has a bug that causes a lot of uploads to fail and its unreliable.  It has not been updated in a long time and I don't know if it is still being developed.  It would be nice if it worked more reliably.... but even if it did it still requires shelling out to another program.  It would be great if that wasn't necessary.

Thanks again for considering my suggestions.  

[mouser]

Thanks for your posts, SuperMan.

I really do need to add a few more upload targets besides ImageShack -- Imgur would be my next choice.

Your ideas about adding an Open command are on the mark -- it's not the first time someone has requested it -- and indeed most of the time the "request" is more along the lines of "I can't figure out how to open a specific file and surely there is something i am missing.."  it's just that SC is meant to always be showing the contents of a directory where the screenshot lives, so selecting a specific file has to coincide with "switching" to that working directory.

Actually SC does have an open file commandline command, and at one point (i guess i removed it?) the installer offered to install a right-click-open-in-screenshot captor option to your right-click context menu.

I do need to make it easy for someone to open a specific file in SC.. I just need to figure out the best way to do it.  The easiest way would be if doing so also changed the working Screenshot directory to the directory containing that file.  If people are ok with that, then its an EASY add.

[SuperMan]

Thanks mouser!

I just happened to be online now.  Imgur sounds great.  The more I use it, the more I like it.  Great anon and non-anon host!

I think I understand what you mean by changing the working folder from the screenshot folder to the folder containing the file.  If I do understand it, it certainly would be fine with me.  As a matter of fact, that would be my preference.

I'm not a fan of navigating using the folder icons in the thumbnail pane.  I find it difficult to navigate the folder structure using this method.  So for me, the important part would be to have access to the folder structure through the standard windows dialog.  For me, that's the best universal generic method of navigation.  Don't know if you can build that into the mix or not, but I sure do appreciate your considering it.

In general, I like developers who think things out rather than rush into a bad solution.  So please don't rush on my account!  I have lots of patience.  I'd rather have something really well done then really fast.  Your work is beautiful!

Thanks so much for being so responsive! 

[SuperMan]

Follow up to my second to last comment...

I'm actually really digging the Screenshot Captor/MyImgur combination except for the sometimes failed uploads.  I'm thinking that maybe the failures are related to file size.  Imgur seems to maybe accept files larger than MyImgur agrees to feed it without errors.  I'm not sure that is the issue, just a crude observation.

I was reading some comments about MyImgur and it appears that maybe there have been recent silent updates keeping the same version number.  It isn't clear to me if that is the case.  And if it is the case it isn't clear to me why that apparent bug has not been addressed because a number of people seemed to have reported it.

But overall, the combination is really nice.  MyImgur keeps a nice editable database of uploaded files and the various links for each file.  Very nice Imgur specific program.  Still would be really nice to have an option to do at least the basic Imgur uploading tasks directly in Screenshot Captor.

Thanks again!  

[mouser]

It's always nice to hear from folks using my software and to hear feature requests -- sometimes i have to hear the same request from a few different people before it clicks.

And please excuse my slowness in replying and implementing -- i've spent the last 3-4 weeks from morning to night working on upgrading the forum software here (just about done!), so i've been slow in attending to my apps.

[SuperMan]

It's no problem at all mouser... considering the number of things you have to juggle you do a phenomenal job of keeping up!  Don't know how you do it.

Thank you for all the great work! 

[mouser]

Open command added to File Menu in newest BETA.