NANY 2023 Release: QR Code Warlock

[hamradio]

NANY 2023 Release Information

Application Name	QR Code Warlock
Version	1.0.0 build 1
Short Description	Allows you to generate qr codes with a web address or text.
Supported OSes	Tested on Windows 10 64 bit.
Web Page	QR Code Warlock
Download Link	QR Code Warlock
License	USE/MISUSE AT YOUR OWN RISK! NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND! Currently do not distribute on the web publicly, instead link to the website.
System Requirements	.NET Framework 4.7 Obviously a computer...
Version History	"1.x Version History - Current Version Cycle" 1.0.0 build 1 - Current Version
Author	hamradio

Description
Allows you to generate qr codes with a web address or text. You should be able to use this as well on portable devices as long as the computer you intend to use it on has .NET 4.7.

Features

• Portable enabled.
• Generates only high error correction qr codes. (Allows for small overlays.)
• The high error correction allows for small overlay images to be placed on top of the qr code.
• Create, open, and save qr code lists for easy opening and generating again.
• Option to toggle between using the transparency from overlay or filling in the transparency with a background color.
• Ability to choose between the default square or rounded rectangle overlay background color noting the previous bullet point.
• Import the data from an qr code image file.
• Copy current generated to clipboard/export to image.
• Shows what the current size would look like at certain dpi values along with a popup dpi calculator with more info.
• Application themes of light, dark, and seven more currently.
• Log window for all in program messages that popup in center of qr code and disappear after a set time.

Screenshot

Click here!

Usage

Installation
Extract to a portable folder of its own and run. (Note: Do not put in the program files folder or other system folder.)

Using the Application
Add a qr code item then change the title, value, and other properties. Rinse and repeat for more and when finished save the qr code list/export the qr codes.

Quick Tips

• More info to be released later but it can use macros in the overlay path like new ones of ?:\ = APP DRIVE and ?:\app\ = APP PATH and including the other ones from my other programs.

Help File
Please note that the help file is not done.

Uninstallation
Just delete the QR Code Warlock application folder.

Known Issues
Currently do not know of any.

[KodeZwerg]

Hey Carroll! Works cool, I just tried out.
Not that it much matter, but why does it show my used path with a drive letter of "?" ?

[Deozaan]

I had forgotten to check it out, and KodeZwerg's post reminded me of this. Useful utility! Nice, simple, and effective.

One minor nitpick/feature request: Is there any way to align the size of the overlay (or its background) to the pixel grid so there's not partial pixels sticking out from behind it? IMO it would generate much more aesthetically pleasing QR codes that way.

Not that it much matter, but why does it show my used path with a drive letter of "?" ?

-KodeZwerg (February 02, 2023, 06:26 PM)

The Quick Tips in the OP says ?:/ is a kind of macro which represents the same drive the app is on.

[hamradio]

Thanks for the feedback!

Not that it much matter, but why does it show my used path with a drive letter of "?" ?

-KodeZwerg (February 02, 2023, 06:26 PM)

The Quick Tips in the OP says ?:/ is a kind of macro which represents the same drive the app is on.

-Deozaan (February 03, 2023, 01:09 AM)

Deozaan is right on why it shows ?:\ in the path.

One minor nitpick/feature request: Is there any way to align the size of the overlay (or its background) to the pixel grid so there's not partial pixels sticking out from behind it? IMO it would generate much more aesthetically pleasing QR codes that way.

-Deozaan (February 03, 2023, 01:09 AM)

If you are seeing where it looks a little strange in the preview it could be where it's stretching the preview image to display it within the space. (It will save full size even if the preview is stretched.) If it is something different show me a screenshot as I'm not following what you are saying right off tonight.

[Deozaan]

I mean the overlay is not aligned to the "pixel grid" of the QR code. A QR code is made up of various squares, the size of each square depends on how much data is being embedded into the code. All of these squares have a uniform minimum size for any given QR code. I'm calling the smallest squares "pixels" because they are basically just a single pixel magnified enough to be properly identified by a camera. And the "pixel grid" I'm referring to is just a grid where each cell (or pixel) is the size of these squares.

In the image below, I've outlined a few of these squares ("pixels") to show their size and how some of them are only partially covered by the overlay image.

NANY 2023 Release: QR Code Warlock

In the image below, I've outlined the entire area where the overlay covers some of these squares only partially.

NANY 2023 Release: QR Code Warlock

In my opinion, QR codes would be more aesthetically pleasing if the overlay image snapped its dimensions to a multiple of the "pixel grid" size, so there are no partial squares showing.

[hamradio]

I mean the overlay is not aligned to the "pixel grid" of the QR code. A QR code is made up of various squares, the size of each square depends on how much data is being embedded into the code. All of these squares have a uniform minimum size for any given QR code. I'm calling the smallest squares "pixels" because they are basically just a single pixel magnified enough to be properly identified by a camera. And the "pixel grid" I'm referring to is just a grid where each cell (or pixel) is the size of these squares.

In my opinion, QR codes would be more aesthetically pleasing if the overlay image snapped its dimensions to a multiple of the "pixel grid" size, so there are no partial squares showing.

-Deozaan (February 05, 2023, 06:00 PM)

Ahh that. I am not sure right off how easily I can read in the size of each square being output by the QR code library. For QR Code Warlock currently the overlay image is overlaid onto the QR code after the QR code image has been generated by the library since the library does not have a image setting that I could see.

[Deozaan]

Perhaps you could add a setting or slider for the user to adjust the size of the overlay?

Again, this is just minor nitpicking for something that doesn't affect the functionality of the QR codes output by this app. So feel free to turn down this request.

[hamradio]

Perhaps you could add a setting or slider for the user to adjust the size of the overlay?

Again, this is just minor nitpicking for something that doesn't affect the functionality of the QR codes output by this app. So feel free to turn down this request.

-Deozaan (February 06, 2023, 03:14 PM)

I may eventually open the sizing up. One of those quirky things that I am still really not too sure on yet even though I researched it some is the primary concern of...basically the format (the best possible for most error correction) I am generating them in writes the extra data for error correction into the other squares which allows for it to have the placement of images on it to still work. So too much cover of the QR code can still prevent the QR code from reading successfully. I found that using a 3rd of the image size usually worked good so that is what it does currently. So the overlay on 660 pixels should be at 220 pixels width/height centered on to the QR code.

[Deozaan]

Perhaps the overlay size could be clamped at a maximum of 1/3 of the QR code size, and the user could adjust the overlay to be smaller than that maximum value.

[hamradio]

Perhaps the overlay size could be clamped at a maximum of 1/3 of the QR code size, and the user could adjust the overlay to be smaller than that maximum value.

-Deozaan (February 07, 2023, 02:37 PM)

I may implement something like that as I get time to develop it.

However till then...

Might not be a program option currently for resizing the overlay to less but technically you can do that already with a png that has transparency around the edges with the background you want. The program allows for no background color to be drawn before the overlay image gets drawn by selecting Use Transparency in overlay tools drop down. Also allows for more custom borders that the program doesn't offer.