Author Topic: Coming soon.. Arrows, callouts, textboxes (Read 55,321 times)

mouser · « **on:** August 12, 2005, 02:10 PM »

i think i have figured out a reasonable way to support editable arrows, textboxes, callouts, etc., in screenshot captor.
look for it in next version.

if anyone has some good free clipart that would be useful for adding to screenshots (maybe like special arrows or thought balloon type things), let me know.

Ampa · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2005, 02:18 PM »

What format do you want the arrows and call outs to be in? Vector or Raster?

If no free clipart is forthcoming, it would be no problem to whip some up.

Ampa

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2005, 02:29 PM »

thats a qood question about format..

i can load vector art in emf or wmf format, or any raster format.
if its raster format it should probably be pretty high-resolution so that it can be scaled to a large size (say 640x480) and still look good.

i wonder if there is already some simple callout image format already defines that includes info about where text should be placed.. if not i was thinking something very simple like this:

there would be a subdirectory in ScreenshotCaptor directory labeled StampsAndCallouts
in that directory would be images, and with some images a simple text file describing the coordinates of a rectangular box where the text would go.

so we would just have images there that would be useful for adding to screenshots, like maybe a "new!" sticker image.

and also callouts, which would exist like:
BubbleCallout.wmf (the image)
BubbleCallout.textboxinfo (would simply contain a line like "10,10,200,20" specifying the location of the text box that should be created inside the image when placed on the screen).

users will be able to add their own stamps and callouts just by placing files in that directory, i just thought it would be nice to have a few samples. maybe you can help make some ampa after i get the feature working.

AbteriX · « **Reply #3 on:** August 14, 2005, 03:41 PM »

Quote from: mouser on August 12, 2005, 02:10 PM

i think i have figured out a reasonable way to support editable arrows, textboxes, callouts, etc., in screenshot captor.
look for it in next version.

Nice to hear you work on such things.
That's pretty handy for to wrote documentations

I could test this if you want...

br
stefan

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2005, 04:36 PM »

cool arrows!

i can see this is really going to be fun

AbteriX · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2005, 11:19 PM »

As text i want to insert sometimes signs from a dingbats fonts.

So i could insert a many shapes and signs.

'cus i don't know what sign is on what keyboard cap
i need an char map viewer to have an overview.

Maybe you could ad an button into your text tool
to be customized
to open my favorite char map viewer ???

----

Thoughts:
One would want to add an standard cursor into the snap after the shot.

----

BTW i would suggest a few times ... id would be extra nice
if this arrows and textboxes could be movable, at least for
an short time till i do my next step.

----
U collect screenshot alternatives ?
I used a few times "HandySnap 0.5" what was free in the beta phase
from http://www.wisepixel.com/

mouser · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2005, 11:33 PM »

yes - im trying to figure out a way so you can always move and edit the object.
dingbat fonts sounds like a good idea.
being able to insert cursors - also very good idea.
i will try to implement both.

thanks for link to handysnap - i will add it to help file.

AbteriX · « **Reply #7 on:** August 18, 2005, 07:56 AM »

For them how want to use dingbats here a few links
to sides without spam/pop-up/ad's (at least at july 05)

f.ex.

Font Paradise - 2.800 Fonts with an dingbats side without ads
http://www.fontparadise.com/index.php
----------------------------------------------------------
Dingbats-UK - Downloads and big Link-List.
http://www.dingbats-uk.org.uk/
----------------------------------------------------------
Roadgeek 2005 fonts - U.S.'s highway signs.
with arrows like on the shields.
http://www.triskele.com/fonts/ 700kB Fontpaket

on this side is an link to an Piktogram Font for to build maps:
"created to support the display of commonly used recreation symbols"
Sign for INFO, HELP, restaurant, PARK, TELEFON, SPORT, CAMPING..
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mis/gis/tools/a...ecsym.html
----------------------------------------------------------
Chemistry True Type Font
http://www.monroecc.edu/wusers/flanzafame/ChemFont.htm
----------------------------------------------------------
Fonts for Teachers
http://members.fortunecity.com/jlindgren/fontindex.html

Fonts in shapes
e.g. in rhombi, triangles, rectangles, pentagons, in Flowers, in Stars
http://members.fortunecity.com/jlindgren/page05dothershapes.html

Fonts in school issues
http://members.fortunecity.com/jlindgren/page06.html

Fonts in Computers, Monitors, Typewriter, FloppyDisks, Flags...
http://members.fortunecity.com/jlindgren/p...ation.html

Fonts with/in Cars, stagecoaches, nautic, transport...
http://members.fortunecity.com/jlindgren/p...ation.html
----------------------------------------------------------

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #8 on:** August 18, 2005, 10:12 AM »

Rather than adding specific items why not code it so you can add and move "stamps" around the image. Those stanps could then take any image - arrows, etc. but equally well be anything else. A user library of useful images could then be added (and donated to the project).

If stamps could be grouped you could allow user gernated groups to appear on the button bar too - so the library could contain eg. a group of arrows with an associated button. These groups could be built up into a downloadable selection of stamp libraries ...

Just a thought ...

AbteriX · « **Reply #9 on:** August 18, 2005, 11:20 AM »

I would like to suggest an option "increase canvas size"

---------------------
Increase the back ground:

[ 30] pixel
( ) at Top
( ) at Bottom
(x) at right
( ) at left
( ) around all sides

to put shapes and Text outside the pics like in this example

mouser · « **Reply #10 on:** August 18, 2005, 02:29 PM »

carol, that's exactly the idea, user will be able to add their own collection of stamps, etc. i'm just thinking to include a basic set at the start.

stefan, great idea - i will add this.

we should probably remember, screenshot captor was made to make it easy to configure external tools and especially a graphics editor as a button, and its designed to automatically detect when you've edited the file in an external graphics editor, so we should probably not try to duplicate so many functions of a real editor program, and instead encourage user to use a real one in conjunction with screenshot captor.

but small simlple features like this are very good ideas. i will add a canvas size increaser dialog in next version.

AbteriX · « **Reply #11 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:01 PM »

Here are some examples for to insert rectangles and ovals:

This is the way handsnap do that:

- select rectangle or circle
- select border color or none border
- select fill color or none fill
- select border thickness
- select translucenty (i suggest to split into "translucenty" for fill only and optional border too)

See readme.txt and unis000.txt
in the pic for what we could get:

AbteriX · « **Reply #12 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:06 PM »

Here are some examples for to insert lines and arrows

This is the way handysnap do that:

- select line/arrow color
- select line/arrow thickness
- select line/arrow translucenty
- check [ ] Arrow to get an arrow instead of an simple line

See the different arrows in this pics f.ex:

AbteriX · « **Reply #13 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:13 PM »

Here are some examples for to insert free hand drawing

This is the way handysnap do that:

- select brush color
- select brush thickness

(not seen by handysnap)
- select brush translucenty
- holt CTRL-key to draw in 0°, 15°, 30°, 45° and 90° degrees

See this pics f.ex:

AbteriX · « **Reply #14 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:18 PM »

Here are some examples for to insert stamps/other pictures

Maybe we could store any picture in the 'Stamps folder'
to insert as stamp ???

e.g.
we could crop an menu, save this in the stamp folder
and reimport this menu-pic as stamp to make a little collage ?

This is the way handysnap do that:
Handysnap has an folder too for such pics and show this in the follow pop-up window

AbteriX · « **Reply #15 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:21 PM »

I posted 4 new post above for how the lines and arrows things could be implemented.

Ready for discussion, whats pro and whats contra

Off the top i suggest vector pics
for to resize and rotade them.
So we need only one arrow-sign pro arrow-kind
and not 4 different directions pro kind
like seen in handysnap above.

Also we should be able to move the pics a while around to find the right place. (that was already told)

mouser · « **Reply #16 on:** August 20, 2005, 07:41 PM »

here are the object i see being able to use:
1) arrows (you can easily change endpoints locations+styles, color, transparency)
2) stamps (clipart), should rotate, scale, move, set transparency; includes cursors, sparkles, etc.
3) simple text boxes (should be able to choose color, shadow, justification, roundborder/noborder,transparency)
4) clipart text callouts (like baloons for text)
5) highlight boxes and underlines

all objects should be movable, deletable, etc.

anything else?

clipart should be in standard format for easy adding new stuff.

mouser · « **Reply #17 on:** August 31, 2005, 01:13 AM »

i didn't intend to work on this for a while, but i've actually almost finished it..
clipart needed!

AbteriX · « **Reply #18 on:** August 31, 2005, 07:15 AM »

> but i've actually almost finished it
Can't wait.

> clip part needed!

Maybe you could use this library, mouser ?

The open Clip Art Library
About
This project aims to create an archive of clip art that can be used for free for any use.

http://www.openclipart.org/downloads/index.php

( "RMB | Properties" for to see from wich catogory the ex. is taken )

Open Clip Art Library 0.16 — 4422 Unique Images, Released August 2, 2005: 50 - 80 MB downloads

mouser · « **Reply #19 on:** August 31, 2005, 07:45 AM »

wonderful!

mouser · « **Reply #20 on:** August 31, 2005, 10:15 AM »

ok there are so many cliparts in that package it is a bit overwhelming..
if anyone is up for helping, what id really like to do is pick out maybe a hundred or so good ones that seems like they would be useful for annotating screenshots. e.g. thought balloons, arrows, sparkles, etc. should be in standard image format (png, jpg, bmp, gif,tif,wmf), and not vector graphics (at least not yet, sorry).

AbteriX · « **Reply #21 on:** August 31, 2005, 11:51 AM »

> if anyone is up for helping,

I would, but.... what is 50MB/8kBytes ....

Let's see if i find a way.

If someone wants to help he/she should announce this here bevor starting, so not 2 or 3 make the same work

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #22 on:** August 31, 2005, 12:14 PM »

OpenClipArt was a good find. For the purposes of SC

http://www.openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/shapes/callouts

and

http://www.openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/shapes/arrows

Seem like good places to start

There are also http://www.openclipart.org/cgi-bin/navigate/shapes/flowchart

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #23 on:** August 31, 2005, 02:26 PM »

Just downloaded this library.

When you unpack it the is an index file (index.xml) which won't view in Internet Explorer (or anywhere else).

Anyone any idea how to view xml files like this ?

I just get this error ...

Quote

The XML page cannot be displayed
Cannot view XML input using XSL style sheet. Please correct the error and then click the Refresh button, or try again later.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Required white space was missing. Error processing resource 'file:///J:/Downloads/My Download Files/openclipart-0.16/index....

uri="http://www.openclipart.org/"'>;
-------------------------------------^

Also in the openclipart-0.16\special\gradients folder I cannot see any of the gradient .PNG files (they are blank) and if I double click on the SVC explorer files there is nothing just an error in the status window saying 'bad CSS property or descriptor declaration'

Anyone any idea why this one folder seems to be not working? Anyone else get the same results (I got the same when I looked at the files online too).

mouser · « **Reply #24 on:** September 01, 2005, 07:23 AM »

i just open xml files in a text editor to browse them..

i'd also like to add some picture frames..
anyone know any public domain transparent-enabled picture frame images?