Author Topic: Screenshot Captor Auto Tool Configurations (Read 127,116 times)

mouser · « **on:** June 23, 2009, 01:46 AM »

Advanced Screenshot Captor users know that you can configure the SC "Tools" menu to launch 3rd party programs that can operate on image files, in various ways.

I've just added a new feature that adds a new "Tools" subdirectory in the Screenshot Captor installation, which is scanned automatically when the program starts.

Screenshot Captor looks for files named *.sctool and parses those in search of 3rd party tool configurations, and these are added to the Tools menu automatically.

This allows two things:

First, users can share tool "packs" as if they were plugins, by combining a utility with its .sctool file, which users simply unzip into the Tools subdirectory.
Second, users can make an .sctool file for a common application (like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, etc.), which tells SC where to look to find the program on the hard disk of the user, and how to launch it to work with the selected image (if found, it is added to the Tools menu).

I hope users will take a look at the .sctool feature which will be available in the next release of SC and share some tool packs!

mouser · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2009, 01:12 PM »

Sample for Paint Shop Pro (v9):

Code

// Tool configuration for Screenshot Captor
// Format:
//  title = 
//  app =
//  params = 
//  iconfile =
// Notes:
//  if title = - then it is a separator (no other values needed)
//   params and iconfile are optional
//  if iconfile is blank, the exe file icon will be used
//  you can specify multiple entries if you separate them with @ sign on its own line
//  if an app doesnt exist it will not be loaded, so its safe to add entries for programs not on users pc
//
// The following macros are available for exe and params
//  %THISDIR% - the directory this file is in
//  %APPDIR% - the directory where the program (Screenshot Captor) is run from
//  %APPDRIVE% - the drive (e.g. c:) where the program (Screenshot Captor) is run from
// -
//  %file% - Image file name (surround in " if required).
//  %folder% - Folder containing the image file.
//  %tmpfile% - Temporary flat image file name w/o ext. (e.g. %tmpfile%.jpg)
//  %tmpfileplain% - Temporary image (with NO objects drawn) file name w/o ext. (e.g. %tmpfile%.jpg)
//  %fileplain% - Saves image with NO objects drawn, and then reloads and re-adds objects
//  %ProgramFiles% - Program files directory (will look in BOTH x86 and normal)

title = -
@
title = Paint Shop Pro - No Objects (default)
app = %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 9\Paint Shop Pro 9.exe
params = "%fileplain%"
iconfile =
@
title = Paint Shop Pro - Temporary flattened (.jpg)
app = %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 9\Paint Shop Pro 9.exe
params = %tmpfile%.jpg
iconfile =
@
title = Paint Shop Pro - File as is
app = %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 9\Paint Shop Pro 9.exe
params = "%file%"
iconfile =
@
title = Paint Shop Pro - Temporary No Objects (.png)
app = %ProgramFiles%\Jasc Software Inc\Paint Shop Pro 9\Paint Shop Pro 9.exe
params = "%tmpfileplain%"
iconfile =
@

Here's minimalist one for ColorCop tool included in same directory with the .sctool file:

Code

title = ColorCop Tool
app = %THISDIR%\ColorCop.exe

Note that the .sctool files are parsed, and missing applications are simply not added -- this means that it's safe to have a bunch of .sctool files for applications you don't have installed on your pc, and the entries simply won't show up on your menu. I hope this means people will share .sctool configuration files for various graphic editing/watermarking/uploading/etc tools.

The result will be that when you start Screenshot Captor, the Tool menu will be automatically pre-populated with links to various graphics applications on your computer.

I've also added an important %fileplain% macro when launching tools that basically removes the objects from the image file when handing off to the external tool, and readds them back when done -- very useful if you want to sketch on an image for example, but not lose your objects.

ps. these tool packs and .stool files can also have .dcupdate files for update checking, though that may be overkill.

mouser · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:44 PM »

Anyone who wants to try it, you can download beta version 2.57.01 here:
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/screenshotcaptor/downloads/beta/ScreenshotCaptorSetup.exe

mouser · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:52 PM »

And here's a sample tool pack, for the excellent donationware color picker "ColorCop":
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/screenshotcaptor/downloads/tools/colorcopSc.zip

So you just unpack that zip into your ScreenshotCaptor\Tools directory and restart SC -- you should then see ColorCop on your Tools menu.

Note: that zip file is just the original ColorCop zip with one extra file in it, ColorCopSc.sctool.
If you use and appreciate ColorCop, send the author a thank you and a donation!

mouser · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2009, 03:57 PM »

Other nice tools that would be nice to add portable (ie non-installer) tool packs for would include:
a magnifier, screenruler, watermarker.

And it would be nice to get some plain .sctool files for commonly installed standalone programs like the big graphics editors, etc.

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** July 16, 2009, 02:21 PM »

Total silence here.. anyone feel like making and sharing tool packs for image uploading to ftp/imageshack/flickr/etc?

jinkerz7 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 20, 2009, 03:47 PM »

I am using v2.57.01 on Windows Vista SP2. I created a .sctool file with the following contents:

Code

// Tool configuration for Screenshot Captor
// Format:
//  title = 
//  app =
//  params = 
//  iconfile =
// Notes:
//  if title = - then it is a separator (no other values needed)
//   params and iconfile are optional
//  if iconfile is blank, the exe file icon will be used
//
// The following macros are available for exe and params
//  %THISDIR% - the directory this file is in
//  %APPDIR% - the directory where the program (Screenshot Captor) is run from
//  %APPDRIVE% - the drive (e.g. c:) where the program (Screenshot Captor) is run from
// -
//  %file% - Image file name (surround in " if required).
//  %folder% - Folder containing the image file.
//  %tmpfile% - Temporary flat image file name w/o ext. (e.g. %tmpfile%.jpg)
//  %tmpfileplain% - Temporary image (with NO objects drawn) file name w/o ext. (e.g. %tmpfile%.jpg)
//  %fileplain% - Saves image with NO objects drawn, and then reloads and re-adds objects
//  %ProgramFiles% - Program files directory (will look in BOTH x86 and normal)

title = -
@
title = Microsoft Paint - File as is
app = %SystemDirectory%\mspaint.exe
params = "%file%"
iconfile =
@
title = Microsoft Paint - No Objects
app = %SystemDirectory%\mspaint.exe
params = "%fileplain%"
iconfile =

When SC starts, it replaces the %file% macro with a blank so it does not load the image whenever I launch the external tool. The other macros, such as %fileplain%, do work.

steeladept · « **Reply #7 on:** July 20, 2009, 04:15 PM »

Totally missed this before. I will give it a go in a bit. Maybe even make a toolpack of my own for my favorite tools - if I can figure it out. I knew SC could use 3rd party tools, but I never did myself because, well, I never thought much about what tools I might want! I found a pretty good ruler program though that you may want to look at if you are looking for suggestions....

Ruler, found at codeplex - http://www.codeplex.com/Ruler is really niffty and has a great transparency that I have used to great effect.

Another similar one that I have not used, but has garnered some support (apparently) is JR Screen Ruler at http://www.spadixbd.com/freetools/jruler.htm though if I am reading it right, to get transparency, you have to upgrade to the pro version.

Just some thoughts if you wanted to get them before I get around to seeing if I can do a pack with it (I would be working on Ruler, not JR

).

mouser · « **Reply #8 on:** July 20, 2009, 10:07 PM »

jinkerz7, ok i tested it and i see exactly what you mean. will fix now.

klausk · « **Reply #9 on:** September 25, 2009, 07:02 AM »

Hi

I don't know if you want a simple package with the sctool file, or a new app coded by me...

Here is ImageShack Uploader packed with UPX (from 26MB to 9MB) and they respective sctool file:

Download:
http://hotfile.com/dl/13424074/9432a25/ishack.7z.html

Extract ishack.7z to SC\Tools directory

PD: sorry about my English, I'm from Argentina

mouser · « **Reply #10 on:** September 25, 2009, 07:30 AM »

thank you very much klausk

however i could not get the .7z file to open -- all my extractor programs say unsupported compression type (even 7zip!)

klausk · « **Reply #11 on:** September 25, 2009, 01:03 PM »

Ups!

That is because I use 7zip v9.07 beta with the new LZMA2!!

Sorry, I uploaded again

http://hotfile.com/dl/13447689/0c74a96/ishack.7z.html

klausk · « **Reply #12 on:** September 30, 2009, 05:21 AM »

lanux128 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 01, 2009, 03:20 AM »

klausk: i can't run the compressed version, it crashes on start. however the full download works. just a heads-up for you. good tool, btw.

[attach=#]

klausk · « **Reply #14 on:** October 02, 2009, 03:41 AM »

Ok, just copy all files and folders from de imageshack installation dir to ishack folder:

imageformats\
translations\
avcodec-52.dll
avformat-52.dll
avutil-49.dll
ImageShackUploader.exe
ImageShackUploader.sctool
mingwm10.dll
QtCore4.dll
QtGui4.dll
QtNetwork4.dll
QtXml4.dll
swscale-0.dll

The first time you run it as SC tool, maybe the language will appear to be corrupt.
All you need to do is select English from main menu.

lanux128 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 02, 2009, 06:16 AM »

yes, that works.. i 'solved' the missing language problem by going into the "translations" folder and deleting all files except for "en_US.qm" (english).

klausk · « **Reply #16 on:** October 03, 2009, 01:58 PM »

SC should have multilanguage support!!
It could be reading .lng (txt) files?

bluesear · « **Reply #17 on:** October 17, 2009, 11:16 AM »

Quote from: mouser on June 23, 2009, 03:44 PM

Anyone who wants to try it, you can download beta version 2.57.01 here:
http://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/screenshotcaptor/downloads/beta/ScreenshotCaptorSetup.exe

The link doesn't work any longer.
Wait to have it fixed, please.

lanux128 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 18, 2009, 04:16 AM »

Quote from: bluesear on October 17, 2009, 11:16 AM

The link doesn't work any longer.
Wait to have it fixed, please.

that is a link to the old beta version, you can download latest version from official web page: here.

lanux128 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 27, 2010, 09:52 AM »

i couldn't find this anywhere in the readme. how can i specify the 'working folder' in the .sctool file? currently it defaults to the exe path.

[attach=#]

mouser · « **Reply #20 on:** August 27, 2010, 06:53 PM »

you can't in current version. i'm adding a field for workingdir now, it will be in next release.

lanux128 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 27, 2010, 09:50 PM »

thanks for adding it. i'm liking the sctools config so much that i'm eschewing the manual add.

also how to refresh to make the SC show the new additions/changes other than restarting the app? btw, here is a screenshot of my tools menu..

[attachthumb=#]

mouser · « **Reply #22 on:** August 27, 2010, 10:03 PM »

the really nice thing about the .sctool way is that you can easily share them.

i think if you bring up the "configure tools" dialog and then close it, it will rescan for .sctool files.. i think. if not i will make it so.

lanux128 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 29, 2010, 02:39 AM »

Quote from: mouser on August 27, 2010, 10:03 PM

i think if you bring up the "configure tools" dialog and then close it, it will rescan for .sctool files.. i think. if not i will make it so.

i would appreciate very much if you added this feature as currently SC doesn't do that. maybe SC could do the rescanning whenever the main window is restored from the system tray.

another plus is that if the 3rd-party tool is not found then it's hidden from view, nice touch there..

mouser · « **Reply #24 on:** August 29, 2010, 03:13 AM »

done, will be in next upload.