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June 2009 Featured Software |
| June 2009 Submitted by Dan Delong |
Although this screen capture tool has been around as long as Windows XP, it ranks as the top tool amongst other free screen capture options. Although Windows itself can capture screen content, it is quite limited. MWSnap is a far more able capture tool.
In Windows, you can capture the active window with Alt-PrtSc, or the whole desktop with the PrtSc key. Since the copy buffer, in Windows, can hold only one item at a time, such captures must then be pasted into a picture editor for further actions, like cropping, resizing, framing, buttonizing, flipping, printing, and saving.
With MWSnap, all but resizing can be carried out within the program itself. In addition, captures can be sent directly (automatically) to a chosen saving location, and in the most common file formats (png, jpg, jpeg, gif, bmp, tiff, ico). Colour depth is adjustable. If the captured image needs the addition of a Windows cursor / pointer, it too can be added, along with a solid coloured frame, a shaded two colour frame, or a button effect. [Note: Screen captures normally exclude cursors.]
 As with most capture programs, the capture area can be drawn with the cursor, or it can be the active window. With one click, the whole desktop can be captured. MWSnap also adds the ability to type in a capture area of set width and height, which can be added to drop down list of previously set dimensions. Particularly useful is the use of the cursor keys for fine movements of the selection borders. A few other handy tools are provided: zoomer, colour picker, and length ruler. If hot-key shortcuts are used to activate the captures, it is much easier to pick out specific window areas or drop down menus, from the active window. The most used short cut – current window – is Ctrl-Shift-W. When downloading a copy from the author’s links, choose the zip file, for it will expand to reveal the main exe file, avoiding the unnecessary actions of the alternate installer (which makes changes to the Windows registry). Only the program’s main exe file and accessory folders (in the zip download) are needed, making MWSnap a portable application as well.
System requirements: Platform: Windows XP and on Version: 3.0.0.74 (July 2002) Price: free Language: English and many others Download Size: 601 KB for zip file Installed Size: 643 KB Rating: Download Site: here |
