#GPT-4 Conversation #1096587324151832738

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cinder valleyBOT
loud sleet
#

apple automator to open a pre sized area rectangle within screenshot app and let user position the visible rectangle anywhere on the screen and then capture screenshot manually

cinder valleyBOT
# loud sleet apple automator to open a pre sized area rectangle within screenshot app and let...

It sounds like you're looking for a way to create an Apple Automator script that allows a user to position a pre-sized rectangular selection on their screen, and then capture a screenshot manually. While you can't exactly automate this process with Apple Automator, you can achieve a similar effect using a Keyboard Shortcut built into macOS.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Press Command + Shift + 4 on your keyboard. This will change your cursor into a crosshair and allow you to define a rectangular selection on your screen.
  2. Click, hold, and drag to draw the rectangular selection. Release the mouse button to capture a screenshot of the selected area.
  3. The screenshot will be saved to your desktop as a .png file by default.

If you want to move the selection, click and hold spacebar while holding down the mouse button. This will allow you to move the selection without resizing it. Release the spacebar and finish dragging the rectangle to the desired size, then release the mouse button to capture the screenshot.

Unfortunately, Apple Automator doesn't provide precise control for operating within third-party applications like the Screenshot app in macOS. Do let me know if you need help with anything else!

loud sleet
#

yeah the thing is I already know that way through the shortcut, my issue is that apparently it plays a role how much pixel your rectangular section has when you draw it. In my case, the display has 2560 x 1600 Pixel, that means the next possible selection would be exactly half of that. I need to draw it exactly to 1280 x 800 (or 800 x 1280) and exactly here I have my issue because to get that done can be quite fiddling. That´s why I am desperately trying to find a solution. I tried apple script but apparently there is no way to script that in a way that I can still move the rectangular area around before the capture

cinder valleyBOT
# loud sleet yeah the thing is I already know that way through the shortcut, my issue is that...

I understand your concern. Instead of using Apple Automator or AppleScript, you can use a third-party screenshot tool that provides the option to define custom selection sizes. One such tool is Lightshot, which is a free and easy-to-use application.

Here's what you need to do:

  1. Download and install Lightshot from this link: https://app.prntscr.com/en/index.html
  2. Once installed, open Lightshot and access the settings (click the taskbar icon and then the gear icon).
  3. Under the "Hotkeys" section, assign a key to activate Lightshot. For example, you can use Command + Shift + 5.
  4. Save your settings and close the window.
  5. Press the assigned key to activate Lightshot.
  6. When the selection rectangle appears, the dimensions will be displayed to the right side of the cursor. Adjust the selection size to exactly 1280x800 (or 800x1280) as needed.

While Lightshot doesn't let you predefine a selection size, it does provide the dimensions while dragging the cursor, making it easier to reach the exact size you want.

I hope using Lightshot solves your issue. Let me know if you need further assistance.

loud sleet
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ah I just wanted to sream WOW cool but then I read the last sentence, which is a bummer. because most people, me included, have NOT noticed that apple does that too, right there in the corner of that rectangular shape you see small pop up where you see 999 x 999 and the numbers change while you move.
I mean, there has to be some way to do that, maybe another app or tool? Or maybe a smart trick do get it scripted or IDK anything?

cinder valleyBOT
loud sleet
#

ah I just wanted to sream WOW cool but then I read the last sentence, which is a bummer. because most people, me included, have NOT noticed that apple does that too, right there in the corner of that rectangular shape you see small pop up where you see 999 x 999 and the numbers change while you move.
I mean, there has to be some way to do that, maybe another app or tool? Or maybe a smart trick do get it scripted or IDK anything?
BTW what are the shell code or code commands regarding the rectangular size in screenshot app?