Smart Shot is an Open source Screenshot Capture Tool

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Smart Shot is an Open source Screenshot Capture Tool

If you are a blogger, instructor or even a basic user following some troubleshooting instructions, you must need to take screenshot of complete computer screen or part of it. Windows offers to take screenshot by pressing PrtScr (Full Screen) or Alt + PrtScr (Active Window) to copy it to clipboard and then you have to use any image editor (like Microsoft Paint) for editing and saving it. Higher versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7 also have an inbuilt screenshot tool called Snipping Tool that can automate the process. But it has some limitations in the editing feature. Smart Shot is a new and simple Open Source Screenshot Capture Tool which does the same thing.

It is intended to replace standard Windows 7 screen capturing tool, which lacks several useful features:
- basic editing options: adding straight lines, arrows, shapes, text annotations
- image cropping
- UNDO function

Features & Specifications

Tiny installer [715 Kb], installs fast. Creates desktop icon.
The software runs on all Windows version, both 32 and 64 bit.
Upon launching, Smart Shot hides to system tray.

It registers Shift + PrtScr to take full desktop screenshot instead of only PrtScr. Screenshot of Active Window can be made with Ctrl + PrtScr.
After taking the screenshot, the editor launches quickly.
The editor has few features adding text, box, circle, line, arrow, changing color of each, cropping image etc. It also has an undo function.

Smart Shot can save the captured image in PNG format.

The software can repair installation for troubleshooting.

System Resource usage is optimal.

My Verdict

Although I like simple applications like this, some features are much needed.
A Redo Function
More output image formats.
The screenshot editor should allow opening of already saved screenshots for editing at a later time.
Less experienced users can use help documentation offline or only. But none are available.
I have created a video domonstration of the software usage.

Download

Download version 1.0.0.0 the software can downloaded from the following link
http://nchc.dl.sourceforge.net/project/smartshot/version%201.0.0.0/SmartShot_1.0.0.0_installer.EXE