There are two basic modes of Screen Imp operation, Camera and Lens.
Camera Mode
Screen Imp viewing the desktop while an icon is placed
The camera view provides a real time view of any monitor or any part of the desktop. Define custom areas on any monitor, fix the view to any window or anywhere on the desktop. Capture snapshots of any view, adding each to the image list, a filmstrip style image store. View captured images in the viewfinder, or as thumbnail images with drag-drop sorting.
Capture, Print, and Save any images of the desktop, including transparent and odd shaped windows. Capture images in their original colours, or converted to an alternative format. Set automatic capture times, minimized, or hidden. Automatically crop unwanted areas from most non-rectangular windows.
Captured images are stored in the image list. The images are all stored as Bitmaps along with additional information, including capture date and time. Images of any colour depth can be stored together in the list.
Image files dropped onto or opened with Screen Imp, are treated as if screen captured. Image files are added to the list with information including the file name and file type. The image file types supported are; BMP, EMF, JPG, PNG, and WMF.
Since Screen Imp does not provide any painting features, use the Windows Clipboard to transfer images between Screen Imp and your favourite paint program.
Lens Mode
Adjusting the lens size
The Lens Mode provides a floating, magnifying glass style window. The Lens is used to view the desktop at any scale. Use the Print Screen or Capture key to capture the current lens view.
Measurement and layout tools are provided in both modes, and are drawn to scale with the view.
The lens being used to measure relative distances with the protractor tool
Screen Imp’s compass tool, with its adjustable north setting and custom units, enables screen measurements of heading, bearing and range.
Screen Imp’s protractor tool enables screen measurements of angles and distances. It's also a neat trigonometry calculator, and dynamically calculates all the angles and lengths of any triangle you stretch it into.
Printing
Enhanced printing features are included, complete with a Print Preview window. Create accurate margin arrangements and have automatic best orientation, fit, and scale. Select multiple pictures for each page, and print additional information, including print date and file name.
Printing preferences are set in the print preview window
Thumbnail View
All the captured images and loaded picture files can be viewed together with the Thumbnail View window. This provides image processing and sorting, batch processing and catalogue functions, with drag-drop file handling.
A thumbnail being dragged in the thumbnail view window
Images can be zipped together, up - down, or left - right. A coloured frame and background border can also be added. These functions create new images added to the end of the list.
Drag and drop into order, and remove unwanted images from the list. Then save the entire list and create a text file containing the path names of all the files. Manage these text files to visually process the images in batches.
Keyboard Control
Practically all functions, including window positioning, can be controlled from the keyboard. All the keyboard functions have a user programmable key and hot key. The Capture command can also be made with the system Print Screen Key.
Program your own keyboard set-up
Almost all the functions are accessible from the popup menu (mouse-click 2nd button). Buttons and status bar items have useful hint boxes that appear when the mouse hovers over the item.
System Technicalities
More than one Screen Imp can run at the same time, and each can be accessed individually from the Windows Taskbar, and started from its own shortcut. Any can reside in the Tasktray, the Windows Taskbar notification area. In this case, there is no Taskbar button, instead an icon with pop-up menu appears in the Tasktray icon area.
Screen Imp works seamlessly across multiple monitor desktops and is not fussy about colour depth or screen resolution. Screen Imp continues operating as you alter screen and monitor configurations.
Screen Imp is fully portable. Copy the Screen Imp directory or files to your portable drive or removable storage device. On the remote system, double click the scrnimp.exe file in Windows Explorer. There are no changes made to the remote system.
The Screen Imp installation directory can be relocated simply by moving to another directory. Screen Imp checks the system when starting, and makes changes to the installation settings if necessary.
Screen Imp works the same on any version of Microsoft ® Windows from Windows 95 onwards. Windows 95 requires IE 4.0 or later, Windows NT 4.0 requires service pack 4 and IE 4.0.