UltraSnap Pro 1.5
January 23, 2002
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There are times when it would be nice to capture a screen or part
of it and apply an effect to it. The problem is that to get the
same results on subsequent captures is often difficult. That
isn't the case with UltraSnap Pro 1.5.
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That is because one of the features UltraSnap offers is the
ability to take any number of photos and apply the same effects
as each is captured without having to redo the settings.
UltraSnap sits in the bottom tray until it is activated by using
hot key commands. Depending on the combination used, it can
capture a region, a region with a 3x zoom, a window, or a full
screen.
Additionally, there is no reason for delay between captures
because the program will automatically send the capture to the
clipboard or save it to a chosen directory on your computer.
Here is a look at the various types of captures:
- Region: Users can select a region, select [CTRL]+[ALT]+R
to complete the capture.
- Region with 3x Zoom: For more precision, this capture
allows you to see elements on the screen three times their normal
size and capture them by moving the cursor one pixel at a time
until you have the desired image.
- Window: This is a neat option that allows the user to
move their cursor around the screen, and the area under the
cursor will be highlighted. That enables users to capture any
portion of the screen at 100 percent.
- Full Screen: Captures the entire desktop.
Once the capture is complete, the photo will open in a screen
where the users can apply effects or crop the image. Various
enhancements can also be applied.
Those enhancements (shown here at right) allow for automatic
sizing to 50 percent and 75 percent, sharpening, borders,
shadows, and ultra contrast.
The program also allows users to see the results of applying
other effects and then, if desired, undo them as well.
Among the effects that can be added are borders, drop shadows,
sharpening, an assortment of filters, 3D buttonization, and
feathering.
UltraSnap can save photos in .BMP, .PNG, .GIF, or .JPG format. It
can also resize photos as they are captured to eliminate yet
another step.
Many times there is a need to add an arrow, a circle, or text to
a photo, and UltraSnap allows users to do that while in the
capture process.
As soon as the capture is made, users can choose accents from a
visual menu to apply to the graphic. Simply clicking on the
accent and then clicking on the graphic where the accent is to be
placed gets the job done. The only drawback is that it does not
allow you to move the accent once placed, so it is best to be on
target the first time.
However, if you do miss the target, you can undo adding the
accent and try again.
It is quite simple to add a text description to the graphic.
These all go under the image, much like a newspaper cutline, and
they too cannot be moved.
Among the newest features are an image browser that allows you to
see images already captured and the ability to capture text from
message bars that appear on the screen.
Should you wish to send a capture to someone via e-mail, you can
simply drag and drop the image to your e-mail client without even
saving the file to the hard disk.
Coming soon in version 1.6, when users register UltraSnap, they
will be able to add a highlight rectangle of the color the users
choose over part of an image, and it will automatically dim the
rest of the image.
Another addition in the making is the ability to preview saved
files by viewing them in a thumbnail preview pane. From that
thumbnail pane, an image can be dragged into the main screen or
from the main screen it can be dragged back into the thumbnail
pane.
Like the other products we've seen from MediaChance, UltraSnap is
a quality program. Originally created for in-house use, the
company realized they had created a great piece of software and
has made it available to the public at a very reasonable price.
While there are a lot of good screen capture programs on the
market, Web designers who need to make a lot of captures would be
well advised to look closely at UltraSnap Pro.
| What is it called again? UltraSnap
Pro 1.5 |
| Where can I get it?
http://www.mediachance.com |
| How much does it cost? $23 |
| How big is the download? 990 KB |
| Do I recommend it? I certainly do, so
much so I've used it every day for the past week. |
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