VeSCU AsjerS
Install VeSCU with WinGet
winget install --id=AsjerS.VeSCU -e A lightweight, versatile screenshot taking utility for Windows, designed to work in combination with a separate encoder executable.
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README
VeSCU - Versatile Screen Capture Utility
Installation
Download a release from here and install it.
The program requires .NET Desktop Runtime 10 to run.
Features
- Captures your screen, converts the pixels to a format encoders can understand with custom built functions, and hands it to an encoder of your choice.
- Made to be undisruptive: taking a screenshot does not shift focus, and works with lower CPU priority than your apps and games.
- Out-of-the-box support for JPEG XL, AVIF, WebP, PNG and JPEG.
- And with a custom configuration, it can stream pixels to any encoder executable you have that supports stdin.
- Doesn't perform any unnecessary disk writes.
- Only connects to the internet when you prompt it to; used to autonomously download+install encoders.
Configuration
[Hotkey]
# the final hotkey results in: Ctrl+Alt+PrintScreen
Key = "PrintScreen" # uses https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/system.windows.forms.keys
Ctrl = true
Alt = true
Shift = false
Win = false
[Saving]
# directory to which screenshots should be saved
# this default means C:\Users\YourName\Pictures\Screenshots
Directory = "%USERPROFILE%\\Pictures\\Screenshots"
# base filename of the screenshots
Filename = "Screenshot_{yyyy}-{MM}-{dd}_{HH}-{mm}-{ss}"
# the extension to append to screenshot files
Extension = ".jxl"
# for Directory and Filename, stuff in curly braces {} can get translated to the current time/date
[Encoder]
# the path to the program used to encode the final image
# values that can be auto downloaded are:
# 'avifenc.exe', 'cjpeg.exe', 'cjxl.exe', 'cwebp.exe', 'oxipng.exe'
# but any path to any program that supports stdin can work too
Path = "cjxl.exe"
# the arguments passed to the encoder, with {Output} being translated to the final screenshot location
Arguments = "-d 1 - {Output}"
# the format in which pixels should be delivered to the encoder through stdin
# valid values are: 'Ppm', 'Png'
InputFormat = "Ppm"
How it works
- When the program starts up, it checks if the configuration file is valid (not missing keys), and if it isn't, it auto repairs.
- If the configuration is unusable (unwritable paths or missing encoders), it gives an error and prompt to either close the app or to open the config file to fix it. In the case of a missing encoder it first prompts to auto download the encoder.
- It binds the hotkey in Windows and makes the tray icon.
- When the hotkey is pressed or a screen capture is manually initiated, it reads all pixels from the primary stream as a bitmap, hands that bitmap to an intermediary encoder to convert it to a format like PPM/PNG, and streams that into the stdin of the encoder set in the config.