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last update 17.Apr.2010

Screen ruler for graphic and web designer

PixelRuler - the Screen ruler

 

 

Version history

New since v8.0.0.0:
- Hotkey to minimize into System-Tray
- SHIFT+Cursor key moves the ruler pixelwise
- Red Line for an easier ruler alignment
- Program remembers last X/Y-Position of horizontal/vertical ruler after Restart

 

Links

PiX - Color picker - Color grabber

 

Keyboard allocation

Ruler:

• Hotkey ALT-F1 (default) or left mouse button on icon in System-Tray to show/hide the program.
• Cursor key (left, right, up, down) to move the mouse cursor pixelwise
• SHIFT+Cursor key (left, right, up, down) to move the ruler pixelwise
• F1-function key to open help file
• Left mouse key to move the ruler
• Right mouse key to open the popup menue settings
• Doubleclick to change the ruler's alignment between horizontal and vertical
• Space bar to start/stop the measurement
• ESC to terminate the measurement
• Alt-F4 to terminate the program

Zoom window:

• Left mouse button to move the window
• Doubleclick to close the window

 

User's Guide

Explanation

• (1)Program exit
• (2)Shows the actual mousecursor position(3) in pixel
• (3)Mouse cursor (crosshair)
• (4)Red Line for an easier ruler alignment

 

The 1. start

After you have started PixelRuler for the first time, you should proof or modify some of the program settings (see Popup menue Settings).

How to work with PixelRuler

A click with the left mouse button onto the Icon (System-Tray) opens PixelRuler (another click minimize the program). Press and hold the left mouse key to place PixelRuler on every screen position you like. The program remembers its current position, when you shut down it and places themselves after a new start on the old position. A doubleclick onto the ruler changes the ruler's alignment from horizontal to vertical and back again.

Measurement

To measure a distance, move the mouse cursor(3) over the ruler and you will get the actual cursor position(2), which follows the mouse cursor. It could be also very useful to change the ruler colors and transparency, and to use the cursor keys (left, right, up, down) for an exact positioning.

Automatical measurement

You dont need to move the ruler to measure between 2 points. To start a measurement, move the mouse cursor to the first measuring position and press the space bar. Now you can see a red line (see picture below), which follows the mouse cursor. Go to the second measuring position and press again the space bar. Now you will see a red number, which shows the distance between both measuring points. To start a new measurement, press the space bar again, or you can cancel it by pressing the ESC-key.

Example: we have started the measuring from "100" to "250", and got the distance "150".

Popup menue Settings

Open the following Popup menue with a right mouse click onto the ruler.

• Click on PixelRuler v8.0.0.0 to show/hide the ruler on the desktop (see also Hotkey).
• If horizontal is activated, the ruler's alignment is horizontal, otherwise it is vertical.
• If Docking is activated, the ruler moves automatically to the screen border, when the ruler position is within the docking range.
• The Docking range can be within 10, 20 and 30 pixels.
• With Zoom and a chosen zoom factor from 1 to 7, a new window opens, which shows the area under the actual mouse cursor.
• Use Transparency to let other programs, or the Window's desktop, show-through.
• Use Colors to change the ruler's background color as well as the scale and font colors.
• You can change the language between german and english.
• Use Hotkey to change the keyboard combination (default Hotkey ALT+F1) to show/hide the ruler on the desktop.
• Use Help, or the function key F1, to show the help file.

Zoom window

The upper left corner (see picture below) shows the actual ruler position of the mouse cursor ("50"). In contrast to the X- and Y-values, which show the system-wide mouse cursor coordinates. The RGB- and HTML-values show the current pixel color under the mouse cursor. Inside the zoom window you can use the cursor keys (left, right, up, down) for an exact positioning. A doubleclick will close the zoom window.

Program abort

Click onto the red program button(1), or use the keys ALT-F4 to abort PixelRuler.

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