Description of the new feature / enhancement
I am proposing the creation of a new PowerToys app or a significant enhancement to the existing screen capture workflow. The goal is to integrate advanced, on-the-fly annotation tools directly into the screen capture process.
When the capture tool is triggered via a keyboard shortcut and the screen area is selected, the application should automatically open a lightweight editing window or display a floating toolbar containing the following features:
- Shapes (boxes, rectangles, lines, circles, and frames) to highlight areas.
- Arrows to point out specific elements.
- Numbered step markers with support for text descriptions to easily map out sequences.
- A Blur/Pixelate tool to hide confidential information and sensitive data.
- Text insertion for quick notes.
- And more....
Once the editing is done, the user should be able to choose whether to send the image directly to the clipboard or save it as a .jpg or .png file.
Rationale: This would drastically improve productivity for professionals who frequently create process documentation, standard operating procedures, and audit reports. Currently, users are forced to rely on third-party apps from the Microsoft Store to get these annotation features. This exposes corporate environments to potential security risks (malware/viruses) and often involves paid licenses or ads for functionalities that feel like they should be native to Windows.
Scenario when this would be used?
This will be used every time the application is triggered via a shortcut to take a screenshot. Instead of capturing a static image and opening a heavy secondary image editor, the user can immediately redact sensitive information, number a sequence of clicks, add explanatory text, and paste the final result straight into a document or ticketing system.
Supporting information
For reference regarding the expected toolset and user experience, the third-party app "Screenshot HD" serves as a good baseline of what could be integrated natively.
Reference link: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9P22WHGTQLG5?hl=pt&gl=BR&ocid=pdpshare
Description of the new feature / enhancement
I am proposing the creation of a new PowerToys app or a significant enhancement to the existing screen capture workflow. The goal is to integrate advanced, on-the-fly annotation tools directly into the screen capture process.
When the capture tool is triggered via a keyboard shortcut and the screen area is selected, the application should automatically open a lightweight editing window or display a floating toolbar containing the following features:
Once the editing is done, the user should be able to choose whether to send the image directly to the clipboard or save it as a .jpg or .png file.
Rationale: This would drastically improve productivity for professionals who frequently create process documentation, standard operating procedures, and audit reports. Currently, users are forced to rely on third-party apps from the Microsoft Store to get these annotation features. This exposes corporate environments to potential security risks (malware/viruses) and often involves paid licenses or ads for functionalities that feel like they should be native to Windows.
Scenario when this would be used?
This will be used every time the application is triggered via a shortcut to take a screenshot. Instead of capturing a static image and opening a heavy secondary image editor, the user can immediately redact sensitive information, number a sequence of clicks, add explanatory text, and paste the final result straight into a document or ticketing system.
Supporting information
For reference regarding the expected toolset and user experience, the third-party app "Screenshot HD" serves as a good baseline of what could be integrated natively.
Reference link: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9P22WHGTQLG5?hl=pt&gl=BR&ocid=pdpshare