This has to be the coolest thing I have seen today apart from learning what Kurtosis is (only by definition).

Especially for friends of mine who are making videos of their projects.

Here is a COOL transforming robot video to get through these slow and un-called-for vacations ….

BONUS: here is an autonomous room.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6x1GkgbVP1I

Here it for Simple Screen Capture Utility V.1.0 [BETA] for all to download, I will be waiting for feedback so ping me back if you see any problem.

Download:
SSCU V.1.0 [BETA]
Simple Screen Capture Utility, V.1.0 [BETA] published for general usage. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK The code MIGHT break sometime.

Just extract the files from the .zip archive and run Setup.exe. [UPDATE: Sorry about my name getting in your start menu, I myself didn't knew about that until I installed it myself, I will be removing that in upcoming revisions]

Snapshot of SSCU taken from another SSCU

This is how the Main App window looks like at the moment, it is much better when Hidden in the tray as it sits there silently, and snapshot can be taken by just clicking the tray icon. Does not take up much memory at all and a handy  utility to have.

I have updated the GIT Repo and  now working on first getting the “Save to Desktop” function working and then to have a Global Hot-Key in place for more peace of mind.

How-to Give FEEDBACK for this APP

Just put in a COMMENT below mate.

Thanks, Zaid Pirwani

It is time, I think the app is ready to be given a version number, considered Alpha and out of initial hack’n'slash development phase.

Introducing Simple Screen Capture Utility V.1.0 (Beta); it was supposed to be called YASCU, “Yet Another Screen Capture Utility” but that seems to be already taken and since I don’t want any legal actions against me I have decided to change the name.

But since this is in BETA at the moment, I am not publishing the App here, if you want to test drive it, then go ahead, the code is all available at SSCU GIT Repo and there is a working EXE in the debug folder.

INSPIRED by all the times I had to save screenshots taken with Windows 7 Snipping Tool (details below), only to be inserted as image in a Word Document. MOTIVATED by Code Challenge and FUELED by the desire to learn one new bit each day.

I am still figuring out between various UIs and better flow of the app, but since I myself am using it regularly now, expect changes to the GUI.

Inspiration

I am doing B.E. and we have to make practical files for our weekly labs, having 5 subjects and 5 labs a week there are many simulations to do, models to make and calculations to be done, in the end everything is noted down in a word document, screenshots of simulations and results etc are needed. I used the Snipping Tool in Windows 7 to select the region, then save the image, then insert the image in the Word file. SSCU’s main goal was to allow region based capture and put the captured image on clipboard for easy adding to Word. SSCU is also supposed to be as much out of the way as possible… so let’s see where this takes me.

Update: SSCU Download is now ready http://zaidpirwani.com/933/download-sscu-v-10-beta/

This is the third post in series for a Code Challenge that I accepted:

1. Code Challenge – Un-charted GUI Land
2. My First GIT Repo

Well, the work is starting to pay-off, my application is looking somewhat functional now with the 3rd Commit on GITHub.

Now that the essential functionality of capturing rectangular regions of screen and saving them to clipboard has been accomplished I will be moving on to refining the app, adding the non-essentials and use it as my primary screen capture utility so that I get a taste of my own medicine.

If someone wants to test it out, I will be glad to keep in the loop. the complete source code is available at my SSCU Repo if anyone wishes to check it. The code may not seem very good at the moment, remember that I am working with C# almost entirely for the first time and working with Windows Forms is also a new area for me. so don’t expect very efficient, optimized or most secure code, it is what it is; though I am always open to reviews and feedback to my work.

SSCU Repo Link: https://github.com/zaidpirwani/Simple-Screen-Capture-Utility

P.S. When using GIT GUI, if a commit has been already PUSHED, you cannot amend it from the GUI and if you try to do so, errors will arise, the next commit will need to replace the last one when pushed online.. lesson learned

After accepting the challenge, I have started the work on “SSC – Simple Screen Capture”, I am using GIT for version Control and until now the process has been easy but the task at hand has been much difficult than I had anticipated.

I have been doing programming work since a few years now, like making some small console based apps and much work on AVR Micro-controller, but this GUI businesses is quite new for me. I am slowly progressing and repeating 4 simple steps again and again.

1. Googling the task
2. Copying the code
3. Editing code to my needs
4. repeating from step 1

You can see my status at the GIT Repo for SSC (https://github.com/zaidpirwani/Simple-Screen-Capture)

I have already put in 2 commits and I am liking GIT, I had first thought that this would be something quite complex and will slow down my work, but this is actually very streamlined and easy. However, as I have almost no experience of GUI Programming and almost no practice on C# I am getting stuck again and again.

I have accepted this challenge, http://fredboyle.com/codechallenge/

The challenge is SIMPLE... try something NEW

I have chosen Visual Studio 2010 as my IDE, C# as the language I will be using. A simple Screen-Capture Utility is the goal… to make things interesting I have decided to learn Version-Control as well along this challenge and have just finished installing GIT and figuring the basis, apparently GIT is not that hard if you read from the proper source: http://progit.org/book/

Captured image of a Screen Capture Utility

I have decided to keep it all OPEN-SOURCE, so I have made an account for FREE at GitHub and will be putting up my first repository there in morning, for now, the Screen-Capture utility seems to be serving its main goal and I can capture any rectangle I want from the screen, now am thinking of adding features until the challenge ends… though I still haven’t thought of a name for my screen-capture utility, any naming suggestions…..

I have thought of many features which I will be making a list of and will start doing those in order of essentials first, like mouse based region capture, global hot-key, notification-area-mode etc…  though like the name, I am open to ideas for the features as well.

Virtual Router is a software which allows any Windows 7 computer to turn into a Wireless Hotspot (Router) and share a connection, to which others can connect via WiFi.

I can think of a few uses of such a software, apart from the obvious one of being able to have a wireless router ready in a click to when it can be used to increase the range of an already available wireless connection, like in a hall or class where the router is in one corner, the signal may be re-transmitted via Virtual Routers.

From the Author:
Virtual Router is a free, open source software based router for PCs running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. Using Virtual Router, users can wirelessly share any internet connection (Wifi, LAN, Cable Modem, Dial-up, Cellular, etc.) with any Wifi device (Laptop, Smart Phone, iPod Touch, iPhone, Android Phone, Zune, Netbook, wireless printer, etc.) These devices connect to Virtual Router just like any other access point, and the connection is completely secured using WPA2 (the most secure wireless encryption.)

Virtual Router - Simple ONE-BUTTON Process

Using the software is straightforward, put in a password (at least 8 characters) and press the Start virtual Router Button. The only downside being it only works on Windows 7 (and 2008 Server) but WinXP PCs and other devices like Phones, Tablets etc can connect to the virtual server without any problem.

Software Link:
Virtual Router – Wifi Hot Spot for Windows 7 / 2008 R2
http://virtualrouter.codeplex.com/

My Vero-Board AVR USBasp

No matter how good your project is, how good a circuit designer you may be or how much thought you have put into your project, if the final circuits in your project are not sturdy enough, stable enough and strong enough your project is bound to fail.

Electronic projects start from an idea which turns into a circuit which is tested first in a simulation software and then is tested on breadboard (this is the right approach in my opinion). After successful testing on breadboard, it is time to make the finalized circuit. PCB (Printed Circuit Board) is the best choice available if you are familiar with making PCBs and have all the necessary tools and sutff.

However if PCBs are not your strong suit or you think that you will only need to make ONE-COPY of the circuit then why not try making your circuit on Vero-Board/Stripboard. Vero-Boards allow rapid circuit designing and have allow for future modifications. But simply soldering on components without regard to their position and function in circuit and wiring them in spaghetti fashion ain’t the right way to do it. Most of the Vero-Board circuits that I have seen are very poorly made, with no design consideration and no thought given to where a component may be placed.

I am listing here a few software which will help in designing a circuit on Vero-Board before actually designing it:

• https://sites.google.com/site/libby8dev/stripes
• http://3dreplicators.com/New%20Front%20Page/Documentation/Tools/Stripboard%20designer.htm
• http://code.google.com/p/diy-layout-creator/
• http://veecad.com/

Though nothing beats designing the layout of a circuit on paper and brainstorming a few layout ideas before starting out, but software like these can help if you are not a paper/sketch guy. I myself have tried the DIY Layout Creator and the Stripboard Designer but I still prefer the old fashioned way of paper design.

Just remember; when designing for PCB or Vero-Board first place components to places where they will be most appropriate for usage (like connectors on the side/border), then place the components according to the schematic and then finally place the remaining components as close to their destinations as possible.
[The rules that I follow myself]

Galleries of  a few of my Vero-Board Projects/Circuits:

• AVR Fuse-Bit Fixer [Gallery]
• L297-L298 Stepper Driver -Vero-Board [Gallery]
• only two for now, I have images of more things to upload… check back later..

The Doctor to my AVRs, introducing the AVR Fuse-bit Fixer / Resetter.

This is actually a High Voltage Parallel Programmer and High Voltage Serial Programmer built into one circuit with code to automatically reset any AVR connected to its terminals to factory settings.

Details of AVR Fuse-Bit Fixer