Live data from Hacker News

macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

sal.dev

311–320 of 332 posts

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#311
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're on macOS 12 or iOS 15, you can also use the built in live text functionality in Safari, Preview or Photos

This only works on M1~ macs. Intel mac don't have OCR for some Apple-ish reason

When the beta containing Live Text was first released it was M1 only but by the time it was released, Intel support was included. A lot of people only remember the first impression.

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then you are back to the macOS key combo shortcuts, surely? Memorise the one you want and then it's comparable.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something. ShareX only requires you to memorize one keyboard shortcut, and then its a single click to either do a full screen capture, window capture, or region capture. For MacOS you either memorize multiple shortcuts, or you use one shortcut to show the toolbar, then you select a mode, and then you capture (well aside from full screen capture which is automatic). Overall it seems like Mac…

That sounds like a lot of other third-party screen shot tools on Mac OS, too. The basic, built-in screen shot on Mac OS has a lot of features but it comes from a system-tool standpoint. It works efficiently for those with some experience, but it can be a little hard for new users to learn. The third-party tools add a more visual layer on top of that for beginners.

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seeing as you and I both know the shortcut, how is it inaccessible or hidden? Just because it’s not there cluttering up the visual interface doesn’t mean it’s hidden. For anyone who thinks they might want it, they can find it. For anyone else, they’ll never see it. Seems about right to me.

I do not know this shortcut. Further, I do not what shortcuts I do not know about.

If you were keen on the idea of finding some shortcuts, you would buy a book or search for docs or something though, right?

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seeing as you and I both know the shortcut, how is it inaccessible or hidden? Just because it’s not there cluttering up the visual interface doesn’t mean it’s hidden. For anyone who thinks they might want it, they can find it. For anyone else, they’ll never see it. Seems about right to me.

I do not know this shortcut. Further, I do not what shortcuts I do not know about.

Probably the most succinct unintentional definition of poor discoverability in a UI I have seen.

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#315
post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Mac OS has the most inaccessible hidden hotkey shortcuts out of every OS I've used. Even essential functions like showing hidden files in a directory is uniquely done through an hidden shortcut in Mac OS.

Just hours ago complained to a friend about how arcane some things in macOS are. Short of just pressing random key combinations, there is no way to discover that it's possible to paste/type a path into the standard file selection dialog. (It's cmd-shift-g to get the text entry to appear, or simply forward slash to get it to appear with the slash already entered. Also, it says "Go to Folder", but if you direct it to a…

I learned I could do this for the first time reading your post.

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#316
post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is entering the name in advance as you're requesting really any less cumbersome than renaming a generically named file after the fact? In your request, you must provide a file name every time. In the current method, you can just take the snap and not waste time with the filename unless you really just need/want to do it for reasons.

I didn't say in advance. After the fact is likely best, but in a seamless flow that doesn't require using Finder, the terminal, or any other tool. Indeed Gnome solves after the fact, allowing you to just accept the default generated filename, or specify your own, with zero friction. As others in the thread mention, once you've taken the screenshot, it helpfully dumps you in "the editor" (is this Preview.app? I don't…

In Preview, just click on the name in the Title Bar & you can change it there. This works in most Mac apps.

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#317
post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Usability nightmare” is objectively a bit of a stretch. The example given isn’t really something most users need. Even when I did need to do that the answer was discovered and executed within 20 seconds of googling. This is the same for other things most people don’t need across all the prevalent OSes

Well I disagree, so I don’t think it’s objective. Another goodie is when installing an update, macOS only shows that you can cancel the update if you hover over the progress bar or where the cancel X would be. If you just look at the window, you think there’s no way to cancel and that you need to ride it out. You just have to happen to hover over the right element. There’s no reason for this. macOS is absolutely full…

There is a really compelling reason on iOS: saving screen real estate. And the top-hidden search bar is convention now, just like the pull-to-refresh gesture. Discoverability is an issue though, I agree. But unnecessarily hidden? Disagree.

As for the monitor, just install Monitor Control: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think Mac OS has the most inaccessible hidden hotkey shortcuts out of every OS I've used. Even essential functions like showing hidden files in a directory is uniquely done through an hidden shortcut in Mac OS.

> Even essential functions like showing hidden files in a directory is uniquely done through an hidden shortcut in Mac OS. I'm fairly certain, it's in the menu bar too

Or is it? I can’t even find it with the search box in the help menu. FWIW, I didn’t know that shortcut before today, and I consider myself a well-versed Mac user since the intel switch

Re: macOS screenshot tricks to impress your co-workers

#319
post #317
post #306

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well I disagree, so I don’t think it’s objective. Another goodie is when installing an update, macOS only shows that you can cancel the update if you hover over the progress bar or where the cancel X would be. If you just look at the window, you think there’s no way to cancel and that you need to ride it out. You just have to happen to hover over the right element. There’s no reason for this. macOS is absolutely full…

There is a really compelling reason on iOS: saving screen real estate. And the top-hidden search bar is convention now, just like the pull-to-refresh gesture. Discoverability is an issue though, I agree. But unnecessarily hidden? Disagree. As for the monitor, just install Monitor Control: https://github.com/MonitorControl/MonitorControl

Or Lunar if you want more automated adaptive brightness than what MonitorControl offers: https://lunar.fyi
Post reply on HN