SnapTrace v2.0

A lightweight, professional screenshot annotation tool designed for QA testing, bug reporting, and documentation. Built with PyQt5 for a modern, responsive interface.

Features

Core Functionality

• System Tray Integration - Runs quietly in the background
• Global Hotkey - Press Ctrl+Alt+S from anywhere to capture
• Real-time Annotation - Draw while you capture

Drawing Tools

• Rectangle & Circle - Perfect shapes for highlighting
• Line & Arrow - Point to specific areas
• Pencil - Freehand drawing
• Text Tool - Add comments and labels
• Counter - Number elements sequentially
• Color Picker - Choose from predefined colors or custom colors

Smart Features

• Undo/Redo - Up to 50 levels of history
• Pre-loaded Templates - Common defect feedback phrases
• Drag & Drop - Move and edit annotations after creation
• Auto-save - Never lose your work

Optimized Performance

• Lightweight - Only ~40MB portable executable
• Fast Startup - Minimal resource usage
• No Dependencies - Self-contained portable application

Quick Start

Option 1: Download Portable Version (Recommended)

1. Download the latest release from Releases
2. Extract the zip file containing SnapTrace.exe and defect_feedbacks.csv
3. Run SnapTrace.exe
4. Look for the system tray icon
5. Press Ctrl+Alt+S to start capturing!

Option 2: Run from Source

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Jiyath5516F/SnapTrace.git
cd SnapTrace

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run the application
python main.py

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• pip (Python package installer)

Development Setup

# Clone and enter directory
git clone https://github.com/Jiyath5516F/SnapTrace.git
cd SnapTrace

# Create virtual environment (optional but recommended)
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate  # Windows
# source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux

# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Run in development mode
python main.py

Building Portable Executable

# Make sure you're in the project root
cd SnapTrace

# Run the optimized build script
build_optimized.bat

# Find your executable in the dist/ folder

The build process creates:

• dist/SnapTrace.exe - Optimized portable executable (~40MB)
• dist/defect_feedbacks.csv - Customizable feedback templates

Project Structure

SnapTrace/
├── main.py                 # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt        # Python dependencies
├── SnapTrace.spec         # PyInstaller configuration
├── build_optimized.bat    # Build script for Windows
├── defect_feedbacks.csv   # Feedback templates (root copy)
├── LICENSE                # MIT License
├── README.md             # This file
├── .gitignore            # Git ignore rules
├── assets/               # Graphics and icons
│   ├── logo.ico         
│   ├── logo.png         
│   └── icons/           # Tool icons
├── data/                # Original data files
│   └── defect_feedbacks.csv
├── src/                 # Source code
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── system_tray.py   # System tray manager
│   ├── core/            # Core utilities
│   │   ├── constants.py
│   │   └── utils.py
│   └── ui/              # User interface
│       ├── main_window.py
│       ├── drawing_area.py
│       ├── screenshot_selector.py
│       ├── draggable_list.py
│       └── styles.py
└── scripts/             # Utility scripts
    ├── start_snaptrace.bat
    └── start_snaptrace_silent.bat

Usage Guide

Taking Screenshots

1. Global Hotkey: Press Ctrl+Alt+S from anywhere
2. System Tray: Right-click tray icon → "New Screenshot"
3. Drag to Select: Click and drag to select screen area

Drawing and Annotation

• Select Tool: Click any drawing tool in the toolbar
• Draw: Click and drag on the screenshot
• Move Objects: Select the arrow tool, then drag annotations
• Delete: Select object and press Delete key
• Text: Click text tool, click on image, type your text

Customizing Feedback Templates

1. Open defect_feedbacks.csv in any text editor or Excel
2. Add your own feedback phrases
3. Save the file
4. Restart SnapTrace to load new templates

Example CSV format:

Feedback
UI element not aligned properly
Text is cut off in mobile view
Button color doesn't match design
Image resolution too low
Loading spinner needed here

System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10 or later
• RAM: 50MB minimum
• Storage: 50MB for portable version
• Display: Any resolution (optimized for high-DPI)
• Dependencies: None (portable version is self-contained)

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Here's how you can help:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Follow PEP 8 Python style guidelines
• Add docstrings to new functions
• Test your changes thoroughly
• Update documentation if needed

Bug Reports & Feature Requests

Found a bug or have an idea? We'd love to hear from you!

• Bug Reports: Create an Issue
• Feature Requests: Create an Issue
• Questions: Start a Discussion

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with PyQt5 for the GUI framework
• Icons from coolicons | Free Iconset
• Optimized with PyInstaller for portable distribution

Stats

• Size: ~40MB portable executable (~60% reduction from initial build)
• Startup Time: < 2 seconds
• Memory Usage: ~50MB during operation
• Dependencies: Zero (in portable mode)

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Made with ❤️ for QA teams and developers who need fast, reliable screenshot annotation.