i3wm-screenshot-tool/README.md

i3 Screenshot Tool

A collection of scripts for taking screenshots in i3 window manager on Linux (CachyOS), with a focus on the "freeze and select" functionality and multi-monitor support.

Features

• Multi-Monitor Support: Specialized tools for handling multiple displays
• Monitor Selection: Choose which monitor to capture (with rofi)
• Countdown Timer: Option to use a countdown to avoid capturing menus
• Freeze and Select: Freeze the screen and then select an area to capture
• Simple Selection: Direct area selection without freezing (faster but without the freeze effect)
• Multiple Methods: Several different approaches to handle compatibility with different systems
• Clipboard Integration: Automatically copies screenshots to clipboard
• Notifications: Desktop notifications when screenshots are taken
• Timestamp Naming: Automatically names files with timestamps

Requirements

These scripts depend on various Linux utilities. Install them using your package manager:

# For Arch-based distros (including CachyOS)
sudo pacman -S maim slop feh scrot imagemagick xclip xdotool rofi

# For Debian/Ubuntu-based distros
sudo apt install maim slop feh scrot imagemagick xclip xdotool rofi

Note: rofi is optional but recommended for the multi-monitor script.

Installation

1. Clone this repository or download the scripts:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/i3-screenshot.git
cd i3-screenshot

2. Make the scripts executable:

chmod +x i3-screenshot*.sh

3. Move the scripts to a directory in your PATH (optional):

sudo cp i3-screenshot*.sh /usr/local/bin/

Configuration

Add the following lines to your i3 config file (typically ~/.config/i3/config):

# Screenshot with area selection (main script, updated for multi-monitor)
bindsym Print exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot.sh

# Multi-monitor screenshot with selection menu (requires rofi)
bindsym $mod+Print exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot-multimonitor.sh

# Countdown screenshot with selection menu (avoids capturing menus)
bindsym $mod+Shift+s exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot-countdown.sh

# Alternative screenshot with freeze and area selection
bindsym Shift+Print exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot-alt.sh

# Simple screenshot with area selection (no freeze)
bindsym Ctrl+Print exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot-simple.sh

# ImageMagick import-based screenshot
bindsym Mod1+Print exec --no-startup-id /path/to/i3-screenshot-import.sh

Replace /path/to/ with the actual path to the scripts.

Usage

• Press Print Screen to use the main area selection tool (works with multiple monitors)
• Press $mod+Print Screen to use the multi-monitor selection tool with rofi menu
• Press $mod+Shift+s to use the countdown screenshot tool (avoids capturing menus)
• Press Shift+Print Screen to use the alternative freeze-and-select tool
• Press Ctrl+Print Screen to use the simple area selection tool without freezing
• Press Alt+Print Screen to use the ImageMagick import-based tool

After pressing the key combination:

1. For the multi-monitor script: A menu will appear allowing you to select a specific monitor or area
2. For the countdown script: After selection, a 3-second countdown will start before taking the screenshot
3. For the area selection scripts: The screen will dim, and you can select an area with your mouse
4. The screenshot will be saved to ~/Pictures/Screenshots/ with a timestamp
5. The screenshot will also be copied to your clipboard
6. A notification will appear confirming the screenshot was taken

How It Works

Main Script (i3-screenshot.sh)

Now uses direct area selection with slop and maim for better multi-monitor support.

Multi-Monitor Script (i3-screenshot-multimonitor.sh)

Uses rofi to provide a selection menu where you can choose to capture a specific monitor, select an area, or take a full screenshot. If rofi is not installed, it falls back to area selection mode. Includes a small delay to avoid capturing the menu.

Countdown Script (i3-screenshot-countdown.sh)

Similar to the multi-monitor script, but adds a 3-second countdown before taking the screenshot. This ensures that any menus (like the rofi selection menu) are completely gone before the screenshot is taken.

Alternative Script (i3-screenshot-alt.sh)

Uses scrot for the initial screenshot, feh to display it fullscreen, slop for selection, and imagemagick to crop the image.

Simple Script (i3-screenshot-simple.sh)

Uses just maim with the -s flag for direct area selection without freezing the screen first.

Import Script (i3-screenshot-import.sh)

Uses ImageMagick's import command, which provides its own selection interface. This may work better on some systems where the other methods fail.

Multi-Monitor Troubleshooting

• Screenshots span across multiple monitors: Use the i3-screenshot-multimonitor.sh script to select a specific monitor
• Selection tool appears on the wrong monitor: Try using the i3-screenshot-import.sh script instead
• Rofi menu doesn't appear: Make sure rofi is installed (sudo pacman -S rofi)
• Rofi menu appears in the screenshot: Use the i3-screenshot-countdown.sh script which waits before taking the screenshot

General Troubleshooting

Common Issues

• Screen freezes but selection doesn't work: The main script has been updated to use direct selection without freezing
• Selection tool doesn't appear: Make sure slop is installed and working correctly
• Black screenshots: This can happen with compositing issues. Try using the i3-screenshot-import.sh script instead
• Menu appears in screenshots: Use the countdown script which gives time for menus to disappear

General Tips

• If the scripts don't work, make sure all dependencies are installed
• Check that the scripts have executable permissions
• Verify your i3 config has the correct paths to the scripts
• Try each of the different scripts to see which works best on your system

Customization

You can modify the scripts to change:

• The save location by editing the SAVE_DIR variable
• The notification messages
• The file naming convention
• The rofi appearance and options in the multi-monitor script
• The countdown duration in the countdown script

License

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