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rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,383
4,506
Sunny, Southern California
Hello,

I am looking for an app that will let me designate an area on my computer screen, and with the push of a button take repeated screen shots and save them to a location? Say a video that is playing and I want to take several screen shots of the video.

Right now, I use quicktime and screen capture, but I have to stop the video for every screen shot and while it works, I am just wondering if there is something else out there, paid is fine, that will do what I am looking for.

Thanks.
 

Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,580
8,920
I am looking for an app that will let me designate an area on my computer screen, and with the push of a button take repeated screen shots and save them to a location?

It is more than one button, but is there a reason that the buiit-in Screen Shot app won't work for you?

You can quickly take a screen shot with Command+Shift+3, or press Command+Shift+5 for more options, such as screen shots of a pre-selected portion of the screen (like a video).

Is that what you are doing already?
 

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,383
4,506
Sunny, Southern California
It is more than one button, but is there a reason that the buiit-in Screen Shot app won't work for you?

You can quickly take a screen shot with Command+Shift+3, or press Command+Shift+5 for more options, such as screen shots of a pre-selected portion of the screen (like a video).

Is that what you are doing already?

That is what I am doing already correct. Unless there is something that I am missing. Once I take the screen shot, the screen shot goes away. So what I have been doing is a multi step process.

If I do C+S+5 I get the overlay that allows me to pick the location and size. But once I take a screen shot via "capture" that overlay disappears. So what I have been doing is capturing the video via Quicktime - New Screen Recording. Record the section I need. I press the stop button and I get the captured video. I then use the screen capture method and the "play and stop" buttons to capture the frames I want or need.

I would love something that does the original C+S+5 and it allows me to keep pressing a button or two without having to capture the video first. I get rid of the video as I don't want a video for what I am putting together. Usually a how to for myself or team. Hope this makes sense.
 

Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,580
8,920
If I do C+S+5 I get the overlay that allows me to pick the location and size. But once I take a screen shot via "capture" that overlay disappears.

One of the options is to "Remember Last Selection", so once you select an area, you can continually press C+S+5 and click the "Capture" button, then repeat.

Another option that might work is C+S+4, then Space Bar after, click your mouse on the window that you that the video is in. This can be done repeatedly and very quickly.

Again, not as easy as you want it, but might work better than what you are doing now.
 
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chown33

Moderator
Staff member
Aug 9, 2009
11,003
8,899
A sea of green
The Screenshot app in recent OS releases should be able to do timed sceenshots. (The Screenshot app replaces the Grab app from older OSes.)

See the bottom of this reference under "Learn more":

Also see:

I haven't looked into it, but it's possible that Shortcuts or Automator could be used for looping.

The search terms I used to find those articles (and others):
macos grab app
 
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Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,580
8,920
Looks like a lot of people on Reddit like two third party options for screen shots, CleanShot X which is a paid app, and Shottr, which is a free app.

I saw this video demo of Shottr on YouTube, and it looks like it might be what you are looking for, and it is free:
 
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rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,383
4,506
Sunny, Southern California
One of the options is to "Remember Last Selection", so once you select an area, you can continually press C+S+5 and click the "Capture" button, then repeat.

Another option that might work is C+S+4, then Space Bar after, click your mouse on the window that you that the video is in. This can be done repeatedly and very quickly.

Again, not as easy as you want it, but might work better than what you are doing now.

I have that checked, but when I hit the "capture button" the overlay disappears. Is there something I am missing?
 

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Original poster
Jan 9, 2008
14,383
4,506
Sunny, Southern California
Looks like a lot of people on Reddit like two third party options for screen shots, CleanShot X which is a paid app, and Shottr, which is a free app.

I saw this video demo of Shottr on YouTube, and it looks like it might be what you are looking for, and it is free:

Looking at both of these now and thank you for posting the video!!!
 

Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,580
8,920
I have that checked, but when I hit the "capture button" the overlay disappears. Is there something I am missing?
Yeah, it disappears, but your press the C+S+5 combo again, the it automatically has the same section of your screen selected and then you press capture again. You keep repeating that each time you want to take a screenshot.

Pressing the key combo can be annoying, but you can change the key combo to something else, something easier, in system preferences, under keyboard shortcuts.

That said, I think the free app Shottr or the one that @bogdanw suggested would probably be better for you if this is something you will be doing a lot.
 
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