Guide

How to use PixelRuler

Explanation

• (1) Program exit
• (2) Shows the actual mousecursor position in pixels
• (3) Mouse cursor (crosshair)
• (4) Red line helps to align the ruler

The 1. start

After you have started PixelRuler for the first time, the program minimized as an Icon in the System-Tray. Now you should proof or modify some of the program settings (see Popup menue Settings).

How to work with PixelRuler

(see also Keyboard allocation + Mouse functions)
A click with the left mouse button onto the Icon (System-Tray) opens PixelRuler (another click minimize the program). Press and hold the left mouse button to place PixelRuler on every screen position you like. Press cursor keys (up, down, left ,right) to move the mouse curosr. Press SHIFT+cursor keys (up, down, left, right) to move the whole ruler. The program remembers its current position, when you shut down it and places themselves after a new start on the old position. A doubleclick onto the ruler changes the ruler's alignment from horizontal to vertical and back again.

Measurement

To measure a distance, move the mouse cursor(3) over the ruler and you will get the actual cursor position(2), which follows the mouse cursor. It could be also very useful to change the ruler colors and transparency and to use the cursor keys (left, right, up, down).

Automatical measurement

You dont need to move the ruler to measure between 2 points. To start a measurement, move the mouse cursor to the first measuring position and press the space bar. Now you can see a red line (see picture below), which follows the mouse cursor. Go to the second measuring position and press again the space bar. Now you will see a red number, which shows the distance between both measuring points. To start a new measurement, press the space bar again, or you can cancel it by pressing the ESC-key.

Example: we have started the measuring from "100" to "250", and got the distance "150".

Popup menue Settings

Open the following Popup menue with a right mouse button onto the ruler.

• Click on PixelRuler v9.0.0.0 to show/hide the ruler on the desktop/system tray(see also Hotkey).
• If horizontal is checked, the ruler's alignment is horizontal, otherwise it is vertical.
• Use change Ruler length with mouse wheel to decrease/increase the ruler in steps by 10 or 100 pixels.
• With Ruler position after doubleclick you can change the horizontal/vertical alignment in 3 ways:
  1. previous Position: the ruler will be placed on his last horizontal and vertical position.
  2. current Mouse position: the ruler will be exactly placed on the position where you have made the doubleclick - with full ruler length.
  3. left Ruler corner: toggles the ruler position on his left corner.
• If Docking is checked, the ruler moves automatically to the screen border, when the ruler position is within the docking range.
• The Docking range can be within 10, 20 and 30 pixels.
• With Zoom and a chosen zoom factor from 1 to 7, a new window opens, which shows the area under the actual mouse cursor.
• Use Transparency to let other programs, or the Window's desktop, show-through.
• Use Colors to change the ruler's background color as well as the scale and font colors.
• You can change the language between german and english.
• Use Hotkey to change the keyboard combination (default Hotkey ALT+F1) to show/hide the ruler on the desktop.
• Keyboard/Mouse usage shows a new window with an overview about all keys and mouse buttons which controls PixelRuler.
• Use Help, or F1, to show the help file.
• Use Homepage to visit my website.
• Info PixelRuler shows license-/registration information.
• Use Show Ruler on program start to directly show the ruler after you have start PixelRuler.

Please note :

1. transparency only works on NT-Operation systems (NT, W2K, XP, 2003, Vista, 7), and not with W9x and Windows ME !
2. the zoom window does not show any transparent ruler !

Zoom window

The upper left corner (see picture below) shows the actual ruler position of the mouse cursor ("50"). In contrast to the X- and Y-values, which show the system-wide mouse cursor coordinates. The RGB- and HTML-values show the current pixel color under the mouse cursor. Inside the zoom window you can use the cursor keys (left, right, up, down) for an exact positioning. A doubleclick will close the zoom window.

Program abort

Click onto the red program button(1), or use the keys ALT-F4 to abort PixelRuler.