From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

I use VLC as my default viewer for video material. However, it does have
a couple of shortcomings that have become increasingly irksome with some
recent material: it only has four zoom settings (five if I include
"always fit window"), and it always zooms about the centre, meaning I
can't zoom into something near the edge.

What would people suggest as an alternative viewer? Ideally with a
similar "feel" to VLC, in terms of how intrusive it is (not very, though ideally with similar controls), but with improved - or at least more directsable - zoom.

I'm using Windows 10 (64 bit), but asking in the '7 'group too, as
software that works on '7 (and before!) appeals more to my mindset.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

There is no honour to be had in not knowing a thing that can be known
- Danny Baker

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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On Wed, 7/8/2026 3:06 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

I use VLC as my default viewer for video material. However, it does have
a couple of shortcomings that have become increasingly irksome with some recent material: it only has four zoom settings (five if I include
"always fit window"), and it always zooms about the centre, meaning I
can't zoom into something near the edge.

What would people suggest as an alternative viewer? Ideally with a
similar "feel" to VLC, in terms of how intrusive it is (not very, though ideally with similar controls), but with improved - or at least more directsable - zoom.

I'm using Windows 10 (64 bit), but asking in the '7 'group too, as
software that works on '7 (and before!) appeals more to my mindset.

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

You can even open a movie from the File menu, while the Video Effects are open.

[Picture] VLC-Interactive-Zoom.jpg

https://postimg.cc/VJjH7sCw

https://imgur.com/a/eeuauJS

Paul

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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/8 23:14:26, Paul wrote:
[]

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

You can even open a movie from the File menu, while the Video Effects are open.

Truly excellent - thanks so much! I wasn't looking forward to having to
learn another viewer/player.

[Picture] VLC-Interactive-Zoom.jpg

https://postimg.cc/VJjH7sCw

(That includes "Alina From Headley Sent You Her Videos. Would You Like
To Watch?" plus a "Downloads Pending" or "Update Available" popup, and

https://imgur.com/a/eeuauJS

Not Available in United Kingdom.)

Paul

But thanks for the instructions!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Science fiction is escape into reality - Arthur C Clarke
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 07/08/2026 6:52 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/8 23:14:26, Paul wrote:
[]

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

You can even open a movie from the File menu, while the Video Effects are open.

Truly excellent - thanks so much! I wasn't looking forward to having to
learn another viewer/player.

[Picture] VLC-Interactive-Zoom.jpg

https://postimg.cc/VJjH7sCw

(That includes "Alina From Headley Sent You Her Videos. Would You Like
To Watch?" plus a "Downloads Pending" or "Update Available" popup, and

https://imgur.com/a/eeuauJS

The link(s) after loading 'included' ads and popups vary. Not everyone
gets the same as others, and the same visiting device for the same link
may have different ads and popups same/different days/cache
clears/browser used.
--
...w-i|#-o-#-n|#
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

"J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:

Paul wrote:

https://postimg.cc/VJjH7sCw

(That includes "Alina From Headley Sent You Her Videos. Would You Like
To Watch?" plus a "Downloads Pending" or "Update Available" popup, and

Use an adblocker.

https://imgur.com/a/eeuauJS

Not Available in United Kingdom.)

Thank your Online Safety Act: your gov't attempting to control the Web.
After investigation by the OSA, imgur was threatened with fines for non-compliance unless they paid fines to your gov't. Instead imgur cut
off access to the UK while adopting the "We have no operations in the
UK, so we are not subject to your law".

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-safety-act-explainer/online-safety-act-explainer

The UK is one of the Five Eyes alliances. If imgur runs afoul of USA constrictions, they could move their operations (server) to elsewhere.
However, countries can still fuck over the DNS lookups to effectively
lockout a website.

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-fbi-disable-13-websites-backed-suspected-chinese-agents-sought-sensitive

When trying to visit one of the disabled websites, you get a placeholder
web page saying "This domain has been siezed by the United States
Department of Homeland Security".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

Start using a VPN. Don't need to always use a VPN, just to circumvent censorship or geofencing. However, although your DNS requests go
through the VPN, they'll come back to whichever DNS server you
specified, so websites siezed by fucking over their DNS records will
still be inaccessible.

Some VPNs have their own DNS servers. For example, Proton VPN has their
own DNS service to resolve DNS queries to adhere to their strict no-logs policy. "[DNS queries are] usually sent through the encrypted VPN
tunnel to be securely and privately resolved by Proton VPN" (https://protonvpn.com/support/custom-dns). I don't know if that
prevents DNS poisoning by governments in usurping the DNS records, and
the DNS changes taking 4 hours to propagate to all other DNS servers.

If the website itself got siezed, the gov't now owns the servers, so
you're not getting "there", because "there" doesn't exist anymore.

Your gov't knows what's best for you, or, well, best for them.
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/8 23:14:26, Paul wrote:
[]

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

[]
Repeating my earlier thanks!

You don't happen to have found keyboard equivalents to the zoom/pan
controls, do you? I'm finding the zoom control very hard to use with the
mouse - especially as its size varies with the resolution of the video
you're watching (with a hi-res video, it's tiny)!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 7/10/2026 2:06 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/8 23:14:26, Paul wrote:
[]

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

[]
Repeating my earlier thanks!

You don't happen to have found keyboard equivalents to the zoom/pan
controls, do you? I'm finding the zoom control very hard to use with the mouse - especially as its size varies with the resolution of the video
you're watching (with a hi-res video, it's tiny)!

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never
had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.



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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/10 17:14:43, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

On 7/10/2026 2:06 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/8 23:14:26, Paul wrote:
[]

You want the VLC Interactive Zoom.

"In VLC, go to the Tools Menu and select Effects and Filters.
Click on the Video Effects tab and then the Geometry tab.
Click on the Interactive Zoom and make sure it is selected.
Click on Save and then Close."

[]
Repeating my earlier thanks!

You don't happen to have found keyboard equivalents to the zoom/pan
controls, do you? I'm finding the zoom control very hard to use with the
mouse - especially as its size varies with the resolution of the video
you're watching (with a hi-res video, it's tiny)!

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never
had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.

Do you happen to have a link?

Can it do single-frame advance or take snapshots? Those are features of
VLC I occasionally use (though would still look at it if it doesn't).
Oh, and the speed control.

--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Mike Jackson |\ _,,,---,,_
and Squeak /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ Shame there's no snooze button
[1998] |,4- ) )-,_..;\ ( `'- on a cat who wants breakfast
zzz '---''(_/--' `-'\_)
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 7/10/2026 6:21 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never
had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.

Do you happen to have a link?

Not for my old version, but here 2 links for the current version:

https://potplayer.tv/ https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xp8bsbgqw2dks0?hl=en-US&gl=US

If you want a portable version (which doesn't need to be
installed and uses an ini file instead of the registry)
you have to use Google.

Can it do single-frame advance

Key F and D

or take snapshots? Those are features of

CTRL-C

VLC I occasionally use (though would still look at it if it doesn't).

Oh, and the speed control.

Key X and C
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:09:45 +0200, Herbert Kleebauer <klee@unibwm.de>
wrote:

On 7/10/2026 6:21 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never
had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.

Do you happen to have a link?

Not for my old version, but here 2 links for the current version:

https://potplayer.tv/

Tiy could try the Web Archive with the date of one of the updates on
this page.

https://t1.kakaocdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/v4/Update2/UpdateEng.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://potplayer.tv/
these are crawler points, not update points but they might be
correlatable with the update dates on the Potplayer page above.

It's something to do on a chilly wintry weekend. :)

J.
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On Fri, 7/10/2026 4:14 PM, John wrote:

On Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:09:45 +0200, Herbert Kleebauer <klee@unibwm.de>
wrote:

On 7/10/2026 6:21 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never >>>> had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.

Do you happen to have a link?

Not for my old version, but here 2 links for the current version:

https://potplayer.tv/

Tiy could try the Web Archive with the date of one of the updates on
this page.

https://t1.kakaocdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/v4/Update2/UpdateEng.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://potplayer.tv/
these are crawler points, not update points but they might be
correlatable with the update dates on the Potplayer page above.

It's something to do on a chilly wintry weekend. :)

You'd take the Wikipedia release number, and run that past your archive.org thing.

1.7.22980 (July 1, 2026) <=== Not reflected on the Potplayer.tv site itself, but App matches this value.

http://web.archive.org/web/*/https://potplayer.tv/

http://web.archive.org/web/20260707103719/https://potplayer.tv/

https://t1.kakaocdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/v4/Update2/UpdateEng.html

Version History of the PotPlayer

----------------------------------------------------------
[260401]
----------------------------------------------------------
+ Added the ability to output subtitles using libass
+ Added the ability to handle HLS/Dash playback using built-in modules

https://t1.kakaocdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/Version/Latest/PotPlayerSetup64.exe

NSIS installer

Name: PotPlayerSetup64.exe
Size: 57,317,376 bytes (54 MiB)
SHA256: 7E70DE32CFB6B3F9E02BA95E74ED782D3927A5A0B5F8BB2AC744E623A903621A

Virustotal scans are clean, but to get some idea of the release
number, you'd likely have to install it.

The About: in the application says (after installation)

PotPlayer (64-Bit)
Version: 260630 (1.7.22980)

And it installs in C:\Program Files\DAUM\Potplayer (as an example)

Paul
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/10 21:14:53, John wrote:

On Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:09:45 +0200, Herbert Kleebauer <klee@unibwm.de>
wrote:

On 7/10/2026 6:21 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move
the zoomed area. I still use an old, portable Version from 2016, never >>>> had a reason to update it, it is still perfect for me. I use VLC only
if I have to play a video piped through stdin.

Do you happen to have a link?

Not for my old version, but here 2 links for the current version:

https://potplayer.tv/

Herbert: thanks for those. I'll look into the current version, but for curiosity, what version do you have? If that works, it might be less -
I'm not sure what - than the current version.

Tiy could try the Web Archive with the date of one of the updates on
this page.

https://t1.kakaocdn.net/potplayer/PotPlayer/v4/Update2/UpdateEng.html

http://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/https://potplayer.tv/
these are crawler points, not update points but they might be
correlatable with the update dates on the Potplayer page above.

John: I'd need to know what version I'm looking for, hence my question
to John above!

It's something to do on a chilly wintry weekend. :)

J.

Or a sweltering summer one! (I've got the big fan cooling me and my
laptop. It actually shut itself off this morning, despite the external
fan tray, before I turned on the big fan.)

Paul: you _don't_ know keyboard keys for VLC's zoom (and pan) controls,
do you?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

So much to do. So little desire to do it.
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On Sat, 7/11/2026 4:20 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Paul: you _don't_ know keyboard keys for VLC's zoom (and pan) controls,
do you?

VLC does have keyboard keys for some things, but they seem to
bring up dialog boxes, rather than function as controls.

My VLC is not up-to-date, so maybe a later one has
changed this.

FFMPEG is the Swiss army knife of video, and you can
do all sorts of stuff to make a derived video from your
original. For video editing, I find something like AVIdemux
is better for defining a crop of a video. Trying to guess
the parameters for FFMPEG command line, is a lot harder, as
a means to edit a video.

Paul
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/11 2:4:56, Paul wrote:
[]

1.7.22980 (July 1, 2026) <=== Not reflected on the Potplayer.tv site itself, but App matches this value.

[]

Name: PotPlayerSetup64.exe
Size: 57,317,376 bytes (54 MiB)
SHA256: 7E70DE32CFB6B3F9E02BA95E74ED782D3927A5A0B5F8BB2AC744E623A903621A

The installer has the above name, size, and SHA256, though the
properties of the _installer_ say 1.7.22982.0, not 22980. And when I run
it, it says Welcome to PotPlayer-64 bit v260701 Setup.

Virustotal scans are clean, but to get some idea of the release
number, you'd likely have to install it.

(It checked clean with my usual scanner. I have a system image anyway..)

The About: in the application says (after installation)

PotPlayer (64-Bit)
Version: 260630 (1.7.22980)

And it installs in C:\Program Files\DAUM\Potplayer (as an example)

Paul

My installation agreed with all of those.

It looks _very_ versatile! The zoom (just +/-!) is very smooth.

I haven't found the pan (when zoomed) controls yet, or how to display
what the zoom setting _is_ (or revert to 1:1 or fit-window). Oh, now I
have - Ctrl+numpad, and numpad 5. (Still not found where to display zoom level.)

It does previous frame as well as next frame, which I've never got to
work in VLC (not sure it has it).

Thanks for the tip - looks like an excellent viewer! Not made it my
default yet, but can see it becoming ... (And couldn't see any reason
not to use current version, though have turned off auto-download of
files when upgrade detected).
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

So much to do. So little desire to do it.
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/11 21:52:46, Paul wrote:

On Sat, 7/11/2026 4:20 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Paul: you _don't_ know keyboard keys for VLC's zoom (and pan) controls,
do you?

VLC does have keyboard keys for some things, but they seem to
bring up dialog boxes, rather than function as controls.

I've found quite a lot of single-key things - space for play/pause,
left/right (with optional modifiers) skip back and forward, up/down for
volume, f to toggle fullscreen, +/- and ]/[ speed (= for back to
nominal), n/p/s/t for next/previous/stop/[go to] time, e next frame, z
zoom ... Tools | Preferences | Hotkeys will get you a list, and let you
change them (including assigning keys to some things that don't have one
by default).

My VLC is not up-to-date, so maybe a later one has
changed this.

PotPlayer has logical ones for zoom - all on the numeric pad (with ctrl
for the pans).

FFMPEG is the Swiss army knife of video, and you can
do all sorts of stuff to make a derived video from your
original. For video editing, I find something like AVIdemux
is better for defining a crop of a video. Trying to guess
the parameters for FFMPEG command line, is a lot harder, as
a means to edit a video.

Paul

Oh yes, I'm very impressed with ffmpeg; I just like GUIs that do the
parameters for me :-). I have copies of ffmpeg under Pazera (for audio extraction from videos), PotPlayer, DVDFab, Skype, yt-dlp, ... actually surprised I _don't_ have any under VLC; it must have its own equivalents.

For just _viewing_ videos, I think VLC and now PotPlayer will suit me
better. For _editing_ them, something with a GUI (even if it's just a
wrapper for ffmpeg) will probably suit me better. (I do very little
actual video _editing_ [other than of the metadata, for which VLC serves reasonably]; last time I did anything like crop [time or frame] was with
the old virtualDub.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

He's incorrigibly naughty, as only a senior citizen can be.
- David Hepworth (on Barry Humphries), RT 2020/2/1-7
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/10 18:9:45, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

On 7/10/2026 6:21 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move

[Sorry, I hadn't noticed you'd told me that!]
[]

or take snapshots? Those are features of

CTRL-C

[]
Ah, there VLC does lead: it lets you specify a directory (folder) [and
format, e. g. .jpg], and has a "snapshot" button - easier if you want to
take several snapshots (you don't have to keep switching to something
else to paste and then back, it just creates them - named with the
current time - in the specified directory). But I think I'll still be
using PotPlayer a lot!
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Although I may disagree with what you say, I will defend to the death
your right to hear me tell you how wrong you are.
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

Sorry, I erroneously sent it by email:

On 7/12/2026 9:12 AM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/10 18:9:45, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move

or take snapshots? Those are features of

CTRL-C

[]
Ah, there VLC does lead: it lets you specify a directory (folder) [and format, e. g. .jpg],

You can do this also in PotPlayer.

and has a "snapshot" button -

CTRL-E in PotPlayer

I also often use the keys W an E to in-/decrease the brightness.

The only disadvantage of PotPlayer is, there seems to be no
manual, so you have to find out many things yourself or ask
Google.

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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/12 11:57:56, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:
[]

Use the PotPlayer. There you can use the Numpad to zoom in and move

I've been using it - it's good!

or take snapshots? Those are features of

CTRL-C

[]
Ah, there VLC does lead: it lets you specify a directory (folder) [and
format, e. g. .jpg],

You can do this also in PotPlayer.

and has a "snapshot" button -

CTRL-E in PotPlayer

Thanks.

I also often use the keys W an E to in-/decrease the brightness.

I haven't had the luxury of contrast, brightness, hue controls before!

The only disadvantage of PotPlayer is, there seems to be no
manual, so you have to find out many things yourself or ask
Google.

Or ask you :-)

For example: where, in it, do I specify where the Ctrl-E snapshots go
(and maybe what format)?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I was never drawn to sport, to which I attribute my long life.
- Barry Humphries, RT 2016/1/9-15
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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 7/12/2026 11:51 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/12 11:57:56, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

For example: where, in it, do I specify where the Ctrl-E snapshots go

For the German version:

Press key K -> "Bildablage-Ordner festlegen"

(and maybe what format)?

Press key K -> select BMP/JPEG/PNG

Or for continuous screen shoots press CTRL-G, then
you can select size and delta time.



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From Newsgroup: alt.windows7.general

On 2026/7/13 11:4:41, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

On 7/12/2026 11:51 PM, J. P. Gilliver wrote:

On 2026/7/12 11:57:56, Herbert Kleebauer wrote:

For example: where, in it, do I specify where the Ctrl-E snapshots go

For the German version:

Press key K -> "Bildablage-Ordner festlegen"

(and maybe what format)?

Press key K -> select BMP/JPEG/PNG

Or for continuous screen shoots press CTRL-G, then
you can select size and delta time.

Thanks/Danke!

(Set Image Storage Folder in English.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Look out for #1. Don't step in #2 either.
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