Download Mini Views

Thought some of you might find this useful/fun, simply run the program, use the hotkey for add mini-view, and drag the new window to the window you want a persistent view of, when you're satisfied with the mini-view's size/position, hit the toggle frame hotkey and it will shed the sizing border and become click-through-able; hitting the toggle frame hotkey again will bring back the option to move/resize/close.

Ctrl Shift A: Add Mini View
Ctrl Shift E: Toggle Edit Mode
Ctrl Shift +: Increase Opacity
Ctrl Shift -: Decrease Opacity

Failed to get ImageSize ( http://jjf28.net84.net/projects/MiniViews%201.png )

Download Mini Views

If you like the program please vote yes to GreenLight on Steam!

Post has been edited 10 time(s), last time on Oct 25 2020, 4:49 am by jjf28.

There is a lot of flicker when there are multiple mini views that overlap each other, but otherwise it's neat. What should I use it for though?

I use it to watch tv and keep an eye on games that I can leave alone for a while but want to be able to respond asap to certain events


noted, will fix if I put any more time into this

Update: Substantially more stable, no more fliker, has an icon, no longer appears in taskbar unless you're in editMode

I just found the most awesome use for this: Streamers.

Let's say I'm streaming, but only have one monitor. I can set my screen to extend. Put the chat on the invisible side and set your thing to see it. Then I can place it where I want as an overlay in the game.

Next, I set a macro to focus on the window when I want to type. I don't need to leave the game, and I can see what I'm typing from your overlay.

Request: Can you add the option to crop the miniview?

Cropping's something I want too it involves some global cursor listening tricks I don't know yet so it'll have to wait till I have more time to work on it.

You mind sharing the code?

Started on cropping, needs a lot more logic to auto-size correctly, and it needs a click and drag option, saving etc... so this is a temp download: dl

Just noticed, it doesn't seem to work with my dual monitor setup. It starts on my main monitor, but I can't drag the miniview to my other screen.

Currently, I plugged one screen on my GPU and the other screen on my motherboard.

That's odd... i'm guessing there's a problem with StretchBlt when working with two desktop windows, i'll prolly have to have it copy it to a buffer then go from the buffer to the miniview.

Edit: and now i'm not just guessing

The workaround is to drag the window to your main monitor, clone it on that monitor, then drag the window back. The miniview will still only work on the main monitor, but at least you can clone views that way.

I've just began the steam greenlight process for Mini Views http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=602313585.

Please take a look!

Download's broken, pls for fix

Was kind of trying to hold till it got through GreenLight; but anything for my SEN bros (attached free ver. to OP).

Thanks fam

Is there any way it could still capture a window while the window is minimized?

There might be, currently MiniViews only works when the windows continue to render themselves all the way to their device contexts, some applications purposely stop their drawing procedures at higher levels to save on CPU, for others MSWindows stops rendering the windows after a certain point (haven't found precisely where this is) when minimized; if I could manage to hook somewhere before this it may be possible - but I'm guessing there wouldn't be a nice elegant way to do so and I'd end up trying to hook a plethora of functions.

An easier workaround might be to have an option to auto-unminimize windows with attached MiniViews and move it below any other currently open windows (perhaps have this only be the case when there is at least one window still open so people can still get to a plain desktop) - but I don't know that this would suffice for whatever you're trying to do.

Heck, maybe I could even find a way to place them in a z-order under the desktop, that would be fun!

Apparently, using mini views while playing a League of Legends game makes the FPS go down even if there are no mini views added.

Is there a way to make mini views not make FPS drop?

Ah yep I can replicate, I'll have the invisible, top-most window removed when no Mini Views are active - that should fix it.

Follow up question: When I create a mini view over my league game, there is no way to not lose FPS?