| name | smart-screenshot-capture |
| description | Capture high-quality screenshots with MCP tools. Use when the user asks to take a screenshot, show the screen, capture a window, document UI evidence, collect before/after images, inspect browser output, or verify a desktop app visually with WinForms MCP, WinApp MCP, browser screenshots, image previews, annotations, or screenshot diffs.
|
| license | MIT |
| compatibility | Windows-first adaptation for VS Code agents with WinForms MCP, WinApp MCP, browser page tools, and image preview tools. Inspired by brennacodes' screenshotr skill, but adapted away from macOS screencapture/sips commands.
|
| metadata | {"author":"FieldWorks team","version":"1.0","upstream":"https://mcpmarket.com/tools/skills/smart-screenshot-capture"} |
Smart Screenshot Capture
Use this skill to capture clear, reviewable screenshots without making the user
manually crop, upload, or explain the screen. Prefer focused captures of the
target app, window, browser page, or element over whole-desktop images.
Core Rules
- Infer the target from the conversation when it is obvious, such as the active
FieldWorks dialog, a named app, a browser page, or a before/after UI state.
- Ask one short question only when the target is ambiguous enough that a wrong
capture is likely.
- Save screenshots to a deterministic path before reporting them.
- Generate concise kebab-case filenames from the target and state.
- Display or inspect the saved image after capture with
view_image or the
appropriate image preview tool.
- Retake the screenshot when it is blank, the wrong app, overlapped by another
window, too small to read, or missing the state the user asked to document.
- Prefer non-mutating inspection and capture tools. Do not change project data
just to make a screenshot easier.
Target Selection
Choose the narrowest useful target:
- FieldWorks or another WinForms desktop app: capture by process id or window
handle when the MCP tool supports it.
- A visible Windows app where WinForms MCP cannot attach: use WinApp MCP and a
specific
appId or windowHandle.
- Browser content controlled by the integrated browser: use
screenshot_page
for the whole viewport or an element-specific capture.
- A UI element that needs visual callouts: capture the app window, then use
annotation tools when available.
- Whole desktop: use only when the user asks for desktop context or no focused
capture path exists.
When capturing a desktop app, inspect the UI tree or window list first if there
is any risk of targeting the wrong window.
Output Paths
For this repository, default to:
- transient evidence:
Output/ManualEvidence/<ticket-or-change-id>/
- OpenSpec review evidence:
openspec/changes/<change-id>/evidence/manual-winapp/
- ad hoc screenshots:
Output/ManualEvidence/screenshots/
Create the folder if needed. Do not put scratch screenshots in committed
evidence folders unless the user asks for review-ready evidence.
Naming
Use sorted, descriptive names:
- single capture:
<target>-<state>.png
- before/after:
01-before-<state>.png, 02-after-<state>.png
- sequence:
step-01-<state>.png, step-02-<state>.png
- app tour:
<app>-<window-or-dialog>.png
- temporary fallback:
screenshot-YYYY-MM-DD-HHMMSS.png
Keep generated names short, lowercase, and kebab-case. Prefer 2-5 meaningful
words over timestamps unless ordering or uniqueness requires a timestamp.
Tool Preference
Use the best available tool for the current target:
- FieldWorks/WinForms hidden desktop:
mcp_winforms-mcp_winforms_take_screenshot.
- WinApp visible desktop:
mcp_winapp_take_screenshot_optimized when image size
matters, otherwise mcp_winapp_take_screenshot.
- UI callouts:
mcp_winapp_annotate_screenshot.
- Visual comparison:
mcp_winapp_screenshot_diff.
- Browser pages:
screenshot_page.
- Saved image review:
view_image.
Prefer MCP screenshot tools over shell commands. Do not use the upstream
macOS-specific screencapture, sips, or AppleScript workflow on Windows.
Capture Workflow
- Identify the target and output path.
- Inspect the app/page/window when needed to confirm the target is visible.
- Capture to a deterministic filename.
- Inspect the saved image.
- Retake or annotate if the first capture does not communicate the requested
state clearly.
- Report the saved path and any useful capture metadata, such as dimensions or
diff percentage.
For before/after work, capture the before state first whenever it is available.
If the before state is unavailable in the current worktree, say so and capture
the fixed or current state with a clear filename.
Multi-Screenshot Workflows
Use multiple captures when one image cannot tell the story:
- before/after: two captures with matching framing;
- step sequence: one capture per user-visible step;
- app tour: each relevant dialog, pane, or tab;
- redraw/focus/modal timing: a short ordered sequence rather than a single
screenshot;
- comparison: capture both images, then run a screenshot diff when available.
For sequences, keep the same target, window size, and framing across captures
unless the task is specifically about responsive or layout behavior.
Quality Checklist
Before considering the screenshot done, verify:
- the image exists at the reported path;
- the target app, page, or element is visible;
- text needed for review is readable;
- modal dialogs, focus state, selected tabs, and highlighted controls match the
requested state;
- no unrelated foreground window covers the target;
- committed evidence contains only review-worthy images.
If a screenshot tool produces a cropped, blank, or wrong-window capture, switch
drivers in this order: focused WinForms capture, WinApp optimized capture,
browser capture, then whole-window or whole-desktop fallback.
