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June 18, 2004
Cool Tool Friday: Web Development Utilities
About six years ago, a friend of mine and I built a tool using Visual Basic which we called PixelRuler. All it was was a window that displayed its outer dimensions in the center, and updated dynamically when you increased or decreased its size. We used it while developing web applications to make sure images or other elements weren't pushing out the boundaries of our tables (everything was table-based back then).
Once I left the company I was working for at the time, I switched to a Linux workstation, and was doing more programming and back-end development than design, so I forgot about the tool. At Macromedia, however, I do an equal amount of front- and back-end work, so once again, I found I needed a good tool for quickly measuring the dimensions of graphics and objects in my browser.
Today's Cool Tool Friday post was going to be about a tool for OS X called Trilithon Rulers by a company called Trilithon, and I was later going to do another post about another OS X tool called DigitalColor Meter (an eyedropper tool for getting HEX and RGB colors from anything on your screen). Ironilcally enough, however, when I was reading FlashLounge this morning, I came across a post by Lee Probert describing a tool called xScope by ARTIS Software and The Iconfactory that comes with screen rules, an eyedropper tool, and much more:
- Rulers - On-screen rulers that measure distances and angles
- Screens - A dynamic view of smaller screen sizes and web browser content areas
- Loupe - A magnifying glass that gives you a close-up view of your work
- Guides - Markers for precise horizontal and vertical alignment
- Frames - Markers for precise width, height & origin alignment
- Crosshair - Finds the exact location on screen
A single-user license for xScope is $14.95, which I think is very reasonable. I haven't actually purchased it because I haven't finished evaluating it yet, but so far, I'm pretty impressed.
What kind of similar web development utilities do you use?
Posted by cantrell at June 18, 2004 01:43 PM | References
Comments
Hi,
Is there anything for the PC?
- Pat
Posted by: Patrick Whittingham at June 18, 2004 02:26 PM
PC Stuff:
JRuler: http://www.spadixbd.com/freetools/jruler.htm
More goodies here:
http://www.tinyapps.org/graphics.html
Eyedropper (free):
http://www.inetia.com/eyedropper_eng.php
Posted by: Jim at June 18, 2004 02:34 PM
more free PC tools:
ColorCop (color picker/hex tool)
http://www.datastic.com/tools/colorcop
ScreenHunter (screen capture)
http://www.wisdom-soft.com/products/screenhunter_free.htm
Posted by: andy makely at June 18, 2004 02:46 PM
Another handy OS X tool, Tumult HyperEdit:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/20324
Posted by: Jim Woolum at June 18, 2004 04:45 PM
I've been using CoolRuler for a while:
http://www.fabsoft.com/products/ruler/ruler.html
Posted by: ddrum at June 19, 2004 10:30 AM
I use this tools
Pixie (for colorpicking):
http://nattyware.com/pixie.html
Jr Ruler or ScreenMeasure (for measuring):
http://www.spadixbd.com/freetools/jruler.htm
http://members.chello.nl/o.karadeniz/screenmeasure/
PixelPort (for zooming, colorpicking ánd measuring):
http://www.softforall.com/Utilities/Desktop/Pixel_Port09030075.htm
Very nice freeware ;)
Greetz, Joey
Posted by: Joey at September 4, 2005 04:11 AM