RulerMac

A lightweight macOS screen ruler for measuring distances and angles in any direction.

Features

• 📏 Freeform Measurement: Measure distances and angles in any direction across your screen.
• 🎯 Detailed Data: Real-time display of Distance, Angle, ΔX (width), and ΔY (height).
• 🔒 Smart Snapping: Hold Shift to snap your measurement line to specific angles.
• 🎛️ Turntable Control: Use the on-screen "Turntable" dial to customize the snap angle increment (e.g., 45°, 30°, 15°).
• ⌨️ Keyboard Precision:
  • Arrow Keys: Nudge the active point by 1px.
  • Option + Arrow: Nudge by 10px.
  • Shift + (Option) + Arrow: Slide the point along the snapped angle vector (perfect for extending lines while maintaining the angle).
  • Acceleration: Holding option + arrow keys accelerates movement for covering large distances quickly.
• 📍 Dual Point Control: Press Space to toggle between adjusting the Start Point and End Point.
• 📏 Multi-Unit Support: Switch between pixels (px), inches (in), and centimeters (cm).
• 🖥️ System Integration: Unobtrusive menu bar app with global hotkeys.

Installation

1. Download the latest RulerMac.dmg from Releases.
2. Open the DMG and drag RulerMac.app to your Applications folder.
3. Important: Since the app is not signed with an Apple Developer certificate, you may need to allow it to run:
   • go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway"
   • Learn more about opening apps from unidentified developers

Usage

1. Start Measuring: Launch the app.

2. Draw Line: Click and drag anywhere on the screen.

3. Fine-Tune:

   • Arrow Keys: Move the active point pixel-by-pixel.
   • Space: Switch control between the Start (Green) and End (Red) points.
   • Shift + Arrow: Extend or retract the line while locking the angle.

4. Configure Snapping:

   • Enable "Turntable" from the menu bar.
   • Drag the on-screen dial to set your preferred snap increment (e.g., set to 45° to snap to 0°, 45°, 90°...).

5. Dismiss: Press ESC to hide the overlay; reopen by pressing Esc again or clicking the menu bar icon and select "Show/Hide Ruler".

Menu Options

Click the menu bar icon to access:

• Show/Hide Ruler: Toggle the overlay.
• Units: Choose between Pixels, Inches, or Centimeters.
• Turntable: Show/Hide the on-screen angle selector dial.
• Quit: Exit the application.

Building from Source

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/pipme/RulerMac.git
   cd RulerMac

2. Open RulerMac.xcodeproj in Xcode.

3. Build and run (Cmd + R).

Contributing

This project was built with "vibe coding" (AI-assisted development). Feel free to fork, modify, and improve it!