Getting Started

Lens is a Chrome extension that captures a region of any tab as a PNG, a JPEG, an animated GIF or an MP4, then files it into a folder on your own machine along with a metadata timeline. Nothing is uploaded — see Privacy.

1. Install and pin

1. Install Lens from the Chrome Web Store or load the unpacked folder via chrome://extensions with Developer mode on.
2. Pin it to the toolbar click the puzzle-piece icon in Chrome's toolbar and press the pin next to Lens. The toolbar icon is where recording status and capture errors are reported.
3. Open the popup click the Lens icon. This is where you pick the active project and start a capture.

Screenshot needed

lens-popup-first-run.png

The Lens popup on first run, showing the default project, no folder linked, and the three capture actions

2. Link a project folder

A project is a name plus one folder on your computer. Captures for the active project are written straight into that folder, next to a project_metadata.json file that records what was captured, from which page, and when.

1. Open the popup and press New project or press Link on the default project to give the existing one a folder.
2. Name the project for example, the documentation set or release you are capturing for.
3. Choose a folder Chrome asks you to pick it and to grant read/write access. Lens can only ever see the folder you pick.

Screenshot needed

lens-folder-linked.png

The popup project row with a folder linked, showing the folder name and the Change button

3. Take your first capture

1. Press Capture region or use the keyboard shortcut. The page dims and the cursor becomes a crosshair.
2. Drag a rectangle over the area you want. Drag the handles to resize, or drag from the middle to move it.
3. Press Capture Image the annotation editor opens with your capture loaded.
4. Name it and save the file lands in the project folder and appears in the popup timeline.

Screenshot needed

lens-region-selection.png

A region selected on a web page, with the dimension pill above it and the Cancel / Record GIF / Capture Image toolbar below

4. Where to go next

• Capturing a region — selection, annotation and saving in detail.
• Recording GIF and MP4 — the recorder, its controls and the two output formats.
• Projects and folders — multiple projects, switching, and reconnecting folder access.
• Settings — every preference and what it changes.