bluebird67 / blackscreens

BlackScreens is a Windows App that let you darken any of your current screen with simple Windows keyboard shortcut switchs

Windows BlackScreens Application

BlackScreens is a Windows 10/11 Application that let you darken any of your current screen with simple keyboard shortcut switch:

  Alt+1 --> Alt+6         Alt+0 to switch all screens at once

It work by showing, for each screen, an App Window on top of all others (system), with selected opacity (1% to 100%). An option for mouse clicking through the black windows now exist.

Main use cases for multiple screens users:

• need to watch one screen without being disturb by the other(s) screen(s)
• being sure that no one else can see one or multiple screen(s), for example in a presentation or web conference

Download and install

Just install the app with the Windows installer you can download here https://github.com/BlueBird67/BlackScreens/releases/download/1.13/BlackScreens.v1.13.Setup.msi [Current version 1.13 - 31/07/2023]

Versions

• v1.13 (31/07/2023)
  • Added App option hide on windows Icon Task bar on launch
  • Move options xml file to AppData/Roaming
• v1.09 (15/01/2021)
  • Added Windows 10/11 system scale parameter compatibility
  • Let user use an different image for each of the 3 first screens for darkening, instead of full black color
• v1.08 (01/08/2020)
  • Added mouse cursor disappeared on black screens after 3 sec., parameter in user preferences file. If on 0 (zero), mouse is no more disappearing
• v1.07 (27/07/2020)
  • Adding ALT+0 key to switch all screens
• v1.06 (25/07/2020)
  • Adding mouse clickthrough option
• v1.05 (21/07/2020)
  • Adding screens positionning information on clipboard when left clicking on first screen name in the main parameters screen

Tests

This App has been tested already on Windows 10 and 11 lastest officials builds on August 2023, with 2 different screens.

BlackScreens works with DotNet 4.8. It has been built with Visual Studio 2022 Community edition.

It need testers in this cases:

• Older windows 10 builds (>1 year)
• Windows 8
• Windows 7
• More than 2 screens

Thank you.

Other code used

• Wpf-Notificon from Hardcodet https://github.com/hardcodet/wpf-notifyicon/tree/master/src/NotifyIconWpf
• WindowsDisplayAPI from Falahati https://github.com/falahati/WindowsDisplayAPI/tree/master/WindowsDisplayAPI

License

GNU GPL v3.0

-the end-

blackscreens's Issues

[suggestion] Block mouse movement to blocked screen

Add " ☐ Block mouse" option. If enabled, mouse can't be moved to that monitor. If it's in this monitor when enabled, teleport mouse to other screen; if there's no other screen found, disable¹ (checks only on enable). Can't be enabled if all screens darkened.

[bug] Blacked monitor swapping on wake up

To reproduce:

1. Black 2nd screen
2. Systemly off the screens ([go to Control Panel\Hardware and Sound\Power Options\Change plan settings\turn off display, set "1 min" and wait for 1 min OR launch nircmd with parametrs monitor off] AND wait 3-10 seconds until monitors lose signals and auto-turn off.)
3. Wake them up (move mouse)
4. If 2nd screen wakes up erlier than 1st screen (for me, it's always the case), the 1st monitor will wake up darkened instead of 2nd; if you press Alt+1, the second black window will appear on 1st screen; if you press Alt+2 instead, the black window will be gone and anything will work as usually.

Solutions:

1. Easier: Check and reapply black windows when some of the monitors change its order.
2. More reliable: Store the monitors IDs instead of order and apply black windows by IDs.

[BUG] Alt+# shortcut reacting on other Alt+# containing shortcuts

When pressing Alt+# containing shortcuts like "Alt+Shift+#" or "Ctrl+Alt+#", the program reacts on them as "Alt+#"

[bug] Black window of 2nd screen moves to the 1st screen instead of disposing

To reproduce:

1. Launch Black Screens
2. Enable black screen on 2nd monitor
3. Turn off second monitor

Expected behaviour

black screen "stays" on second monitor or dispose

Current behavour

Black screen moves to the 1st monitor, without possibility to turn it off

Additional notes

I think the solution is the same as #7 with a little additions.

Hide on taskbar doesn't work

I'm using Black Screens 1.12 on my Windows 10. The new function that minimizes the program to the tray bar only after starting doesn't work. The properties window is always displayed.

[suggestion] The possibility to disable/change shortcuts.

Add possibility to

• disable shortcuts
• change shortcuts

either via config file or via tray menu "settings" entry that opens new settings window