Artwork Documenter

A native macOS app for documenting screen-based artworks. Guides you through a three-step process to produce a complete documentation folder on your Desktop containing a written description, screenshots, and a screen recording with system audio.

Built with SwiftUI and ScreenCaptureKit. No subscription, no uploads — everything stays on your Mac.

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What it produces

[Project Title] Documentation/
├── description.txt        — title, conceptual statement, technical details, URL
├── screenshot_01.png      — up to 5 screenshots (PNG or JPEG)
├── screenshot_02.png
└── screen_recording.mp4   — up to 3 minutes, with system audio (H.264/H.265, MP4/MOV)

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Requirements

• macOS 15 or later
• Xcode 16 or later (free from the Mac App Store, ~8 GB)
• No Apple Developer account required

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Build & run

# Install xcodegen if you don't have it
brew install xcodegen

# Clone and generate the Xcode project
git clone <repo-url>
cd "MCAD project docmuneter"
xcodegen generate

# Open in Xcode and press ▶ Run
open ArtworkDocumenter.xcodeproj

On first launch the app will ask for Screen Recording permission. Grant it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording, then return to the app.

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How it works

Step 1 — Description Fill in a project title, a conceptual statement, technical attributes, and an optional URL. Export settings (codec, resolution, frame rate, image format) are adjustable here and default to 1080p H.264 MP4 / PNG.

Step 2 — Screenshots Capture 3–5 screenshots of your artwork from any display or specific window. Thumbnails appear in a grid; each can be retaken individually.

Step 3 — Screen Recording Record 1–3 minutes of your screen (system audio included automatically). After recording you can optionally insert an existing video clip at the beginning, end, or any scrubbed position before saving.

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Distribution

The app is signed to run locally (no notarization). To share it:

1. In Xcode: Product → Archive → Distribute App → Copy App
2. Zip the .app and share via AirDrop, email, or a shared folder
3. Recipients: right-click the .app → Open → click Open in the Gatekeeper dialog (one-time only)

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Tech stack

Component	Purpose
SwiftUI + @Observable	UI and state management
ScreenCaptureKit	Screenshots and screen recording with system audio
AVFoundation	AVAssetWriter recording pipeline, video clip merging
ImageIO	PNG / JPEG screenshot saving
FileManager	Output folder written to ~/Desktop

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Project structure

ArtworkDocumenter/
├── ArtworkDocumenterApp.swift
├── Models/
│   ├── ProjectState.swift        — shared session state
│   └── ExportSettings.swift      — codec/resolution/format prefs (persisted to UserDefaults)
├── Managers/
│   ├── ScreenCaptureManager.swift — SCStream → AVAssetWriter recording pipeline
│   └── VideoMergeManager.swift    — AVMutableComposition clip insertion
├── Views/
│   ├── ContentView.swift          — step indicator shell
│   ├── SetupView.swift            — permission request screen
│   ├── Step1DescriptionView.swift — description form + export settings
│   ├── Step2ScreenshotsView.swift — screenshot capture and grid
│   ├── Step3RecordingView.swift   — recording controls, clip insertion, done state
│   └── VideoPlayerView.swift      — AVPlayerView wrapper for scrubbing
└── Resources/
    ├── Info.plist
    └── ArtworkDocumenter.entitlements