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  Overtrace  -  Help
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Overtrace shows a reference image semi-transparently, always on top of
your paint program. In click-through mode your mouse and pen go straight
to the app underneath, so you can trace while looking at the reference.

Website: https://septentrion18.com
Support development: https://ko-fi.com/septentrion


== Getting started ==

  1. Double-click Overtrace.exe. No installation needed.

  2. After a short welcome message, a file dialog opens. Choose the image
     you want to trace (JPG / PNG / BMP / GIF / WebP).
     * If you close the dialog without choosing an image, the app quits.
     * From the second launch on, the last image is restored with its
       previous position, size and tilt. Use "Open image..." in the menu
       to switch images.
     * To overlay several images at once, launch the exe again. Later
       instances start with the file dialog. The filename tag at the
       top-left of the frame (edit mode) and the first line of the
       right-click menu tell you which window is which.

  3. Adjust the image with the 8 handles (round = corners, square = edges).

     [Corner handles]
       Drag           ... scale, keeping the aspect ratio (opposite corner fixed)
       Shift + drag   ... scale width and height independently
       Ctrl + drag    ... move only that corner (perspective / keystone)
       Alt + drag     ... scale around the center, keeping the aspect ratio

     [Edge handles]
       Drag           ... move the edge perpendicularly (width / height only)
       Shift/Alt+drag ... the opposite edge moves too (symmetric)
       Ctrl + drag    ... move the edge freely (shear)

     [Rotation handle]  the dark green circle above the top edge
       Drag           ... rotate around the center (Shift: 15 degree steps)

     Ctrl + Z / Ctrl + Y  ... undo / redo (flips and reset too)
     Arrow keys           ... move 1 px (Shift: 10 px)
     Mouse wheel          ... scale around the center (Ctrl + wheel: rotate 1 degree)
     Esc                  ... back to click-through mode
     Ctrl + V             ... paste a copied image as the reference
     Drag & drop          ... drop an image file onto the reference (edit mode)

  4. Right-click the tray icon and set "Opacity" to taste.

  5. Click the tray icon (or press Ctrl+Alt+T) to switch to click-through
     mode, then draw in your paint app. Press it again to go back to
     edit mode.


== Tray menu ==

  Toggle edit mode (Ctrl+Alt+T)  ... click-through <-> edit mode
  Open image...                  ... replace the reference image
  Reset position and shape       ... center the image, plain rectangle
  Flip horizontally / vertically
  Undo (Ctrl+Z) / Redo (Ctrl+Y)
  Opacity                        ... slider or number box (0-100 %)
  Display on monitor             ... shown only with 2+ monitors
  Show in system tray only       ... no taskbar button when checked
  Show welcome message at startup
  Language / Japanese-English    ... switch the UI language
  Reset all settings...          ... clear all saved settings
  Help                           ... open help_en.html
  Visit Septentrion's website
  Quit


== Tips ==

  * The reference sits at a fixed screen position and does not follow
    your paint app's scrolling or zooming. Keep the zoom and position
    fixed while tracing, or re-align the reference in edit mode.

  * "Windows protected your PC" may appear on first launch. This is the
    normal SmartScreen warning for unsigned apps from individual
    developers. Click "More info" -> "Run anyway".

  * If the app closes unexpectedly, the error is written to
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Septentrion\Overtrace\overtrace.log. Please attach it
    when reporting a problem.

  * If Ctrl+Alt+T is taken by another app, Overtrace falls back to
    Ctrl+Alt+Shift+T (then Ctrl+Shift+T) and tells you. The key in use
    is shown next to "Toggle edit mode" in the menu.


== Requirements ==

  Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit). No installation, no extra libraries,
  no administrator rights. Free software (donations welcome).


== Disclaimer ==

  The author accepts no liability for any damage arising from the use
  of this software. Use at your own risk.

  (c) 2026 Septentrion
