# Screenshot selection and delay action **URL:** \ **Category:** Configuration Help & General Discussion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2023, 6:39am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097 "2023-04-02T06:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rlivingston](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/rlivingston/32/25514_2.png) [@rlivingston](https://community.folivora.ai/u/rlivingston)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 6:39am UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097/1 "2023-04-02T06:39:55Z")
New user. First test experiment that I tried was to do a _Capture Screenshot_. The activation works fine and I get a cross-hair to specify what I want to capture. Then I wanted to set things up so the captured area was sent to _Graphic Converter_. That worked fine. But I wanted a refinement. _Graphic Converter_ immediately puts up a window asking if you want to retain the alpha channel with the default button **Open and Retain**. That is what I generally want so I set up an action for a Return Key as the next step in the Action list. That did not work as written so I put a delay (3 seconds). That worked intermittently. Why intermittently? Because it turns out that the 3 second timer starts immediately upon launching the first action and NOT after the first action is completed. Since it takes some time just to drag out the area that you want to specify, it is easy to use up the 3 seconds before the area specification is complete. Two questions: 1. When dragging out the area to specify for the screen capture, I have to depress the Right-Click part of the Magic Mouse. If I am depressing the Left-Click part of the Mouse, it does not work which I found peculiar because this is not the "usual" way that one specifies screen capture areas. Is this the expected behavior? 2. Is the delay action ( however many seconds) always timed from the very beginning of the actions rather than the completion of the proceeding action? This does not seem optimal. In the current circumstances one has to consciously complete the selection process before the timer is complete for things to work. Normally this selection process might take a variable amount of time depending, for example, on how carefully one is trying to specify the selection boundary. ---
**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097/2 "2023-04-02T19:09:25Z")
BTT's screen capture capabilities are just a wrapper around Apple's screencapture command line tool. Unfortunately I think what you encounter is the standard behavior for this and there is no way to change this. You can run this terminal command to see the full documentation for Apple's screen capture tool: `man screencapture` ---
**Author:** ![SLE](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/sle/32/25025_2.png) [@SLE](https://community.folivora.ai/u/SLE)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097/3 "2023-04-02T19:26:51Z")
> [@rlivingston](#): > > Open and Retain Keyboard Maestro offers the feature of "Pause Until Conditions are Met". Therefore, it is possible to set up the "Return Key" for "Open and Retain" to trigger only when this window appears, eliminating the need for a three-second delay. I had previously inquired about a similar function for BTT but did not pursue it since I had found a workaround for my issue at the time. Nonetheless, I believe that including such a feature would be a valuable addition to BTT's existing functionality. ![Bildschirmfoto von Keyboard Maestro (02-04-23, 21-19-46)](https://community.folivora.ai/uploads/default/original/3X/b/a/ba5a5c31797dbc42aba0d8f3875be25d87bcca7c.png) > [@BTT 3.839 - Delay Next Action (blocking) cannot accept more than 999.9 seconds](https://community.folivora.ai/t/btt-3-839-delay-next-action-blocking-cannot-accept-more-than-999-9-seconds/28248/6): > > I´m piggybacking this thread for a related question. Is it possible to tell BTT "delay till something happens" or "Pause Until Conditions are Met". For example delay the next action till "all of the following are true: the screen contains Image: button.jpg" Thx ---
**Author:** ![Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/andreas_hegenberg/32/39221_2.png) [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](https://community.folivora.ai/u/Andreas_Hegenberg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097/4 "2023-04-02T19:39:41Z")
yep something like this will definitely be added! ---
**Author:** ![rlivingston](https://community.folivora.ai/user_avatar/community.folivora.ai/rlivingston/32/25514_2.png) [@rlivingston](https://community.folivora.ai/u/rlivingston)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2023, 11:51pm UTC](https://community.folivora.ai/t/screenshot-selection-and-delay-action/31097/5 "2023-04-02T23:51:32Z")
> [@Andreas\_Hegenberg](#): > > You can run this terminal command to see the full documentation for Apple's screen capture tool: > `man screencapture` This is all tickling the edges of my competence but I ran terminal with the command: screen capture -i "somename.png" and it worked. It provides me with a cross-hair to select area on the screen. But it does not matter if I "Click and Hold" the "Left" or the "Right" part of my Magic Mouse. Both work. But for some reason, when I activate this action with BTT then holding on the "Left" area for the "Click and Hold" it does not work. The cross-hair has appeared and I can move it but it does not sweep out an area to be captured. Holding down the "Right" area does work. I can learn this behavior but for me it is not the expected.