ClipAsk

A small Windows app for asking ChatGPT about anything on your screen. You select part of the screen, and the answer pops up in a little window. It's free and open source.

Why I built it

When we were brainstorming for CS3216 Assignment 3, my teammate Yi Hao Hon pitched an "agentic smart cursor": you point at anything on your screen and the AI works out what to do with it. I wasn't convinced. What I actually said was "ur asking someone to install something to save 1 click."

We ended up building something else (Historical Adventures). But afterwards I kept noticing myself doing exactly what he'd described: take a screenshot, switch to ChatGPT, paste it, type the question, over and over. So I built a small version of his idea for myself. Yi Hao was right.

What it does

Press Ctrl+Alt+S and drag over any part of the screen. The screenshot goes to ChatGPT, and the answer streams into a small window, with proper formatting for tables, code and maths. If you drag with the left mouse button you can type a question first; with the right one it asks straight away. The screenshot is copied to your clipboard too.

A few choices I made

• One screenshot, one answer. There's no chat history or editing tools. I wanted it quick to use and then out of the way.
• No API key needed. You sign in with your normal ChatGPT account, and the login is stored in Windows' own password vault.
• Easy to install. It comes with everything it needs and installs without admin rights.

Where it is

It's on the Microsoft Store, and there's also an installer and a portable version on GitHub (GPL-3.0).