SFPoint

Open-source screen annotation tool for macOS. Presentify alternative at $0 cost.

---

What is SFPoint?

SFPoint is a screen annotation overlay for macOS. Toggle a hotkey, draw on your screen, keep teaching. Arrows, rectangles, circles, freehand, text, laser pointer — all on a transparent overlay that auto-fades after 3 seconds.

Built as a replacement for Presentify ($6.99). SFPoint is free, open-source, and fully customizable.

Features

• Native macOS app — lives in the menu bar, no terminal needed, starts with your Mac
• 7 annotation tools — arrow, rectangle, circle, freehand, text, laser pointer, highlighter
• Toggle-based shortcuts — Option+key to activate, same key or Esc to deactivate
• Auto-fade — annotations disappear after 3 seconds (configurable)
• Laser pointer — ambar Google Slides-style, click-through (doesn't block mouse), morado ripple on click
• No focus stealing — overlay floats above everything without interrupting your work (native macOS APIs)
• Click-through — laser always passes clicks through; other tools only capture when active
• Floating toolbar — draggable pill showing current tool and color
• Rebindable shortcuts — settings panel (Option+S) to customize keybindings
• Brand colors — morado (#8B5CF6) + ambar (#F59E0B) from SaaS Factory

---

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• macOS 15+
• Python 3.12+
• Homebrew

Install (Desktop App — Recommended)

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/daniel-carreon/sfpoint.git
cd sfpoint

# Python environment
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

# Build the .app
bash build.sh

# Install (IMPORTANT: use ditto, not cp -r)
ditto dist/SFPoint.app /Applications/SFPoint.app
xattr -cr /Applications/SFPoint.app

Open SFPoint from Spotlight or /Applications. It lives in the menu bar (no Dock icon).

Install (Dev Mode)

git clone https://github.com/daniel-carreon/sfpoint.git
cd sfpoint
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
python3 main.py

---

Usage

Action	Shortcut
Arrow	Option+A
Rectangle	Option+R
Circle	Option+C
Freehand	Option+F
Text	Option+T (type, Enter to place)
Laser pointer	Option+P (ambar glow trail)
Hide toolbar	Option+H
Settings	Option+S or menu bar
Start with macOS	Toggle in menu bar
Undo	Cmd+Z
Clear all	Cmd+Shift+Z
Deactivate	Esc or press same shortcut again
Quit	Menu bar > "Quit SFPoint"

All tool shortcuts are toggle-based: press once to activate, press again (or Esc) to deactivate.

---

macOS Permissions

SFPoint needs these permissions (System Settings > Privacy & Security):

1. Accessibility — for global hotkeys and overlay interaction (add SFPoint.app or your Terminal app)
2. Input Monitoring — for keyboard listener (add SFPoint.app or your Terminal app)

---

Architecture

Ctrl+Key (pynput) --> Toggle Tool On/Off --> Canvas Overlay (PyQt6 + PyObjC)
                                                    |
                                              QPainter Rendering
                                                    |
                                        Auto-Fade (3s delay + 0.5s fade)
                                                    |
                                          Floating Toolbar (pill UI)

Key technical decisions:

• PyObjC/AppKit for native macOS window that floats without stealing focus
• setIgnoresMouseEvents_ for click-through toggle (the core innovation)
• Qt QueuedConnection for thread-safe signals between pynput and UI
• QPainter for all rendering (shapes, laser trail with radial gradients, text)
• Toggle-based hotkeys instead of hold-based for better ergonomics

---

Build It Yourself with Claude

Want to build this from scratch? Copy PRP.md and paste it to Claude (or any AI assistant) with:

"Build this project following the PRP phases. Execute all phases sequentially, validating each one before moving to the next."

The PRP contains the complete blueprint: architecture, gotchas, anti-patterns, and validation steps. It's designed so an AI agent can build the entire project in a single session.

See CLAUDE.md for detailed development instructions and troubleshooting.

---

Customization

All configuration lives in config.py:

# Shortcuts (toggle-based Ctrl+key)
TOOL_SHORTCUTS = {
    "a": TOOL_ARROW, "r": TOOL_RECT, "c": TOOL_CIRCLE,
    "f": TOOL_FREEHAND, "t": TOOL_TEXT, "p": TOOL_LASER,
}

# Fade timing
FADE_DELAY = 3.0        # seconds before fade starts
FADE_DURATION = 0.5      # seconds for fade animation

# Laser pointer (subtle, elegant)
LASER_DOT_RADIUS = 5.0
LASER_GLOW_RADIUS = 14.0
LASER_TRAIL_LENGTH = 18  # clean, short trail

# Toolbar
TOOLBAR_HEIGHT = 34
TOOLBAR_WIDTH = 180

Custom shortcuts are saved to settings.json via the settings panel (Ctrl+S).

---

Cost Comparison

	Presentify	SFPoint
Cost	$6.99 one-time	Free
Customizable	Limited	Fully
Open source	No	Yes
Laser pointer	Red	Ambar (Google Slides-style)
Auto-fade	Yes	Yes (configurable)
Rebindable shortcuts	No	Yes

---

Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Tool doesn't activate	Grant Accessibility + Input Monitoring to SFPoint.app (or Terminal in dev mode)
Overlay steals focus	Verify pyobjc-framework-Cocoa: pip install pyobjc-framework-Cocoa
Font warning in console	Cosmetic — uses system font .AppleSystemUIFont
Python version error	Requires 3.12+ (list[] generics, | union syntax)
.app crashes (segfault)	Reinstall with ditto (not cp -r): ditto dist/SFPoint.app /Applications/SFPoint.app
.app blocked by macOS	Remove quarantine: xattr -cr /Applications/SFPoint.app

---

License

MIT License. Do whatever you want with it.

---

Built with Claude Opus 4.6 in a single session.
_{From daniel-carreon — SFPoint}