Full-Screen Recording Indicator with AutoHotkey - [AHK Script]

Garras_Web

New Member
Hey everyone!

I recently had a need for a full-screen visual indicator for when I'm recording, and after a bit of trial and error, I managed to put together a script that displays a red bar across the screen with the word "RECORDING" centered in bold text.

The best part?
It’s toggleable with a simple keyboard shortcut! I figured this might be useful to others, so here’s the full script and setup instructions.
Script (dropbox Link)- https://tinyurl.com/yb82du7m

What It Does​

  • Displays a red bar across the screen, edge-to-edge, with the word "RECORDING" centered in bold, large font.
  • Toggles on/off with a keyboard shortcut (CTRL+1).
  • Bonus: I personally use the same shortcut for OBS to start/stop recording. This way, I don't have to worry about whether I'm actually recording or not—one press does it all!

What You Need​

  1. AutoHotkey:
  2. Download and install AutoHotkey (v1.1 is what I used for this script because i could not get it to work with V2).
  3. The Script:
  4. Copy and paste the script below into a new .ahk file (e.g., recording_bar.ahk).
  5. Optional (Highly Recommended):
  6. In OBS, set CTRL+1 as your start/stop recording shortcut under File > Settings > Hotkeys.

How to Use​

  1. Download the Script:
  2. Copy the script to a folder in your computer.
  3. Run the Script:
  4. Double-click the .ahk file to start it.
  5. Set Up OBS (Optional but Recommended):
  6. In OBS, go to File > Settings > Hotkeys and set CTRL+1 as the shortcut for both Start Recording and Stop Recording.
  7. Toggle the Bar:
  8. Press CTRL+1 to show or hide the red bar.

Why I Made This​

The default recording indicators in tools like OBS Studio can be easy to miss (tiny text in the corner, anyone?). By using the same shortcut for OBS and this script, I know instantly and without any doubt whether I'm recording or not. This has saved me from many "Is it recording??" moments and made my workflow smoother.

How It Looks​

  • A red bar will appear across the middle of your screen with "RECORDING" in large, bold, white text.
  • It toggles on and off with CTRL+1.

Feel Free to Customize​

If you want:

  • Different Colors: Change Gui, RecordingBar:Color, Red to your preferred color (e.g., Blue, Green, Yellow).
  • Font Size/Text: Adjust the Font, cWhite s36 Bold line to change the font size, color, or style.
Hope this is useful for someone
 
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