What is Client Area?

[AndreiBarbu]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to understand the option "Client Area" that is by default enabled when you add a new window capture.

If I enable "Client Area", I will have some pixels left out that. If I disable "Client Area", the window will fit perfectly.

I am trying to understand what "Client Area" is and how it works that it leads to this behavior and if there is something to worry when not using it.

Thank you for your help!

See below examples:

Client Area enabled:

Client Area disabled:

 

[AndreiBarbu]

Something to say about my window capture that I didn't mention is the fact that I am recording my windows while they are on a monitor which has the taskbar removed.

 

[koala]

I am trying to understand the option "Client Area"

This is the window area without borders, title bar and main menu bar. It refers to the classic borders, title bar and menu bar generated by the Win32 API of Windows. These days it's difficult to see a difference with this option, because with modern windows themes and apps, most apps are drawing their own title bar and menu bar, so they're drawing within the client area and not use the Win32 API for this. Toggling this option for VSCode for example will only remove the window border, which is only 1 or 2 pixels on every side, but not the title bar (merged with the menu bar), since this is drawn by VSCode itself within the client area.

To fully see what this option is about, you need to capture some old school desktop app like the popular Notepad++ (not the Notepad that comes with Windows) or the popular image viewer IrfanView. The option may have more use in the future, if the Windows designers decide to give Windows 12 or later some theme with wide windows borders like it was with Windows 7 Aero (4 or 8 pixels). Currently, with the Windows 10 and 11 Metro theme, borders are only 1 pixel - almost invisible if you don't have a bright accent color (dark mode) or dark accent color (light mode).

 

[nopob]

I confirm that selecting Client Area completely screws the layout. I lost an hour figuring this out (I'm new to OBS).