The latest articles on DEV Community by SlopLover (@blackixxce12). https://dev.to/blackixxce12 https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F4084667%2F7f1ef762-aec3-4f17-b89f-9728b2c95adc.png https://dev.to/blackixxce12 en SlopLover Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:01:37 +0000 https://dev.to/blackixxce12/i-built-a-lightweight-macro-recorder-in-rust-mostly-with-an-ai-agent-27f4 https://dev.to/blackixxce12/i-built-a-lightweight-macro-recorder-in-rust-mostly-with-an-ai-agent-27f4 <p>I got tired of closed-source macro tools. Most of them store macros in binary formats, have poor DPI awareness, and install global keyboard hooks. For a tool that essentially injects input, closed source felt uncomfortable.</p> <p>So I wrote my own.</p> <h2> What it is </h2> <ul> <li>Single ~7 MB <code>.exe</code>, no installer</li> <li>MIT license</li> <li>Macros are plain JSON (easy to edit and diff)</li> <li>Small scripting layer on top: <code>If</code> / <code>While</code>, variables, and screen conditions</li> </ul> <h2> How it finds UI elements </h2> <p>Four approaches, ordered from cheapest to most expensive:</p> <ol> <li><p><strong>Windows UI Automation</strong> by name<br><br> No coordinates, no thresholds. Works well for normal desktop apps. Almost useless in games that draw their own UI.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Image search</strong><br><br> You paste a screenshot snippet (Win+Shift+S). I added the ability to restrict the search area. On my 1440p monitor this dropped the average step from ~78 ms to ~7 ms.</p></li> <li><p><strong>OCR</strong> via the built-in Windows engine<br><br> No external models to download.</p></li> <li><p><strong>Fixed coordinates</strong><br><br> DPI-aware and anchored to the target window.</p></li> </ol> <h2> AI involvement </h2> <p>The majority of the code was written with an AI agent. I directed the architecture, reviewed every part, fixed the non-trivial pieces (especially the image-search optimization and proper DPI handling), and made the design decisions. The final codebase is still normal, readable Rust.</p> <h2> Limitations (being honest) </h2> <ul> <li>Windows only</li> <li> <code>SendInput</code> can be detected by some anti-cheats</li> <li>Global hooks + synthetic input look like a keylogger to many antivirus products. The repository contains VirusTotal results instead of pretending otherwise.</li> </ul> <p>No telemetry, no accounts, no ads.</p> <p>I’m mainly looking for feedback on the architecture and any better approaches for the image search / OCR parts.</p> <p>The repository is public:<br><br> [<a href="https://github.com/blackixxce12/macro-recorder" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/blackixxce12/macro-recorder</a>]</p> rust opensource ai productivity