Screen Dimming
The Screen Dimming feature covers the screen with a dark, semi-transparent overlay and leaves a clear area, called the spotlight, around the cursor. The spotlight moves with the cursor, so viewers see only the part of the screen you are pointing at.
Screen Dimming is disabled by default. The default shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + D. See Keyboard shortcuts for all shortcuts and how to change them.
Set up screen dimming
Section titled “Set up screen dimming”- Open FriskyMouse and select Screen Dimming.
- Turn on Enable Screen Dimming.
- Under Dimming Options, set Dimming Opacity (%) and Spotlight Size (px).
Dimming options
Section titled “Dimming options”| Setting | Range | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Dimming Opacity (%) | 10 to 90 | 70 |
| Spotlight Size (px) | 50 to 400 | 100 |
| Spotlight Shape | Circle, Rectangle, Rounded Rectangle | Circle |
| Corner Radius (px) | 5 to 100 | 20 |
| Edge Softness (px) | 0 to 50 | 0 |
| Edge Color | Any color | Black |
| Follow Smoothness | 0 to 20 | 0 |
| Fade Animation | On or off | On |
| Fade Duration (ms) | 50 to 1000 | 200 |
- Dimming Opacity (%): how dark the overlay is. Values from 20 to 40 leave the dimmed content readable; values from 60 to 90 hide it almost completely.
- Spotlight Size (px): the radius of the clear area around the cursor.
- Spotlight Shape: the shape of the clear area. Rectangle suits wide content such as a line of text.
- Corner Radius (px): how rounded the corners are. This setting appears only when Spotlight Shape is Rounded Rectangle.
- Edge Softness (px): the width of the gradient between the clear area and the overlay. At 0, the edge is sharp; higher values give a softer, vignette-like edge. Edge Color sets the color of that gradient. Keep it black to blend with the overlay, or choose another color for a colored edge.
- Follow Smoothness: at 0, the spotlight moves with the cursor without delay. Higher values make the spotlight trail slightly behind the cursor. Values from 5 to 10 give a smooth motion for slow, deliberate presentations.
- Fade Animation: when on, the overlay fades in and out when you turn Screen Dimming on or off. Fade Duration (ms) sets how long the fade takes and is available only when Fade Animation is on. Changes to these two settings take effect the next time you turn Screen Dimming on or off.
Activation mode
Section titled “Activation mode”The Activation Shortcut runs in Toggle mode by default: press it to turn dimming on or off. In Hold mode, dimming is active only while you hold the shortcut. Choose the mode in the drop-down next to the shortcut. See Activation mode for details.
Example configurations
Section titled “Example configurations”The following combinations are starting points for common situations.
| Scenario | Spotlight Shape | Edge Softness (px) | Dimming Opacity (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live presentation | Circle | 30 | 60 |
| Screen recording | Rectangle | 15 | 50 |
| Maximum focus | Circle | 0 | 80 |