Raybeam

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Raybeam is a macOS utility application (menu bar app) designed for dynamic screen region capture and live streaming. It functions as a virtual display source, allowing users to define a custom, movable rectangle on their desktop for sharing.
2. Core Value Proposition: Raybeam exists to solve the limitations of traditional screen sharing in video conferencing apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Discord. It enables precise, focused sharing of any screen region—spanning multiple windows, partial windows, or specific areas of ultra-wide and multi-monitor setups—enhancing presentation clarity and privacy.

Main Features

1. Dynamic Screen Region Capture: The core functionality is a draggable, resizable rectangle placed directly on the macOS desktop. This region acts as a live video feed. The technology works by utilizing macOS's Screen Recording API to capture only the pixels within this user-defined rectangle in real-time, which is then presented to the system as a sharable source.
2. Application Exclusion (Hidden Apps): This feature allows users to select specific applications whose windows will be programmatically removed from the shared region's live feed. When a hidden app's window falls within the capture rectangle, Raybeam renders the desktop background or underlying content instead, protecting sensitive information from being broadcast.
3. Live Annotation & Drawing: An integrated drawing mode lets users annotate directly on top of the live screen share stream. These freehand sketches are baked into the video output, meaning all participants in a video call see the annotations without requiring native drawing support from the conferencing app (e.g., Zoom's annotation tools).
4. Global Hotkey Support: For power-user efficiency, Raybeam supports system-wide keyboard shortcuts. Users can assign hotkeys for critical actions like defining a new capture region, toggling drawing mode on/off, and stopping the stream, enabling control without switching focus from the active application or video call window.
5. Menu Bar Integration: Raybeam operates as a lightweight menu bar app, minimizing its footprint. All controls, settings, and the stream status are accessible from a persistent icon in the macOS menu bar, ensuring the app stays out of the way until needed.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Traditional screen sharing forces a binary choice: share an entire display (exposing notifications, desktop clutter, and all open windows) or a single application window (which cannot be cropped and excludes content from other apps). This is inefficient and lacks precision.
2. Target Audience: Professionals who frequently present in video calls, including software developers demonstrating code, data analysts sharing specific dashboard segments, designers presenting work-in-progress in specific tools, educators showcasing software tutorials, and remote workers using ultra-wide or multiple monitors.
3. Use Cases: Sharing only a portion of a spreadsheet during a financial review; demonstrating a workflow that uses two adjacent applications simultaneously; presenting a specific section of a large design canvas on an ultra-wide monitor; keeping personal communication apps (like Messages or email) hidden during a professional call; live-annotating a diagram or UI mockup during a collaborative feedback session.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Unlike built-in screen sharing in Zoom or Teams, Raybeam provides a third, granular option beyond "Entire Screen" and "Single Window." It creates a persistent, manipulable capture region that behaves like a virtual camera feed for your screen content, offering superior control.
2. Key Innovation: The combination of real-time, adjustable region capture with application-level exclusion. The ability to dynamically resize and move the shared area during a call, while also programmatically hiding specific app windows, is a unique technical approach that addresses both focus and privacy concerns in a single lightweight tool.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Does Raybeam work with Zoom, Teams, and Slack? Yes, Raybeam is fully compatible with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Discord, and any other macOS video conferencing or streaming application that supports screen sharing. It creates a virtual screen source that these apps detect as a selectable window or display.
2. Is my entire screen recorded by Raybeam? No. Raybeam only captures the specific rectangular region you define on your screen. macOS requires Screen Recording permission for this functionality, but Raybeam's access is strictly limited to the area you select. You can revoke this permission anytime in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording.
3. Can I change the shared screen area during a live video call? Yes. You can click and drag the entire Raybeam region or use its resize handles to adjust the shared area at any time, even mid-call. The video feed for your attendees updates instantly and seamlessly.
4. What are the system requirements for the Raybeam macOS app? Raybeam requires macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later. It runs natively on both Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) and Intel-based Macs. It installs as a menu bar application.
5. How does the "Hidden Apps" privacy feature work technically? When you designate an application as "hidden," Raybeam uses macOS windowing APIs to identify its windows. If a window from that app intersects your shared region, Raybeam excludes its pixels from the capture buffer and renders the desktop background in that area instead, ensuring it never appears in your stream.