Derail Valley

Derail Valley

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Using Steam Notes to show maps
By Schnusch
Do you want to use custom maps, but you don't have a second monitor or printer? Here's a solution.
   
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What is Steam Notes?
Steam Notes is a feature that was added in June 2023.
It makes it possible for players to write their own notes inside of Steam Overlay(accessible via Shift+Tab) and pin them wherever you want.
What makes them even better is that players can add their own images, which is what this guide is about.
How to add images to notes?
First you need to save the image
There are multiple ways of doing it.
  1. Alt+Print Screen
    It takes a screenshot of your active window and saves it in clipboard.
  2. Win+Shift+S
    It's a snipping tool built in Windows. It allows you to select an area and take a screenshot of it. It is also being saved in clipboard.
  3. Ctrl+C or RMB+Copy
    Supposedly this method works the same as others as it "saves the image to clipboard", but I couldn't make it work. I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling it doesn't save the image to the same "location".
    Let me know if it works for you.
Now you need to paste it in your note
  1. Open your game.
  2. Open Steam Overlay(default keybind is Shift+Tab).
  3. Click the Notes icon on the bottom of your screen.
  4. When the Notes window is active, press Ctrl+V to paste your last saved image.
Can I add more images?
Yes, you can.
You can either save the image and paste it in the same note OR you can create a new note and paste the image(s) there.
Unfortunately you can't have multiple notes on screen at the same time. So you'll always have to open the overlay and change/scroll through the note.
Why doesn't it paste my image?
Most likely you didn't save it correctly or the image is too big.
Sometimes it takes a second to load.
One of the indicators, that it's loading is your caret(text cursor) stops blinking.
What does it look like?

This is me using an image of Dak47922 map with 30% transparency.

As you can see, it's a really useful alternative to printer or second screen, because it saves you space and paper ;o)
So if you found this useful or have any feedback, please comment down below.