Textmode Overlay

Turn visible canvas and video elements into live ASCII art. Free, open source, and processed locally in your browser.

Install Extension

Workflow

  1. Select: Click the extension, choose select media, then point at a visible canvas or video.
  2. Shape: Tune density, glyphs, colors, contour, fonts, and a reorderable post-FX stack.
  3. Export: Save the frame as TXT, SVG, PNG, or JPG. Every export stays local.

Features

  • Live conversion: A WebGL2 overlay samples selected media while it plays and follows its size and position.
  • Isolated in-page panel: Draggable control panel isolated from host pages via Shadow DOM.
  • Brightness and contour: Build from luminance, edge structure, or both.
  • Persistent font library: Use four bundled fonts or keep up to ten TrueType uploads inside your browser profile.
  • Post-FX stack: 16 reorderable GPU filters for color, CRT distortion, scanlines, bloom, and grain.
  • Per-site memory: Active settings remembered per hostname.
  • Open exports: Save frames as TXT, SVG, PNG, or JPG.
  • Local extension processing: Zero extension telemetry, zero accounts, all media processing runs locally on your device.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I convert?
Visible canvas and video elements on pages where the browser allows pixel access. WebGL2 is required.
Why does some media fail?
Cross-origin restrictions, DRM, protected playback, or a tainted canvas can block sampling.
Where do my fonts and settings go?
They stay in extension-managed storage inside your browser profile without remote syncing.
What font files are supported?
TrueType .ttf and TrueType-outline .otf files up to 10 MB.
What permissions does it use?
User-triggered active-tab access, script injection, and local extension storage.
Is it really free?
Yes. Textmode Overlay is free and open source under the MIT License.

textmode.art Ecosystem