runcat-dev/RunCat365
RunCat365
RunCat365 is a Windows system tray application that places an animated cat directly on the taskbar, where the cat's running speed reflects real-time CPU load. The project's core identity is a lightweight background process that maps CPU usage percentages to animation frame rates, creating a visual indicator of system performance.
The application achieves this by polling CPU load data at fixed intervals through Windows Performance Counters, then driving a frame-based sprite animation whose speed responds to the measured load. It renders the cat animation directly into the taskbar notification area using native Win32 API calls, embedding a transparent overlay window through Windows Shell and Explorer hooks.
The project covers CPU usage visualization as a continuous, non-intrusive monitoring tool, with the animation serving as an at-a-glance indicator of system activity. The documentation and installation surface are oriented toward Windows users seeking a lightweight, visually engaging way to observe their computer's processing load.
Features
- Taskbar CPU Usage Animations - An animated cat on the Windows taskbar whose running speed reflects real-time CPU load.
- CPU Usage Visualizations - Displays real-time CPU load as a visual animation on the Windows taskbar for quick system monitoring.
- Transparent Overlay Windows - Embeds a transparent overlay window within the taskbar using Windows Shell and Explorer hooks.
- Sprite Sequence Animations - Cycles through pre-rendered cat sprite frames at a rate determined by system performance.
- Taskbar Embedded Animations - Renders a sprite animation directly into the Windows taskbar notification area using native Win32 API calls.
- CPU Performance Counter Pollers - Polls CPU load data at fixed intervals via Windows Performance Counters to drive animation state.
- Background Processing - Runs as a minimal system tray application with low resource overhead for continuous operation.
- CPU Utilization Animations - Animates a taskbar cat whose running speed mirrors real-time CPU load.
- CPU-Load-Driven Animations - Drives the cat animation speed directly from real-time CPU usage percentages.
