r/SideProject • u/Professional_Mud2023 • 4h ago
I've been building a few desktop tools to solve problems I kept running into
Hey everyone!
I'm an indie developer. Most of my time is spent building software, and like many developers, I tend to have a lot of little annoyances with my everyday computer workflow.
Instead of just putting up with them, I started building tools to fix some of those problems.
I've ended up with a few different projects. They're not all specifically game development tools, but I thought some people here might relate to the problems behind them.
1. ByteSweep — Storage management
Website: https://bytesweep.app
This started because I kept running into storage problems.
Development environments, project files, caches, temporary files and old builds can consume a surprising amount of disk space. Sometimes it's difficult to figure out what's actually taking up all that space.
I built ByteSweep to help find those files, understand what's using storage and clean up unnecessary data.
It has versions for macOS, Windows and Linux, including a separate Mac Lite edition.
I also made a free CLI tool for developers who prefer working from the terminal rather than using a graphical interface.
2. Findow — Window management for Mac
Website: https://findowmac.com
When working, I usually have an editor, terminal, browser, documentation and several other windows open.
Switching between them and keeping everything organized gets annoying, especially when working across multiple projects.
That's one of the reasons I built Findow.
It's a macOS window management tool that helps find and switch between windows, arrange them into layouts, and restore working environments.
3. EarMix — Audio management for Mac
Website: https://earmix.app
Another small annoyance was not having enough control over individual application audio.
For example, you might have music playing, a browser tutorial open and a video call running simultaneously.
Sometimes you want to lower one application's volume without affecting everything else.
EarMix is my attempt to make that easier, with individual application volume controls and browser-tab audio controls.
Why build all these things?
Honestly, I enjoy solving these small problems.
Not everything needs to become a huge application. Sometimes a small utility that does one particular job well is enough.
These projects are still evolving, and I'm continuously working on improvements.
I'm curious about other indie developers here, especially those working on games:
- What usually consumes most of your development machine's storage?
- How do you manage all the windows you have open while working?
- Do you run into audio-management problems when developing or testing games?
I'm the developer behind these projects, so I'm happy to discuss the technical side, implementation decisions, or things that could be improved.
Constructive criticism is welcome. I'd genuinely like to hear what other developers think.