AI USAGE METER  -  version 1.3
Made by Hans Tandt  -  MIT License  -  works with Claude Code

Unofficial community project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or
sponsored by Anthropic. "Claude" is a trademark of Anthropic.
==================================================================

WHAT IT IS
----------
A thin strip at the top of your Windows screen that shows how much of
your Claude usage you have used: the 5-hour limit and the weekly limit.

  - Green below 80%, orange from 80%, red from 95%
  - A Windows notification when you pass 80% and again at 95%
  - Shows when each limit resets, and notifies you when it does
  - Warns "100% in 1h 20m" when, at your current pace, you would hit
    the limit before it resets
  - Shows "updated 3h ago" and dims the bars when the figures are old
  - Always on top of other windows; drag it wherever you like

Screenshots: screenshots\strip.jpg, screenshots\menu.jpg and
screenshots\settings.jpg (taken from version 1.2; the menu now also
has "Refresh now" and Settings has two more options).

It has two parts:
  - a small Claude Code add-on (the "plugin" folder) that writes your
    usage figures to %USERPROFILE%\.claude\usage-meter.json after each
    Claude Code reply
  - AIUsageMeter.exe, which reads that file and draws the strip

It only reads the usage figures Claude Code reports. It does not read
your Claude login, and it sends nothing anywhere.

The figures only refresh when a Claude Code session starts or replies.
Usage in the Chat tab counts toward the same limits but doesn't update
the strip; that's why it tells you how old the figures are.


WHAT YOU NEED
-------------
  - Windows 10 or 11
  - The Claude desktop app, up to date, and a Claude plan with usage
    limits (Pro or Max). The figures come from Claude Code, the
    "Code" tab in the app.


WHAT INSTALLING CHANGES ON YOUR PC
----------------------------------
  1. Copies the program and the add-on to %LOCALAPPDATA%\AIUsageMeter
  2. Adds one entry (CLAUDE_CODE_PLUGIN_DIRS) to your Claude settings,
     %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json, so Claude Code loads the
     add-on. A backup is saved first as settings.json.bak-usage-meter.
  3. Adds "AI Usage Meter" to the Start menu
  4. Lists it in Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps

It does NOT start the program at login. You can switch that on in
Settings. Uninstalling undoes all of it.


UNSIGNED PROGRAM - CHECK IT FIRST
---------------------------------
AIUsageMeter.exe is not code-signed, so Windows SmartScreen may warn.
To check that your copy is the one I built, compare its SHA-256
checksum with the one in SHA256SUMS.txt. In a Command Prompt:

    certutil -hashfile AIUsageMeter.exe SHA256

The full source code is in the "source" folder; you can build the exe
yourself with source\overlay\build.cmd instead of using mine.


INSTALL
-------
  1. Unzip this folder anywhere.
  2. Double-click AIUsageMeter.exe. It shows what it will change and
     asks whether to install. Click Yes.
  3. Restart the Claude desktop app, open the Code tab and send any
     message. After Claude's first reply, the strip fills in.

You can delete the unzipped folder afterwards.


USING IT
--------
  Drag the strip ............ move it
  Right-click the strip ..... Refresh now, Settings, Move to top centre,
                              About, Close
  Tray icon (near the clock)  same menu; double-click brings the strip back
  Start menu ................ "AI Usage Meter" starts it again after closing

"Refresh now" re-reads the figures at once. If they are still old, it
tells you so: send Claude Code a message to update them.

Settings lets you change:
  - both warning levels, and whether to show notifications
  - whether to notify when a limit resets
  - after how many minutes the figures count as old (default 60)
  - the three colours
  - whether it starts at login


UNINSTALL
---------
Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps > AI Usage Meter > Uninstall,
or right-click the strip > Settings > Uninstall... Both remove the
shortcuts, the Installed apps entry, the add-on entry in your Claude
settings, and its own settings. Then it closes and opens %LOCALAPPDATA% so you can delete
the AIUsageMeter folder. Restart the Claude desktop app afterwards.


LICENCE
-------
MIT License, Copyright (c) 2026 Hans Tandt. Free to use, copy, change
and share. See LICENSE.txt for the full text.
