I have a menu bar only application. On the first time the user runs the app I want to create an animated arrow pointing to my app's icon on the menu bar.
The first idea I had was to create a NSPopover showing the arrow but that is obtrusive per se because I don't think I can make the popover invisible at all. I just want to make an arrow moving up and down pointing to my app's icon on the menubar and that must be App Store compatible.
Is that possible? How?
You can create a borderless transparent window and set its level to screen saver and set it to ignore mouse clicks. Within this window you can draw your arrow, again use a transparent content view. Look up the docs on NSWindow, NSView etc. to construct this.
Alternatively you can change the menu bar icon of your app itself - switch it, highlight it, animate it. This is the typical way a menu bar app attracts attention. Look up NSStatusItem and NSStatusBarButton.
HTH