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CamStudio 2.0Trainingwith

Windows QuickStart

Tony Fortunato, Sr Network SpecialistPeter Ciuffreda, Network Technician

The Technology Firm


What is CamStudio?

CamStudio is;

• Go get it at http://camstudio.org/

• Requires typical Windows program installation, with on-screen instructions.

• Takes a video recording of your live screen actions as you perform them on your PC


Why use CamStudio?

Camtudio can be used for the following tasks;• Record to video step-by-step processes for demonstration or presentation purposes.• Record voice or sounds using either a microphone or your PC’s speakers.• Record real-time data captures for future viewing and reference.• Use to record video clips from either the internet or from movies on your PC,

as well as record live actions in games to show others.• Record either the entire screen, or just a selected region that you are working in.• Has an Autopan option, which follows your cursor when capturing with a set

region size.• Can save as either an AVI file or a SWF file for flash uses.• Can record audio from a microphone or speakers.


Getting to Know CamStudio

• CamStudio is an easy to use program which requires basic knowledge of it to get started.

• There are only a few buttons on the interface and some of that can be configured to shortcut keys.

• The numbered points on the diagram are important things to take note of.

1. Record, Pause, and Stop Recording Buttons: Use these buttons to control your recording. These buttons can also be set to shortcut keys.

2. Toggle View: Toggles between three different interface views; Full view as shown to the right, a compressed view that eliminates the black window, and an even more compressed view with no black window or non of the top tabs.

3. Screen Annotations: Allows you to add in text bubbles and arrows to point out things.

4. Record to Flash/AVI: hit this button to change whether you record as flash or AVI.

5. Recording format indicator: indicates whether you are recording as Flash or AVI format.


Capture Regions

• In CamStudio you have three options for the size of your screen capture, which can be chosen from the Region Menu:

1. Region

2. Fixed Region

3. Full Screen

• With the Region capture you click and drag (black dashed line) to get the desired capture window size. Once your capture window is drawn you can drag the corners to pan it..

• The Fixed Region capture allows you to set a fixed window size either by typing in the number value, or by pushing the “Select” button which will allows you to draw the desired box size. You can also fix your box to the top-left corner so you know where to work while recording.

• The Full Screen capture is as the name states, and records your entire screen.


CamStudio Options

• Under the Options Menu is where you can any of the audio or video settings

• The Video Options allow you to change the type of codec being used as well as change the quality and frame rate of the recording.

• You can choose whether to record the sound, and choose whether to record the sound from the speakers or from a microphone.

• The Audio Options allow you to edit either the microphone or speaker options, and also synchronize the audio and video if there is delay occurring.

• You can enable and edit the speed of Autopan: a feature which moves your capture region to follow your mouse cursor as you move around the screen.

• The Program Options allow you to change things about the operation of CamStudio.

• The Keyboard Shortcuts option will we covered on the next slide.


Keyboard Shortcuts

• In CamStudio you have the option to set and edit keyboard shortcuts.

• Keyboard shortcuts allow you to record, stop recording, etc, without having to touch the CamStudio interface. This helps creates cleaner, smoother recording transitions.

• To edit or change the keyboard shortcuts, select Keyboard Shortcuts under the Options Menu.

• In the Keyboard Shortcuts editor you can change the following:o Record/Pause Keyo Stop Keyo Cancel Recording keyo Next Layout Keyo Previous Layout Keyo Show/Hide Layout Key

• To create a shortcut check the boxes of the combination of CTRL, ALT, and SHIFT you prefer, then set any letter number or ‘f’ key you’d like that shortcut to be.

• When you are finished edititng your keyboard shortcuts hit OK to exit.


Cursor Options

• In CamStudio you can choose whether or not to show your mouse cursor, what it looks like, and to highlight it for better visibility.

• The Cursor Options can be found under the Options Menu.

• If you choose to show the cursor, you then have the option to use your Actual Cursor, use a Custom Cursor from the list, or use a Cursor From File which initially brings you to the Windows Cursors directory.

• Once you select your type of cursor you then have the option to highlight the cursor.

• You can decided on the size, shape, and colour of the cursor highlight.

• NOTE: You will not be able to see the cursor highlight when you are actually recording, but it will show up in the saved video.

• The image to the right is a screenshot of the saved video. As you can see both the cursor and the highlighted area are visible.


Recording to Flash or AVI

• With CamStudio you can choose whether to record to Flash or AVI, all depending on the use of your recording.

• Once you hit the button to toggle between recording to Flash or AVI, the indicator will inform you on the current mode.

• After you stop your recording, a save window will appear.o If recording to AVI, you will only be able

to save to a .avi formato If recording to Flash, you will only be

able to save as a .swf format.

• However, CamStudio also has the ability to convert AVI to Flash using its SWF Producer, which can be found under the Tools Menu.

• If you record to Flash, once the recording is finished, the SWF Producer will open and convert the file to Flash, then open it in your web browser.


Converting to Flash using SWF Producer

• Once you select the SWF Producer a new window will appear.

• The SWF Producer appears like CamStudio, but with video playback capabilities.

• If you want to convert a AVI recording to Flash, here is what you need to do:

1. Under the File Menu, select open and browse for the AVI video you want to convert to Flash.

2. Once your AVI file is opened, it will show in the window pane, and you will be able to view it. At this point, under the File Menu you will now have the option to Convert To Swf.

3. Once you select Convert To Swf, and option window will appear allowing you to change some details about the flash conversion. The details you can change are: Output Filename, Video/Audio Properties, and Flash Behavior.

4. When done with the options, click OK. The SWF Producer will then start Converting your AVI to a SWF file.

5. When the converting is complete, your converted video will be launched in your default web browser for viewing.

• NOTE: If the video does not show up in Firefox, copy the link and paste it into Internet Explorer to view it.


Screen Annotations

• You may have seen video’s online that have pop-up bubbles that state side notes while the video is playing. These are known as Screen Annotations.

• CamStudio allows you to add screen annotations to your recording.

• To insert screen annotations to your recording you must first pause the recording. By pausing the recording you can open the Screen Annotations window without it being recorded, as well as choose and set up your annotations before continuing your recording.

• You may want to have a banner set up during the entire demo as a title, and add pop-up text boxes at different points in your recording to go with specific things your say.

• To edit the text, shape, border colour and transparency of annotations, right click on the box to see the pull-down menu.


Tony Fortunato, Sr Network SpecialistPeter Ciuffreda, Network Technician

The Technology Firm

Thank you

CamStudio 2.0Trainingwith

Windows QuickStart