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In an article on the PrPro forum, Dan Isaacs offered some tips on workflow for editing Camtasia, or Camstudio footage. Some of the steps involve using other programs, both freeware and from Adobe, but might be of use, should one need to do the work on the Techsmith CODEC footage in Premiere.
LINK to article.
Hunt
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I would like to import Camtasia 3 video files into Premier Pro CS4 for editing. Two questions: 1) what is the best file format to export from Camtasia for editing in CS4, and 2) what codec should be used in creating files for export from Camtasia for best results in editing with PPCS4? I tried exporting the files as .swf's (swf object) and that format was not recognized by CS4 when I tried to import. After editing, I will be posting the files on the web as demo/instructional videos.
I'm not sure the platform/computer specs come into play much related to this question, here they are just in case:
Windows Vista OS:
Intel core i 7 processor (64 bit)
3.06 GHz processor
8MB Level 2 Cache
9GB DDR3-1066 SDRAM
1 TB SATA Hard Drive
Labelflash SuperMulti Double Layer 18x DVD+- RW Drive
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 video card
High Definition Audio Chipset
7.1 Channel Surround Sound
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet Network
Expansion bays: 2 (1 free) External 5.25" bays; 2 (2 free) External 3.5" bays; 2 (1 free) Internal 3.5" bays
Expansion slots: 2 (1 free) PCI Express x16 Graphic Interface slot; 1 (0 free) PCI Express x1 Interface slot; 1 (1 free) PCI Express x4 interface slot
Thanks.
cello-bella
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Jeff Bellune just posted some great comments and a link to his tutorial in your post in the CS4 forum.
Hope that his instructions will help you. See why I suggested posting?
Good luck,
Hunt
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Yes, very helpful. Great suggestion, thanks! But I didn’t know how to search for that link you gave me (for example: /thread/508808?tstart=0). I put it into the search box on the forum, and it said "nothing found". What did I do wrong?
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From a browser, you should just be able to click on the link, as it's HTML. That will open the article in either a window, or a tab, depending on the setup of your browser.
Good luck,
Hunt
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Ahhh. Ok.
Thx.
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I've tried everyone's advice. I have a camtasia uncompressed avi at 1024 x 768. I want premiere to output that after some basic edits using the premiere's export command. I'd like premiere to export a wmv file, avi, mov.
The problem is that it is always distorted.
I've tried all types of settings. I've played with matching on framerate, resolution, square pixels, .9 pixels. I've tried custom settings to export at 1024x768.
You name it. I've tried different codecs. Nothing works. It is always comes out distorted.
I've tried lagarith lossless codec. The output from camtasia always looks clear, whether it is an avi, wmv, or mov. But as soon as I export from Premiere it looks terrible.
If someone could just tell me that Premiere cannot do it, then I would be fine. I'd stop trying. I'm beginning to think it is not possible to export screencasts in premier at original resolution.
If it is possible, then I would appreciate a step by step guide. I'll even pay for it. I think what I'm trying to do is so simple, but eludes me.
I would so much appreciate some guidance. I am a student who spent a lot of money for Premiere and now it isn't doing what I thought it could.
Thanks in advance.
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I think that Jeff Bellune was able to help you a bit. Was that in the PrPro forum, or the Encore forum?
Jeff does a great deal of work with tutorials, and I believe that he uses Camtasia for his tutorial creation, with editing in PrPro CS4.
Unfortunately, I do not have any experience with using video capture programs and editing the resulting files, so can not be of much help. I just posted the link to Dan's article for others.
Now, there are also several folk who frequent the Muvipix forum, who do tutorials, as well. I'd strongly suggest posting to the Community there and see if those users can offer more help.
Good luck, and wish that I could help,
Hunt
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Yes, Jeff helped and it was on the pr forum. We had a few emails back and forth, but as I recall he had not captured video as it played on a web site.
Thanks
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Glad that he was able to help. He's one of the top contributors (and a MOD) on both the PrPro and the Encore fora, plus the author of one of the best-ever books on Adobe Encore. He also does a ton of tutorials and then edits them with Adobe products.
As for capturing footage from a Website, I wonder if getting the original FLV, MOV, WMV, etc., might not be a better way to go.
Some years back, I had a somewhat similar Project. It was to be a video of a Website w/ embedded video. I created a mockup of the Webpage in Photoshop and then just did a PiP (Picture in Picture) of the motion footage to simulate it actually playing in a Web-based player on the page. Not sure if that sort of thing would help you, but you could also animate an image of a mouse pointer (cursor), to mimmick interactivity.
Just thinking there. If none helps, just ignore my ramblings.
Good luck,
Hunt
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Yes, I think PIP is probably the way to go when you want to show moving video on a web site. I captured the site before I really knew how to use Camtasia, and I noticed later that the default rate was 6fps, so the video (in a box) looks very jerky, but the rest of the screen looks fine. I haven't tried capturing anything at 30fps, but I was going to do that next. However, putting the video in separately is probably best because a 30fps capture probably takes a long time and results in a very big file that then has to be downsized later.
Cello-bella
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My use of things like PiP to "simulate" user interaction goes back to before the digital age. We used to shoot ads for HP and always assembled the monitor display from separate shots. Because of the limitations of the films of the day, we learned a lot of "workarounds," and even today I still use some to make things "look" like they are something else.
Good luck,
Hunt
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Unfortunately, apparently Techsmith doesn't have a 64 bit codec...
At this point, I'm editing PPro CS5 tutorials in CS4... as weird as that sounds.
I believe that Adobe includes a CS4 installer with PPro CS5 don't they?
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Tim,
Thank you for sharing that info. Like many suppliers, I feel that they are working on 64-bit, so that CODEC's, Effects, etc., will soon be ready. Maybe by then, MS will have released Win7-64 SP-1, and have fixed many driver issues too.
It is my understanding that yes, CS4 a 32-bit app, is included. Now, what I do not know is if this is an across-the-board inclusion, for CS5 upgrades, full priced program, and all suites, or if there are limitations. I would assume that it is available on the install media, probably as an option and probably on the last, or supplemental disc. However, I have no idea about the download version. Just a guess - it would not be in the download. I would check with Adobe, just to be sure WHERE it is included. I am thinking the suites, as some programs are not yet 64-bit, but it could be in the upgrade, or full program (which will also have Encore, a 32-bit app.).
Good luck,
Hunt
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Long shot here....did you ever get this resolved? I'm having the same issue!
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As that poster has not shown back up, I am not sure if he/she was able to sort things out. I know that Jeff Bellune was working with several folk on the PrPro and also on the Encore forum, regarding TechSmith CODEC's, and the editing of the Camtasia material. Perhaps a search in those fora, for "Camtasia" and maybe filter on that poster's screen name, will locate the threads there. I try to link to useful Camtasia discussions, but obviously miss many. If you do locate some additional useful info, please PM me, and I will add the links here.
Good luck,
Hunt
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If one is using PrPro CS5, and the latest Camtasia version w/ the 64-bit TS CODEC's, see Harm's, Jeff's and Todd's replies in this THREAD.
Hunt
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For FRAPS, another video screen-cap program, there might be useful tips in this ARTICLE.
Good luck,
Hunt
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Jeff Bellune has just done a TUTORIAL on using Camtasia footage in Premiere. He has been doing tutorials, using Camtasia and Premiere for some years, and this tells how he does it.
Note that Jeff uses PrPro for this, and the latter part of the tutorial are related to the ability of PrPro to do Sequences, plus the Desktop Project/Sequence Preset, and PrE does not have either of those. One will need to structure their workflow here, to match the capabilities of PrE.
Good luck,
Hunt
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One PrPro user has just done a TUTORIAL on using FRAPS as a video screen capture utility. This might prove useful to many.
Hope that this helps,
Hunt
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For FRAPS footage into PrElements, this PrE FAQ Entry might prove helpful.
Hunt
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One of the challenges, when using a video screen-capture program, like FRAPS, is that one is usually capturing from a computer monitor, that has a different Aspect Ratio (pixel x pixel dimensions), than standard Video. That is pretty easily handled in Premiere Pro, as one can set up a Project's Frame Size, and FPS to match what their video screen-capture program produces. It is not, however, so easy in PrE, as the available Project Presets are for traditional video, and when there is a different pixel x pixel Frame Size, one has but a few options, and usually leaving some black bars is the best. Usually, to accomplish this, they would choose a Project Preset, that has larger pixel x pixel dimensions, and then Import the video screen-capture footage into that.
The other option is to use Motion>Scale to increase the screen-capture footage, to fill at least one dimension (eliminating the black bars there), but if they wish to fill both dimensions, then something has to give, as the Aspect Ratios are different. Something, somewhere, must be cropped by the Frame Size of the Project, and this is usually not what is desired. Also, one could use the Fixed Effect>Motion>Scale, with Constrain Proportions unchecked, and Scale the height and width independently, but this WILL distort the Clip - might, or might not be what one wants.
For output, one has the option to do cropping, but not all output formats support this - however, some do.
Hunt