How to disable FMR capture and use Screenshots only?

[rygaar]

I'm using Captivate 7.0.0.118 to record a video demonstration.  I currently use recording type "Automatic" and mode "Demo".  The resulting project has some slides containing screenshots and some slides containing full motion recordings (FMR) for instance when I drag the mouse across the screen.

I need to reduce the project size, and I have already done what I can from the SWF Size settings as well as the Audio quality settings. I would like to eliminate all FMR captures and instead rely only on screenshots. I envision narrating the demonstration and pressing the Print Screen key whenever I want a screenshot. I would expect the resulting SWF to be much smaller.

Problem is that I have been unable to find out which settings will disable FMR capture. I tried setting recording type to "Manual" but that did not work.  Is it possible to turn off FMR and rely on screenshots only?

Please help,

-Patrick

[Lilybiri]

A tip: you don't have the latest version, please install the free update.

You cannot disable FMR, if my memory is correct (I'm on CP8), but you can delete all the slides that have the small camera in the Filmstrip. And during capture try to avoid scrolling, dragging as much as possible, mostly there are alternatives (like shortcuts). However unless you have a lot of those movements, I'm not sure at all that will reduce the file size that much. Audio clips take up a lot of file size. The resolution you choose for the files, the number of frames (lot of users do make slides unnecessary long), the quality of images..

[rygaar]

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I was hoping for better news. I can't avoid a lot of mouse dragging because I'm recording solutions to math problems, so I write and manipulate equations and graphs as I record by dragging the mouse on a digital pad.  In my use case, I think FMR contributes a lot to file size because projects that have a lot more audio but a lot less FMR are much smaller in size. The slide resolution is out of my control, so reducing it to cut down file size is not an option.

I'm intrigued by the idea of manually deleting FMR slides, though that would be a pain because I go through a lot of projects and they probably average about 200 slides. Plus I wonder, if I remove FMR slides from the project, wouldn't it throw the audio out of sync? Remember that I narrate while I solve the math problems.

Appreciate your time, and the tip. Have a great day,

-Patrick

[Lilybiri]

You didn't tell that, I never record narration at the same times as I'm capturing (bit of a perfectionist). FMR-slides are really only designed to capture very small movements, but apparently you do have a lot of FMR! You never thought to use HD Video Demo slides for the movements? Of course, maybe file will not be reduced (those slides are converted to MP4) but quality would be a lot better, and you could zoom/pan by editing in the video editor. I don't like the FMR-quality at all, not even when set to 32-bit.

Indeed, in that case manual deleting is not at all an option because you'd break the audio clip totally.

[Captiv8r]

Just an observation here, but I agree with Lilybiri that you might want to consider Video Demo (I'm not exactly sure why it's often referred to as "HD" Video Demo, but that's really beside the point)

However, as much as I love me some Captivate, if that's really the type of recording that you find will work best for you, AND if you have the budget, I might suggest that you take a look at TechSmith Camtasia Studio. The recording process is nearly the same so you won't really see any benefit there. But you will thank yourself in the end if you do any editing after you record. You will find yourself extremely frustrated editing a Captivate Video Demo.

Cheers... Rick

[rygaar]

Lilybiri

I'm not familiar with the HD Video Demo slides.  Do you know whether that option is available in CP7? Is it different from a video demonstration recording? By that I mean that when I select "record" from the project film strip, the dialog box that opens up gives me a choice of 3 recording types: "Automatic", "Video Demo" and "Manual".  Is this "Video Demo" recording type what you're referring to when you mensiton "HD Video Demo" slides?

Captiv8r,

I will look into TechSmith Camtasia Studio.  You didn't specify why you thought it was a better option.  You mentioned that the recording is about the same.  I currently don't need to do much post-recording editing because each project is a 2 to 4 minute recording of a solution to a math problem.  The way it usually works is that I talk and solve as I record.  If I make a mistake, I start the recording over in a new take.  Does Camtasia Studio produce SWF files?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

No, the most recent version of Camtasia Studio no longer offers SWF as an output. It seems to prefer creating MP4 but other options are available.

If you aren't really doing much in the way of editing, you should be perfectly fine with Captivate and its Video Demo recording.

Cheers... Rick

[Lilybiri]

Rick HD Video Demo is labeled ' HD' because it allows HD resolution, pretty simple.

@Rygaar Camtasia is more powerful than the HD Video Demo (as standalone video), has more functionality, totally agree with Rick about that point. But I didn't talk about creating a standalone video, but about inserting Video Demo slides in a normal software simulation to replace the FMR slides. The option is available in CP7, look under the Insert menu for CPVC slides. CPVC is the extension of a HD Video Demo, but you can record directly from within a cptx-project in 7 (and later), and use the Video editor that is available for those slides.

[Captiv8r]

Lieve, I'm aware of what the HD designation means.

My point is that you keep referring to "HD Video Demo" and it may confuse folks by leading them to believe it's a different function in Captivate. In reality, I'm unaware of anywhere in Captivate where HD is mentioned. Especially when referring to the Video Demo recording.

See my point?

Cheers... Rick

[rygaar]

Lilybiri,

I am still missing something. When I select the option you recommended (Insert >> CPVC slide...), CP asks me to browse to and select a .cpvc file.  Where would this file come from? You wrote about "inserting Video Demo slides in a normal software simulation to replace the FMR slides" but I'm unclear about the source of the CPVC slide.  Would it be the final published result of a previous recording?

-Patrick

[Lilybiri]

No, you have to create a CPVC video, not to publish it (that was necessary in CP6). Be sure to have the same resolution and insert it as a CPVC slide. Since it is the raw file, you'll be able to edit it with the Video editor from within Captivate project (cptx).

[rygaar]

Thanks Lilybiri I am starting to get it. Here is what I've done. I think it's in line with your instructions:

Start CP7. Select menu "File>>Record New Video Demo..." and record my video with narration.  Once the video preview starts playing, I press "Edit", then save the Video Demo Project. This creates a single-slide .cpvc file

Next, I create a new .cptx project from my template as I used to do.  Select menu "Insert >>CPVC Slide..." and select the file previously saved. Is all this right so far?

When I publish the SWF from my .cptx project, 3 files are created: the .swf, an .mp4 with the same base name as the cpvc file, and an .htm file.  Is it possible to integrate the .mp4 into the .swf so that it is not an external resource when the .swf is distributed?

-Patrick

[Lilybiri]

Not possible, sorry.

[rygaar]

That's too bad.  When you first mentioned Video Demo Project in post #3, you wrote "maybe file will not be reduced (those slides are converted to MP4) but quality would be a lot better".   Why would quality be a lot better?

[Lilybiri]

FMR uses an old technique, and even when set to 32-bit before capturing the quality is pretty low, you can clearly see the difference with the static slides. Moreover there are almost no editing possibilities. Whereas the CPVC-files have a much better quality (even at 24-bit), you have a pretty good editor (not like Camtasia however) and you can control its output.

[rygaar]

Hi Lilybiri,

Although Video Demo capture is not a solution to my issue (my deployment doesn't play well with resources external to the .SWF), I am really glad you told me about this option. The .MP4 file produced is about 75% smaller in size than the .SWF I currently distribute, and the mp4 video is at least as good!  I ran into a problem though: on the published .MP4 video, there is a vertical green line along the right edge of the frame. This green line does not appear in the .CPVC project but it does in the published .MP4.  I attached a screenshot below taken while testing. Have you run into this issue?

Thanks again for the tip

-Patrick.

[Lilybiri]

Hmmm...can you check which master slide is used for this cpvc-slide?