Hello
everyone and Thank for you interest for checking out my article Cam Studio Pro. You probably thinking to yourself
of what are Cam Studio Pro and what is so exciting about it and all of those
other detailed questions about this software. Well I am here to answer all of
those questions and go more forward into explaining as much as I could possibly
can about Cam Studio Pro.
What is Cam Studio Pro?
Cam Studio
Pro is able to record all screen and audio activity on
your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer
can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos
(SWFS). As Wikipedia stated, Cam Studio is a screen casting program for
Microsoft Windows released as free software. The software renders videos in an
AVI format. It can also convert these AVIs into Flash Video format, embedded in
SWF files.
There are
also features for Cam Studio Pro. Here are just a few ways you can use this
software:
·
You
can use it to create demonstration videos for any software program
·
Or
how about creating a set of videos answering your most frequently asked
questions?
·
You
can create video tutorials for school or college class
·
You
can use it to record a recurring problem with your computer so you can show
technical support people
·
You
can use it to create video-based information products you can sell
·
You
can even use it to record new tricks and techniques you discover on your
favorite software program, before you forget them
What is so exciting about Cam Studio
Pro?
It’s
absolutely 100% FREEJ. Can you believe it? Yes I swear
this is something that you have to get yourself into especially if you want to
record screens and sounds for when you are creating your own videos.
This is the
description of Cam Studio Pro:
·
Record
screen activity and sound into standard AVI video files for Windows. No
distribution fees.
·
Optionally
record directly to Flash
SWF for small stream
able movie files with lossless compression.
·
Convert
AVI files into SWF files with the SWF Producer. Generates SWF and HTML page
with options.
·
Annotate
screen movies with text captions and callouts.
·
Video
options allow you to control compression, quality, time lapse, and frame rates.
·
Cursor
options allow you to use the default or a custom cursor. Also hide or highlight
the cursor.
·
Auto
pan allows fixed region to follow the mouse. Auto name files by date/time to
avoid typing.
·
Requires:
Windows 95/98/Me/NT4/2000/XP, 400 MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, 4 MB disk space.
·
Available
in English, German, Japanese, French, Dutch, Hungarian, and Italian versions.
Cam Studio Pro Pros and Cons
Cam Studio
Pro is a simple, easy-to-use tool for recording the activity on
your desktop screen. The software comes with the essential features that you
need to make your video the way you want them. Customizable video quality
options mean that you can keep the file size manageable on longer sessions,
while the area selection tool lets you choose exactly which parts of the screen
you want to record. You can even record a custom soundtrack for your screen
capture. If you’re looking for annotation tools, you can add cursor tracking, high quality caption text or even your own Video
Annotation; effectively creating and inserting a webcam movie of yourself
directly into the video file.
Pros: (1)
Excellent for tutorials and tech support (2) Lots of handy video editing style
features.
Cons: Only
outputs to AVI and FLV
History of Cam Studio Pro
As Wikipedia
stated, the original Cam Studio was released as an open source product by Render
Soft software in October 2001. The source code license was converted to the GNU
General Public License in December 2002 with release 1.8. The Source code of
versions 1.0, 1.4 and 2.0 are still available at SourceForge.
In 2003, the
company was acquired by eHelp Corporation who owned a competing product called
RoboDemo (now called Adobe Captivate). eHelp Corporation released an updated
version as CamStudio 2.1 under a proprietary software license only had removed
the ability to create SWFs. A succession of acquisitions led to the company
being owned by Adobe.
Development
of CamStudio 2.0 (the last open-source version) was resumed and released as
free software again in September 2007 with the CamStudio 2.5 Beta 1 release.
Accordingly, it was re-branded as CamStudio Open Source.
CamStudio 3
is a completed rewrite of the project in the pre-alpha stages of development as
of April 19, 2010, and is seeking developers.
In other
words, Cam Studio was originally released by a company called Render Soft who
were subsequently bought by a company called eHelp who used some of the
technology in their program, RoboDemo…
Sometime
later, eHelp was bought by Macromedia who wanted RoboDemo (which was to become
Captivate)…
Knowing that
Cam Studio did some of the stuff RoboDemo did for free (mainly export to
streaming Flash), they released a newer version which fixed some bugs but most
importantly, removed certain features. Gone was the ability to create SWFs,
added was the requirement to register to use it, and over time, links to
various webpages that had Cam Studio and its source code, became broken.
You can also Speed up Cam Studio Pro
You can
record nearly anything that is displayed on your computer screen with the open
source software from CamStudio. This includes movie streaming for playback
later or recording keystrokes for use in creating training videos.
Unfortunately, sometimes, recording or playback issues may occur. It is
possible to adjust your software and hardware settings so that you can record
and playback seamlessly.
These are
the instructions of how to do so:
1. Launch “CamStudio.” Click “Options”
from the CamStudio main menu, and then click “Program Options.”
2. Click the box next to “Save Settings
on Exit” to disable it.
3. Close CamStudio and then reopen the
software.
4. Click “Options” from the CamStudio
main menu, and the click “Program Options.”
5. Click the box next to “Save Settings
on Exit” to re-enable it. Although no changes were made, you are resetting the
“Save Settings on Exit” option. You are verifying that there was not a glitch
in the system. If CamStudio does not work as expected, go to the next step.
6. Click “Options” from the CamStudio
main menu, and then click “Video Options.”
7. Check the “Auto Adjust” box. Move the
slider all the way to “Max Framerate” on the far left. Click “OK”. If CamStudio
does not work as expected, go to the next step to lower the hardware
acceleration.
8. Click the “Start” button on your
computer and click “Control Panel.”
9. Click “Appearance and
Personalization,” then “Adjust screen resolution,” and then click “Advanced
Settings.”
10. Click the “Troubleshoot” tab, then
“Change settings, “and then click “Continue.”
11. Drag the “Hardware Acceleration”
slider to “None.” Click “OK.”
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Fully Comprehensive
Screen Shot App
As Nick Mead had stated, some screen capture packages take a
simple “point and shoot” approach to taking screenshots while others turn it
into a virtual art form. Cam Studio falls into this latter category. If Stephen
Spielberg were to take screenshots instead of make films then he’d probably use
something along the lines of this app. Cam Studio is an excellent and fully
comprehensive screenshot solution for anyone that needs to go beyond simple
illustration and really needs to show the end user exactly how to use an
application on program.
It’s an excellent choice for those that have to provide
technical support or developer who has to design tutorials to explain how to
use their programs. The range of output files is admittedly limited – Cam
Studio will only output in AVI format but you can also convert movies to Flash
(SWF). You can also choose the codecs used to encode your screen capture shots
and set the frame rate you need to capture at.
Ordinary screen captures are performed in much the same way
as in most screen capture applications. Simply drag the mouse over the area you
want to capture or tap in the coordinates. You can of course add text and for
more complicated motion captures, a useful auto-tracking feature follows the
movement of the mouse without you having to do a thing. Cam Studio is an
excellent free screen capture tool merging the best of screen capturing apps
with video editing packages into one very impressive program.
What to Know More about
Cam Studio Pro?
Of what you should already know so far, Cam Studio is popular
software for individuals who are looking to create screen-capture videos. This
can be useful when providing technical support, demonstrating how to use a
product, or whatever else a user may wish to make a video of. Cam Studio
provides everything you need to make excellent screen-capture videos, and even
a few features that you may not have known you needed, but won’t be able to go
without.
In using Cam Studio, nearly every option that you can think
of when it comes to screen-capture videos can be customized. To start creating
a video, you can specify the area of screen that you wish to record, and click
the record icon. Just like that, you will begin recording a video. Later, you
will have the ability to add effects such as overlay text, highlights, arrows,
and more. In addition, you can customize the codecs that are used, the audio
options, and a whole lot more. When you are done, the program will output your
created video into an AVI file. However, the option is there to later convert
these videos into a SWF file. In all honesty, programs like Cam Studio should
be must-haves for individuals and businesses. You never know when you may wish
to create a screen-capture video. When you need to, there is no better solution
than Cam Studio. Contains all of the features that you need? Check. Easy to
use? Check. Absolutely free? Checkmate.
You have total control over the output of your video: you can
choose to use custom cursors, to record the whole screen or just a section of
it and can reduce or increase the quality of the recording depending on if you
want smaller videos (for emailing to people, for instance) or you can have
“best quality” ones for burning onto CD/DVD. You can use it to create
demonstration videos for any software program. Turn those AVIs into Streaming
Flash videos (SWFs) with SWF Producer. You have total control over the output
of your video. For Windows XP, Vista and 7. The download may be initiated in
any browser compatible with modern HTML standards, including Chrome, FireFox
and IE.
If you even feel like you don’t like the sound of your voice
and/or just want to change it, and then let Cam Studio take care of it. Cam
Studio can also add high-quality, anti-aliased (no jagged edge) screen captions
to your recordings in seconds and with the unique Video Annotation feature you
can even personalize your videos by including a webcam movie of yourself
“picture-in-picture” over your desktop. Now do that sounds cool or what? Having
Cam Studio change your voice and just take seconds too? Can’t get any better
than that or can it? J
Well guess what? It can get better; Cam Studio also comes
with its own Lossless Codec that produces crystal clear results with a much
smaller file size compared with other more popular codes, like Microsoft Video
1. Again, you have total control when you are using Cam Studio; it is in your
hands. But all of these features would be worthless if Cam Studio wasn’t easy
to use…fortunately that’s not the case. Cam Studio can be learned in a matter
of minutes and comes with a comprehensive built-in help file, so if you do
manage to get stuck, you can simply hit “Help” and get the answers you need.
Full Summary of Cam
Studio Pro
Cam Studio is a tool for recording screen activity into
standard AVI video files. If you move the cursor, launch a new program, type
some text, click a few buttons, or select some menus; then anything that you
see on your screen, Cam Studio will be able to record all these and allow you
to play them back later on.
By using Cam Studio, you can use it to (1) demonstrate
features of a new software, (2) create movies used in user trainings, (3) track
the progress of a program that executes for a long time, (4) record the
sequence of steps that cause the occurrence of bugs in faulty software, (5)
record a movie stream, and (6) convert AVI files to Flash (SWF) files.
Getting Started – When getting started using Cam
Studio, you are ready to start recording. To start recording, click the red
button. A rectangle will appear for you to select the area you want to record.
When you want to stop recording, click the blue stop button; a dialog will
appear for you to name and save the file. To pause a recording to adjust your
screen, click the pause button; you can resume recording by clicking on the
record button again.
System Requirements
·
Microsoft
Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4.0, 2000, XP
·
400
MHz processor
·
64
MB recommended
·
4
MB of hard-disk space for program installation.
Introduction – Moving images impact our lives
heavily nowadays. A changing image speaks much more than a stationary snapshot.
Anyone who has watched a movie understands how the power of animation can
immensely enhance the process of communication. By capturing the moving action
faithfully on your computer screen, Cam Studio is essentially putting this
power right onto your computer desktop. The video files created by Cam Studio
are saved in the standard AVI (Audio Video Interleave) format, which is used
pervasively in many Windows applications that support video, including MS
Office. (You can effectively paste an AVI file into an Office application just
like pasting text.) This ensures maximum compatibility with other software, and
you can easily edit the output of Cam Studio with a third party video editor.
Uses of Cam Studio
·
You
can create demonstrations of programs by recording the movement of the cursor,
the selection of menus, the entering of text or the display of messages. These
demonstrations, when shown to users, can illustrate features and usage of the
program in a short period time with maximum clarity.
·
The
recorded movies can be added to the accompanying help files of commercial
software to make them more professional.
·
The
recorded videos, if converted to a stream-able format, can also be posted to
your websites to enliven them. With broadband becoming more affordable,
multimedia websites are the preferred and more effective means of communication.
Video Basics – When you record a movie using Cam
Studio, you are actually saving a sequence of bitmaps (known as frames), that,
when displayed in rapid succession, exhibit motion. If more frames are recorded
per second, the resultant animation will also be smoother. However, this will
also cause the file size of the movie to be much larger. In the process of
recording, Cam Studio allows you to specify two video rates: the input rate and
output rate. The input rate tells your computer how many frames to record per
second. The output rate tells your computer how fast to pay them back. Usually,
these two rates are equal, so that the time of playback is equal to the time
used in the recording.
However, these two rates can also be different. Normally, you
do this only if you want to create a time-lapse movie. For example, you can
capture a frame once every hour and play the frames back at 20 frames per
second. The default value is set at 20 frames per second for the output
(playback) rate and 20 frames per second (corresponding to 50 milliseconds
sleep time) for the input/capture rate. There is also a third rate: known as
the key frame rate. When a frame is saved in a AVI file, they can either be
saved as a full frame, or only as a difference to the previous frame. This key
frame rate specifies how often full frames are written to the AVI file. A high
value means you can fast forward/rewind to a particular frame in your movie
much faster. But it also means a larger file size.
Setting Video Options
Setting the video options allows you to optimize your video
recordings by choosing between the file size, quality and more of your video
files.
Auto Adjust – Use the Auto Adjust settings to set the Key
Frame Rate and Playback Rate automatically through the slider. Shift the slider
to the left to increase the frame rate and to the right to reduce file size. If
the slider is situated at the right of the Time Lapse indicator, it means you
are creating a time-lapse movie. In Time Lapse mode, Cam Studio will usually capture
a frame only after a long period of time. (Example: after every 30 seconds).
However, during playback, the frames will be displayed more quickly. (Example:
at 20 frames per second).
Compressor – The compressor select-box allows you to select
the encoder for your AVI file. An encoder compresses your AVI files to make
them smaller in size and cause them to play faster. The default setting is the
MS Video 1 compressor.
Configure – Click this button to configure the parameters of
your selected compressor. The parameters for each compressor are different and
some settings will cause Cam Studio’s performance to degrade or behave
unpredictably. For some compressors, clicking this button will not have any
effect.
Quality – The quality setting determines how nicely your
picture is saved.
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