Ubuntu Wiki

   1 [17:02] <duanedesign> hello everyone
   2 [17:03] <duanedesign> I am going to  be giving a session on doing screencasts
   3 [17:03] <duanedesign> Screencasts are a very useful tool for demonstrating software capabilities.
   4 [17:04] <duanedesign> There are many different ways to make screencasts and different applications you can use. I will show you one way and  will use as many default applications as possible.
   5 [17:04] <duanedesign> The applications you will need for making a screencast are:
   6 [17:05] <duanedesign> VirtualBox - virtualization enviroment. package: virtualbox-ose
   7 [17:05] <duanedesign> gtk-recordmydesktop - records desktop video/audio. packages: recordmydesktop gtk-recordmydesktop qt-recordmydesktoop
   8 [17:05] <duanedesign> recordmydesktop being the commandline utility and gtk, for gnome, and qt-recordmydesktop, for KDE, are GUIs for that commandline utility.
   9 [17:06] <duanedesign> audacity - recording and editing audio
  10 [17:06] <duanedesign> openoffice.org - for titles at the beginning and end of your screencast
  11 [17:06] <duanedesign> piTiVi = for editing video, combining audio and video and re-encoding to other formats.
  12 [17:07] <duanedesign> I like to recommended you use a virtualization environment.
  13 [17:07] <duanedesign> In a VM you can record your screencast from a default install. This way your custom themes, icons and setup will not confuse a user.
  14 [17:07] <duanedesign> A VM allows you to save snapshots. This make it easy to go back to your VM setup before the demo. Ideal for rehearsing your screencast as well as making it easy to keep a standard default install.
  15 [17:07] <duanedesign> If the intention is to demonstrate application usage and/or the host configuration is sufficiently similar to a standard install a VM is not necessary.
  16 [17:08] <duanedesign> The first step, after installing the appropriate software, is to make an outline.
  17 [17:09] <duanedesign> Decide exactly what it is you are wanting to show. Keep the videocasts short and focused. Cover only one topic in each videocast.
  18 [17:09] <duanedesign> After you have an outline, you will make a script. The script will cover what you want to say and do during the screencast.
  19 [17:11] <duanedesign> I have found the Gnome, and other style guides, help me write a script that is clear. concise and consistent. Though a lot of it is geared towards written documentation there is a lot of relevant stuff when it comes to grammar usage and terminology.
  20 [17:11] <duanedesign> Some examples of grammar usage would be, do not superfluous adverbs like simply, easily, quickly.  Do not apply emotion, desires, or opinions.  Avoid stuff like 'This app is awesome', instead maybe 'This app has helped me ...'
  21 [17:12] <duanedesign> Also the Style Guides help with some of the GUI terminology. Here is an example from the Gnome Style Guide showing you what different part of the windows are called.
  22 [17:12] <duanedesign> http://library.gnome.org/devel/gdp-style-guide/stable/preface-1.html.en
  23 [17:13] <duanedesign> . This helps create consistency across a wide range of resources.
  24 [17:14] <duanedesign> ensuring that we are all calling a radio button, a radio button and not confusing people
  25 [17:14] <duanedesign> Once you get your script done, You will want to rehearse the steps you are going to take. This is a good opportunity to develop and refine your script.
  26 [17:15] <duanedesign> To do this start a virtual machine running the operating system and application which is to be demonstrated.  Go through the software and practice the steps to be demonstrated. You might need to do this a couple of times until you are comfortable with the steps and you know the script very well.
  27 [17:16] <duanedesign> Once you are familiar with the steps you will be taking, it is time to record the screencast.
  28 [17:16] <duanedesign>  If the demo requires the installation of additional packages then to save time it can be preferable to setup the necessary repositories, download the necessary packages without installing them, then remove the repositories.
  29 [17:17] <duanedesign> This of course assumes that you want to show how to enable repositories and install software within the screencast. To download packages and not install them use apt-get with the -d option: apt-get -d packagename1 packagename2 ...
  30 [17:18] <duanedesign> Now I will go through the steps of recording the screencast.
  31 [17:18] <duanedesign> Start a virtual machine running the operating system and application which is to be demonstrated.
  32 [17:18] <duanedesign> Start a recording application to capture the contents of the virtual machine window.
  33 [17:18] <duanedesign> With recordmydesktop you can control it from the GUI or the commandline.
  34 [17:19] <duanedesign> I will mostly cover the GUI way of doing things
  35 [17:19] <duanedesign> If you are interested in using the commandline I suggest the command 'man recordmydesktop'. Additionally you can find an example command, and one i often use, at  https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ScreenCasts/RecordMyDesktop#Command%20Line
  36 [17:21] <duanedesign> With the GUI to record  either left-click the icon in the panel or click the record button in the main window
  37 [17:21] <duanedesign> main window - http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/rug/p1_1a.php
  38 [17:21] <duanedesign> tray icon - http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/rug/p1_1b.php
  39 [17:22] <duanedesign> If you do not want to capture the entire desktop there are three ways of selecting the area on which you will confine the recording.
  40 [17:22] <duanedesign> Using the preview thumbnail on the main window you can draw a window with the crosshairs. Using the “Select Window” button and then select a window on your desktop. Using the “Select Area on Screen” function accessed by right-clicking on the panel icon.
  41 [17:22] <duanedesign> additional info on defining an area - http://recordmydesktop.sourceforge.net/rug/p1_2b.php
  42 [17:23] <duanedesign> now you will Go through the software and execute the steps you rehearsed.
  43 [17:23] <duanedesign> It is sometimes preferable to record the video first, and add in the audio later. If you're sufficiently able to multi task reading aloud instructions whilst doing them, then record audio and video together.
  44 [17:24] <duanedesign> doing them seperately though has some advantages
  45 [17:25] <duanedesign> When doing them together you have to do both parts perfect.
  46 [17:26] <duanedesign> Now Watch the screencast to ensure all is ok.
  47 [17:26] <duanedesign> If it  looks good add a 'intro', 'outro' slides to the start and end of the screencast.
  48 [17:27] <duanedesign> Again there are different ways to do this. I will show you one way
  49 [17:27] <duanedesign> Open OpenOffice Presentation. Make a slide containing the graphics and text you want. Maximise the presentation of the first (header) slide within the virtual machine. You can do this by running Slideshow -> Slideshow(f5) in OpenOfffice. Using the same process as you did for the main demo record 5-10 seconds. Repeat for the [footer] slide.
  50 [17:29] <duanedesign> !q
  51 [17:29] <duanedesign> msg ClassBot !q
  52 [17:30] <duanedesign> mick_laptop asked: so recordmydesktop is what you'd recommend (from the different apps  that exist). Why would you recommend that particular one (compared to others)? i thought  that project was abandoned - but i could be wrong.
  53 [17:31] <duanedesign> there are a lot of good apps out there for screencasts. record,ydesktop is just what i have always used.
  54 [17:32] <duanedesign> XVidCap is another good one
  55 [17:32] <duanedesign> i would be intrested to know if it is abandoned
  56 [17:33] <ClassBot> mick_laptop asked: so recordmydesktop is what you'd recommend (from the different apps that exist). Why would you recommend that particular one (compared to others)? i thought that project was abandoned - but i could be wrong.
  57 [17:33] <ClassBot> quietone asked: Should I be using virtualbox now? I don't know how. recordmydektop fails "Couldn't open PCM device hw:2,0"
  58 [17:34] <duanedesign> ok, slowly getting classbot figured out :)
  59 [17:34] <duanedesign> quietone change hw:2,0 too hw:0
  60 [17:34] <duanedesign> to*
  61 [17:37] <duanedesign> ok.
  62 [17:38] <duanedesign> if you are recording your audio and video seperately now, after making your intro and outro slides, would be a good time to record it
  63 [17:38] <duanedesign> audacity is what i use for that
  64 [17:39] <duanedesign> after you got your audio you would combine the audio, video and intro/outro slides
  65 [17:39] <duanedesign> Ubuntu now has a movie editor, Pitivi, installed by default.
  66 [17:40] <ClassBot> mick_laptop asked: CrazyLemon asked: "i recorded a video last night about ubuntu 10.10 installation.. it was about 22min of video..and after  10min the sound went off ..any ideas/suggestions ?
  67 [17:40] <duanedesign> hmm, not off the top of my head i wopuld not
  68 [17:41] <duanedesign> you can get the pitivi manual here - http://www.pitivi.org/manual/
  69 [17:42] <duanedesign> an overview of the process:
  70 [17:42] <duanedesign> Use the Import Clips button in Pitivi to bring your screencast and the header and footer video clips you did into the project. Then you simply click on the clip thumbnails in the upper left of your screen and drag them from the Clip Library to the Timeline. Do this for each clip placing them sequentially in the timeline. When you are ready to output the video, select 'Render Project'. In the Render Project Window click 'Modify' T
  71 [17:43] <duanedesign> Check the combined audio/video/intro/outro for errors/glitches/sync problems.
  72 [17:43] <duanedesign> Optionally encode/compress screencast to other formats.
  73 [17:44] <duanedesign> that is one way to do screencasts and one set of tools
  74 [17:45] <duanedesign> as one of the questions brought up there are different apps then recordmydesktop.
  75 [17:46] <duanedesign> kazam is one that was mentioned to me recently http://launchpad.net/kazam
  76 [17:46] <duanedesign> i have also created a script that uses ffmpeg and parec
  77 [17:47] <duanedesign> you can find the script and instructions and tips on how to use it on my blog http://okiebuntu.homelinux.com/blog/?p=175
  78 [17:48] <duanedesign> if you have an interest in making screencasts we have a Screencast Team in the community
  79 [17:48] <duanedesign> we would love to have you
  80 [17:49] <duanedesign> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ScreencastTeam/
  81 [17:49] <duanedesign> you can also find an outline of the steps i went over here on the Screencast Team wiki
  82 [17:49] <ClassBot> quietone asked: what is parec?
  83 [17:50] <duanedesign> pulse audio record
  84 [17:51] <ClassBot> There are 10 minutes remaining in the current session.
  85 [17:51] <duanedesign> the script also auto magically encodes the video into a couple different formats. avi, ogv, flv
  86 [17:52] <ClassBot> alucardni asked: Can we record screencast in other languages (Spanish in my case) for the Screencast Team?
  87 [17:52] <duanedesign> that is a great question
  88 [17:52] <duanedesign> i am a huge fan of making resources available to as many people as possible
  89 [17:54] <duanedesign> alucardni: if you want you can email me and we can talk more about it. Or you can find me in #ubuntu screencast
  90 [17:54] <duanedesign> #ubuntu-screencast
  91 [17:56] <duanedesign> but i would definetly like to see multilingual screencasts!
  92 [17:56] <ClassBot> There are 5 minutes remaining in the current session.
  93 [17:56] <duanedesign> ok any last questions?
  94 [17:56] <duanedesign> you can also find me, like i said, in #ubuntu-screencast and/or you can email me. duane design at ubuntu dot com
  95 [17:57] <duanedesign> thank you everyone for lending me your eyeballs :)