Software Review of:
Camtasia; DubIt 
Computer-based training 

Camtasia allows you to record cursor movements, menu selections, see program pop-up windows — virtually anything and everything you see on your monitor screen. You can add effects such as cursor and object highlighting by zooming in on small sections of your screen. You can add captioning and audible mouse and keyboard clicks to emphasize what is being seen on the screen.

Camtasia would be a perfect tool for SIG leaders to detail steps to accomplish certain software procedures, then play the AVI video at their next SIG meeting — or, better yet, send the AVI file as an e-mail attachment to those SIG attendees who request further instruction on the procedure. I can visualize a whole series of AVI lessons that SIG leaders could produce to supplement their in-class SIG meetings.

These AVI videos would be easy to distribute as they can be burned on a CD or sent as an e-mail attachment.

I produced a simple AVI movie showing how to do screen captures for new PC users writing a review for PC Alamode. This simple procedure seems to be a big stumbling block for those who have never done it. 

I opened Camtasia Recorder, then minimized the Recorder Control Panel so that it wouldn’t appear on the screen to confuse the audience who would eventually view the AVI screen capture video. I then opened a program and had something interesting on the screen when I obtained the screen capture. By clicking on the F9 key, it activated the Recorder, giving me four right angle “corners” with which to adjust to frame the part of the window that I wanted to capture. Clicking on the F9 key again, the “corners” started flashing to let me know that the recording was underway. This is where you get sweaty palms. I pressed Print Screen, minimized the program screen, went to my Accessories folder, opened Paint, clicked on Paste, a message popped open saying the image I wanted to paste was larger than than the image size that opened in Paint, I clicked the answer to enlarge the image and there was my screen capture. Everything was going extremely well at this point. I saved the image with a filename in My Documents folder and closed Paint. At this point, I stopped the recording by clicking once again on F9.

 I maximized the Recorder control panel, clicked on Stop and the program asked me for a filename. It saved the AVI video in My Documents folder. I then opened Camtasia Player to play the video. It was a perfect video of doing a screen capture. . .except for one thing. It was silent. I had forgotten to select record audio in the Recorder Control Panel. Well, I would come back to that step.

I next opened Camtasia Producer to do a little editing of my screen capture video. A list of your files appears on the left and you simply drag and drop into the storyboard across the top of the screen. Had I made more clips, I could have joined them together using Producer. A clip too long, trim it! There are over 70 transition effects to use when joining one scene to another. 

Camtasia Producer creates videos using the TSCC video codec. I’m not certain what the TSCC codec is but I know that a codec is a compression algorithm to save bandwidth on the Web and that there are a dozen, if not several dozen codecs being used to produce Windows Media and Real Media streaming files.

An option in Producer is to File > Pack and Show which automatically installs the TSCC video codex to your file. It is then saved as an executable file (.EXE file) which the person you send the video can play by simply double clicking on the filename.

Back to adding sound. I decided to create a second screen capture video since the first one was so easy — but this time, with the addition of sound. I recreated the setting for obtaining my screen capture and with my microphone in my left hand, started the recording. Within 30 seconds, the program froze. I clicked Control/Alt/Delete to see what the hangup was and saw something that said “msgsrv32 not responding”.  I’ve figured out that msgsrv32.exe is an executable file in my Windows System folder but what it does is beyond me and at this point of my review, is beyond solving prior to deadline.

I decided to do an “end-around” by problem by opening DubIt, another part of the TechSmith product family. DubIt is a multimedia tool to add audio to movie clips and/or slide shows in real-time as you watch the production on your screen. The program creates standard AVI, Windows Media and RealNetworks streaming video files.

With DubIt, you can create slideshows of your digital images and do a voice over to explain to your audience what they are seeing. You can even insert a WAV audio file anywhere in your movie sound track.

I cranked up DubIt, opened my Screen Capture video and clicked on Record. My computer froze once again and after doing the three-fingered salute, I saw the “msgsrv32" not responding message which tells me I have a multimedia problem in my system — too late to solve before this issue goes to the printer. I’ll fix the problem and do an update on DubIt in a future issue.

System requirements for Camtasia: Windows 95, 98, Me, NT4, 2000; 400 MHz CPU; 64MB RAM; Windows compatible sound card and microphone; 12 MB hard disk space for the program (checking my folders showed that Camtasia and DubIt together occupy 11.66 MB of real estate on my HD).

Camtasia can be bought through TechSmith’s Website for $149.95 while DubIt can be purchased for $19.95. TechSmith also offers a 5 user license for Camtasia for $499.95.

If you are a PC consultant, a software trainer or a person who shows others how to do procedures on a computer where most of what you do is visible on a monitor screen, this product is for you. You can download a 30 day trial version to try it out before making a buy decision. Try it.

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