Camtasia settings for import into PRE7?

[Ron Hunter]

I want to use Camtasia to capture PC screen images, and to later use those images in a movie project in PRE7.

I plan to import the Camtasia clips into PRE7, integrate them with camcorder footage, and output the timeline as a widescreen format movie suitable for YouTube or similar sites.

When Camtasia asks "What size do you want your video to be?", I'm not sure what to select:
- Automatic (640x480)
- Recording Dimensions (1400x1050)
- DVD-Ready NTSC (720x480)
...or other?

My sense is that I want the Camtasia output file to be AVI so I can easily import it into PRE7.

Any other tips will be appreciated. Thanks!

[Steve Grisetti]

It's not a perfect fit, but here's how I've been doing it.

I should also note that, because my animation needed to be smooth, I set Camtasia to shoot at 30 fps instead of its standard 15 fps. It's also important that you not try to capture a large area on your computer monitor or your end results -- which is down-rezzed to video size -- will look very fuzzy. I recommend capturing only about a 640x480 area of your computer monitor.

Save your screen capture as an 640x480 AVI. If you're using Produce Video As from the program's editing area, select Custom Production Settings, then AVI. Either way the program produces an AVI that uses the Tech Smith Capture Codec, not the DV codec, so that's why I said it's not a perfect fit.

Open a Premiere Elements DV project and bring in the AVI. Place it on the timeline, right-click and select Field Option/Flicker Removal. Render this video by pressing Enter.

Rather than working with this video in this format, I've found the best results by using Share/Computer/AVI to output a good DV-AVI from that. Then you can use the output AVI in a larger project.

[Ron Hunter]

Thanks Steve, that helps a bunch!

[Ron Hunter]

Steve, another question for you about Camtasia and its interaction with PRE...

I use my Win'XP laptop to produce Camtasia AVI files. I can open those AVI files on that laptop using Windows Media Player version 11.

HOWEVER, when I copy/paste those files over our network to a different Win'XP machine (with PRE3 installed), the files show as Audio AVI files in PRE3. Also, when I try to open them with WMP'11 on that networked machine, I only hear the audio.

Suggestions for a fix?

Thanks!
- Ron

[Steve Grisetti]

I don't understand why that would happen, Ron. Sorry.

These are AVIs using the Tech Smith codec. It's possible that this codec is only on the machine that has Camtasia installed on it.

[Chuck Engels]

Hi Ron,
If you are using the Techsmith AVI codec to record then the other machines will need to have that codec to play. That is why Steve suggested changing the recording codec to DV rather than the Techsmith codec.

[Ron Hunter]

Ah, that makes sense. Thanks!

[AVITRY]

Hey guys, I hope you don't mind if I ask something at the end of this thread. You know ... wherever there is a dumb question, you can be sure to find me.

I too have been toying with the idea of using Camtasia to capture off the computer to create a DVD. I purchased that program a few years ago and it's been just another piece of software put on the shelf after a few failed attempts.

At any rate, Steve mentioned only capturing about a 640x480 portion of the pc screen. This may be a solution to one of the quality issues I had a few years ago. It brings to mind the dumb questions too

1. If you are capturing ( for example) a PE screen, do you simply drag the window size down, and if so, is there a good way to guestimate that 640x480 area on your pc? Would just displaying a jpeg of that resolution give you an idea of how to size the window?

Sorry for the dumb questions. and also hope you don't mind my interjection in the thread.

joe

[Steve Grisetti]

When using Camtasia's Record Screen tool, you can set the size of the area captured pretty precisely. That's what I do when I'm capturing Google Earth animations. I set it up for 640x480, and this makes a green frame on your monitor that you can size the image you want to capture inside.

I'm not sure how much luck you'll have capturing a 640x480 version of Premiere Elements though. When you scale the program down to this size, you won't be able to see anything!

You may want to use something more like 1000x750 for capturing the program, but save it as a 640x480 video.

[Chuck Engels]

And if you don't have a least version 5 I highly recommend an upgrade
Version 6 has a lot of great new features, version 7 not so much.

[AVITRY]

And if you don't have a least version 5 I highly recommend an upgrade
Version 6 has a lot of great new features, version 7 not so much.

Just pulled it out of the moth balls Vers. 3.1 Putting it back in the moth balls.

[Chuck Engels]

Joe, Go ahead and give it a try.
It wouldn't work for my needs but might be good for what you are thinking of doing with it