Camtasia Studio

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Camtasia Studio

Camtasia Studio logo
Camtasia Studio7.0.1.png
Video utility
Basic data

developer TechSmith
Publishing year October 28, 2002
Current  version 2019.0.3 (Windows)
June 26, 2019

2019.0.2 (Mac)
July 18, 2019

operating system Windows , macOS
category Utility
License Proprietary (30-day demo)
German speaking Yes
www.techsmith.de

Camtasia Studio is commercial software for capturing screencasts as video. TechSmith is the developer . The content of the screen can be recorded in whole or in part and further processed. The program is offered in English, German, French, Japanese and Korean.

Range of functions

The program offers four basic functions, which are offered upon request at every start. With the first function it is possible to record a video of the screen. The second option allows you to record an audio track from the microphone. The third selection allows you to film a PowerPoint presentation. The fourth feature is the ability to import existing media into Camtasia Studio. The in-house CAMREC format, the video formats AVI , MPEG and WMV , as well as the audio formats WAV , MP3 and WMA are supported .

The picture-in-picture function is an essential function. With this it is possible to include another video in a reduced form in the main video.

Recording process

The screen recording can be started directly from the menu. After the end of the recording, the video file is created temporarily and can be saved in CAMREC or AVI format and then edited. In this way, several recording sequences can be created and combined into a film using the timeline. Recorded videos can be combined with other elements, for example images or building blocks for opening and closing credits from the library. Transition effects, soundtracks, highlights ("callouts"), and subtitles can be added to the video.

production

The production of the created film takes place with the help of the production assistant. You can either make your own user-defined settings or choose from various predefined profiles. Different profiles are available depending on the purpose. Examples are the production profiles for use on a CD / DVD, an iPod or iPhone or directly for YouTube . These profiles differ essentially in the resolution. A resolution of 800 × 600 is suggested for a DVD and 480 × 320 for the iPhone. After specifying the file name and the storage location, you will receive a brief summary of the file to be created and, after confirmation, the rendering process will start . Depending on the length of the video or the performance of the computer, this process can take different times.

Camtasia file formats

Camtasia uses its own file formats, some of which are proprietary, for recording and editing. These also differ in the Windows and Mac versions. A major advantage of these differentiated project files is the possibility of storing files and information separately.

The recording is made in the Camtasia Studio recording file with the extension CAMREC . This is the standard recording format for Camtasia Studio and contains the raw recordings of the screen and possibly the camera. This format is necessary to apply effects such as SmartFocus and cursor effects or to insert a webcam recording. The file format is a container format that contains an AVI file and supplementary information. The recording can also take place as an AVI file, for example if the editing is to be carried out in another program. Then no SmartFocus effects are included and the cursor cannot be edited.

For further processing, the recording file and any other media such as images or sound files are imported into the Camtasia Studio Editor and saved as a Camtasia Studio project file with the file extension CAMPROJ . This file stores information about the project settings, the media used and the changes made to the timeline. The file mainly consists of XML text and contains a log of changes to all files. The CAMREC file and any additional imported media are also required for further processing of the project.

There are two corresponding formats for Camtasia for Mac . The Camtasia recording file has the ending CMREC . This file is the standard capture format for Camtasia for Mac and is similar to the Camtasia Studio CAMREC file. The edited project is saved in the Camtasia project file ending in CMPROJ . This format is the equivalent of the Camtasia Studio project file. There is also the option of creating a stand-alone file that combines all information about the media and the changes in one file. This file can be shared with other Camtasia for Mac users.

The file formats of the recording and project files of the Windows and Mac versions are currently not compatible. An exchange between the platforms can take place using MOV or AVI files.

After recording and editing in proprietary formats, production takes place. There are a number of file formats to choose from, which can be used on many computers and mobile devices, for example AVI, WMV, MOV, MP4, SWF, FLV.

System requirements

Camtasia Studio

Either Windows 7 , Windows 8, or Windows 10 is recommended for the latest version of Camtasia Studio . 2 GB hard disk space is required for installation. Microsoft DirectX 9 or a higher version and Microsoft .NET 4.0 are also required. At least a dual-core CPU is required as the processor; a quad-core CPU is recommended. RAM memory at least 2 GB is required, 4 GB or more is recommended. The display resolution must be 1024 × 768 pixels or higher.

Camtasia for Mac

The first requirement is a Mac computer with an Intel processor; a dual-core CPU with 2 GHz or better is recommended. Mac OS X v10.9 or higher is required as the operating system. Another requirement is Quartz Extreme Support and at least 2 GB of RAM (4 GB of RAM are recommended). On the software side, QuickTime X or a higher version is required. At least 4 GB of available hard disk space is required for the installation.

use

Training documents

With the proliferation of e-learning opportunities, Camtasia Studio is now used by many educational providers, both commercial and non-commercial, to create video tutorials.

Due to the relatively simple handling of the program as well as the software designed primarily for use in e-learning areas, the program is used at various universities or is at least recommended. For example, the Central Information Service of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz recommends the software and offers the opportunity to purchase it cheaply. The E-Competence Agency of the University of Duisburg-Essen also makes the Camtasia software available to students at low cost.

Camtasia Studio is used by students at universities to gain initial experience in using video software as part of various project work. Individual courses with the help of this program are also increasingly being used for lecture recording. Both students and teachers benefit from such lecture recordings. Students can view the lecture several times and teachers can make them available to students for a longer period of time. The production of such a lecture is associated with relatively low costs and, depending on the topic, the material produced can be used again in the next semester. Sometimes universities offer special tutorials for the software.

At the University of Trier, Camtasia is used for video sequences in the context of foreign language learning.

At Bielefeld University, Camtasia is used on the one hand to add multimedia content to existing scripts and on the other hand to design interactive self-learning modules. Hyperlinks or visualizations are added to the scripts to enable a better visualization of the topic.

Private

In private, the software can be used, for example, to explain installation steps (as a tutorial) audio-visually. For this purpose, a video is created once and can then be distributed to all other people. It is also possible to edit a video that you have created with Camtasia Studio and then upload it to platforms such as YouTube.

criticism

  • The program is designed more for ease of use and the fast creation of videos. Professional video editing such as is possible with Adobe Premiere, for example , is therefore not possible with the program.
  • The program can be used independently of the platform. There is a version compatibility, i. This means that projects that were created in Camtasia Studio can be transferred 1: 1 to Camtasia for Mac and vice versa.
  • Camtasia for Mac version 3 and higher (with a few exceptions) also includes Windows functions. For details, see, for example, the following test:

Development and versioning

Camtasia Studio

The program was first presented in autumn 1999 at COMDEX under the name Camtasia . Since then the program has been continuously expanded.

On October 28, 2002, the software was renamed from Camtasia to Camtasia Studio and version 1.0 was first published under the new name. The main changes include support for SWF as an output format. In addition to improvements to the Launchpad, Screenpad, Player and Producer, the Camtasia MenuMaker has been integrated, with which menus for CD-ROMs can be created.

Version 2.0 will be released on November 3rd, 2003, in which the Launchpad, the Camtasia Effects and the Camtasia Producer are combined into one surface. The Camtasia Theater is now ready to create web presentations from SWF movies. The formats MP3, MPEG, WMA, WMV, FLV are now supported. Since this version, a real-time preview of the entire project is possible. Zoom effect and pan effect have been added.

In version 3.0.2 of October 31, 2005, the PIP function and the possibility of integrating recordings from a webcam are added. Since this version the program has a toolbar for audio editing. A Flash Quiz feature has been added that allows users to incorporate a multiple choice quiz into a video.

Version 4.0, December 5, 2006, will add the Screencast.com production option and update the Camtasia Recorder user interface. Since this version it is possible to produce content for the Apple Ipod.

From version 5.0 of November 20, 2007, Windows XP or Windows Vista is required to run the program. New transition effects and production profiles are integrated. Documents can be uploaded to FTP servers or Screencast.com. Support for the Snagit Output add -in is built in. The SmartFocus feature that allows Camtasia Studio to automatically zoom in on key points in the video is added.

In version 6.0 of March 31, 2009, the production function for iPod touch / iPhone was added and support for MOV and MP4 files was created. Furthermore, new ones were Callout effects inserted and increased Bugfixing operated.

In version 7.0 from May 4, 2010 the user interface was revised. A library has been added in which video and audio sequences, callouts, images and other building blocks can be saved for later use. In addition, the selection of callouts for highlighting, including animated variants and button images, has been expanded. In addition, problems such as sound recording have been fixed and support for Windows 7 has been improved.

Version 8 was published in English on June 19, 2012. The German version appeared on September 18, 2012, but directly in version 8.0.2.

Camtasia for Mac

Since August 25, 2009, Techsmith has been offering the Camtasia for Mac version for Mac users.

In October 2016, Version 3 brought the controls between the Windows version and the Mac version onto the market. Since then, the formats have been interchangeable in both versions, so that projects can optionally (and alternately) be further processed in both versions.

Techsmith's pricing model allows Camtasia to be used on a Mac and Windows PC when purchasing Camtasia, so customers can use both versions with a single license.

Demo version

Both Camtasia Studio and Camtasia for Mac have a free trial version that can be used for 30 days without any restrictions. You will then be asked to enter a license key. As of version 9.0.5 from May 2017, a watermark is used by Camtasia during the demo period, which only disappears after entering a license key.

distribution

Camtasia is sold through various retailers and through the online store.

Alternative products

Open source representatives:

Proprietary representatives are:

literature

  • Simon Gabathuler: Camtasia Studio 6 - Practical Workshops: Presenting, Selling and Teaching Using Videos, Munich (Addison-Wesley), October 28, 2009, ISBN 978-3827328281
  • Daniel Park: Camtasia Studio 6: The Definitive Guide [with CDROM], Wordware Publishing Inc March 31, 2009, ISBN 978-1598220728

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Camtasia (Windows) 2019: Version Overview. Retrieved July 21, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Version overview Mac version. Retrieved July 21, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Available languages. Retrieved January 27, 2010 .
  4. ↑ a b Tutorial: File Formats and Sharing Files. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on April 13, 2010 ; Retrieved September 10, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.techsmith.com
  5. ↑ Difference between CAMPROJ vs. CAMREC. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved November 22, 2009 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / techsmith-de.custhelp.com  
  6. ↑ Customer examples. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .
  7. ^ ZID of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Retrieved November 26, 2009 .
  8. ^ Software shop of the University of Duisburg-Essen. Retrieved January 26, 2010 .
  9. ↑ Video Podcasts as a mobile learning application. Retrieved January 26, 2010 .
  10. ^ Lecture recording University of Cologne. Retrieved November 26, 2009 .
  11. ^ University Center Philipps University of Marburg. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .
  12. ↑ University of Trier: Learning foreign languages ​​via online tutorials. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .
  13. ^ Bielefeld University. Retrieved February 2, 2010 .
  14. ↑ Compatibility Camtasia Studio vs. Camtasia for Mac. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 7, 2016 ; Retrieved December 8, 2016 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.techsmith.de
  15. ↑ Test Camtasia 3 on MacWelt. Retrieved December 8, 2016 .
  16. ↑ About Camtasia. Retrieved November 15, 2009 .
  17. ↑ Version history. Retrieved January 26, 2010 .
  18. ↑ Version history. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .
  19. ↑ Camtasia for Mac. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on February 25, 2010 ; Retrieved February 2, 2010 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.techsmith.com
  20. ↑ Camtasia for Mac. Retrieved December 8, 2016 .
  21. ↑ Trial versions. Retrieved November 13, 2013 .
  22. ↑ Distribution. Retrieved October 29, 2011 .