Camtasia Tutorial


Introduction:

 

Camtasia is a software program that allows instructors to record audio lectures, provide voiceovers for PowerPoint lectures, edit such lectures, and even change audio and video files from one type and/or size to another. One of the most common uses of Camtasia  is as course content capture equipment. That is, you can use Camtasia to take content an instructor might generally present in a traditional course and render it into electronic form so that the content can be made available to students electronically, for example, on GAView/Vista.

 

The tutorial presented in the following pages will show how to provide a voiceover for a PowerPoint lecture. To complete the tutorial you will need a computer that has the Camtasia software (you can download the free trial by clicking on the Camtasia Studio option at http://www.techsmith.com/download/trials.asp) and a microphone installed. Click the System Requirements link in the table below to verify that your system is able to operate the program efficiently or, if already installed, click the Getting Started link to move to the first page of the tutorial. Each page of the tutorial is in sequential order from left to right in the index table, and one index table is located at the bottom of each page to make navigation easier.

 

Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista

 

Getting Started:

 

Perhaps the easiest way to get started with Camtasia is to create a PowerPoint lecture with voiceover. If you generally lecture with PowerPoint, then this activity makes sense. You'll record your voice lecture with the PowerPoint presentation. If you dislike PowerPoint and would rather create a video of yourself teaching, Camtasia can do that as well. There is a small consideration: the video of you teaching will be huge. It may be so large that your students can't download it. If you would still rather create a video of yourself teaching than create a PowerPoint, you may want to consider the following compromise. Snap a few seconds of video and then place a picture of yourself on a PowerPoint slide, and record an audio lecture. Your students will get to see you, and the file size will not be negatively impacted.

 

To begin the voiceover, open up PowerPoint. If you have recently installed Camtasia, you will get a screen alerting you about the Camtasia add-in. You will also get a short PowerPoint presentation helping you to get started recording.  It may benefit you to read through these slides.  Afterward, go to the appropriate heading below, depending on if you have PowerPoint 2003 or PowerPoint 2007.

 

PowerPoint 2003:

 

Once you close the welcome information (if you got any from Camtasia) and are looking at your PowerPoint program, you will notice that Camtasia is available, and you will see it in the upper left hand corner. Its presence is verified by the "Record" button, as seen in Figure GS.1 below:

 

2003

Figure GS.1: Representation of the presence of Camtasia

       in Microsoft PowerPoint 2003.                                                

 

You should also notice that you can choose the microphone or camera. For this exercise, just choose the microphone. You are now ready to set up the audio. Click on the Setting Audio link at the bottom of the page to proceed to that section of the tutorial.

 

PowerPoint 2007:

 

If you are in Windows 2007, you will see "Add-Ins"  in the upper right hand corner. Figure GS.2 below shows where this menu appears in PowerPoint 2007.

 

add in

Figure GS.2: Representation of the location of the "Add-Ins" menu in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, which contains

 the Camtasia software.                                                                                                                                           

 

Choose "Add-Ins" and you will see the Camtasia software tools that you have to work with in PowerPoint. This toolbar is shown below in Figure GS.3.

 

 record

Figure GS.3: Depiction of the Camtasia

toolbox in Microsoft PowerPoint 2007.

 

Notice the "Record" button in the above picture. You should also notice that you can choose the microphone or camera. For this exercise, just choose the microphone. You are now ready to set up the audio. Click on the Setting Audio link at the bottom of the page to proceed to that section of the tutorial.

 

Notice that you must have a microphone attachment  or a microphone built into your computer to create the voice-overs.


Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista


Setting Audio:

 

If you have connected your microphone and set it up, but it is not working with Camtasia, Camtasia may need to be "reminded" of the microphone you wish to use. If the microphone is working, you may bypass this section and move to the recording section of the tutorial by clicking the Recording link in the table at the bottom of this page.

 

You can use the following steps to "remind" Camtasia which microphone you wish to use.

 

1. Choose "Voice Narration" out of the "Add" menu from the "Task List" located on the left side of the screen in Camtasia as depicted in Figure SA.1.

 

voice narration 

Figure SA.1:  A representation of the opening screen of Camtasia which points out the "Voice Narration" link.  

 

2. You will be taken to the voice narration panel, where you will see the green microphone bar and the "Audio Setup Wizard" Figure SA.2 below shows what you should be seeing.

 

 Setting Audio

Figure SA.2: A representation of the "Voice Narration" menu.

 

3. Choose the "Audio Setup Wizard" button that is located next to the input level controls. A dialog box, which is represented in Figure SA.3, will open and direct you to "Select the audio device and input source." If you do not see your microphone selected, then click on the scroll down button beside the audio device that is selected. You may see several options, and one should be your microphone, click on your microphone. However, if you do not see your microphone,  that means your computer does not recognize it. You may need to reinstall your microphone. Once your microphone has been selected, choose "Next."

 

A representation of the audio setup wizard 

Figure SA.3: A representation of the audio setup wizard.

 

4. The next screen allows you to "Tune Volume Input Levels."  Whether your voice is loud or soft, Camtasia can adjust its volume to accommodate you. Simply choose "Auto-Adjust Volume" and follow the directions.  Camtasia will then adjust the microphone levels to best record your voice. Figure SA.4 below shows the screen that you should see while Camtasia is auto-adjusting the volume for your voice. When the auto-adjust has been completed, click "Finish" to complete the audio setup process.

 

 

A representation of the Auto-Adjust feature. 

Figure SA.4: A representation of the Auto-Adjust feature.


5. If you are still having problems, your audio may need to be adjusted in PowerPoint.  Within PowerPoint 2007, select the Add-Ins tab, or simply select the hand over the list icon in 2003. After selecting the hand over the list icon in either version, you will see a menu entitled "Camtasia Studio Add-In Options." Make sure under Video and Audio, that the Record audio box is checked.

adjust audio 

   Figure SA.5: Adjusting the audio within PowerPoint.

Now that your audio is set up, you are ready to proceed to the recording section of the tutorial. Click on the Recording link in the table below to proceed to that section.

Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista



Recording:

 

Use the following steps to successfully record your PowerPoint voiceover with the Camtasia software.

 

  1. To begin recording your PowerPoint voiceover, press the "Record" button that was discussed at the end of the "Getting Started" section. Your presentation will then automatically open, and you will see a window on the lower right hand corner of your screen alerting you that Camtasia is activated. You will see the microphone bar, and if sound is being made, the bar should respond. A picture of what the window should look like can be found in Figure R.1 below. If the green microphone bar does not respond, make sure your microphone is installed. You may also need to check it in Camtasia. (It may be that Camtasia does not recognize your microphone.) To check your microphone in Camtasia, see the Setting Audio section of this tutorial.

 

Click to record

Figure R.1: A picture of what your Camtasia alert window 

should look like after you have pressed the record button.

 

You may want to jot down the commands Ctrl + Shift + F9 to Pause and Ctrl + Shift + F10 or ESC to Stop. When you are ready to begin recording, press the "Click to begin recording" button.

 

  1. Once you press the "Click to begin recording" button, your presentation will begin recording. If you have an earlier version of Camtasia (Camtasia 4 or 5, for example), you may see a large red "REC" image on your screen. Camtasia 6 begins recording immediately. Simply talk through your PowerPoint presentation as you normally would. TIP: Keep your recordings under 20 minutes to keep file sizes manageable. If you have a forty minute lecture, break it into two lectures so that students can watch the first one while the second one downloads.

 

  1. When you get to the end of your slideshow, you will get a Camtasia screen that asks if you would like to stop recording or continue recording. This screen is depicted in Figure R.2 below. Click "Stop Recording" to proceed to the next step.

 

A Camtasia pop-up that appears once you click past your last slide.

Figure R.2: A Camtasia pop-up that appears once you click past your last slide.

 

TIP: Even though it asks what action you would like to take, Camtasia automatically stops recording when you click past your last slide. Therefore, it is advisable that you finish your lecture before clicking past your last slide in your PowerPoint. You may wish to make the last slide a "Questions? Email your Instructor at xxxxxxx@kennesaw.edu" to remind yourself that the presentation is about to end.

 

  1. After you have stopped recording, Camtasia will ask you where you wish to save your recording as seen below in Figure R.3. As a default, it will ask to save the recording under My Documents > Camtasia Studio. If you ever lose your Camtasia recording, look there. You can choose to save it in the Camtasia Studio folder, or you may choose another location.

 

The prompt in Camtasia that asks where you would like to save your new voiceover PowerPoint. 

Figure R.3: The prompt in Camtasia that asks where you would like to save your new voiceover PowerPoint. 

 

  1. Once you choose to save the file, it will ask you whether you would like to produce your recording or edit your recording. The prompt for this choice can be seen below in Figure R.4. Click on the button that best suits your needs to continue to the next phase of completing the voiceover.

 

Camtasia prompt 

Figure R.4: The prompt in Camtasia that allows you to choose whether you 

would like to edit your PowerPoint voiceover or produce it in its current state.

 

Click on the Editing link below to continue to the editing section of the tutorial. If you would like to bypass editing and go directly into production, click on the Producing link below to skip to that section.

 

TIP: Even if you don't think you need to edit anything, it may still be helpful to choose "Edit Your Recording" first. Sometimes the microphone doesn't work, or there is a glitch. Before spending time producing the recording, you may want to make sure that everything has gone okay.

 


Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista



Editing Your Recording
:

 

Take the following steps to successfully edit your presentation.

 

  1. After you choose "Edit Your Recording" as mentioned in the previous section of the tutorial, Camtasia will open and ask you about the Project Setting. In this dialog box, which is shown in Figure E.1, you can edit the dimensions of your PowerPoint by selecting a preset width and height. Unless you are showing fine details in your PowerPoint, Width: 640 and Height: 480 are adequate. This setting will give your students enough visual to see your lecture without the production being so big that it will increase file size.

If you explore your options in the "Project Settings" box, you can see that in addition to "Web," Camtasia offers presets for many different types of output. Choose the dimensions that work best for you and click "Okay."

 

TIP: Something else to look for is the "SmartFocus" feature that Camtasia will offer. With "SmartFocus," the Camtasia program will narrow its view to the area around your mouse on the screen. For my teaching style, this feature renders the PowerPoint voiceover worthless to my students, so I am always careful to reject this feature when it is offered. You may wish to test it out to see if it will suit your teaching style. The option to accept or reject "SmartFocus" appears in the "Project Settings" box under the blue heading "Resizing Options." Click the second button, "Change the video dimensions," to ignore the option. Once again, the "Project Settings" box can be seen in Figure E.1 below. It is important to take note of these instructions because Camtasia sometimes automatically enables the option if you do not click the second choice. If you wish to change this feature even after you have already selected a choice, you can located it as "Project Settings" under the file tab at the top left of the page.

 

Project settings dialog box

Figure E.1: "Project Settings" dialog box used to set the dimensions

of the PowerPoint and the "SmartFocus" option.                               

 

  1. To make sure your recording looks and sounds the way you wish, you will want to test it. At this point, Camtasia has probably moved your recording into the Timeline. You will see your PowerPoint sitting in the lower left hand corner of your screen in Camtasia. To begin testing your recording, hit the "Play" button on the view screen on the right hand side of your screen. The screenshot of what you should see in this step is shown below in Figure E.2. If it looks and sounds the way you wish, then you are ready to produce your recording.

 

Timeline

Figure E.2: A screenshot that includes the timeline in the bottom left corner and the view screen for testing the

recording in the top right corner.                                                                                                                        

 

  1. If you wish to cut a portion of your show, perhaps, for example, the phone rang in the middle of your presentation, and you want to cut that 30 seconds out, all you have to do is figure out what you want to cut, and in the timeline, move your cursor over the seconds you want to remove. The section will be highlighted in blue, and the beginning and ending times will be highlighted with green, triangle markers. This image can be seen in Figure E.3 below. When you are sure you have marked what you want to cut, select the scissors. It's that easy to edit out problem spots in Camtasia. Camtasia can also assist you with more sophisticated editing, but this tutorial doesn't cover that information. If you find that you have cut by accident, hold down the Ctrl button and hit Z, and your cut will be restored. You can also look under the Edit button and hit "undo." 

 

Timeline 2

Figure E.3: Timeline edit that shows the piece of the

recording to be cut out between the green triangles.

 

Now that the editing is complete, you can move on to production of your presentation. Click on the Producing link below to proceed.

 

Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista

 

Producing Your Recording:

 

Perhaps the most difficult part of creating a voiceover PowerPoint is producing it, but if you follow the steps below, it can make the process much easier.

 

  1. If you chose "Produce Your Recording" right after creating it, it will put you right into the production mode. If you are currently in the editing mode, the choose "Produce Video As" in the Task List on the left side of your screen. 

 

  1. You will see a screen that says, "Welcome to the Camtasia Studio Production Wizard."  The default option is "Web." If you click on the arrow to the right of the selected option, you will see that you have many options for production.  The drop down list you should see is pictured below in Figure P.1.

 

The opening panel to the Camtasia Studio Production

Figure P.1: The opening panel to the Camtasia Studio Production

Wizard.                                                                                        

 

  1. Camtasia offers many different options for producing your voiceover PowerPoint. This tutorial recommends keeping the web setting if you are putting your videos on GA View/Vista or on the web. If you wish to email your video, you should create wmv. To do so, follow the directions below in "Creating A wmv File."  You may get a warning that says, "Selecting a different preset than the preset in Project Settings may cause the look of the video to appear different than previewed during editing. Do you wish to continue?"  Answer "Yes," and then select "Next."

 

  1. You are then asked, "How would you like to save your video files?"  Give your files a name and look carefully at where you are saving them.  Then choose "Next."

                                     
     5.  Select "Finish" at the bottom of the panel, and Camtasia will inform you that it is "Rendering Project."

 

Finishing touches 

Figure P.7: The panel of the Camtasia Production Wizard that lets you put the finishing

touches on your presentation, such as file name and location.                                       

 

  1. Rendering the project may take a while, depending upon the size of your project. When it is finished, it will begin playing for you. In addition, you will see a screen informing you of the details regarding the rendering of your project. Make sure to notice the size of your project. You want to keep your wmv files under 15 MB. Now you can click "Finish" to complete the production process.

 

Now that production has been completed, the presentation can be uploaded to GAView/Vista. For instructions on how to do this, click the Loading onto GAView/Vista link in the table below.

 

Introduction Getting Started Setting Audio Recording Editing Producing an SWF
(Flash) File
Loading onto GAView/Vista


Loading Onto GAView/Vista:

 

To load your production onto GAView/Vista, first create a logical place on GAView/Vista to put it. If you use Learning Modules, for example,  you can put a link to your production in the Learning Module. Once your destination folder is located or created,  you can complete the following steps to load your presentation onto GAView/Vista.

 

  1. Now that you're ready to load your content onto GAView/Vista, you need to find it. In this next example, the content you are looking for is the test file that we created. It is in a file named after the title of the presentation. In this example, the file is called test, and it is located on the destop. It can be seen below in Figure GAV.1.

 

Identifying file

Figure GAV.1: Image of the location of test.

 

  1. When you open the test folder, you will see several files, as shown below in Figure GAV.2.

 

Finding files 

Figure LB.2: Image of the inside of the test folder. The type of file you have created is called a Flash or swf file. It runs by "pulling" content from a saved location into a much smaller and   faster loading html file. As you can see in the image above, your html file, titled test, is only 5kb. When you link to that file, it will run by pulling content from the larger mpeg-4 movie file.      Because of the way these types of files work, you will need to put the entire test folder into GAView/Vista and link only to the html file.                                                                                             

 

  1. Now, open your GAView/Vista site (if you are on KSU Campus, simply type "Vista" into your web browser). Open up the course into which you wish to insert the presentation. Click on the Build tab under the GeorgiaView banner.  Figure GAV.3 below shows Build tab and File Manager button. Click on the File Manager button.

 

A view of the location of the different media file types that were created.

Figure GAV.3: A view of the GAView menu, with emphasis on the Build tab and File Manager button.

 

TIP: Sometimes students do not realize that the presentation contains audio and video. It may be helpful to post on the announcements page or in an email introducing the new course content a message such as, "This file contains audio and video, and you must access both. Neither the audio nor the video are optional. If you choose to view this lecture in a campus lab, remember to bring headphones."  You may also wish to let students know when the content will become unavailable (if it will), and if there are any assessments associated with the content.

 4. You are now in the File Manager. You should see the "Create Folder" button, as in Figure GAV.4. Click on the Create Folder button.

Create Folder

 GAV.4. A view of the File Manager, including the Create Folder button.

5. You have clicked on the File Manager button, and you should see a prompt to give the folder a title. Type the title in the box provided (as "Test" has been typed in the box in Figure GAV.5, below). Then click on the OK button underneath the word Title.

Title prompt
Figure GAV.5: A view of the prompt to name the folder you are creating.

6. You should now see your new folder, called Test,  in the File Manager (See Figure GAV.6). Notice the Public Files folder. If you put files in that folder, students can view them. Therefore, you probably want to keep files out of that folder unless you deliberately want students to see certain files.
. New file created
Figure GAV.6: A view of the File Manager after you have created the new folder.

7. Using the Action Tab next to the Test folder (see Figure GAV.7), select "Open Folder,"  and you will see the command to "Get Files."


Creating A wmv File:

 

Perhaps the most difficult part of creating a voiceover PowerPoint is producing it, but if you follow the steps below, it can make the process much easier.

 

  1. If you chose "Produce Your Recording" right after creating it, it will put you right into the production mode. If you are currently in the editing mode, the choose "Produce Video As" in the Task List on the left side of your screen. 

 

  1. You will see a screen that says, "Welcome to the Camtasia Studio Production Wizard."  The default option is "Web." If you click on the arrow to the right of the selected option, you will see that you have many options for production.  The drop down list you should see is pictured below in Figure WMV.1.

 

The opening panel to the Camtasia Studio Production

Figure WMV.1: The opening panel to the Camtasia Studio Production

Wizard.                                                                                        

 

  1. Camtasia offers many different options for producing your voiceover PowerPoint. WMV files can conflict with GAView/Vista, so for use on that platform, Flash or SWF files are recommended. However, there are several benefits to wmv. First, on platforms such as Blackboard, Flash or SWF files won't work, so wmv is necessary if one is using Blackboard. Second, the wmv player is standard on PCs, and it is a free download at www.microsoft.com--although it has a known conflict with GAView/Vista. Third, unlike true streaming media, such as Tegrity or MediaSite, the wmv files are downloadable. That means students can download them from Blackboard (it's helpful to instruct students to right click on the link and choose "Save Target As," and then save them to their desktop or jump drive). Students can then listen to and view the wmv files without any of the problems that are associated with streaming media such as stalling or skipping. Also, although wmv files take a little longer to download than streaming media, even a student on dial up can access the wmv file, while students on dial up have a very difficult time with streaming media. To create the wmv file, choose "Custom Production Settings," the last option on the Production Wizard panel, which is shown above in Figure P.1. You will get a warning that says, "Selecting a different preset than the preset in Project Settings may cause the look of the video to appear different than previewed during editing. Do you wish to continue?"  Answer "Yes," and then select "Next."

 

  1. You are then asked, "How would you like to produce your video?"  Choose "WMV-Windows Media Video." The production wizard box that you should be seeing at this point is shown below in Figure WMV.2. Notice at the bottom you have "Additional output options." If you wish, you can create an audio only file in addition to your wmv file. To create the audio only file, check the box beside, "Create MP3 File." Notice that you have options regarding the quality of the MP3 file. The higher the quality, the larger the file. If you wish to create an M4V or iPod file in addition to your wmv file, check the box beside "Create M4V File." If you create the M4V file, students with iPods can download your lecture onto their iPods. Again, the higher the quality, the larger the file. M4V files are much larger than wmv files, so iPod medium will create a large file. Select your options and choose "Next."

 

The panel of the production wizard where you pick the file format.

Figure WMV.2: The panel of the production wizard where you pick the file format.

 

  1. You will arrive at the "Windows Media Encoding Options."  If you click on the arrow to the right of the options box, you will see that you have many choices here. To create a smaller file size that still has good quality audio and video, choose "Camtasia Studio PowerPoint Video and Audio Medium." This option is pictured in Figure WMV.3 below. Once you have picked the profile that fits your work best, choose "Next."

 

The "Windows Media Encoding Options" panel in the production wizard.

Figure WMV.3: The "Windows Media Encoding Options" panel in the production wizard.

 

  1. The next option is "Video Size." Again, the larger the video size, the larger the file. A good size for most voiceover PowerPoints is 640x480. The "Video Size" panel is illustrated below in Figure WMV.4. Click "Next" once you have picked a size for your video.

 

The "Video Size" panel of the Camtasia Production Wizard.

Figure WMV.4: The "Video Size" panel of the Camtasia Production Wizard.

 

  1. The next step is to choose "Video Options." As you can see from this screen, you may add author and copyright information; SCORM content (if you don't know what SCORM is, it is prepackaged e-learning content. Also, if you don't know what it is, that means you don't have any to add); a watermark; and html. I always leave all this information blank. To see an example of this panel left empty, see Figure WMV.5.

 

The "Video Options" panel in the Camtasia Production Wizard.

Figure WMV.5: The "Video Options" panel in the Camtasia Production Wizard.

 

  1. The next step is setting the "Marker Options." Camtasia allows you to put in a table of contents based on the titles of each PowerPoint slide. This option is incredibly handy if you have multitudes of slides and content. However, creating the Table of Contents makes a larger file. If you wish your students to simply start at the beginning and watch your presentation until the end, you can uncheck all the boxes on "Marker Options." You may notice some boxes are dimmed out but still checked. You don't have to worry about them; they don't apply unless they are black. To see an example of this panel, see Figure WMV.6. Click "Next" to continue.

 

Marker options

Figure WMV.6:  The "Marker Options" panel of the Camtasia Production Wizard that allows

you to create a Table of Contents to your presentation.                                                

 

  1. The final step is "Produce Video." On this panel, give your production a title, and then choose a folder to save it in. The next image, Figure WMV.7, shows you the options you want to select to finish creating your voiceover PowerPoint. Select "Finish" at the bottom of the panel, and Camtasia will inform you that it is "Rendering Project."

 

Finishing touches

Figure WMV.7: The panel of the Camtasia Production Wizard that lets you put the finishing

touches on your presentation, such as file name and location.                                       

 

  1. Rendering the project may take a while, depending upon the size of your project. When it is finished, it will begin playing for you. In addition, you will see a screen informing you of the details regarding the rendering of your project. Make sure to notice the size of your project. You want to keep your wmv files under 15 MB. Now you can click "Finish" to complete the production process.

 

Now that production has been completed, the presentation can be uploaded to GAView/Vista. There is a known conflict with GAView/Vista and Windows Media Player. iTunes will also play wmvs, and it is freely available at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/, but  students may have to reset their default settings. To assist them in doing so, post this link: http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~tpowel25/FacultyEResources/Changing_default_settings_demo/Changing_default_settings_demo.htm.  The quick tutorial will walk them through the process of resetting their default settings. It contains no sound.


To load your wmv file onto GAView/Vista, follow the directions below.




Loading Your WMV onto GAView/Vista
:

 

To load your production onto GAView/Vista, first create a logical place on GAView/Vista to put it. If, on your syllabus, you have created reading assignments, quizzes, and course content for each class period, you may want to create a learning module for each class period on GAView/Vista so students know where content is located. Once your destination folder is created,  you can complete the following steps to load your presentation onto GAView/Vista.

 

  1. Background info: Now that you're ready to load your content onto GAView/Vista, you need to find it. In this next example, the content you are looking for is the wmv file that we created. It is in a file named after the title of the presentation. In this example, the file is called Raisin1. When you open the folder, open the Raisin_media folder, which is shown below in Figure WVMGAV.1.

Identifying file

Figure WMVGAV.1: Image of the location of Raisin1.

 

  1. Background info: Open the Raisin1_media file, and you will see several files inside. Choose the Windows media audio/video file, as shown in Figure WMVGAV.2, below.

 

Finding files

Figure WMVGAV.2: Image of the location of the Raisin1_media folder that contains your

wmv and ipod files.                                                                                                      

 If you have an older version of Windows, your image might be a multicolored circle with a blue triangle inside it.

  1. Background infor: You may also have chosen to make an Raisin1_iPod file. If so, and if you choose to load it onto GAView/Vista, be sure to let students know that you are giving them a choice of formats, and that the iPod format is a larger file size better suited to viewing over an iPod. However, if you do not have to have an iPod to view an M4V file, you can view it with the free iTunes player, available at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/. Figure WMVGAV.3 below shows the wmv and ipod files, in this example called A.D.D.I.E.1A,  that must be loaded onto GAView/Vista. You can also see the older style Windows wmv icon in the image below.

 

A view of the location of the different media file types that were created.

 

Figure WMVGAV.3: A view of the location of the different media file types that were created.
                                                Keep in mind that if you have Windows Vista or 2007, the wmv icon will be a square instead of a circle, and it will look a little different.


4. To load the Raisin1.wmv file, open up your GAView/Vista portal, and under the Build tab, select the File Manager in the left hand menu. See Figure WMVGAV.4.

Open up the File Manager to load the wmv file.

Figure WMVGAV.4: Open up the File Manager to load the wmv file.

5. Under File Manager, choose Get Files. A window will pop up, and on the left, your last option will be "My Computer." Choose it, and a browser window opens. Find your media file, and open it. Then, select your wmv file, and choose "Open." You may not see anything, but your wmv file will begin to load. See Figure WMVGAV.5 below for a graphic representation of this step.

Graphic representation of steps to move wmv file into GAView/Vista.

Figure WMVGAV.5: Graphic representation of steps to move wmv file into GAView/Vista.

6. Your file will now be in the File Manager. Click on the Course Content tab, and choose where to put your wmv file. Then choose, "Add File," and "Browse for Files." A window will appear, and you can look for your wmv file. The folders appear first, in alphabetical order, and then the files. When you find your file, select it by clicking the box to the left of it, as shown in Figure WMAVGAV.6, below.

Select your file in the File Manager.
Figure WMVGAV.6: Select your file in the File Manager and click "OK."

7. You will see your file appear where you placed it. Again, if your default player is Windows Media Player, you will get an error message when you attempt to open the file.

TIP: Because these files are so large, students may not be able to open them the usual way. To stave off emails informing you that your files are empty (when they are not), include instructions for students regarding how to open the files. An example might be, "The lecture today is in wmv format. If you do not have the free iTunes player, you can download it at http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/.  Make sure your default settings have been changed so that your default media player is not Windows Media Player. If you don't know how to do that, click here: http://ksuweb.kennesaw.edu/~tpowel25/FacultyEResources/Changing_default_settings_demo/Changing_default_settings_demo.htm This file contains audio and video, and you must access both. Neither the audio nor the video are optional. If you choose to view this lecture in a campus lab, remember to bring headphones."



Conclusion:

 

Congratulations! You have successfully completed this Camtasia Software Tutorial. Your students now have access to quality lectures from the convenience of GAView/Vista.

This tutorial was originally created by Dr. Tamara Powell and updated and inproved by Christopher Monceaux, Matthew Myers, Cole Napper, and Justin Gamble.

If you have any questions or comments about the tutorial, contact Tamara Powell at tpowel25@kennesaw.edu.

 

<--Back to the beginning


<--Back to E-Learning Home Page