# Setting recording options

In general, you should set recording options before recording a new movie, so all options are in place before you begin to record. However, you can also change recording options from within an open Captivate movie. This is useful if you have a movie open and want to record additional slides.

To set recording options:

1. Do one of the following:

2. Open Captivate. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

1. Open Captivate. Open a Captivate project. From the Options menu, select Recording Options.

2. In the Recording Options dialog box, click the Recording Options tab and choose from the following options:

### Sound

Record narration: Select this option to record audio as you record the movie. For details, see Recording audio.

Hear camera sounds during recording: Select this option to play a camera shutter sound whenever a screen shot is taken during recording. It is helpful to turn this sound on so you know exactly when a screen shot is taken, especially when using the auto recording feature. The camera sound is not included in the finished movie.

Record keystrokes: Select this option to record keystroke action during recording. Captivate records keyboard input but does not take screen shots for every character. The keystrokes appear in the finished movie.

Hear keyboard tap sounds: Select this option to determine whether keyboard tap sounds are audible during recording. The keyboard tap sounds are not included in the finished movie.

### Options

Hide recording window: Select this option to hide the rectangle that is displayed during recording. It also removes the Captivate icon in the Taskbar, which may be useful when recording with the full-screen options or demonstrating the Taskbar.

Hide task icon: Select this option to hide the Task icon during recording. (When you record full screen, you typically see that Captivate is an open application. If this interferes with what you are recording, you can hide Captivate with this option.)

Hide system tray icon: Select this option to hide the System Tray icon during recording.

Move new windows inside recording area: Select this option to have Captivate automatically take any windows that open while you are recording and move them within the red capture window. This is particularly useful if you are recording an application in which many dialog boxes open as you use the application.

Enable auto recording: This option automatically captures screen shots during the recording process each time you click the mouse, change the focus of your application or web page, or press a key. This option is enabled by default. Actions that generate slides include clicking a capture key, opening a menu, opening a dialog box, clicking a toolbar button, dragging and dropping, and clicking buttons.

Note: You should not select this option when recording onscreen action that involves the keyboard calculator keys. If you select Enable auto recording, Captivate cannot accurately record the onscreen calculations.

Language: You can select a language for captions and tooltips.

Recording mode: This option specifies the mode that should be used when Captivate auto-records the movie. Select from the following:

- Demo: Select this option to automatically include captions, highlight boxes, and mouse movement in the auto recorded movie.

- Simulation: Select this option to automatically include click boxes with a failure caption in the auto recorded movie. Mouse movement is not included.

- Training: Select this option to automatically include click boxes with hint and failure captions to the movie. Captions and mouse movement are not included

- Custom: Select this option to choose the objects, such as captions, highlight boxes, and click boxes, you want automatically added to the movie.

Edit settings: Click to display the Custom recording options dialog box, which lets you select the objects you want automatically added to your movie when using the auto recording option.

3. If you are recording a full motion file, click the Full Motion Recording tab and select from the following options:

   Automatically capture drag-and-drop actions: Select this option to have Captivate automatically record any drag-and-drop actions—for example, selecting a file or image and dragging it to another area of the application or screen.

   Record mouse movements: Select this option to include mouse movements in your full-motion recording.

   Record at higher capture rate for smoother movie: Select this option to create a smoother movie, particularly better mouse movement, by disabling hardware acceleration. When hardware acceleration is turned on, it can use a great deal of system resources and result in "choppy" full-motion recording. Turning hardware acceleration off results in better full-motion recording quality. If you select this option, your computer screen will briefly flicker when you begin and end full-motion recording. This screen flicker does not harm your computer and does not appear in the final project.

   Video Quality: This option enables you to select a quality level for your video. A high quality, such as 80-100, results in a smooth, attractive video, but is large in size. Selecting a lower quality will result in a smaller file size, but the video may appear blocky. You may want to try several different sizes to achieve the right balance between size and quality.

   Working Folder: This option determines where the video will be saved on your local hard disk. Type the correct path to an exact location, or click Browse to navigate to a location.

   Video Color Mode: This option sets your video color to 16 bit or 32 bit. Selecting 16 bit results in a smaller file size, but also a smaller range of colors. Selecting 32 bit creates a larger file with a wider range of colors.

4. Select the Change Recording Keys tab and set the following options:

   To stop recording press: Specifies the key that should be used to end a recording session. The default key is the End key.

   To manually capture a screen shot press: Specifies the key to be pressed to capture a screen shot. The default key is the Print Screen key.

   To start full motion recording press: Specifies the key to be used to start full-motion recording. The default key is F9.

   To stop full motion recording press: Specifies the key to be pressed to end a full-motion recording session. The default key is F10.

5. Click OK.