CamStudio - A Screencast Tutorial

Quite often in one's travels around the web, you may wish to record or demonstrate something. CamStudio is a simple, free, recording tool. This posting provides a screencast tutorial, access to the software, and some examples:

• CamStudio
  • Web Site
  • Download Software (Source Forge.Net)
    .
• Tutorial (created with Wink)
  .

Finally, some editorial comments ... CamStudio is a great tool, but given it's inability to take individual screen shots (like a digital camera) and then smooth motion paths between between mouse clicks, file size can grow VERY LARGE. You need to get things right the first time around; there is no second chance to edit and improve your content.  

Having said all of that, as a simple, cost effective (i.e. free) screencast recording tool for webcasts and tutorials ... it is does the trick.

Comments

[Web Tutorials]

camstudio is an excellent piece of software for creating videos based on user interaction, however you are right about wink etc, but they use flash, tiny file sizes for presentations etc but very limited when it comes to user interaction. Love camstudio though.

Fred.

[Richard Schieck]

Your Tutorial and Example videos do not work. Will you be fixing or updating them?

Response from Rich ... the tutorial works fine. I just tested it. I removed the WCCO TV examples till I have a change to update them. Thanks for letting me know.

[Nick Smith]

Hey Rich

Thanks for mentioning CS.

I agree for somethings CS isn't as good as Wink, especially if you want to create "presentation" style videos but for recording user actions CS is pretty decent.

You can reduce the AVI file size significantly if by:

Only recording the area you need

Choosing a suitable video codec (CamStudio Lossless or MPEG4-based one like DiVX/XViD)

Reducing the framerate

Minimize scrolling and mouse movement

You'll be surprised just doing those few things who much of a difference you'll see.

Anyway, HTH

Cheers

Nick :o)

[jed]

I just use the windows media encoder. It does a good job and is free too.

[LearningNerd]

The good thing about CamStudio is that it saves video as an AVI file, which means you can upload it to a video hosting/sharing site for free. Wink only saves screencasts as flash files, which you would have to host yourself -- and if you pay for your web hosting, it can add up! And if you have a video editing program, you can use it to edit CamStudio screencasts. :)