Editing your Camtasia Movie

When your video has been added to your timeline, you may make adjustments and additions until you are satisfied. Some of the options presented in Camtasia Studio are:

• Importing media content
• Deleting Video
• Splitting video clips
• Adding transitions
• Adding callouts
• Adding flash hotspots
• Adding zoom ‘n pan
• Editing audio
• Adjusting Video

There are several ways you can edit a video on your timeline. You can change the length of time a clip displays; you can split a clip from the corresponding audio.

The Timeline Editing Toolbar
Along the top of your timeline, you see several icons. These are editing tools for your movie. The first four tools are specifically for your video clips.

From left to right, the tools are:
Zoom in: Zooms in on the timeline so you can see a close up version of your clip

Zoom out: Zooms out on the timeline

Cut selection: Deletes a selection from your video

Split: Splits the video at the point of the selection seek bar
To split a clip

Place your selection seek bar in the middle of your video clip.
Click the Clip button. Your video splits down the centre, and both pieces are placed in the Storyboard.

Other editing options include playing with the clip duration, and extending the frame. To access these options, right-click the appropriate clip on the timeline. If you select Clip speed, you are shown the Original clip duration and the New clip duration. This helps you to keep track of changes made. By selecting Extend frame, you can change the duration of a clip. The default is set at 1 second.

From the timeline toolbar, you can also access the Storyboard, and make changes to audio. We will explore the audio editing options later.

Transitions - Exercise
Transitions are useful for creating a smooth flow between clips on the timeline. However, transitions can only be added when you are in Storyboard view.

To add a transition
From the Task List, choose Transitions. Your view automatically changes to Storyboard.

Preview the transition options, and select a transition you like.

Drag your selected transition(s) to the Storyboard between the intro image and the in-class movie.

Right-click on the Transition and select 1 second.

Repeat the process for the transition between the in-class movie and the conclusion image.

Click Finished. The timeline view re-opens.

Editing your video and audio clips
Preview your video with the added transitions and audio.

Synchronize your audio with your visual content. This may take several attempts but your instructor will help you along.

Saving your Project
Save your Camtasia Project in the Camtasia-TrainingPackage\Working_Project folder.

Adding Callouts

Callouts are used to draw attention to a particular object or detail in your video.

To add a callout

From the Task List, click Callouts. You are directed to the Callouts screen, and can still see your timeline on the bottom, and your video clip on the right.

Click Add Callout. The Callout Properties screen opens and shows you a bunch of options for callouts. We are going to add an Rectangle Callout to our Introductory image.

From the drop-down menu, select Rectangle Callout.

Choose the rectangle callout that best suits the introductory image.

Choose a fill color and border color for your callout.

Scroll down the page, and place your cursor in the text box.

Type “Welcome to the Microsoft Word Tutorial”.

Choose a font style for your text.

Under Properties, you see that Fade in and Add Drop Shadow are selected by default. If you do not want these effects, you may de-select them.

On the Edit Callout screen, click and drag your callout to the appropriate position.

To resize your callout, hover your cursor over the edge of the callout, and either push in, or pull out, depending on if you want to make your callout larger or smaller.

Click OK and preview your callout. Continue adding callouts to your movie, where appropriate.

Flash Hotspots
The Flash Hotspot option enables you to add interactivity to a callout. You can use flash hotspots to enable the user to jump to a new clip within your video, or to an outside source such as a URL. Callouts with a hotspot are only functional with SWF output.

To create a Flash Hotspot

From the Task List, select Callouts.
From the Callout Properties Task pane, select Add Callout.
Select the Make Flash Hotspot option.

Click the Flash Hotspot Properties … button. The Flash Hotspot Properties dialog opens. By default, the Pause at end of callout option is selected.

This option ensures that the user must take action in order to restart the video. You have several options to choose from. You may have the user Click to continue, so that the user must click the callout to restart the video; you may choose to Go to frame at time, so that you can direct the user to any frame in your video, regardless of its position; you may choose to Go to Marker, so that the user will jump to a marker after clicking the callout, or you may choose to Jump to URL so that the user will jump to a web site when clicking the callout.

Select Jump to URL.

In the URL field, type www.pentext.com.

Enable the option Open URL in new browser window.

Create a Callout on the Conclusion clip that says “Visit the Microsoft web site at www.pentext.com”.

Click OK and click Finished.

Preview and test your new flash hotspot.

Zoom & Pan

The Zoom-n-Pan feature enables you to zero in on a particular element of a clip. Zooming is another good method of drawing attention to an area of your video.

To add Zoom-n-Pan

Under the Task List, click Zoom-n-Pan. The Zoom-n-Pan task page opens.

Click Add Zoom-n-Pan Key Frame. The Zoom-n-Pan Properties page opens.

On the Timeline, position the seek bar where you want to insert the Zoom in Key Frame.

Within the Size box, select Custom Zoom Size.

Scroll down to your clip, and adjust the size and position of the green box, so that it selects the area of the clip you want to zoom in on.

At the top of the screen, click OK. On the Zoom-n-Pan task page, you will see that the Key Frame you created has been added to the data box.

On the Timeline, position the task bar where the Zoom-n-Pan Key Frame will be located.

Click Add Zoom-n-Pan Key Frame. The Zoom-n-Pan Properties page opens.
Within the Size box, select Show entire video.

At the top of the screen, click OK, then click Finished. You are directed back to the Clip Bin.

Preview your movie and test your new Zoom-n-pan.

Audio Edit Tools

On the timeline toolbar, there are several tools for editing audio. After the Show Storyboard button, you see the following icons, from left to right:

Fade in: Fades in the volume of the audio track

Fade out: Fades out the volume of the audio track

Volume up: Turns up the volume of the audio track

Volume down: Turns down the volume of the audio track

Replace with silence: Replaces the audio selection with silence, but does not delete the waveform

To fade in a clips audio track

Lock the audio clips that you do not want to edit.

Using the seek bar, select an audio clip.

Click the fade in button. The adjustment is made to your audio file.
Preview and test your changes.

To fade out a clips audio track

Lock the audio clips that you do not want to edit.

Using the seek bar, select an audio clip.

Click the fade out button. The adjustment is made to your audio file.
Preview and test your changes.