Getting Started
We are going to start learning how to use Camtasia and making projects. When you finish watching these tutorials, click on the “Learning Center” link so we are ready for the next lesson. If you close the tutorial window and want to get back just go to the “Help” menu and click on “Show Welcome Window”. Click “more..” to get to the “Learning Center”.
Setup: Create a new folder on the desktop of the computer you are sitting at. This will be a place to save all your files. At the end of the workshop I will provide you with a CD to take the files home or you can burn it onto a portable hard drive.
Outline: I have found it very helpful to write down a short list of objectives I want to cover in my tutorials. If your list gets over 3-4 things then consider breaking it up into more than one tutorial. Then when I finish recording and editing my tutorial I like to write down the length next to my objectives. I use both sets of information to create a short description on my Sharepoint or custom web site so the user knows how long the tutorial will last and what information will be covered.
Getting Started: This first tutorial is just a quick overview. Just sit back and watch this one. This lesson will review the four phases: Record, Edit, Produce and Share. Tutorial>> Getting Started with Camtasia Studio 6 (3:50)
Launch Camtasia: Please start by launching Camtasia. If there is no icon on the desktop go to the “Start” menu and “All Programs” to find “Camtasia Studio”. When it launches, click on the “Visit the Learning Center” link in the lower right hand corner of the “Welcome” pop-up dialog box. This will bring you to the first tutorial.
Recording Full Screen: Open another browser and navigate to a web site you are familiar with. Use it to create your first practice tutorial. Don't try to make a masterpiece on your first project. I want you to play with all the options later so expect to throw this first one away later. Watch the tutorial and pause so that you can practice the techniques. If you try the full screen option and the green outline covers both monitors you will need to adjust the size. Make sure to try out the keyboard shortcuts that are demonstrated. F9 for pause and F10 for stop recording. Save the results of your recording in the folder you set up earlier. Tutorial>> Recording Full Screen (3:43)
Stop: Please make sure to record a short tutorial so that you can practice the new skills you are learning. Work along with the tutorials and use the pause button or rewind when needed.
Editing Dimensions and Save Project: Save the project into the folder we set up earlier.
Tutorial>> Editing Dimensions and Save Project (3:12)
Overview of Camtasia Studio Interface: Watch this tutorial and take the time to click or right click on the areas reviewed in the lesson. Tutorial>> Overview of Interface(4:05)
What's Next: Now that you have a solid overview of the editor interface and a short project to work with you are going to do come basic editing functions on this project.