Topics Map > Software Guides > Screencast-O-Matic
Screencast-O-Matic: Editing Mode
Screencast-O-Matic, v2.4.0. Be aware that different versions of Screencast-O-Matic will vary in appearance and functionality. Full Guide: View/Download
IMPORTANT:
As of 2023, ScreenPal/Screencast-O-Matic is being phased out.
Staff & faculty are recommended to use WeVideo: Information or OBS: Quickstart Guide for any future screen recording needs.
Please reach out to itech@plu.edu for any questions and help past the above linked quickstart documents.
Recordings can be edited with various tools. The screencast and webcam can be modified, parts can be cut out, highlights can be added, etc.
To access the Editing Mode, click "Done" after recording and select the "Edit" option from the pop-up. Or, open a recording and click the "Edit" button that appears in the pop-up to the bottom-right.
When done editing, click "Done" to the right and see Screencast-O-Matic: Publishing to Video for publishing instructions.
Expand each section below to see its content.
1. Recording Name: click to rename the recording at any time.
2. Timeline: indicates the playback time position of the recording. The waveform represents the recorded audio, if applicable. Click the Play button to the left of the Timeline to play the recording.
3. Preview Window: a preview of the recording and applied edits.
4. Undo/Redo & Edit History: click Undo to undo the most recent edit, and Redo to redo the most recent edit that was undone. To go back further steps, use the Edit History drop-down. Be aware that reverting to an older edit will erase all edits that were made afterwards.
5. Options Panel: adjust the canvas size and color as well as toggle visibility options. The Canvas is the overall size window of the screencast. If the recording is down-sized, resize the Canvas to match or set a background color.
The Main Video, which is the screencast recording itself, and the webcam video can be independently modified. The webcam video feed is placed in a window on top of the Main Video.
To access webcam and Main Video modifications, click their corresponding window in the Preview. A blue pop-up will appear with the following options:
- Resize: adjust the dimensions of the recording. If the Main Video is down-sized smaller than the Canvas, the Canvas background color will appear around the Main Video.
- Crop: cut out unwanted parts of the picture.
- Zoom: resize and reposition the selection box to zoom into a certain part of the video.
- Style: change the shape of the video (box, oval, rounded) and the dropshadow (fuzzy, solid, none). Although these options are available for both video types, they’re suited for Webcam.
- Layering: change the stacking order of the layers. The Main Video, webcam, cursor, and some Tools are placed on their own layers. The top-most layer will appear on top of the layers below it.
- Options: flip the orientation or change the color.
- Opacity and Visibility: drag the slider left to decrease the opacity, and right to increase. Click the eyeball icon to toggle visibility. Hiding a video will not delete it.
To move the webcam window, click-and-drag it to a new position.
To cancel modifications to the Main Video or webcam, click Cancel in the pop-up above Timeline.
To confirm modifications, click OK in the pop-up above the Timeline.
The bulk of editing is done using Tools. To access Tools, click the Tools button located in the pop-up above the playhead in the Timeline. A new pop-up menu will appear. Available Tools include:
- Cut: select a portion of the recording to cut.
- Copy: select a portion of the recording to copy.
- Hide: toggle the visibility of the cursor or webcam.
- Insert: all Insert tools will insert the selected recording/file into the recording at the position of the playhead.
- New Recording: inserts a new recording, which will initiate a new recording session.
- Existing Recording: inserts an existing recording that has not yet been published as a video file.
- Pause: pause the recording. This is helpful for pacing and lingering on a detail.
- Video File: inserts a separate video, which can be a previously published screencast recording or any other type of video file.
- Paste Recording: used to paste portions of the recording that were previously cut or copied.
- Narrate: record a new voice-over.
- Overlay: annotate the recording with an image, blur, outline, arrow, highlight, or with text. The Overlay Tool is especially useful for pointing out important information in instructional screencasts.
- Replace: all Replace tools will replace the selected portion of the recording with the selected option.
- Replace Video: replaces the selected portion with a new recording. Selecting this Tool will initiate a new recording session.
- Freeze Frame: replaces the selected portion with a new freeze frame image.
- Speed: speed up or slow down the recording.
- Transition: add a transition between recordings, videos, etc.
- Volume: increase, decrease, or mute the volume of a selection portion.
Tool Settings
Each Tool has different, customizable options available. Tool Settings will appear in the pop-up above the playhead in the Timeline, or in a blue pop-up box, when a Tool is selected. As Overlay is a common Tool, it is used as an example below.
Overlay settings:
- Style: the look of the overlay. Choose between various outline shapes, etc.
- Transition: fade the overlay in or out.
- Layering: change the layer stacking order. For example, to position an overlay on top of the webcam.
- Opacity: adjust how see-through the overlay will be.
To apply an edit with a Tool:
- Move the playhead in the Timeline to the desired location of the Tool.
- Select the desired Tool from the drop-down.
- Adjust the Tool’s settings as desired.
- If applicable, click-and-drag to select the desired portion of the recording to apply the Tool.
- If desired, click the Preview button to preview how the Tool will look once applied.
- Click OK when done to apply.
To cancel an edit with a Tool, click Cancel from the pop-up.
To confirm an edit with a Tool, click OK from the pop-up.
To adjust an applied Tool or delete it from the Timeline, click on the region it’s applied to and then its icon/name. Edit/deletion options will appear.
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