What Other Hardware and Software Do You Need?

System Requirements

While you’re obviously going to enjoy smoother recordings with a faster processor, loads of memory, and a beefier video card, you may be surprised to know that Camtasia Studio can run, and run well, on a relatively modest machine. But before you take the time to actually install and run the program, it’s probably a good idea to look over these minimum system requirements to make sure you don’t need to upgrade your hardware. So, before you hop on this amusement park ride, please make sure your system is at least this tall:

• Windows 2000 or XP^[*]; Vista support is forthcoming in the 4.0.1 maintenance release

• Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or greater

• A 1.0 GHz processor (though 2.5 GHz is strongly recommended)

• 256 MB RAM (1.0 GB recommended)

• 55 MB hard drive space on which the application can reside

While these specs will cover the basics, there are additional minimum requirements to utilize some of Camtasia Studio’s extended functionality. To wit:

• If you’re going to add audio to your videos, at a minimum you’re going to require a sound card, microphone, possibly a preamp, and some means of listening to the playback (speakers or headphones). A short buyer’s guide for audio equipment can be found in Appendix C, “Equipment Buyer’s Guide.”

• Producing to Apple iPod format requires the use of Apple QuickTime 7.1 or later.

• If you want to use the real-world video (picture-in-picture) capabilities of Camtasia Studio, you’re going to need some sort of video device. While you may certainly use a high-end camcorder to create and import pristine video files, a simple webcam will also suffice. Camtasia Studio will detect the presence of a video input source automatically. For all the details, be sure to check out Chapter 5, “Recording Your Screen.”

• If you want to record PowerPoint presentations, Camtasia Studio sports a special add-in for PowerPoint that allows you to access Camtasia Studio’s functionality directly within PowerPoint. You’ll need PowerPoint in Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003 in order to use the add-in. Chapter 8, “Recording Your PowerPoint Presentation,” is entirely devoted to this topic.

Other Helpful Software

With the exception of Camtasia Studio itself, the only other software programs you truly need are (obviously) the applications you want to record. But there are a few kinds of third-party applications that can augment the built-in abilities of Camtasia Studio by streamlining your work processes or adding more functionality as needed.

• Screen capture applications. Screenshot apps like TechSmith’s SnagIt allow you to quickly storyboard your video creations. Additionally, if your aim is to create a slide show of still images, a screen capture utility can help assemble your images easily and efficiently.

• Animation programs. Brief animated segments between screen recording clips can add refreshing and eye-catching variety to your videos. Since it records in real time, Camtasia Studio can capture animated content from programs like Microsoft PowerPoint and Macromedia Flash to give your videos some added sizzle. In fact, Camtasia Studio now offers an add-in for PowerPoint, allowing you to capture all your PowerPoint presentations without ever leaving the program. Please see Chapter 8, “Recording Your PowerPoint Presentation,” for more information on how to use the add-in.

• Titling applications. While Camtasia Studio introduced title screen creation with version 3.0, there are times when more professional titling effects are called for. Titling programs will let you apply all sorts of fantastic Hollywood-style animated effects to your text, so that no one ever gets up and leaves during the credits.

• Audio and video applications. Even though Camtasia Studio is a total package solution with built-in audio and video editing, occasionally you might need to insert tracks or apply custom effects. One of Camtasia Studio’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to produce industry-standard AVI files, which can be readily imported into applications like Adobe Audition, Serious Magic Visual Communicator, or Sony Vegas. So, if you need to apply a custom volume envelope to your audio narration or add a sepia filter to your video, you can rest assured knowing that your favorite third-party apps will play nicely with your content.

• DVD burning software. Your Camtasia Studio videos, when imported into a DVD burning suite such as Sonic MyDVD or PowerProducer, can produce high-quality DVDs for viewing on a television set. For specific tips on preparing your videos for DVD distribution, please see Chapter 12, “The Production Process.”

While Camtasia Studio can stand on its own to produce amazing screen video, I do make various recommendations throughout the book for third-party software that I find helpful in accomplishing certain tasks. No one is paying me to mention these products. I bring them up because I like them and use them on a daily basis. These tools serve to augment Camtasia Studio; none of them are absolutely necessary to get the job done. But they do provide supplemental functionality not found in Camtasia Studio to produce eye-popping effects, give you more power and flexibility, and/or cut your time on task. I’ve managed to get permission from many of their various developers to put demo versions of these products on the companion CD. So feel free to check them out - you have absolutely nothing to lose.

^[*]Although Camtasia Studio 4 only supports Windows 2000 and XP, if you’re stuck with Windows 98, ME, or NT 4, you can use Camtasia Studio 1.1. While lacking the latest features and enhancements, it will provide some of the same basic functionality. At the time of this writing, TechSmith will (upon request) provide version 1.1 for free with the purchase of version 4.