Share Camtasia videos with chapter track
The Camtasia software makes it easy to record screen actions with sound and create screencasts. The software is therefore often used as a simple tool for recording lectures or pre-casting exercises. If the recording is coupled with a PowerPoint presentation, the slide transitions can be automatically adopted as chapter subdivisions. This makes it easier to jump within the video during playback.
You can use the RWTH streaming server to make the video available with the chapter markers (in WebVTT format). The WebVTT file is not generated in Camtasia, but in an external converter. Alternatively, you can make files generated by Camtasia available in RWTHmoodle without the RWTH streaming server in such a way that the chaptering remains usable.
There are three ways to provide Camtasia videos with a chapter track:
- Upload an MP4 video file from Camtasia with an associated WebVTT file that contains the chapter information. Since the Camtasia software does not have a way to export chapter markers in a WebVTT file, this file must be created via an external script. The script was developed by the "Institut für Nachrichtentechnik" of the RWTH Aachen University and converts into an XML. Camtasia output file, which contains the chapter markers, into a .vtt file. The WebVTT file can after its conversion be uploaded to the RWTH streaming server together with the MP4 video file. Apart from WebVTT files, no other file formats are supported by RWTHmoodle for providing chapter markers.
- Upload a learning package as a SCORM package. SCORM files are especially useful if you have included quizzes in the video. The results are stored in the evaluation module.
- Upload the video player.
To provide Camtasia videos with chapter markers in a WebVTT format via the RWTH streaming server, follow these steps:
- Create your screencast video using Camtasia and complete post-processing (including setting markers for chapters).
- From your Camtasia project, use the Share --> Local File option to create an MP4 file with an associated XML file containing the chapter markers. The XML file (config.xml) is output by default if you have set chapter markers in Camtasia.
- Upload the XML file (config.xml) to the Camtasia to WebVTT converter upload window. When the conversion is complete, save the created .vtt file to your digital device. For more information read also the Readme file for the script.
- Open the course room where you want to embed the screencast video and click "Add Video" in the "Video Streaming (Opencast)" block on the right side of the course room.
- Enter a title for the screencast recording under "Metadata".
- Upload the MP4 file from Opencast together with the converted WebVTT file to the RWTH streaming server. Add the MP4 file in the "Video Upload" section as "Presentation Video" and upload the WebVTT file in the "Attachment Upload" section under "Chapters". Finally, select "Save Changes". For more information read also also the instructions for uploading videos to the RWTH streaming server (Opencast).
- Once the upload is complete, you can now embed the screencast recording with the chapter markers in the course room and then play it.
To provide the Camtasia chaptered files using the SCORM Package, do the following:
- When exporting the Camtasia files, enable SCORM file creation.
- Create a new "SCORM package" activity using "Add an activity or resource".
- Give the package a name and optionally a description.
- Under "Package File", upload the ZIP file to your exported Camtasia project.
- After clicking on "Save and return to course" you can open the video by clicking on the SCORM package main file and play it inside the course room page. The chapter division is integrated with the player.
To make the Camtasia files with chapter divisions available via video player, proceed as follows:
- Create a new "File" resource using "Add an activity or resource".
- Give the file a name and optionally a description.
- Pack the exported Camtasia folder into a ZIP file.
- Under "Select files", upload the ZIP archive.
- Now click on the ZIP archive and then on "Unzip".
- Now click on the HTML index file.
- Then select the option "Set main file". This file will appear later on the learning room page.
- After clicking on "Save and return to course" you can open the video by clicking on the set main file and play it inside the course room page. The chapter division is integrated with the player.
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