Advanced Recording

Installation & Setup

The Panopto  Recorder is very small and very easy to install. It should only be installed on computers using Windows Vista or Windows XP. Your computer should also have a large amount of free drive space to capture your video/recording.  You can find the complete installation instructions here: Recorder Install 

Presenting Overview

The general look and flow of the Panopto Recorder v2.1 layout has been modified to help simplify the recording process.  The layout is similar to the Panopto Viewer window with the primary source in the upper left-hand corner of the screen and the secondary source on the right-hand side.  This will help presenters determine which sources they would like to choose and how the presentation will look after the recording is complete. 

Presentations can be recorded from just one computer or from several computers.  In this Advanced Recording section, we will review the process of recording material from more than one computer.  We will explain the steps for recording PowerPoint and/or Screen Capture from one computer and Video and/or Audio from another.  

The Presenter should follow this simple set of instructions to ensure that their presentations can be captured by the Panopto system.

Presenting via Panopto Recorder

Logging In

Panopto v2.1 introduces a new Recorder layout and log in procedure.  Users are able to log in to the Panopto Recorder and begin using the system online immediately.  If the system will be used to record content Offline, make sure to check the "Remember Me" check box so your login is saved.  If the "Remember Me" option is not available, your local Panopto Administrator has removed that option for security reasons.

The Panopto Recorder can either be opened by double clicking on the desktop shortcut icon, or by going to Start -- All Programs -- Panopto -- Panopto Recorder

When the Recorder opens, the Panopto server name should automatically be entered for you.  If not, please contact your local Panopto Administrator for the server name.

Type in the Username and Password that has been provided to you by your Panopto Administrator.



Once you've entered your Panopto Server name, Login, and Password, click on Log In.

Panopto Recorder v2.1

The Panopto Recorder will open and allow you to begin recording content such as audio, video, PowerPoint slides, and screen capture. 

If you already have a Folder created, you may wish to start recording to that Folder immediately.  To find your Folder, click the down arrow on the right-hand side of the Panopto Recorder.

Creating New Folders

If no Folders have been created, you will see the screen below.  If your Folder has already been created, please skip below to creating a new Session.

Click on "Add a New Folder" and type in Folder Name and an Identifier.  Click Add when finished.

The Folder Name is the long name of the series, like "Introduction to Business 101".  The Identifier is the short name, like "Bus101".  Folder naming can be done anyway that you wish to organize your Folders within Panopto.

Creating New Sessions

Once you have chosen the Folder that you wish to record content to, the next step is to create the specific Session within that Folder.

 To create a new Session, click on "Add New Session" on the right-hand side of the Folder name. 



You will be taken back to the recording screen and the date and time will automatically be used to name the new Session.  If you would like to change the name of the Session, you may do so now, by simply editing the text in the Session name field.  If you would like to change the name of a Session after recording, you may do so through the Web User Interface.


 

Recording to a Session

Now that your Session has been created and named, you may now select the type of presentation that you'd like to complete. 

Reminder:  This advanced recording scenario is split across two computers. One computer handles the presentation content (PowerPoint and/or Screen Capture) and another computer captures the audio/video.

PowerPoint Slides

To present a PowerPoint presentation file, click on the PowerPoint check box under "Other Capture Sources".  Now click the "Open a Presentation" button and browse for and open your PowerPoint file.

The Panopto Recorder will open PowerPoint with your presentation.  You may also have the PowerPoint file open already when choosing "Capture PowerPoint" and the software will detect the opened presentation automatically.

You will receive a message after choosing your PowerPoint file that asks if you would like to begin recording after PowerPoint opens.  This allows you to begin recording immediately by clicking "Yes" without having to return to the Panopto Recorder to click the Record button.

If you click "No" at the "Begin Recording?" window, you must return to the Panopto Recorder and click on "Record" to begin recording the PowerPoint slide transitions. 

As seen above, the Recorder has a message that says, "PowerPoint is open but is not currently presenting."  PowerPoint must be in Full Screen or Presentation Mode for the slides to be captured.  Once the presentation is made full screened by pressing F5 or click "Start Slide Show" that message will go away.

If Help Messages are enabled within the Panopto Recorder, you will receive the message prompt below.  This helps ensure that the presenter understand that they are recording PowerPoint or Screen Capture only with no audio or video selected.  Click OK to continue and begin recording.

While presenting, the Panopto Recorder will record all slide transitions along with time stamps of each transition.  This will synchronize the audio, video, and PowerPoint slides when viewed.  The software will also extrapolate the slide text and make that text searchable in the Panopto Viewer.

To stop recording the presentation, return to the Panopto Recorder and click "Stop" in the upper left-hand corner.

If you have Help Messages enabled within the Recorder, you will receive this prompt message and be taken to the "Recording Status" tab within the Recorder. 

You may now close the Recorder and PowerPoint.

**Note**  If your PowerPoint presentation contains video, we recommend using the Screen Capture utility within the Panopto Recorder to capture that video.  Please follow the steps below in addition to the PowerPoint steps above for capturing both the slides and the video.

Screen Capture

To record a presentation while capturing the contents of your computer screen, click on the "Capture Screen" check box under "Other Capture Sources".


Screen Capture will appear in the right-hand window as an active device and will immediately start showing you a preview of what the Recorder will be capturing.

To start recording, click "Record".

If Help Messages are enabled within the Panopto Recorder, you will receive the message prompt below.  This helps ensure that the presenter understand that they are recording Screen Capture or PowerPoint only with no audio or video selected.  Click OK to continue and begin recording.

To stop recording the presentation, return to the Panopto Recorder and click "Stop" in the upper left-hand corner.


If you have Help Messages enabled within the Recorder, you will receive this prompt message and be taken to the "Recording Status" tab within the Recorder. 

You may now close the Panopto Recorder.

 

Recording Video and Audio to a Session

This recording scenario assumes that the presentation content is being captured on another computer.

In a two computer recording scenario, the PowerPoint and/or Screen Capture is being recorded from one computer and the audio and/or video can be captured from a separate computer.  If the same Session is chosen, the two separate recordings will be combined and synchronized on the Panopto Server and the recording will look as if it were all recorded from one physical computer.  This section will review the options for recording audio only or audio + video.  Presentations will not process through the Panopto system unless they have at least audio or video recorded to that same session.

If you will be recording audio/video in this dual computer scenario, you'll want to choose the same Session as the presenter has.  To do this, click on the down arrow on the right-hand side of the Panopto Recorder.

In this window, you can create a new session if one has not been created already, or you may select a Session that has already been started.  The person capturing PowerPoint/Screen Capture and the person capturing audio/video will need to ensure that they are choosing the same Session.  Naming the Session with the same name will not accomplish this.  One person will need to create a Session first and the other must choose it from this window.

In this example above, the Session named "Friday, May 1, 2009 at 3:15:29 PM" has already been created by the presenter capturing PowerPoint and Screen Capture.  We will choose this same session and begin choosing our devices to record with.

Selecting Input Devices

To choose your video device, use the Video drop down box under Primary Source.

In this example, you can see that a Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 web camera is attached to the system.  Panopto will detect a wide range of web cameras, DV cameras, as well as video capture cards and devices.  If your device does not show up in the Panopto Recorder, please make sure that you have the latest drivers available from the device manufacturer and ensure that all cables and power are connected to the device.

To choose the video camera, simply click the name and a preview window of what the camera can see will open. 

To choose your audio device, use the Audio drop down box under Primary Source.

In this example, you can see that we have the option of choosing one of two different audio devices.  We can choose the integrated microphone (SoundMAX Integrated) or we can choose the LifeCam microphone.

To choose the video camera, simply click the name of the device you would like to use.  An audio volume meter will appear and will show you the recording audio level of the camera.  

If the audio meter does not show any audio input at all, you'll want to ensure that the microphone is not muted and that the recording levels within Windows are turned up. 

Start a Recording

Now that your audio and video devices have been chosen, you may begin recording at any time.  The final presentation will be synchronized by the audio/video start time.  The Presenter recording PowerPoint/Screen capture may also start recording when they are ready.

To start recording, simply click 'Record'.

Ending A Recording

To end the click on the 'Stop' button.

If you have Help Messages enabled within the Recorder, you will receive this prompt message and be taken to the "Recording Status" tab within the Recorder.  You may now close the Panopto Recorder.