Recording software demos

Introduction

http://discuss.fogcreek.com/joelonsoftware/default.asp?cmd=show&ixPost=85204

Tools

TechSmith Camtasia Studio

http://www.techsmith.com
Outputs files in Macromedia Flash (.flv and .swf), Windows Media (.wmv), Apple QuickTime (.mov), RealNetworks RealMedia (.rm), AVI, Executable (EXE), and Animated GIF
Easy to use, complete

Camtasia Studio consists in multiple applications: Recorder (to record a demo), Audio Editor (to add a voice-over), Menu Maker (??), Player (a dependency-free AVI player), and Theater (??). All those applications can be reached either directly, or through the Studio interface.

Release 2.0.3 only runs on XP/W2K, and requires DirectX 8 and above.

When outputing to a Flash file, can I combine the two SWF and the XML file into a single SWF that is referenced by the HTML file?
When creating AVI files, by default, uses its own codec. When distributing this file, provide either this codec (how to install?) or the stand-alone Camtasia Player that contains a viewer + codec

Impress

Creating a software demo with Impress by Dmitri Popov

double T's Demo Builder

Recommended by Soft As It Gets: "I've spent quite a bit of time recently researching and evaluating programs to record software demo's [...]. When I was close to giving up I found Demo Builder (DB) and was impressed from the very start."

Didn't find how to...

Add a voice-over after recording a demo
Add to display the Time Line
How to modify a movie, by re-recording part of the demo: A work-around I did is to record a new movie, and copy/paste the new frames in the first movie, before deleting old frames, but that leaves the new movie in the tree on the left (Delete is not available)

DebugMode Wink

Neat, open-source softare. More information here.

DemoCharge

http://www.yessoftware.com

Instant Demo

Demo Maker

Swish

http://www.swishzone.com
Outputs to Flash
$99

Turbo Demo

http://www.turbodemo.com
Flash, GIF, Java, EXE, PDF, AVI

Macromedia

RoboDemo

Previously eHelp RoboDemo/Camstudio, before being acquired by MacroMedia
http://www.macromedia.com/software/robodemo/

Flash

http://www.macromedia.com/software/
This place is turning into Computer Associates

Qarbon Viewlet

http://www.qarbon.com
Generates Flash
ViewletBuilder takes screen shots. ViewletCam does a full recording. They both output Flash
ViewletPresenter is a PowerPoint to Flash converter
ViewletSuite is a suite which include ViewletBuilder, ViewletCam, and ViewletPresenter
ViewletFarm is a server-based application that provides centralized storage, organization, management and deployment of your valuable Viewlet content.
ViewletPoll is the fastest and easiest way to create and distribute dynamic polls.

FreeMovie

Open-source solution to create Flash animations ("FreeMovie is a library for generating and parsing Macromedia Flash(tm) SWF files. It is an alternative to the official Macromedia Flash(tm) (SWF) file format SDK.")
http://freemovie.sourceforge.net/

NetPlay Instant Demo

http://www.instant-demo.com
Supports output in Flash
NO CRACK

Rendersoft CamStudio

Acquired by Macromedia?

Lotus ScreenCam

RIP. No longer under development. While the player is available for W2K, the recorder is not. Too bad because it was a nice app. Trialware available here. Generates files that must be played with a proprietary player, not through a plug-in in a browser

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