Using SMART Recorder

Using SMART Recorder, you can record your actions on your interactive product. If you connect a microphone to your computer, you can record your voice as well.

After you create a recording, you can play the recording on any computer using Windows Media Player (Windows operating systems) or QuickTime software (macOS operating system software).

The first step in using SMART Recorder is to start it.

To start SMART Recorder

  1. Tap the SMART Board icon in the notification area (Windows operating systems) or Mac menu bar (macOS operating system software), and then select Recorder.

    Note 

    If your computer isn’t currently connected to a SMART interactive product, the SMART Board icon includes an X in its lower-right corner.

    SMART Recorder opens.

Windows operating system only

In Windows operating systems, you can hide SMART Recorder but continue to access its menu options using the SMART Recorder icon.

To hide SMART Recorder

  1. In SMART Recorder, select Menu > Hide to System Tray.

    SMART Recorder disappears.

To show SMART Recorder

  1. Tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Show.

    SMART Recorder appears.

You can change a recording’s audio and video quality.

To change a recording’s video and audio quality

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. In macOS operating system software, tap the Recording Quality tab.

  3. Select a sound quality in the Sound Quality list.

    Note 

    Although higher sound quality produces better audio playback, it also increases the file size.

  4. Select a video quality in the Video Quality list.

    OR

    Select Custom, and then type the required frame rate.

    Note 

    Although a higher frame rate produces higher quality recordings, it also increases the file size.

    Tip 

    If you select Automatic Selection (Recommended), SMART Recorder automatically evaluates your computer and selects the optimal frame rate.

  5. Tap OK.

To restore a recording’s default video and audio quality

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. In macOS operating system software, the Recording Quality tab.

  3. Tap Restore Defaults.

  4. Tap OK.

Windows operating system only

In Windows operating systems, you can select a recording’s video format.

To change a recording’s video format

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Video Format tab.

  3. Select Windows Media Video (*.wmv) or SMART Recorder Video (*.avi).

    Notes 

    • Any version of Windows Media Player can play a Windows Media video file. Windows Media Player can also play a SMART Recorder video file if SMART Notebook software or SMART Meeting Pro software is installed on the computer playing the file.

    • You can convert a SMART Recorder video file to a Windows Media video file by sharing the recording (see Sharing a recording).

  4. Tap OK.

To restore a recording’s default video format

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Video Format tab.

  3. Tap Restore Defaults.

  4. Tap OK.

You can select a recording’s file location.

To change the folder in which SMART Recorder saves files

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Target Files tab.

  3. Tap the Browse button next to the Default Save Directory box.

  4. Browse to and select the folder in which you want to save the files, and then tap OK (Windows operating systems) or Set (macOS operating system software).

    Tip 

    For best performance, save the files on your computer’s hard disk rather than a network drive.

  5. Tap OK.

To change the folder in which SMART Recorder saves temporary files

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Target Files tab.

  3. Tap the Browse button next to the Temporary Files Directory box.

  4. Browse to and select the folder in which you want to save the temporary files, and then tap OK (Windows operating systems) or Set (macOS operating system software).

    Tip 

    For best performance, save files and temporary files on the same drive to reduce the time needed to save a recording.

  5. Tap OK.

To specify disk space limits

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Target Files tab.

  3. Select the Warn me if free disk space is below check box, and then type a disk space limit to display a message when available disk space is low.

  4. Type a disk space limit below which SMART Recorder will stop recording.

  5. Tap OK.

To restore the default file location of recordings

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Target Files tab.

  3. Tap Restore Defaults.

  4. Tap OK.

In Windows operating systems, you can add a watermark to a recording’s background.

To add an image watermark to recordings

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Watermark tab.

  3. Select Image.

  4. Tap Browse.

  5. Browse to and select the image you want to use, and then tap Open.

  6. Tap Properties.

    The Watermark Properties dialog box appears. A preview of your selected image appears in the Preview pane.

  7. Do the following:

    • To change the watermark’s position, drag the preview image to another area in the Preview pane.

    • To change the watermark’s size, drag the white circle in the preview image’s lower-right corner.

  8. Select Transparency and Effect settings.

  9. Tap OK to close the Watermark Properties dialog box.

  10. If you want to revert to using no watermark after SMART Recorder closes, select Turn off the watermark when recorder closes.

  11. Tap OK to close the Options dialog box.

To add a text watermark to recordings

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Watermark tab.

  3. Select Text.

  4. Type text for the watermark.

  5. Tap Properties.

    The Watermark Properties dialog box appears. A preview image appears in the Preview pane.

  6. Select Color, Font and Transparency settings.

  7. Do the following:

    • To change the watermark’s position, drag the preview image to another area in the Preview pane.

    • To change the watermark’s size, drag the white circle in the preview image’s lower-right corner.

    • To add additional information to the watermark, select Add Current Date, Add Current Time and/or Add Frame Number.

  8. Tap OK to close the Watermark Properties dialog box.

  9. If you want to revert to using no watermark after SMART Recorder closes, select Turn off the watermark when recorder closes.

  10. Tap OK to close the Options dialog box.

To remove a watermark from recordings

  1. Select Menu > Options in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    A dialog box appears.

  2. Tap the Watermark tab.

  3. Select No Watermark.

  4. Tap OK.

Using SMART Recorder, you can record the full screen or a portion of the screen. If you connect a microphone to your computer, you can record your voice.

In Windows operating systems, you can create the recording as a SMART Recorder video file, a Windows Media video file or self-extracting file.

In macOS operating system software, you can create the recording as a video file that you can view using QuickTime software.

To create a recording in Windows operating systems

  1. Change SMART Recorder settings to configure the recording’s quality, video format, file location and watermark.

    Notes 

    • If you have multiple displays, you must select the display that you want to record.

    • You can hide SMART Recorder and continue to access its menu options by tapping the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area.

  2. To record the entire screen, tap Record.

    Note 

    To record the entire screen while SMART Recorder is hidden, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Record.

    OR

    To record a screen area, tap the down arrow next to the Record button in SMART Recorder, select Record Area, and then draw a rectangle around the area you want to record.

    OR

    To record a window, tap the down arrow next to the Record button in SMART Recorder, select Record Window, and then select the window you want to record.

    Tip 

    If you need to reduce the file size of the recording, limit the recording to a rectangular area of the screen or to a window.

  3. Perform the on-screen actions you want to record. If you connected a microphone to your computer, speak into your microphone.

    SMART Recorder displays the time elapsed during the recording.

    Tip 

    Animations and other special effects greatly increase the file size of the recording.

  4. If you want to pause your recording, tap Pause. To resume recording, tap Record.

    Notes 

    • To pause the recording while the SMART Recorder window is hidden, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Pause.

    • To resume recording, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Record.

  5. After you complete the actions you want to record, tap Stop in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    To stop the recording while SMART Recorder is hidden, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Stop.

    The Save As dialog box appears.

    Note 

    If you want to exit without saving your recording, tap Cancel, tap Yes to confirm deletion, and then ignore the remaining steps of this procedure.

  6. Type a file name.

  7. If you want to save the recording in a different location, browse to the new location.

  8. Tap Save.

    The Completing Capture dialog box appears while SMART Recorder creates the video file.

    After SMART Recorder creates the video file, the Recording Complete dialog box appears. The information in this dialog box includes the file location of the recording, file size and duration of the recording.

  9. If you want to view the recording after you close this dialog box, select Play Recording.

  10. If you want to share the recording with others, select Share Recording.

  11. Tap OK.

    If you select Play Recording, the file plays in your default media player.

    If you select Share Recording, the Share Recording dialog box appears. Create a Windows Media video file or a self-extracting file as described below.

To create a Windows Media video file or a self-extracting file

  1. Create the recording as described above. Ensure you select the Share Recording option.

    The Share Recording dialog box appears.

  2. Select WMV to create a Windows Media video file, and then tap Next.

    OR

    Select Self extracting to create a self extracting file, and then tap Next.

  3. Tap Next.

  4. Tap Browse, browse to the location where you want to save the file, type a file name, and then tap Save.

  5. Tap Next.

  6. Tap Finish.

To create a recording in macOS operating system software

  1. Change SMART Recorder settings to configure the recording’s quality and file location.

    Note 

    If you have multiple displays, you must select the display that you want to record.

  2. To record the entire screen, tap Record.

    OR

    To record a screen area, tap the down arrow next to the Record button in SMART Recorder, select Record Area, and then draw a rectangle around the area you want to record.

    Tip 

    If you need to reduce the file size of the recording, limit the recording to a rectangular area of the screen or to a window.

  3. Perform the on-screen actions you want to record. If you connected a microphone to your computer, speak into your microphone.

    SMART Recorder displays the time elapsed during the recording.

    Tip 

    Animations and other special effects greatly increase the file size of the recording.

  4. If you want to pause your recording, tap Pause. To resume recording, tap Record.

  5. After you complete the actions you want to record, tap Stop in SMART Recorder.

    A dialog box appears.

    Note 

    If you want to exit without saving your recording, tap Cancel, tap Yes to confirm deletion, and then ignore the remaining steps of this procedure.

  6. Type a file name.

  7. If you want to save the recording in a different location, browse to the new location.

  8. Tap Save.

    After SMART Recorder creates the video file, a dialog box appears. The information in this dialog box includes the file location of the recording, file size and duration of the recording.

  9. If you want to view the recording after you close this dialog box, select Play Recording.

    OR

    If you want to close this dialog box without viewing the recording, tap OK.

Windows operating system only

If your system performance is slow when you use SMART Recorder, or the recording quality isn’t the standard you want, the following may improve performance:

Windows operating system only

If your system performance slows down when you use SMART Recorder, or the recording quality isn’t as good as you want, you can reduce your computer’s screen resolution and display colors. Smaller screens and fewer colors result in faster performance.

Note 

This procedure may vary depending on your version of Windows operating system and your system preferences.

To reduce the screen resolution and display colors

  1. Open Windows Control Panel.

  2. Tap Display, and then tap Change display settings.

  3. Select a lower setting in the Resolution drop-down list.

  4. Select a lower setting in the Colors drop-down list.

  5. Tap OK.

Windows operating system only

SMART Recorder constantly takes screen captures as you record. Some computers take screen captures very slowly and this can affect recording quality. To improve recording quality, disable hardware acceleration or upgrade your video driver and video card.

Important 

Disabling hardware acceleration can reduce the performance of SMART Notebook software.

Note 

This procedure may vary depending on your version of Windows operating system and your system preferences.

To disable hardware acceleration

  1. Open Windows Control Panel.

  2. Tap Display, tap Change display settings, and then tap Advanced settings.

  3. Tap the Troubleshoot tab.

  4. Drag the Hardware Acceleration slider to None.

  5. Tap OK.

  6. Restart your computer.

Windows operating system only

If you want to share a recording with others, create a Windows Media video file that they can play using Windows Media Player, or create a self-extracting file that they can play on any computer.

To convert a SMART Recorder video file

  1. Select Menu > Share Recording in SMART Recorder.

    Note 

    If SMART Recorder is hidden in Windows operating systems, tap the SMART Recorder icon in the notification area, and then select Configure Options.

    The Share Recording dialog box appears.

  2. Select WMV to create a Windows Media video file.

    OR

    Select Self extracting to create a self-extracting file, and then tap Next.

  3. Tap Browse.

  4. Browse to and select the SMART Recorder video file you want to convert, and then tap Open.

  5. Tap Next.

  6. If you want to change the converted file’s location or name, tap Browse, browse to the location where you want to save the file, type a file name, and then tap Save.

  7. Tap Next.

  8. Tap Finish.

Keywords

  • SMART Recorder
  • video recording
  • video playback
  • video and audio quality
  • Windows Media Player
  • QuickTime

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