AviScreen is an software for capturing screen activity in the form of AVI video or bitmap images. Beside the usual options defining the capture area, AviScreen has a unique feature called "follow the cursor". Using this mode you can produce a video or image of relatively small dimensions while covering all mouse activity over the whole screen area.

AviScreen avoids showing the AviScreen window on the captured image or video by always working in the background except when it has just been started or when the window is set to be displayed. When working in the background, AviScreen will be visible as an icon on the taskbar as shown in the image below.

To close the application, click on the icon and click exit on the popup menu. The exit menu is also available under the main menu "Files".

All AviScreen settings are contained in the settings window: visible when AviScreen is started. These settings are grouped under several tabs.

The capture area can be defined in many different ways:
1. Specific size: Several predefined dimensions based on standard video sizes are offered (240 x 160, 320 x 240, 480 x 360 and 640 x 480);
2. Full screen;
3. Custom size. You can define the size and the position of the capture rectangle yourself;
4. Selected object: Select an object to capture, either a window including header, the contents area or any object (panel, button etc) that can be captured.

Key shortcut options
Four shortcut keys are available for controlling AviScreen. As the AviScreen window is hidden by default these shortcut keys can be very useful. Another way of controlling activity is by using the popup menu that appears when you click the AviScreen icon on the Trackbar.

The default combination keys are:
1. To take an image: CTRL+X. Press the "Ctrl" key on the keyboard followed by "X" key. For some keyboards it is important to follow this sequence.
2. To start taking video: CTRL+ALT+S: Pressing these three keys in the right sequence.
3. To pause/continue video capture: CTRL+ALT+P
4. To stop video capture: CTRL+ALT+F

You can change the shortcut key combination by clicking on the "Change button". Press OK button to store the new shortcut key combination.

Although it is possible to set the shortcut key as a single key, it is advisable to choose a combination of one or more control keys (Ctrl, Shift and Alt) with a character.

Don't forget to test the new customized shortcut key before using it. It is possible that the default shortcut key or the customized shortcut key that you have entered has a function in one or more of the applications you wish to capture. In this case the shortcut key will be "absorbed" by the software and may not reach AviScreen (which works in the background.) Avoid this by customizing the key to some other value.

On some slow machines or when the computer is very busy, the shortcut key may reach the time out before reaching AviScreen. If this happens you will need to access AviScreen through the Popup menu. Click on "Default" to restore the default shortcut keys.

Video Options
Video can be saved as uncompressed or compressed using Video for Windows (VFW) video codec as AVI file. When started, AviScreen will collect and list all installed VFW video codec that can be used to write a video file. Select the one to use. Video compression helps to reduce the size of the video file.

There are more than 20 different kinds of VFW codec available, either pre-installed, free download or commercial. They have different performances in speed, image quality and compression rate. Some codec are distributed freely only for playing (decompressing) video files and cannot be used to write video files. This is not always stated in advance. If this kind of codec has been selected, AviScreen will show the following message:

Familiarize yourself with the installed codec by doing some tests before using any codec.

You may also decide to not compress the video by selecting the first option. "Uncompressed 24 bit DIB" (as shown on the options image). Technically speaking, this will give the best image, since no compression will be involved. However, uncompressed video is very big compared to compressed video.

The frame per second figure shows the expected number of images to capture per second. The real number of frames per second (fps) may be lower if the computer is too slow to handle the task (in combination with the task requested by the software running in the foreground). Setting the fps too high will only waste the bandwidth, while setting it too low will give "jumpy" animation. Unlike "natural movies" which need at least 15 fps to appear smooth, screen video capture can appear natural with a lower fps (unless a movie playing on the screen is involved). The proposed 4 fps is rather low, but many slow computers can only reach this fps for a full screen video capture.

Delay before capture is the time in seconds set before the video started. This delay may be needed if you use the popup menu to control AviSreen.

When the video capture is about to start (after the "delay before capture" has elapsed) an animation will appear on the taskbar. The AviScreen icon will turn into a rotating wheel. You can pause the video capture any time, either using the shortcut key or the popup menu.

To define the placement or dimension of the capture rectangle, click on the "Set" button. A feature that is unique to AviScreen is "follow the cursor mode". If this option is checked, the capture rectangle will follow the cursor, making it possible to cover the screen activity indicated by the cursor within a relatively small area. This makes it possible to deliver the video through a lower bandwidth. You can specify whether the cursor is visible or hidden in the capture by checking/un-checking the "show the cursor" checkbox.

Picture Options
Besides capturing video, AviScreen is also good for capturing pictures. The settings size/mode, visibility of the cursor and "follow the cursor" mode are also applicable for image capture.
You can select the image saving format: either jpg, 24 bits bmp bitmap or 256 color gif. Image capture will be done individually. You need to use shortcut key "take an image" to get a picture. If you initiate the image capture through the popup menu, a delay as set by the video option will be given, so that you can put the cursor in the right position before the image is taken.
Single image capture is disabled when AviScreen is busy with video capture.

Capturing Video
It is good practice to first design what you are going to present in the video capture. Open and prepare all applications that will be involved. If necessary write down what to do during the presentation. Practice moving the cursor steadily, avoiding erratic or quick movements. Allow some room before and after the actual target. These sections can be trimmed later with a video editor, like AviTricks for example.

After setting the options according to your needs, you can start the video capture. There are three methods for starting the video capture:
1. By clicking on the "capture video" button on the Settings window. To show the Settings window when AviScreen is running in the background, click the AviScreen icon on the taskbar, and click Show settings in the popup menu.
2. By clicking Start in the popup menu.
3. By using the shortcut key (CTRL+ALT+S by default).

AviScreen will move to background and there will be a delay as set in the Video options. During this delay, move your cursor to the designated place.

Allow some time before starting the actual presentation, then the show may begin. You may stop or pause the video capture at any moment. Allow a delay before stopping or pausing the capture by leaving the cursor in its last position, then use the shortcut key or the popup menu to stop/pause. If you use the popup menu to stop/pause the capture, the process will also be captured and may need to be trimmed later. When the computer is slow or very busy, sometimes it is necessary to hit the shortcut key several times before it works.

When the capture is stopped, a video file will be available under the Base output folder with the largest index name. An easy way to get it is by browsing the folder. This can be reached quickly from the popup menu or from the "Browse folder" button under the Folder tab. Sort the folder base on the name or date modified and choose the last one.

When the checkbox "Play the video result when ready" under the Video tab is checked, the video will be played immediately.

Capturing Image
Capturing image can be done in two ways:
* By using the popup menu and clicking on "Take single image". There will be a delay as set in the Video options. Quickly move the cursor to the designated location and wait for the signal that the image has been captured;
* By using the shortcut key. Image will be captured immediately.
When an image is taken the AviScreen icon will turn into a camera animation with flash.

Capturing video or image of a running movie or directX game
Movies, directX or openGL games mostly run in hardware accelerated mode to reach maximum performance. This hardware accelerated mode is beyond the reach of any application. When you try to grab the image of a window running in hardware accelerated mode, you will get a black rectangle in the content area. The only way to grab an image from this source is to temporarily set the hardware acceleration to minimum.

To change the hardware acceleration settings, right-click on the empty part of the desktop. Click on Properties. The Display Properties will be shown. Click on the Settings tab, then click on the "Advanced" button. The graphic card dialog will appear, click on Troubleshoot tab. In the middle there should be a trackbar for hardware acceleration. Usually it is set to maximum (remember the position if it is not the maximum, someone may have set it there for a reason). Pull this trackbar to the minimum (none) or one after minimum. Click on the "Apply" button. The screen will turn black for a while, then revert to normal.

Although it is possible, avoid capturing fullscreen movie with a fullscreen capture option. For some slow computers, this task will be really heavy as the movie player will busy decompressing the movie while AviScreen is busy compressing a large video and writing it into a file. In this situation the shortcut key may stop working.

SoftSea.com had fully tested and uploaded the install files, AviScreen Classic does not contain any adware or spyware, the latest version is 1.3, you can download this software (668.61 KB) from special server of SoftSea.com.

The license of this software is Freeware, you can free download and free use this digital video recorder software.