Capturing Content with Video: Webcasting and Screencasting

• Initial Setup

  To begin web recording within the Reflectivity web-based platform (not the Swivl Capture app) please ensure the following:

  •  you are using either Chrome OR Firefox;
  •  you have enabled camera and microphone permissions in Chrome OR Firefox; 
  •  log in to your Reflectivity account at cloud.swivl.com;

  Getting Started

  Once you have logged into your Reflectivity account, there are two options to start web recording: either by clicking Record on the Videos and Add video. You now have three choices for recording; Webcam recording, Screen recording, or Screen + Webcam.

  

  • 1. When you click Record, a menu will open and the Webcam recording option is selected by default.  Next, select the audio channel (which microphone do you want to use), and click Start Recording.

    

    2. While recording, you can either pause or stop recording.

    

    3. Finally, when you have finished recording and selected stop, you will have the opportunity to Retake or Upload.  If you choose to upload your video, a pop-up will show you the uploading status, and it will load to the Reflectivity platform.*

    

    

    NOTE: When you finish recording, hit "Save" and keep the webpage open until uploading is completed. If you have a large video or slower internet speed, you may need to adjust your computer settings so that the computer does not "go to sleep" before your video has been uploaded completely.

    If you close your window or the computer goes to sleep before the video has been completely recorded, you will lose the recording.

    Click Save. You can edit the title of the video, and add descriptions and tags.

    

    !! Webcam recording can be used on devices that have a webcam.

  • When you Record, a menu will open and you can select Screen recording.  Next, select the audio channel (which microphone you want to use), and click Share your screen.

    

    Select what you would like to share and click Share.  On the next page, click Start Recording.

    

    

    While recording, you can either pause or stop recording.

    

    Finally, when you have finished recording and selected stop, you will have the opportunity to Retake or Upload.  If you choose to upload your video, a pop-up will show you the uploading status, and it will load to the Reflectivity platform.*

    

    

    NOTE: When you finish recording, hit "Save" and keep the webpage open until uploading is completed. If you have a large video or slower internet speed, you may need to adjust your computer settings so that the computer does not "go to sleep" before your video has been uploaded completely.

    If you close your window or the computer goes to sleep before the video has been completely recorded, you will lose the recording.

    Click Save. You can edit the title of the video, and add descriptions and tags.

    

  • When you click Record, a menu will open and you can select Screen + Webcam.  Next, select the audio channel (which microphone you want to use).  The video channel is preselected for you.  Now, click Share your screen.

    

    

    Select what you would like to share and click Share.  On the next page, click Start Recording.

    

    

    While recording, you can either pause or stop recording.

    

    Finally, when you have finished recording and selected stop, you will have the opportunity to Retake or Upload.  If you choose to upload your video, a pop-up will show you the uploading status, and it will load to the Reflectivity platform.*

    

    

    NOTE: When you finish recording, hit "Save" and keep the webpage open until uploading is completed. If you have a large video or slower internet speed, you may need to adjust your computer settings so that the computer does not "go to sleep" before your video has uploaded completely.

    If you close your window or the computer goes to sleep before the video has been completely recorded, you will lose the recording.

    Click Save. You can edit the title of the video, add descriptions and tags.

    

    After the recording has been uploaded, you will have it displayed in the Videos on the Reflectivity platform as both: 

    • a side-by-side video (video+screen)

    

    • and the screen recording with a circular webcam video in the bottom left corner (shown above). 

    

  • If you have any issues accessing your camera, follow the following steps:
    1. MacOS System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab > Camera/Microphone/Screen Recording and checkmark your browser (Google Chrome or Firefox are recommended) to allow access

    
    
    
    Next steps are the following: 
    2. Click the lock icon in your URL line and select site settings:
    
    Select Allow in the dropdown for Camera and for Microphone

    • 
      3. If you see a message that Screen access is denied, follow these steps: 

      • select Webcam recording
      • select your original choice; either Screen recording or Screen + Webcam

      
      
      

    Important!

    Please always make sure that the internet connection is stable and the network is not overloaded to avoid uploading issues.

    Just in case, forward Swivl Firewall requirements to the school IT department so that they whitelist all necessary domains and ports.

    If the video uploading has stopped or you see the error "Uploading failed":

    •  Click on the "Download" button to save the encoded video file to your computer*.
    • When you have a stable internet connection, please upload the file to the Reflectivity platform to decode it to the video you need.

    For more information about how to upload the video file from the computer, please check Uploading a Video From Computer

    

    *To play the video file on your computer, please use VLC player (for Windows and macOS) and Media Player Classic (for Windows).

    MacOS System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy tab > Camera/Microphone/Screen Recording and checkmark your browser (Google Chrome or Firefox are recommended) to allow access

• Swivl Screencast+ is a simple desktop app for your computer that records what’s on your screen, like PowerPoint slides, videos, or your lesson activity. At the same time, your Swivl robot continues to follow you and will record both you and your screen. It will even record the audio from your computer’s speakers. After recording, both videos upload to your Reflectivity account automatically.

  Screencasting works best when you:

  • Show videos as part of your presentation
  • Use on-screen tools and software to aid math or science curriculum
  • Present slides with audio or animations
  • Demonstrate best practices for PD
  • Or anytime you want to produce a high-quality presentation!

  Capture the presenter and their laptop/desktop screen at the same time

  General setup

  Troubleshooting

  General setup

  - Swivl Screencast+ app requires Windows 7+ and Mac OS 10.11+;
  - The videos recorded with Swivl Screencast+ app cannot exceed 2 GB size. 

  1. First of all download Swivl Screencast+ for your Mac or Windows here

  

  2. Next

  - for iOS:

  Place the Screencast button on your Home screen for easy access. Find it in your Swivl Capture app "Settings".

  When the Screencast button is present, you can tap it and it will generate a pin code.

  

  - for Android:
  

  Place the Screencast button on your Home Screen for easy access. Find it in your Swivl Capture app "Settings" tab. 

  When the Screencast button is present, you can tap it and it will generate a pin code.

  

  3. Now open the Swivl Screencast+ app for the desktop and enter the pin code you generated on the mobile device. 

  4. Choose your preferences for Screen and Audio collection using the desktop client.

  

  5. Now, using the Swivl Capture app on your mobile device, start your recording, as usual, using the primary marker or by tapping the Record button on the screen. 

  6. When the recording has ended, both videos (your Swivl Capture video and the screencast of your desktop) will upload to your Reflectivity account simultaneously, as per your selected upload settings (we recommend Auto-Upload).
  

  View your video as a side-by-side dual-camera project in your account at cloud.swivl.com.

  7. From here, you can select the audio track you want to hear (either the primary marker or the audio from your desktop) and you can maximize your camera view to focus on one particular video over the other.

    

  Troubleshooting

  • If you are on a Mac and your security settings block you from opening the app, go to "System Preferences" then "Security & Privacy" to allow the app to launch. 
    

    MacOS System Preferences > Privacy & Security tab > Camera/Microphone/Screen Recording and checkmark Swivl Screencast+ app to allow access:
    
    

    Don't forget to allow access to all three apps: Camera, Microphone, and Screen Recording.

  • When sharing a screen in Swivl Screencast+ app, it is possible to inadvertently produce a tunnel view, or infinite-window effect:

    

    There are two ways to avoid such behaviour, such as:

    • Minimize the Swivl Screencast+ app window;
    • Click somewhere outside of the Swivl Screencast+ app window.
      After these steps your screen should continue being recorded. 

  • If for some reason, you did not upload a video captured with the Swivl Screencast+ app, you can resume uploading by clicking the Upload button at the top of the pop-up:

    

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