A screencast is a video or animated image of what is displayed on a computer screen to show readers what the instructions in knowledge base articles are telling them.

Before you create a screencast

• Try to present Firefox in its most familiar form.
  • Use as many default settings as possible.
  • Use the default Firefox theme.
  • Use the default operating system theme.
• Lower the screen resolution or do not capture the entire screen, so it will fit in the browser window.
• Make sure there's enough context to know what the image is of.
• If speaking, make sure you speak clearly.
• Make sure you can export to FLV or ogg/theora.
• Screencasts should only be applied to step-by-step instructions.

Software

Windows

• BB FlashBack Express (free)
• Camtasia Studio

Mac

• iShowU HD
• Screenflow
• Snapz Pro X

Linux

• vlc (free)
• recordMyDesktop (free)

Converting to OGG (Windows or Mac)

Ogg/Theora is an open video format that Firefox 3.5 can play without the need for a plugin. Unlike other video formats such as Flash or MPEG, Ogg is unrestricted by software patents and open for further software development. Because Firefox can play Ogg files without a plugin, users with problematic plugins will have better chance of being able to view Ogg screencasts.

Steps (Windows)

• Using BB FlashBack Express, you can export to an uncompressed AVI, which VLC will convert easily.

1. Install and run VLC media player.
2. Go to the Media menu and select Convert/Save....
   
   
   
3. Click Add to select the file to convert.
   
   
   
4. After you've added a file, click on Convert/Save.
5. Under "Settings", select the Video - Theora + Vorbis (OGG) profile.
   
   
   
6. Beside "Destination file", click Browse... to choose a location and name of the OGG file.
7. Click Start.

Adding screencasts to articles

1. Read the Editing articles page first.
2. Beside Upload screencast, click Browse....
   
   
   
   
3. A file selector will open, allowing you to select the file from your computer. After you have selected the file in the file selector, and clicked Open, the file is ready to be uploaded.
4. Click Upload to upload the screencast. A thumbnail of the file should appear in the Insert screencast area.
   
   
   
   

• • You can add both a Flash video and an Ogg video at the same time, and the fallback will work automatically.

1. To insert a screencast, click on the Insert Screencast link below the thumbnail, and the corresponding code will appear where the cursor is, in the article content area.