Re: The Burden of Screen Captures

["Brad Jensen" <brad -at- elstore -dot- com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: bounce-techwr-l-86395 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com 
> [mailto:bounce-techwr-l-86395 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com] On Behalf Of 
> Broberg, Mats

> 2. If there is no easier way, does anyone know if there is 
> there a screen capturing software around that creates an 
> autonumber when you save the image? That would save me some 
> time, since I save all image files (and document files) with 
> a prefix + a sequential number.
> Best regards,
> Mats Broberg
> Technical Documentation Manager
> FLIR Systems AB

Here's one way.  

You can download our course module maker (it is free)
 at www.eufrates.com/setup.exe

Start it up, create a new course module, then select 
the menu item 'Edit/Auto Capture'. This puts it into auto capture mode.

Then run your application that you want to capture from. 

Every time you press Prtscr or Alt-PrtScr, Windows captures 
the screen, or active window, respectively.

In auto capture mode Eufrates makes a new course page, and 
adds the image data from the clipboard, each time the image data
changes.

When you are done, turn off auto capture mode. The Eufrates 
module file will contain all the screen images (in an Access database,
actually). 

This module is designed for use with our Eufrates elearning 
hosting system, but you can do one more thing to get what your are
looking for.

Set 'Edit/Auto capture' off.

Now select the menu item 'Page/Export Pages'. Browse to a 
file directory to export the files to. This needs to be 
unique for each module you create. You can enter anything 
in the properties data fields, since this is for a custom 
'back' link for the resulting web pages.

It will ask you OK, and you click 'Yes'.

This will export all of your screen captures as two files, 
a thumbnail file (primary0001.jpg, etc) and a full 
size file (Secondary0001.jpg, etc.)

It actually seems to start with 0002 instead of 0001 - 
a small feature (bug). 

It also creates html for navigation back and forth thru the images.

If you stop and put rich text into the module pages, it 
will also export that as a part of the html. 

Anyone is free to use the module maker in this way. It's a 
very quick way to document a program or procedure.

We make our money off the people who want to use it as 
hosted elearning, with Q&A, certificates, etc. But the module 
maker itself is free, including using it to make html+slides+audio 
(I left out the audio part, but it's in there) that you can host 
on your own web pages, or put on CD.

It's also a fun way to convert PowerPoint into elearning, 
using the same auto capture, or a macro that also exports the 
notes into the elearning page text. If you want the macro, email me.

You don't have to tell me that you are downloading and using 
the module maker, it is really free.

At some point in the future I might start charging for the 
module maker, but this version is free.

We have found that JPG screen shots work better if you 
switch your monitor to 256 colors before capturing. 
That's not required. We plan to support PNG soon.

www.eufrates.com has a free Eufrates course (under 
Course Library/Eufrates) on how to use the module maker.

The question and answer feature doesn't work in the 
non-hosted version (although you can enter them, 
there's no application to run them).  The hosted version 
also supports multiple user-defined languages.

(Uh-oh I'm starting to sound commercial so I will stop here.)

I hope you all have fun with this program.

Brad Jensen
www.eufrates.com
Elearning made simple




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