Multimedia

Applications for creating, designing, editing, converting, and producing multimedia content including sound, video, print media, presentation, animation, and modeling including applications used to play, edit, create, or record audio for purposes of dictation, music, broadcast, or otherwise and applications used to create, edit, or produce video content. Software ranges from simple clip editor tools, to professional video editing software, to DVD production tools. Finally, this category includes software for capturing. Capture software allows you to get a snapshot of something. For example, you could get a snapshot of your computer screen at a particular moment in time or for a period of time. This snapshot could be an image (screenshot) or video (screencast).

There is also capture software designed for capturing presentations, lectures and events

Screencast-O-Matic

November 20, 2014 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Design & VisualizationMultimedia

screencast-o-matic

Availability: Free web application
Comparable: Camtasia Studio, Expression Encoder, ScreenFlow, BB FlashBack Pro

Screencast-O-Matic is a web application that allows a user to make simple, quick recordings of their computer’s screen without installing software.  Users can narrate the video using a microphone or use a webcam to narrate while showing a video of the host.  The software allows highlighting a particular portion of the screen or capturing the entire screen.  The software then allows you to either download the resulting video or upload it to YouTube.

Screencast-O-Matic is available for free for Mac (10.6 or higher) and Windows, and a Pro license introduces additional features.  Free users can take up to a 15 minute video.

Screencast-O-Matic’s power is in its simplicity and portability.  It can be really useful when using an unfamiliar computer such as one in a podium of a classroom or lecture hall.

You can access Screencast-O-Matic at www.screencast-o-matic.com.

ScreenFlow

June 27, 2016 by Laurie Parker
Categories: Multimedia

Availability: Purchase license | Free trial

Comparable: Camtasia Studio, Expression Encoder, Screencast-O-Matic, BB FlashBack Pro

Screenflow logoScreenFlow is a screencasting and video editing software for the Macintosh platform. The software allows users to add transitions, annotations, text, audio and video filters, multi-channel audio mixing, chroma key and callouts. ScreenFlow has the ability to add mouse click effects, adjust mouse pointer size, and display keys that are pressed during the screen recording.

Screenflow 5 can record audio and video from connected iOS8 devices. Note: This feature requires iOS 8 or higher + Mac OS X 10.10 or higher + lightning connection to USB.

Videos can be exported directly to YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, Dropbox, Facebook, Wistia, or Telestream Cloud from within the application.

This software is only available for the Macintosh platform.

Tags: tutorial

SketchUp

October 30, 2014 by Andy Voelker
Categories: Analysis & ModelingMultimedia

Availability: Free Download  |  Pro Download
Comparable: Blender, Solidworks

SketchUp (formerly: Google Sketchup) is a 3D modeling program for applications such as architectural, interior design, civil and mechanical engineering, film, and video game design. A freeware version, SketchUp Make, and a paid version with additional functionality, SketchUp Pro, are available.

The program claims to be easy to use. There is an online open source repository of free-of-charge model assemblies (e.g., windows, doors, automobiles, etc.), 3D Warehouse, to which users may contribute models. The program includes drawing layout functionality, allows surface rendering in variable “styles”, supports third-party “plug-in” programs hosted on a site called Extension Warehouse to provide other capabilities (e.g., near photo-realistic rendering), and enables placement of its models within Google Earth.

A free version of SketchUp is available here.  A heavily discounted version of SketchUp Pro is available for students and educators here.