Index >>Quick Guide >> Pre-Recording Setup
Step 1: What to Record
On this screen you can select to record either a portion of your screen, (which you select using the mouse), the area surrounding a window, or the entire screen.
Note: full screen recording at high resolutions is extremely processor intensive and is likely to result in lower frame rates.
You can also select whether or not to record audio input. Screen Mimic currently only records audio from your default audio input device. You may change the default input device by clicking the "Configure" button.
Once you press the Next button, you will be prompted to select your recording area.
If you selected "Record Selection", you select the recording area by clicking and dragging on the screen to highlight the area you would like to record.
If you selected "Record Window", mouse over the window that you would like to record until it turns a blue-highlight color. (You may have to move the mouse outside of the window and reenter it in some cases.)
If you selected "Record Full Screen", the recording selection is already made and you proceed directly to step 2.
Once your recording selection has been made, you will then proceed to the Step 2 screen.
Step 2: How to Record
On this screen you can select several options that define the behavior of the recording system during the recording process.
If you select "Recording area follows mouse", the recording area will move around the screen to keep the mouse cursor within its boundaries.
If you select "Hide recording area guide", the pulsating guide will be invisible while you record. This is useful if you have selected "Recording area follows mouse" and are moving the mouse quickly during recording, as sometimes the edges of the guide will appear in the frame during fast movements.
The next section dictates how the capture frame rate works. The default option is "Maintain Frame Rate" at 15 frames per second. This means that during every second of recording, Screen Mimic will capture 15 frames. Increasing the frame rate too high can cause performance issues. Anything above 15 frames per second is considered overkill for basic screen recording.
Selecting "Maintain System Performance" will cause Screen Mimic to capture frame at irregular intervals at a rate that does not impact any other application on the system. Typically this rate will vary between 7 and 15 frames per seconds.
The benefit of this option is that if you are recording some memory or processor intensive operation, Screen Mimic won't create a negative impact on it. The downside of this option is that since it is using a variable video frame rate, the audio can slowly go out of sync. Most people using this option record the video first, and then dub an audio track in later using an application like Apple's Garage Band
Step 3: When to Record
This screen gives you the option of recording immediately after clicking "Go", or after a delay of some number of seconds that you specify.
If you select the "Record after delay" option, enter the number of seconds that you would like to delay and then click "Go". A timer will appear in the lower right-hand corner counting down the time until recording begins.
You may pause the timer or cancel it by clicking the corresponding buttons. Canceling the timer also cancels the recording.
At the top of the step three screen are the current recording hot keys written in blue. The default Stop Recording combo is Shift-Command-R (all pressed together), and the default Pause Recording combo is Shift-Command-U. These combos can be changed in the application preferences, and are explained in the section about the recording stage.