Information Technology

Easy screen recording in Windows using the Microsoft Office Mix Add-in

 

As instructors, help desk operators, support staff, and researchers – we often find ourselves in a position where the easiest way to describe a process or problem would be in real-time, with video.  If you work on a Mac, this is easy.  MacOS includes a program called QuickTime, which includes an option to record your screen (with or without sound).  However, for Windows users, this process has always been a bit more difficult.  Unless you are a gamer (and use an XBox), Windows doesn’t provide built-in software to facilitate screen recording, which means individuals are often left to look for their own solutions or software.  And if you are like me, this has meant trying or purchasing a wide range of products throughout the years to find something that works. 

But I do create a lot of videos.  One of the hazards of writing software or doing research, is that people ask questions – and often, a video may be the best way to provide an answer.  And for software, I find that a video tutorial provides a level of clarity that is difficult to get with just text.  So, when I was asked recently what software I use to create these quick tutorials — I wanted to share.

The Office Mix Add-in

About a year ago, I stumbled onto a new add-in that was being developed for called the Office Mix Add-in.  In PowerPoint, the plug-in was part of a new PowerPoint Template for creating interactive presentations, which was interesting, but what I found more interesting, was that that this plug-in provided a way to create high quality screen captures optimized in mp4 format (great for sharing on YouTube). 

So how does it work?  Well, the first thing you need to do is get the add-in.  You can get the add-in from the Microsoft Office Website at: https://mix.office.com/en-us/Home. 

Once the Office Mix add-in has been installed, you can start using it.  To use the add-in:

• Open PowerPoint
• Start a blank Presentation and click on Mix Tab
  

  Screenshot of the MS Office-Mix Add-in Toolbar

The Office Mix Add-in has a lot of options available – including helping to facilitate the generation of a variety of quizzes or the ability to convert your presentation to a video.  However, if you are looking to create a screen recording, you would select the Screen Recording option.

When selected, you’ll see the following control added to the top of your primary monitor:

Here, you can select the size of the screen to capture, if you want it to capture audio from your microphone, and if the recording should capture your mouse movements.  Once you’ve set a recording area, the record option is enabled.  Click record, and start recording. 

When the recording is completed, the video will be embedded into your blank PowerPoint session.  If you just want the video, right click on it, and select the option, save to media.   Otherwise, the video will be embedded as part of your PowerPoint session.

 

–tr