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vincent15000's avatar

How to create screen video capture like on Laracasts with OBS Studio ?

Hello,

I discover OBS Studio and I'd like to use this tool to make videos capture of my screen.

I'm trainer and a client asks me to create some tutorial on a subject.

I have tried OBS Studio to make the screen video capture, I have created scenes to capture specific windows, but I have a problem.

On the screen, I have the application bar (shortcut to access the applications) and the status bar and this bars prevent the capture to be full screen : there is a blank on the video in place of the bars.

I'd like to capture the windows full screen.

Is there any configuration on OBS Studio to do that ?

Or is it necessary to have a second screen ?

Any advice ?

Thanks a lot.

V

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18 replies
Glukinho's avatar

Basically, OBS captures everything what you want with ease. Can you give screenshots of what you're trying to capture and what resuolt you have?

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ian_h's avatar

You can adjust the areas that OBS captures.. add overlays and all sorts... get it to record an entire screen or a single window.

You could fullscreen the app/browser and use OBS to record that (can still base it on window) if you wanted it fullscreen so not to capture OBS etc itself.

Here's an example of one of my OBS scenes that would capture ACC (couldn't add an image to the post, so had to be a link) https://cloud.digiserv.net/s/AbGsjFoCH5bErJZ

Run the app you want to capture, and once you select the capture specific window option, you should be able to select the window name of the app/browser that you want.

If it is a browser, there's a browser capture option too IIRC.. you can pick it from the sources list of items to capture.

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vincent15000's avatar

I add some information to my post : when I say that there is a blank on the video, blank in place of the application and status bar, that mean that the fullscreen is in reality fullscreen minus the application and status bar. That's why I have blank borders in the video.

vincent15000's avatar

The problem is while taking the capture, because the windows doesn't occupy all the space (a part of the space is occupied by the status bar and it is impossible to grow the window so that it occupies this status bar space too).

And also after the capture, because the unoccupied space is not captures.

For example : 1024 pixels height minus 24 pixels for the status bar.

ian_h's avatar

Can you not fullscreen the browser, Vincent? This should remove the statusbar from being part of the equation? (I'm on a windows box, but have recorded games that use fullscreen without there being any borders/space where the statusbar would be.. not sure what OS you're on?)

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ian_h's avatar

Here's an example I've just done recording this page in Firefox for example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ZUhA8xNcM

I have hotkeys setup for start/stop recording/streaming in OBS.. and both OBS and Firefox were running on the same monitor.

Here's a screenshot of the quick setup in OBS I used for the above example video:

https://cloud.digiserv.net/s/epnMxd6AEyqKgEG

In short, the process was:

  • OBS - Define a window capture as the source, and specify Firefox (for my example)
  • Fullscreen my browser (F11)
  • OBS start recording hotkey
  • Do whatever in the browser
  • OBS stop recording hotkey

The hotkeys aren't required as if you select a window source, it won't matter if OBS is on top of that window or not.. I did this a long time ago to make life easier for streaming videos mostly.

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vincent15000's avatar

@ian_h Oh interesting idea to not fullscreen the browser ... hmmm ... I just tried it, the video capture shows a black outline (capture 1980 x 1024, browser smaller).

Perhaps I missed some configuration ?

vincent15000's avatar

@ian_h But in your video capture, I see the application bar on the left ... so you capture the entire screen and not just a window.

ian_h's avatar

Sorry mate, maybe I mis-worded my previous reply. You want to put the browser into fullscreen mode and then select just the browser window in the OBS source.. this will prevent other windows etc from overlaying the browse, regardless of whatever you happen to see/have visible on your screen.

If you're still struggling by this evening.. I'll try and record another video from start to finish of what I'm selecting in OBS and what I'm doing with the browser window πŸ™‚

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ian_h's avatar

Ahhh that's not the application bar, I use vertical tabs in Firefox (the icons displayed on the left).. so the only thing you see in the video is Firefox itself.

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vincent15000's avatar

@ian_h

Ok so it's only Firefox ... hmmm ... that's fine and very interesting.

I'm interested in knowing the whole configuration you are using on OBS ;).

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ian_h's avatar

No worries mate.. I'll run through this later today after work and video/document it and hopefully it'll work for you too.

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ian_h's avatar

Sorry for the delay Vincent.. life happened!

Here's another video that has half a dozen screenshots and the resulting recorded browser showing the options I selected in OBS to achieve this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ3uNF7h92w

Hope this helps with the setup.

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Jsanwo64's avatar

You should check out PolyCapture works perfectly well

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Jsanwo64's avatar

True, I forgot to specify that. But it is really good if you are on Mac OS

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