Screen Capture that include mouse pointer?

K
Posted By
kaveyf
Sep 7, 2006
Views
535
Replies
14
Status
Closed
As an IT Trainer I often create screenshots for user reference guides and documentation.

Several years ago I used to use PaintShopPro for this work. I did own Photoshop (for photography manipulation) but there were a number of ways that the two applications differed in terms of dumping screenshot into application, selecting an area and copying/ pasting it into the destination document. And Paint Shop Pro gave me some options Photoshop didn’t.

There’s only one arena where I can’t find the functionality I need in Photoshop that I know was available in PaintShopPro. I’d be really grateful if anyone could input on whether I can achieve the below in Photoshop as I really don’t want to have to dig out and install that old copy of PaintShopPro just for this one thing:

When I do a screenshot in the normal way (using the Print Screen button on the keyboard) it dumps an image of the screen itself minus mouse pointer/ mouse trails.

PaintShopPro used to allow to create a screenshot using a different process whereby I could select an option in the menu, switch to my source application, use the mouse with a specific tool selected and create a screenshot (using a keyboard shortcut, one of the Function keys, I think) that INCLUDED THE MOUSE POINTER AND TRAILS!

If anyone knows how I can do this using Photoshop (CS2) I’d be extremely grateful.

Sooner the better given client deadlines and all!

THANKS SO MUCH!

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Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

Y
YrbkMgr
Sep 7, 2006
Photoshop doesn’t include that neat feature. I use Screen Hunter for Free. <http://www.wisdom-soft.com>.

I use their free version and it does all I could ask, and a little more.
K
kaveyf
Sep 7, 2006
Thanks, I’ll definitely look into that!

It’s the only feature I miss now from PaintShopPro (there may be other features that are still unique to PSP but I never used them so don’t miss them).
AC
Art Campbell
Sep 7, 2006
SnagIt is another good program you should look at.
Does the mouse pointer, scrolling web pages & other tricks.

Art
EH
Ed_Hannigan
Sep 7, 2006
Don’t blame Photoshop. It’s Windows that doesn’t include the cursor on the Clipboard. Windows’s screen capture feature is very poor in so many ways.
X
xenophon
Sep 7, 2006
wrote:
As an IT Trainer I often create screenshots for user reference guides and documentation.

<<snip>>

PaintShopPro used to allow to create a screenshot using a different process whereby I could select an option in the menu, switch to my source application, use the mouse with a specific tool selected and create a screenshot (using a keyboard shortcut, one of the Function keys, I think) that INCLUDED THE MOUSE POINTER AND TRAILS!

Gotta put a word in for MWSnap http://www.mirekw.com/winfreeware/mwsnap.html a small but very useful tool. Besides being flexible with respect to captures, hot keys, etc., it provides the ability to add a cursor to the image anywhere once it has been snapped. Give it a look-see.

Scott

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Don_McCahill
Sep 7, 2006
kavey

You might want to look into the Adobe product Captivate. Rather than just capturing screen shots, you can build a Flash animation that shows the entire process, and you can record sound with it.

Very smooth.

Don
LL
Larry_Ligon
Sep 7, 2006
Does anyone know what Dr. Russell Brown uses to make his tutorials? It can capture the mouse cursor and zoom in on the image. It
saves as a Quicktime movie.

Larry
CC
Conrad_Chavez
Sep 8, 2006
On Windows I use HyperSnap <http://www.hyperionics.com/> for still image capture. Its Capture Settings include a "Include Cursor Image" option.

Russell Brown may be using SnapzPro X <http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/> to record his screen movies, since the tutorials I’ve seen show a Mac screen. SnapzPro X is the de facto standard for live screen recording on the Mac, although there are more alternatives now. SnapzPro X also has a pointer capture option when you use it in still frame mode, since Mac OS X’s built-in screen capture is no better than Windows "Print Screen" when it comes to capturing the pointer.
K
kaveyf
Sep 8, 2006
Many thanks, folks.

I appreciate that Windows may be at fault but the fact that Jasc’s PaintShopPro is able to offer this feature means it’s obviously possible even on a windows platform.

It’s certainly not a big deal but it’s the single outstanding feature I wish Adobe had copied for Photoshop. (I don’t use "copy" pejoratively – all these rival software vendors do regular checks on what their competitors are offering and incorporate some of the features into their next release).

I’m not trying to make any animated training materials at this point (though have done that too, in the past) so don’t need the packages that offer that feature. But I will look into some of the ones suggested.

I have already downloaded and tried the free ScreenHunter application recommended in the first post but whilst it allows me to record the mouse pointer it doesn’t record the screen as it as at the moment I press the capture key – once I release the capture key the source application completes the action I was performing and the capture is taken at that point. And the mouse trail/ marquee etc. isn’t captured.

So I’ll work through some of the other recommendations when I’m able.

Thanks again for all your posts. I really appreciate your taking the time to help.
P
Phosphor
Sep 8, 2006
For what they might be worth, and until you work out a smoother workflow, you might find the cursors, icons, etc. at the following link useful. From the images I gathered together you could copy paste itens you need to drop into your cursor-less screen shots:

Phosphor.Digital, "Resources: Patterns, Brushes, Custom Shapes, etc." #1, 3 Sep 2003 9:39 pm </cgi-bin/webx?14/0>
K
kaveyf
Sep 8, 2006
Thanks again!
Y
YrbkMgr
Sep 8, 2006
t doesn’t record the screen as it as at the moment I press the capture key – once I release the capture key the source application completes the action I was performing and the capture is taken at that point

Use the delay capture feature. Press the hotkey and it will delay a time period (seconds) defined by you. <shrug>
AC
Art Campbell
Sep 8, 2006
I don’t believe SnagIt has a delay… Haven’t experienced it anyway, although I usually use the timed capture so I can get the cursor in the right spot.

Art
Y
YrbkMgr
Sep 8, 2006
although I usually use the timed capture

I think it’s the same thing.

You set an amount of time to wait, you press your hotkey, and after that amount of delay, the image, including mouse pointer is capped to clipboard/file.

Must-have mockup pack for every graphic designer 🔥🔥🔥

Easy-to-use drag-n-drop Photoshop scene creator with more than 2800 items.

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