Using the Camera

Use the Camera tool to capture an image of your Desktop, Flipchart and paused video frames or animations. You can take a photograph of the complete display screen or you can define a specific area on the screen to capture only part of it.

The photograph will capture all types of objects displayed on screen including backgrounds, annotations, grids, lines, shapes, text and other images.

  1. From the Tools Menu, select Camera. Choose the type of snapshot from the drop-down menu:

    • Area Snapshot – A highlighted box is displayed. Click inside the box and drag to move it – change the measurements with the handles. For fine adjustment, use the Position controls in the Camera Snapshot box.

    • Point to Point Snapshot – Click and drag, drawing straight lines to enclose a highlighted outline area on the greyed-out screen. The snapshot area cannot be moved or modified – if you get it wrong, just close the Camera Snapshot box and try again.

    • Freehand Snapshot – Click and drag, drawing freehand to enclose a highlighted outline area on the greyed-out screen. The snapshot area cannot be moved or modified – if you get it wrong, just close the Camera Snapshot box and try again.

    • Window Snapshot – Capture dialog boxes, or the ActivInspire window.

    • Fullscreen Snapshot – Capture the full screen.

 

  1. Choose the destination for your snapshot from the Camera Snapshot box:

    • Current Page – Capture the image to the current flipchart page.

    • New Page – Capture the image to a new page at the end of the flipchart.

    • Clipboard – Capture the image to the clipboard.

    • My Resources – Capture the image to the My Resources folder.

    • Shared Resources – Capture the image to the Shared Resources folder.

The resultant image of all of these objects, which can be added to your Flipchart page, Resource Library, Shortcut bar or clipboard as an object that you can manipulate. The photograph is simply an image of the screen, so any objects within your photograph will not be editable. You can resize or rotate the photograph like any other image object.

Make sure that the screen is displaying the image you wish to capture. Choose from one of the following snapshot types, which are discussed in order as they appear on the Camera tool menu:

Area

A dotted line in a rectangle shape will appear on your screen. The rectangle can be positioned anywhere on your screen by a click inside the rectangle shape and drag it to another part of the screen. It can also be resized using the Sizing Handles that surround the border. Move these around until the shape contains the image you want to photograph, then choose from one of the paste options available from the Photograph toolbox.

Point to Point

Allows you to capture an irregular shape made up from straight lines. The first click starts the shape. Every time you click, you add another node to the shape so you can move the line in another direction. To end the shape, click close to the first point and ActivInspire will automatically close the shape for you. A preview of your photograph will appear on screen surrounded by a pink background. Choose from one of the paste options available from the Photograph toolbox.

Freehand

Allows you to capture an irregular shape using freehand lines. Click and drag the cursor to start the capture. As you move the cursor, a dotted line follows it to define the capture area. To end the shape, just release the click and ActivInspire will close the shape by placing a straight line between the first and last point. A preview of your photograph will appear on screen surrounded by a pink background. Choose one of the paste options available from the Photograph toolbox.