oCam Advanced Settings - Animated GIF
oCam is versatile software that not only supports screen recording and capture but also provides a GIF animation feature, allowing users to save short video clips as lightweight and easy-to-share GIF files. In the settings window that appears when you click the "Tools - Options" menu, the "Animated GIF" category on the left provides options for adjusting settings related to GIF creation. This tab applies when you click the "Codec" button in the main oCam window and choose the "Animated GIF (.GIF)" codec, and it is useful for optimizing the quality and format of GIF files. Below is a detailed explanation of the main settings in the "Animated GIF" category.
Overview of GIF Settings
The settings in the "Animated GIF" category are options that apply when recording in GIF format in oCam, and they are only enabled when the codec in the main window is set to "Animated GIF (.GIF)." GIF is a format suitable for sharing short animated clips on social media, websites, or messaging apps because the file size is relatively small and it can be played easily on most platforms. Through these settings, users can adjust the visual elements and quality of the GIF as needed.
Include Mouse Cursor
The "Include Mouse Cursor" option determines whether the mouse cursor will be included when recording a GIF animation. By default, this option is checked, so the mouse cursor is included in the GIF. This is useful when creating GIFs for tutorials, software demos, or situations where you want to emphasize mouse movement. For example, if you want to show the process of clicking a specific button in a GIF, including the cursor is effective. On the other hand, if the cursor is unnecessary or you want a cleaner GIF, you can disable this option to record without the cursor.
GIF Settings - FPS
The "GIF Settings - FPS" option sets the number of frames per second for the GIF animation. FPS directly affects both the smoothness of the GIF and the file size. Choosing a higher FPS, such as 30 FPS, makes the GIF play more smoothly, but the file size may become larger. On the other hand, choosing a lower FPS, such as 10 to 15 FPS, reduces the file size but may make the animation look less smooth. Users should choose an appropriate FPS based on the requirements of the sharing platform or file size limits. For example, for a short GIF uploaded to social media, 15 to 20 FPS is usually enough to get a natural-looking result.
Resize
The "Resize" option sets the output resolution of the GIF animation and works in the same way as the settings under the "Recording - Resize" tab. This setting applies only to the GIF codec and allows users to adjust the size of the GIF to the resolution they want. The supported resolution presets are as follows:
4320p UHD 8K (7680x4320), 2160p UHD 4K (3840x2160), 1440p QHD (2560x1440), 1080p FHD (1920x1080), 720p HD (1280x720), 480p (854x480), 360p (640x360), 240p (426x240), 144p (256x144), 120p (160x120), 96p (128x96)
Half Size: Reduces both the width and height of the recording area by half.
Specify Width Only and Keep Height Fixed: Sets the width while adjusting the height to match the original aspect ratio.
Specify Height Only and Keep Width Fixed: Sets the height while adjusting the width to match the original aspect ratio.
Custom: Lets the user directly enter the width and height to adjust the size exactly as desired.
Since GIF files are generally easier to share when the file size is small, it is common to choose a lower resolution such as 720p or below, or use the "Half Size" option. However, if you set a GIF to a very high resolution such as 8K, the file size can increase dramatically, so it is important to choose the settings while considering the upload limits and intended use of the platform.
Usage Tips
The settings in the "Animated GIF" category play a key role in creating GIF animations quickly and effectively. For example, if you want to make a short clip for social media, you can set the FPS to 15 to 20 and the resolution to 480p or 720p to optimize file size. Including the mouse cursor is useful when you want to highlight user actions, but if you prefer a cleaner visual style, it is better to leave the cursor out. Also, after creating a GIF, you can check the file size and, if necessary, re-record it with a lower FPS or resolution to match the limitations of the target platform.
GIF uses lossless compression, so it can maintain clear images without quality loss, but the number of colors may be limited, so it is a good idea to preview the result when recording screens with complex colors. Setting the save path in advance in oCam can also help you quickly find and use the GIF files you create.
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oCam Advanced Settings - Save
Click Tools - Options on the oCam main menu to view the settings in the Save category.
By default, the save path is set to the "This PC-Documents-oCam" folder in Windows 10, and all recordings, audio recordings, and captures are saved to this location.
The save path can be changed by clicking the button.
The file name to be saved follows a predefined format or a user-defined format, and by default it is set to "<Prefix>_<YYYY_MM_DD_HH_NN_SS_Z>".
The file name format can also be changed by clicking the button, and when you click it, you can see the predefined formats.
If you click the Help menu item, you can see more detailed information about the format, as shown below.
( When the Help menu item was clicked at 11:29:49.902 AM on June 16, 2016 )
<Y> = 16
<YY> = 16
<YYYY> = 2016
<M> = 6
<MM> = 06
<MMM> = 6
<MMMM> = June
<D> = 16
<DD> = 16
<DDD> = Thu
<DDDD> = Thursday
<DDDDD> = 2016-06-16
<DDDDDD> = Thursday, June 16, 2016
<C> = 2016-06-16 11:29:49 AM
<H> = 11
<HH> = 11
<N = 29
<NN> = 29
<S> = 49
<SS> = 49
<Z> = 902
<ZZZ> = 902
<T> = 11:29 AM
<TT> = 11:29:49 AM
<AM/PM> = AM
<a/p> = a
<ampm> = AM
<Prefix> = Recording
<ProgramName> = oCam
<UserID> = User Name
<DisplayUserName> =
<#> = 1
<##> = 01
<###> = 001
The file name format may feel difficult for some users, so here are a few examples.
- If the file name is <Prefix>_<#>, then <Prefix> is the prefix and # is the serial number.
The prefix is replaced with Recording when recording video, Audio when recording sound, and Capture when capturing the screen, while # is replaced with a serial number.
For example, when you finish recording the screen, a file named Recording_1 is created. ( Only if there is no similar file name in the oCam save folder. )
And when you record again, a file named Recording_2 is created. The reason the serial number becomes 2 is because a file named Recording_1 already exists.
- If the file name is <ProgramName>_<#>, then <ProgramName> represents the name of the program being recorded. In normal screen recording, it is replaced with oCam, and <#> is added as a serial number just as before.
However, when recording a game, recording starts inside the game program, so the file is created using the name of the game's executable file.
- If the file name is <dddddd>_<#>, then dddddd means the localized date, so on a Korean operating system it is replaced with the current date at the time this was written, Thursday, June 16, 2016, and # is filled in with a serial number.
The localized date varies depending on the language settings of the operating system. In other words, it appears differently on an English OS because it uses the format built into the operating system.
- If the file name is My_<#>_th_<Prefix>_File, then when recording, a file named My_1st_Recording_File is created, and when recording again, the file name becomes My_2nd_Recording_File.
- If the file name is <UserID> recorded <Prefix> of the game called <ProgramName> on <DDDDDD>. then it may be created as "AdvancedDeveloper recorded Recording of the game called LocalDeformablePRT on Thursday, June 16, 2016." The content inside <> varies depending on what is being recorded.
Serial number start means the starting number of the serial number that can be set with # inside <>.