Defining the Capture Area

You can choose to record either a selected part of the screen, or the screen as a whole.

This task shows you how to:

Capture a Screen Area

The Screen Area mode lets you define the recorded area by drawing a rectangular area anywhere on the screen.

  1. In 3DS Video Record, click Screen Area .
  2. Click Record or pause to start recording.
  3. Left-click + drag to draw a rectangle.
    As you drag, you draw a rectangle like this, and the size of the rectangle is displayed:

  4. Release the mouse to close the rectangle and define the part of the screen you want to record.
    When you release the mouse, the selected area is highlighted like this:

    The recorded area is the drawn rectangle. Every tab, dialog box, or viewer, in this area is going to be recorded.

  5. When finished recording, click Stop .
  6. In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the .avi file, and then choose the storage directory.
  7. Click Save.
    The player dedicated to the selected compressor opens to replay the video.

    For example, if you select Full Frames (Uncompressed), the Windows Media Player opens, and only the selected part of the screen is displayed in the video.

Capture the Full Screen

The Full Screen mode lets you record the whole screen.

  1. In the 3DS Video Record, select Full Screen .
  2. Click Record or pause to start recording.
  3. When finished recording, click Stop .
  4. In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the .avi file and choose the storage directory.
  5. Click Save.
    The player dedicated to the selected compressor opens to replay the video.

    For instance, if Full Frames (Uncompressed) has been selected, the Windows Media Player opens, and the whole screen is displayed in the video.

Capture a Widget

The Widget mode lets you define the recorded area by selecting a widget in a tab or on the desktop.

Note that in dual display, this functionality is available only on the main screen.

  1. In the 3DS Video Record, click Widget .
  2. Click Record or pause to start recording.
  3. Move your mouse over the screen to select the widget you want to record (a widget is identified by a thick black outline) then click in the widget area when ready.

    If you already selected a widget for a previous record, you can skip the selection to keep the same widget by pressing Esc.

  4. When finished recording, click Stop .
  5. In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the .avi file and choose the storage directory.
  6. Click Save.
    The player dedicated to the selected compressor opens to replay the video.

    For instance, if Full Frames (Uncompressed) has been selected, the Windows Media Player opens, and the whole screen is displayed in the video.

Capture a Fixed Area

The Fixed Area mode lets you define the width and height of the recorded area by drawing a rectangular area on the screen then positioning this area as required.

Note that in dual display, this functionality is available only on the main screen.

  1. In the 3DS Video Record, click Fixed Area .
  2. Choose the size of the area you want to record by selecting the appropriate option.
    Predefined video and screen standards are provided in the Video and Screen pulldown lists (these predefined resolutions cannot be modified). You can also enter the dimensions of your choice by selecting Custom.
    Important: The values you enter for the Custom mode might be rounded if this resolution is not supported by the codec, or if it does not reach the minimum resolution. The resolution you enter must be comprised between 12x12 and 1600x1200 pixels.
  3. Click Record or pause to start recording.
  4. Position the outline that appears over the area you want to record.


  5. Click with the left mouse button to confirm the position.


  6. When finished recording, click Stop .
  7. In the dialog box that opens, enter the name of the .avi file and choose the storage directory.
  8. Click Save.
    The player dedicated to the selected compressor opens to replay the video.

    For instance, if Full Frames (Uncompressed) has been selected, the Windows Media Player opens, and the whole screen is displayed in the video.