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In Lesson 4 "Preparing your screen for recording" there is a mention of a script. Can you download it from the notes on the course and upload it for us?

Proper screen preparation is a super important part of creating a quality screencast. The idea is simple: hide everything. Yes, EVERYTHING. This way we ensure that our viewers can focus solely on the material we're teaching without being sidetracked by our desktop icons or application names. No matter the type of computer you're using, hiding elements on your screen is an important part of recording great screencasts.



The Art of Hiding

Imagine this scenario: while watching a screencast, instead of paying attention to the tutorial, you find yourself trying to read the filenames of the presenters' desktop icons. It draws focus away from the message and reduces the quality of your viewing experience.



I've found there are three things in particular you should definitely hide:



All the icons on your desktop

The status bar at the top

The dock at the bottom

If this seems like a daunting task, do not worry! I've put together a little script that hides all three of these things simultaneously. This script is especially useful when hiding desktop icons as it can be a bit tricky manually. The script can be run with any application launcher - I opt for Raycast as my choice just because it’s one I often use.



Here is my "hide everything" script. (This is an AppleScript, so it will only work on a Mac.)



tell application "System Events"

-- Hide the menu bar

tell dock preferences to set autohide menu bar to true

-- Hide the dock

tell dock preferences to set autohide to true

-- Hide the icons

do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool FALSE; killall Finder"

-- Don't let the dock pop up when you mouse down

do shell script "defaults write com.apple.dock autohide-delay -float 100 && killall Dock"

end tell



Having executed the script, you'll be left with a clean, distraction-free desktop. The success of this method lies in reducing viewer distraction. Choosing a simple and neutral background is also important. Family photos, anime or CGI characters, or other pictures will likely distract your viewers. My advice? Go for an abstract or branded background.



Thanks to another script I’ve prepared, you can now set your wallpaper for recording too!



tell application "System Events"

tell desktop 1

-- Set the desktop to my "recording" desktop image

set picture to "/Users/aaron/Documents/Screencasting.com/desktop.png"

end tell

end tell



When it's time to get back to not recording, here's a script to return your desktop to normal:



tell application "System Events"

-- Show the menu bar

tell dock preferences to set autohide menu bar to false

-- Show the dock

tell dock preferences to set autohide to false

-- Show the icons

do shell script "defaults delete com.apple.finder CreateDesktop; killall Finder"

end tell



Getting the resolution right

Now that your screen is minimalistic and ready, it's time to think about resolution.



My recommendation is clear here - set your monitor’s display to match the resolution of the output video. This way, what you see on your monitor is exactly what your video will look like. This makes things significantly easier and allows you to review your work in real-time.



To make this easier, I use a program called SwitchResX. This tool lets you set custom resolutions and can be activated at the click of a button. It's powerful and reliable, but a little challenging if you're not tech-savvy. Despite its complexity, it has proven its value in my workflow.



Pro Tip: Assign Hotkeys to your custom resolutions. This way, you'll only need to press a button to switch between your recording and your original display setting.



One last note concerning the resolution: I personally set mine to 1280x720, high DPI. This may not seem like much, but when it's high DPI it's doubled, so your videos come out to be 2K. This appears to be an optimal balance between quality, readability, and practicality for most viewing setups.



Remember, the resolution and usability are a trade-off. On one hand, you want your screencast appearing crystal clear on a 4K display. On the other, you need your applications, text, and interface to be readable when someone's watching on a mobile device or in a small browser window. From my experience, 2K resolution hits the sweet spot.



Automate your preparation

One way SwitchResX shines is its ability to execute scripts when making resolution changes. Want to get your computer ready to record with just one Hotkey? With SwitchResX, you certainly can! When setting up your custom resolution, you can assign a script to run (such as my hiding script) as soon as this custom resolution is activated. Hit one button, and you're ready to record.



Avoid interruptions: going on Do Not Disturb mode

Finally, one more small yet crucial tip: turn on your Do Not Disturb mode. You wouldn't want a sudden Slack notification or text message interrupting your great screencast take. Not just because they are hard to edit out, but because they mess up your flow. Make sure to put your phone on quiet too – vibrations on your desk can be just as annoying!



Taking time to set up your screen recording environment properly can significantly boost the quality of your screencasts. So go ahead, clean up that screen, choose the optimal resolution, automate your setup and switch that Do Not Disturb mode on. Then you'll be all set to create perfect screen recordings!

The video watching experience is really slow. Pls look into it. Most of the time am downloading the content before even attempting to watch it cuz the experience that bad.

Check your internet connection to Europe, it's working fine.

are you asking me to connect to a vpn with location set to eurupe? cuz I reside in India

no, i asking just to do simple speedtest to some Europe country, like Netherlands or France.

nope, same. look into this.

same what? what is a speed test result ?

without VPN: 34 MBps

with VPN: 17 MBps

What was the country you checked for, and the ping ms ?

Please optimize your platform. It is slow. Videos are always buffering... We donot experience this when we watch Youtube, Netflix or Prime Video.

What country you are watching from ?

I think what he need is an option to lower the resolution.

in future will be