Panopto – How to make a Panopto recording: Audio and Whiteboard

Contents

If you’re new to Panopto or would like to refresh your memory, this page will explain how to use the Panopto Recorder for Windows. This page explains how to capture a video of yourself and the computer screen.

Pre-requisites

Install Panopto

Panopto is pre-installed in all our lecture theatres. Just search for Panopto in the Start Menu.

To install Panopto on your University Windows staff PC use our guide Installing Panopto on a University Windows PC

We also have guides to install Panopto on your non-University Windows computer or your Apple Mac.

Provision a Blackboard course (Staff only)

Each year you will need to activate Panopto within your Blackboard course. This gives you an area within Panopto to make recordings. For each course follow the guide How do I provision Panopto in Blackboard.

Alternative to using a Blackboard course

Everyone has a “My Folder” that they can record Panopto content into. You can record into this folder without provisioning a Blackboard course but no-one, except yourself, will be able to view it.

Loading the Panopto launcher

There are two ways to launch Panopto in a CLS space, the easiest is to double click the Panopto icon on the desktop. If for some reason you cannot see the icon you can use the following steps:
Select the ‘Start’ menu (or press the Start key on the keyboard).

In the search box that appears type “Panopto” (or find Panopto within “All programs”).

Typing Panopto into the Windows search bar.

An icon will appear saying “Panopto [current version number]” select this icon.

Panopto being listed in the search results.

Tick the “I have read, understood, and agree with the guidance contained in the QA Handbook regarding Lecture Capture” and you will then be ready to press the Launch Panopto button. It is at this point you stop and want to load the “CLS Camera Control”.

A focused image of the Panopto computer launcher.

Note, the launcher says that the camera controls are on the desktop.

Loading the camera control

The camera controls are on the computers desktop, the icon is of a camera and has the words CLS Camera Control under it. This is normally found in the top left of the desktop screen.

An image of a computer desktop highlighting the CLS Camera Control Icon.

Next double click on the icon to load the camera control site.

A focused image of the CLS Camera Control desktop icon.

The camera control website will now load.

On the camera control page you will see green buttons at the top for each possible position to move the camera to, selecting one of the buttons will instantly move the camera. Below that is a set of preview images to help you decide which would be the best area to capture the whiteboard.

Image showing the camera control website.

Launching Panopto

Now go back to the Panopto launcher and load Panopto as normal.
If you are not signed in to Panopto you will be directed to Blackboard to sign in.

A webpage asking you to sign into Blackboard.

Log in with your normal University username and password.
Your web browser will attempt to load Panopto, you should say “yes” or “allow” or “open”. Panopto will open in the background.

Example in Microsoft Edge:

A Windows message box asking permission to switch apps.

Example in Chrome:

A Windows box asking to open the Panopto recorder.

Setting Panopto up to capture whiteboards in high quality

Once the Panopto recorder has loaded, perform the normal folder and audio checks. However this time, under ‘Primary Sources’ ‘Video’ make sure it is set to be ‘None’. Then select the blue button for ‘Add Another Video Source’.

The Panopto recorder, highlighting the video sources.

Once selected you should now see at least the option for ‘Axis Streaming Assistant Default Video’, or the camera name as a location ‘B54 R8031 Dome Camera’. Select either one of these options.

The Panopto recorder, highlighting the secondary video sources.

Now increase the slider for the camera ‘Resolution’ to be 15 fps and check that the kbps is around 1500, this will maximise the capture quality without overloading the recording PC.

The Panopto recorder showing the resolution controls.

The camera can be repositioned, going back to the camera control page, select the camera position that looks to capture the best area. You will then see that the camera feed on the Panopto recorder instantly repositions itself to the new view as you select an option.

A side by side of the camera control page and the Panopto recorder.

You are now ready to record your session as normal on the Panopto recorder. You may wish to close the camera movement page, or if you keep the page open you can reposition the camera to any other preset you like as often as you like.

Recording and Pausing

Recording

When you are ready to record

Press “Record” on Panopto
Start the slideshow in PowerPoint (if required)
Once you have finished your recording press the Stop button
You will then be given the opportunity to rename your session or add a description

Pausing

Pressing pause does not stop Panopto from recording. Instead it automatically tells the editor to remove the paused section before making the session available to students.

Uploading

The progress bars show the recording uploading to Panopto. Once the bars disappear, the recording is being processed by the server.

The Panopto recording upload progress bar.

If your material is confidential, you may wish to wait until the upload has completed and select “Delete Local” to remove the local copy of the presentation from computer’s hard drive.

Panopto recorder showing a recordings option buttons. Delete Local and Set Offline.

If using a lecture theatre PC, Panopto will continue to upload the presentation even if you log out of the computer, although you should not turn off the computer. If you are not on a lecture theatre PC, you will need to wait for the upload to finish before logging out.

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