3 ms·

I often create screen recordings for my classes, but it's very boring and time consuming. I'm a perfectionist, and if I mistype a command I prefer to re-record

I often create screen recordings for my classes, but it's very boring and time consuming. I'm a perfectionist, and if I mistype a command I prefer to re-record everything. Moreover, every time one of the tools used in the videos gets a significant update, I feel compelled to redo the video. I have started using xdotool [1] to create bash scripts that send mouse clicks and keystrokes to apps. Interleaving calls to xdotool with the "sleep" command [2] produce a convincing effect. If I need to redo a video to fix typos or after a program update, I just fix the bash script and restart the recording. Alas, the only thing that is missing in my videos is the sound of keyboard clicks… But nothing is perfect! [1] https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool https://github.com/jordansissel/xdotool [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_(command) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_(command)

majewsky 4y ago
We used something similar in 2008 at CeBIT (which was the biggest IT trade show in Germany at the time). A publishing house for IT magazines set up a side area for minibooths and gave them out to a dozen open-source projects. I was there with a bunch others to represent KDE. We only had a few posters and stickers, nothing fancy, so we had to make our booth flashy somehow. My friend quickly hacked together something with a similar input simulation tool that opened applications from the start menu, flipped through directories in Dolphin, and such, and set it up to run in a loop. It sure did help us catch people's attention.
f0e4c2f7 4y ago
Love this one. For the clicking sound you could add something like the below command on each click. 'aplay click.wav'
- eCa 4y ago
  If adding mouse/keyboard sounds the main challenge is the variability in sounds, for instance how hard keys are pressed. Also, repetetive sounds, or sounds that are mis-timed to the corresponding action, are worse than no sound at all.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    Just have a disconnected model M that you type along with.
RomanPushkin 4y ago
that's really cool, thanks for sharing
gaws 4y ago
> I have started using xdotool [1] to create bash scripts that send mouse clicks and keystrokes to apps. Interleaving calls to xdotool with the "sleep" command [2] produce a convincing effect. Can you share some of these scripts?
- ziotom78 4y ago
  Sure, here is one of them: https://github.com/ziotom78/tnds-tomasi-notebooks/blob/master/asciinema/install-fmt-script.sh https://github.com/ziotom78/tnds-tomasi-notebooks/blob/maste... And here is the recording, made with asciinema: https://asciinema.org/a/544981 https://asciinema.org/a/544981

majewsky 4y ago

We used something similar in 2008 at CeBIT (which was the biggest IT trade show in Germany at the time). A publishing house for IT magazines set up a side area for minibooths and gave them out to a dozen open-source projects. I was there with a bunch others to represent KDE. We only had a few posters and stickers, nothing fancy, so we had to make our booth flashy somehow. My friend quickly hacked together something with a similar input simulation tool that opened applications from the start menu, flipped through directories in Dolphin, and such, and set it up to run in a loop. It sure did help us catch people's attention.

f0e4c2f7 4y ago

Love this one. For the clicking sound you could add something like the below command on each click. 'aplay click.wav'

eCa 4y ago
If adding mouse/keyboard sounds the main challenge is the variability in sounds, for instance how hard keys are pressed. Also, repetetive sounds, or sounds that are mis-timed to the corresponding action, are worse than no sound at all.
- bombcar 4y ago
  Just have a disconnected model M that you type along with.

RomanPushkin 4y ago

that's really cool, thanks for sharing

gaws 4y ago

> I have started using xdotool [1] to create bash scripts that send mouse clicks and keystrokes to apps. Interleaving calls to xdotool with the "sleep" command [2] produce a convincing effect. Can you share some of these scripts?

ziotom78 4y ago
Sure, here is one of them: https://github.com/ziotom78/tnds-tomasi-notebooks/blob/master/asciinema/install-fmt-script.sh https://github.com/ziotom78/tnds-tomasi-notebooks/blob/maste... And here is the recording, made with asciinema: https://asciinema.org/a/544981 https://asciinema.org/a/544981