Camtasia Studio 8: Create an Interactive Table of Contents (and Save Time Editing) with Markers

Posted on by

Would you like to make it easier for your viewers to navigate through your videos? Or, would you just like help speeding up the editing process? If so, then markers are a great tool to add to your repertoire.

In the following video, you’ll learn how to:

  • Find and open the marker view (0:30)
  • Differentiate between the two types of markers. (0:52)
  • Add markers to your project. (1:40)
  • Quickly pinpoint a section to delete. (2:00)
  • Add markers while recording. (2:35)
  • Use markers to set up a table of contents. (3:30)


Can’t see the video? Watch it on Screencast.com.

Learn more about Camtasia Studio

Check out more free product tutorials.
Want us to make a tutorial about a specific topic? Post your idea at feedback.techsmith.com.
Don't want to miss another post? Subscribe to our RSS feed.

  • Fred G.

    Thanks for sharing Cait. Great information and very well explained tutorial for users.

    • Cait Ryan

      Thanks, Fred! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it. Please feel free to let me know if there are any topics you’d like to see explained in a future blog post. :)

  • http://twitter.com/IntranetSites William

    Hi Cait great lesson

    I have a problem

    I need to have a pause button

    can you help

    so a callout that PAUSES when you click and unpauses when second click

    I use this on tablets where by the public is using their finger or thumb to navigate

    see sample
    http://coughlinteam.com/images/coughlinteam/movies/WWLLH/30344_Marshall_Rd_Abbotsford/30344_Marshall_Rd_Abbotsford_player.html

    • Cait Ryan

      Hi William,

      Thanks for posting. I’d be happy to help, but first I need a little more clarification about the problem. Are you looking to have the video pause at the end of each section so that the viewer must then pick a new section? Or, are you finding that tablet users are having difficulty with the pause button within the player, and need to create a larger option for them?

      Please feel free to either post a response here, or email me directly at c.ryan@techsmith.com.

      Thanks,

      Cait

  • Donna

    Cait – Great blog! I am doing a lot more with TOCs in my videos and would like to know if there is there an advantage to producing a video with TOC as multiple files versus as one mp4 file? It seems like jumping from one chapter to another is smoother and more reliable when the video’s been rendered with multiple files. The videos are being viewed from Screencast.com, any tips you have would be appreciated. Thanks!

    • Cait Ryan

      Thanks, Donna!

      How long are the videos you’re working with? Unless it’s super long and creating a really large file, I’d recommend using one MP4 with a TOC. It’s easier to keep track of one MP4 file, and using the TOC to navigate should be smooth and reliable within the single file (especially if you’re sharing your videos on Screencast.com). If you’re finding this not to be the case, I’d be interested in taking a look at one of your videos to see what might be causing the issue. You can email me at c.ryan@techsmith.com if you’d like to go that route.

      - Cait

  • http://blog.scoop0901.net/ Scoop0901

    how did you do the animated boxes?

    • Cait Ryan

      Hi Scoop, thanks for watching. The animated boxes were created using a combination of sketch motion callouts and additional animations (from the visual properties tab). Here’s a screencast with a few more specifics if you’re interested – http://www.screencast.com/t/iZMhv5lEV. Please feel free to let me know if you have any additional questions

  • Ani Karapetyan

    Hi I am trying to use Table of Contents, and I have my video with TOC however it doesn’t look nice.
    Here is where I fail. I try to do the following
    Camtasia Studio > Produce video as > Custom production
    settings > MP4/SWF – Flash Output > Next > Select a Template with a TOC
    > Flash Options button > Table of Contents tab

    and there is no option for me to select a template. Any thoughts?

  • Hazel

    Hi Cait,
    Are all markers included in the table of contents? Or is it just global markers that are included in the table of contents?
    Thanks!
    Hazel

    • Cait Ryan

      Hi Hazel,

      I used the global markers as an example, but the media-based markers will also be included in the table of contents.

      Hope that helps,

      Cait

  • Kate

    Hi Cait,

    I have tried to produce a video using markers and, once produced, the marker button is not appearing in my control panel. I have followed all steps in the above video in Camtasia 8.0.4 and I’m trying to produce a video recorded from a PowerPoint. Please let me know if there is something I can do differently to fix this.

    Thanks!
    Kate

    • Cait Ryan

      Hi Kate,

      Could you send me a recording of the steps you’re taking and the final problem (c.ryan@techsmith.com). You can either use the Camtasia Studio Recorder or Jing, whichever is easier for you. Without seeing what’s going on, it’s difficult to know what’s wrong.

      Otherwise, one thing that might be an issue is the hosting location. If you’re hosting the video somewhere that doesn’t support the TechSmith Smart Player, the table of contents button won’t show up.

      Thanks for posting!

      Cait

  • http://twitter.com/NJLobsterGator LobsterGator

    I’ve followed all of the directions and my end result is a folder full of files, and none of them are interactive and I do not have a table of contents. I need to have a splash animation, then a table of contents from which to choose to watch parts of or the whole video, then watch the video, then have a mandatory quiz at the end. How do I do this?

  • Peter Gillberg

    Camtasia is just getting more and more amazing :) Thanks!
    Peter