CapTrik documentation

This guide follows controls in the inspected CapTrik source. It is not a certification that a particular installer works on every machine. Begin at Download status for verified distribution information.

Installation and removal

Windows builds

Once a verified Windows x64 artifact is listed, check its requirements first. For an NSIS installer, open the file, confirm the expected publisher and follow the installation steps; the build configuration allows choosing the destination. For a portable EXE, keep the file in a folder you control and open it there. Do not disable security software to force an unknown file to run.

Start CapTrik, select a non-sensitive window and check that capture begins and export saves correctly. To remove an installed build, quit CapTrik including its tray process and use Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps. For a portable build, quit and remove the executable. Exported videos are separate files: keep or delete them yourself. The inspected Windows code stores its profile/cache under LocalAppData/CapTrik; removing the application may leave that data behind.

macOS builds

When a verified DMG is listed, select arm64 for Apple Silicon or x64 for Intel according to that release’s requirements. Open the disk image and copy CapTrik to Applications if that is the layout provided. Launch the installed application, not a temporary copy from the disk image.

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording (called Screen & System Audio Recording on some versions).
2. Enable the application you actually launch, then quit and reopen it.
3. For global click tracking, enable that same application in Accessibility and restart.
4. Grant microphone or camera permission only if using those inputs. Test them separately.

Development runs can appear as Electron in the permission list. The application menu includes a command to copy the app bundle path so you can identify the correct entry. See Apple’s screen recording permission guide. If macOS rejects an unverified build, ask for a properly signed release instead of broadly bypassing Gatekeeper.

To uninstall, quit the app, remove CapTrik from Applications, and review its permissions in System Settings. Keep exported videos you still need. Do not remove unrelated Electron profiles.

Make your first recording

1. Prepare a demonstration account. Close private messages, password managers and irrelevant windows; turn off notification previews.
2. In the capture panel choose Full screen (display) or Specific window. Choose the intended monitor; for window capture, select the window and use Refresh list if it is missing.
3. Inspect the preview. In window mode, keep the monitor selection aligned with the window for cursor/zoom coordinates. A separate dialog may be outside the selected source.
4. Use the capture bar to enable microphone or system audio if needed. These controls request input; they do not guarantee that the OS supplied an audio track.
5. Record a short sample with one click, some movement and a spoken sentence. Use Stop or Command/Ctrl + Shift + S. The floating controls also support pause/resume.
6. Review the clip in the editor. Export this sample and listen to it before making a longer recording.

Trim, focus and frame the result

After stopping, use the timeline to scrub through the clip. Set its start after setup activity and its end after the visible result. Leave enough time for a viewer to read the final state. The export implementation rejects a selection shorter than 0.2 seconds.

Enable Click zoom and review its duration in the left panel. In the editor, adjust zoom spans rather than assuming every click deserves emphasis. Cursor settings expose pointer style, color, size and stroke; click effects require working hook events. A downloaded or imported video does not acquire historical mouse metadata just because you open it in CapTrik.

The Background panel offers wallpaper, gradients, colors and an image input. Shape controls padding, corners and output aspect. Check small text after framing: excessive padding reduces the useful screen area. The Layers panel can add and remove imported video layers; select the correct layer before changing its placement. Accepted extensions are not a promise of decoder support.

Do not close the app while you depend on an unsaved edit. Persistent project saving and recovery were not verified. Keep original source files and a separate exported copy.

Export and check the actual file

1. Select a quality preset and aspect ratio suitable for the destination. A 4K choice cannot recover detail absent from the capture.
2. Select WebM, or MP4 if you need it and the runtime supports it. MP4 can fall back to WebM; the filename follows the actual selected encoder.
3. Choose Export, let the timeline render, and use the local save dialog. Cancel Export abandons that render; do not treat it as a saved copy.
4. Open the file in a separate player. Check the beginning, a middle section and the ending, listen for audio, and scrub near a click to check timing.
5. Upload a sample to your destination only after checking privacy and playback. Keep the local file until the published copy is verified.

The exporter uses media playback and canvas recording. Allow time for processing; no faster-than-real-time or fixed frame-rate performance is guaranteed. See MP4 versus WebM for compatibility checks.

Troubleshooting by symptom

• No sources or black picture: recheck permissions, restart after changing them, refresh the source list and try a plain unprotected window. Protected media may not permit capture.
• Missing clicks: read the hook status, check Accessibility on macOS and restart. Cursor polling can work while global click events are unavailable.
• Silent recording: check input toggles and OS permissions, then make separate microphone-only and system-audio tests. The system-audio request can fall back to video-only capture.
• Unplayable MP4: inspect the actual file type, try WebM export and check your destination’s accepted codecs. Renaming a file is not conversion.
• Slow export: try a short trim at 720p, fewer layers and no expensive background effects. Keep sufficient free storage and close unnecessary applications.
• Save failed: choose an ordinary writable local folder and a fresh filename. Check free space and whether another program has locked the destination.

For a useful report, record the OS, architecture, build version, capture mode, chosen format and the exact error. Include a short reproduction with dummy data through Contact.

Known limitations and verification scope

Region/device controls are unfinished and are not part of the advertised workflow. Global input hooks, loopback sound and MP4 encoding depend on permissions and runtime support. No public installer, minimum OS certification, automatic update service, cloud sharing, account system or persistent editing-project workflow is asserted here.

These instructions are based on source inspection. OS permission dialogs and installed-build behavior still need device testing. For general capture problems, use the troubleshooting guide.