Using the Drawing Tools

Updated: Jan 2021

​​The Drawing Tools allow you to draw and write directly over the on-screen live video window (displayed by the webcam item).  You can also use the tools to draw on photos taken during the event. This feature is useful if you want your users to be able to write their name, a message or a drawing onto the video recordings and photos.

Adding the Drawing Tools to an Event

​The Drawing Tools can be added to any screen in the event, but they are only relevant on screens that contain one or more camera items or a recently taken photo, such as the Start screen, the Record Video screen or the Show Photo screen.

• If drawing tools are added to screens that appear prior to the Record Video screen (such as the Start screen or the Choices screen)  then you can draw over the live camera item before you start a video recording. The drawings will then remain over the video during the actual recording and they will be captured into the video file.  This applies to webcam video recording only.
• If drawing tools are added to screens that appear prior to the Take Photo screen (such as the Start screen or the Choices screen)  then you can draw over the live camera feed before you capture photos. The drawings will then be captured into the photo files.  Applies to webcam and DSLR photos.
• If the drawing tools are added to the Record Video screen then you can draw over the live camera feed while a webcam video recording is being made.  The drawings will then be captured to the video file in real time throughout the recording.
• If the drawing tools are added to the Show Photo screen then you can draw on the most recently taken photo.  The drawings will then be added and saved into the photo image and photo file.

To add the drawing tools:

• Visit the Screen Editor and select a screen from the Screen List.  Then show the Add Items toolbox and click the Drawing Tools button to add the tools to your chosen screen.
• Please note that when the drawing tools are added to a screen, the Flip X and Y properties of the camera item(s) are automatically turned off and cannot be turned on.
• You can use the Drawing Tool properties to alter the layout of the tools and their colour.

Using the Drawing Tools

When the event is running,  the drawing tools will appear on each screen you have added them.  The user can then select a tool, a width and a colour to draw on the camera item.  Users can also undo and clear the drawings they make.

All drawings added to the camera item will then be saved into the recorded webcam video files or the captured photo files.  Drawings added to the photo image will also be saved in the image file.

At the end of each video recording or photo capture, any drawings will be automatically removed from the camera item, allowing the next user to start drawing on the clear camera item.
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The drawing tools are only active while the event is running. When you are designing your screens you can move and size the tools to the required place on the screen design but you cannot draw over the camera item until you actually run the live event.

The Drawing Pad Item

The Drawing Pad item can be added to any of your event screens and the Drawing tools can be used to write and draw on it.
The Drawing Pad item will save it's contents to the current event folder.
You can also include the Drawing Pad Item in your Photo Print layout design, allowing you to print out any drawings entered by each user.