Manage Ad Hoc Captures

Overview

Ad hoc captures are not scheduled through the EchoSystem Server user interface (ESS UI) but rather started and controlled through the ad hoc web interface, accessed through the capture device or the Classroom Capture system tray dialog box. There are two options for ad hoc capture:

• Automated Ad Hoc Capture. In this case, the Academic Staff member logs in to the capture device using an ESS user account. The Academic Staff member can choose from a list of assigned sections to start the capture. This method completely automates the rest of the workflow after capture by applying the settings defined for the section. For example, if the section is set to create Podcast, Vodcast, and EchoPlayer products, and to publish to Blackboard, the automated ad hoc capture assumes those settings.
  
  
• Basic Ad Hoc Capture. Basic ad hoc captures are similar to automated ad hoc captures but are missing several key details of the capture.  This requires manual processing (to supply the missing details) within the ESS UI after the capture is complete. This option is available to Academic Staff members if they do not have a section assigned or if they choose to capture instruction not related to a specific section. Basic ad hoc captures can also be run as the generic user. The generic user is a shared log in to the capture device. After you run a basic ad hoc capture, you may want to associate the capture with a section. This means that students in the section can see the ad hoc capture on the section page in an LMS or on the EchoCenter page for the section.

Academic Staff can create ad hoc captures through:

• The Ad Hoc Web Interface, using the URL of the capture device;
• The Classroom Capture interface (if installed in the classroom);
• Using the Device Monitor (if installed in the classroom).

You may want to receive alerts about new ad hoc captures being available for processing, if you do not already receive such alerts. See View and Set Alerts.

When they are no longer needed, ad hoc captures can be deleted.

See the pages in this section for further instructions:

• Server Configuration for Ad Hoc Capture
• Run an Automated Ad Hoc Capture
• Run a Basic Ad Hoc Capture
• Recover an Ad Hoc Capture

Ad Hoc Captures with "Curtains"

In rare situations, ad hoc captures result in Echoes with black bands on either side of the display area ("curtains"). This may occur if:

• You are using the EchoSystem SafeCapture HD
• It is set to capture with the widescreen aspect ratio

See When Using the Widescreen Aspect Ratio on the Display Input.

Deleting Ad Hoc Captures

If a capture is no longer needed, you can delete it.

1. Navigate to Echoes > Ad Hoc Captures.
2. Sort and/or Filter the list to find the captures you want to delete.
3. Do one of the following:
   
   • To delete a single capture, hover over the capture and click delete. 
     
   • To delete multiple Ad Hoc Captures:
     
     1. Check the captures you want to delete.
     2. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Select Delete permanently from the Actions drop-down list.
        
4. Confirm that you want to delete the item(s).
5. Notice the confirmation message at the top of the page.
6. Refresh the page. Notice that:
   
   • The Ad Hoc Capture is deleted from the list.
   • The number of items listed for the tab is smaller.