Ovo Solo 3.0 Help

Ovo Solo is a low-cost recording utility that enables Usability and UX Professionals to generate video highlights from their user-centered research. It is intended for the Windows 7/8 platform.

Ovo Solo lets you record video in one of four configurations. While recording, you can take notes that can be used to quickly access video of interest for the purpose of creating highlight clips when the user-centered activity is completed. Or, you can mark highlight Start and End points in real time during the activity.

After your highlights process, you have highlight clips in .WMV format that you can share or embed in presentations.

Within the context of Ovo Solo's focused intended use, there are features that make it a flexible tool, capable of supporting different methodological preferences. Please read the remainder of this Help page for a full description of Ovo Solo's capabilities.

	Step 1: Download the Ovo Solo installer ZIP file. This file is available from a link that was emailed to you. It is also available at Downloads > Ovo Solo 3.0 Full Install if you log into the ovostudios.com extranet.
	Step 2: Double-click the ZIP file to open it. Step 3: Users with Windows 7 or later can double-click the Setup.exe file in the ZIP to begin the installation process. Having Administrator access authority for your PC is recommended.

After completing the installation process, Ovo Solo will be installed on your computer with a shortcut to the application on your desktop.

Ovo Solo will be in trial mode until a license is purchased. In trial mode, Ovo Solo has all of the functionality of a licensed version, except recordings will have a prominent red textual overlay. Purchasing Ovo Solo will remove this textual overlay.

Two "helper" applications will also be installed on your computer to provide the technical infrastructure that Ovo Solo will use:

• Microsoft Expressions Encoder 4 - This is the underlying recording engine required by Ovo Solo for video recording. May be found in the Start menu or Add or Remove Programs.
• .NET 4.0 Framework - This is the Microsoft .NET framework needed to run Ovo Solo. Most newer computers already have this, but the installer will prompt you to install if necessary. May be found in Add or Remove Programs.

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When you download the Ovo Solo software, you will run in trial mode by default. In trial mode, you have access to all features of the licensed software except all video will be recorded with an Ovo Solo Trial Edition - Not for Production Use textual overlay.

To License Ovo Solo (and remove the textual overlay in recordings)

Upon purchasing Ovo Solo, you will be given a 26 character license key.

1. Click the Licensing button on the Ovo Solo Recorder interface.
2. In the Manage Licensing dialog window, type the 26 character license key into the Enter Activation Key field. You can also paste the key if you copy the entire license key with no extra spaces at the beginning or end.
3. Click the License button.

The Manage Licensing dialog box from Ovo Solo.

Configuring Proxy Server

Computers that connect to the Internet via a proxy server require an extra step to allow the computer and the Ovo Solo License server to communicate and authenticate the license key.

1. In the Manage Licensing dialog window, type the 26 character license key into the Enter Activation Key field.
2. Check the Configure Proxy Server checkbox.
3. Select the Auto-detect or manual entry option.
4. If you selected the manual entry option, enter the appropriate proxy server address. If you selected Auto-detect, proceed to step 5.
5. Click the License button.

Checking-In a License

Ovo Solo licenses may be checked in and out of Ovo Studios' licensing server as needed. This allows you to move a single Ovo Solo license to different computers. Licensing does not permit Ovo Solo Recorder to run on more than one computer at a time.

1. Click the Licensing button on the Ovo Solo Recorder interface.
2. The Manage Licensing dialog window will appear.
3. Click the Check In button.
4. Your license has been checked back in, and can now be used on another installation of Ovo Solo.

Checking in a License with the Manage Licensing dialog box from Ovo Solo. (Actual license number redacted.)

If you install Ovo Solo on a company-issued computer, be sure to check in your Ovo Solo license before you are issued a new computer. If you lose your license, you will have to buy a new one.

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The main Ovo Solo window. This gives access to all Ovo Solo's functionality.

All of Ovo Solo's functionality is accessible from the window shown above.

• Project Management section
• Shows the name of the current study. You can create a new study or open an existing study . Read more in the Studies section.
• Recording Controls
• Set Up Recording Select and configure video and audio inputs for your recordings. Read more in the Setup Recording section.
• Record Click to start recording. You need to have an open study in order to record.
• Stop Click to stop recording
• Preview Click to see a preview of your configured video.
• Tools
• Take Notes Opens the Take Notes window for an open study. Read more in the Why Take Notes? section.
• Make Highlights Create highlight clips from raw video recordings for an open study. Read more in the Highlights section.
• Edit Quicklogs Create new QuickLogs as well as edit and delete existing QuickLogs. Read more in the Taking Notes Using QuickLogs section.
• Licensing License Ovo Solo Recorder and check licenses in to move Ovo Solo Recorder to a different machine. Read more in the Licensing section.
• Help Opens this web-based help.

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Ovo Solo uses the word "study" to refer to a user-centered design activity like a usability test. When you use Ovo Solo to record a study, all the data Ovo Solo creates for that study (i.e., recordings, notes, and highlights) are saved inside a folder that is named with the name of the study.

The study named Test01 in Windows Explorer.

A study's folder contains following files:

• ProjectData - Double click this file to open your study. This is the database that contains all logged observations and information about recordings and highlights. It is the "backbone" of the study.
• Recordings folder - This folder contains all of the raw video files for the study. Every time you record a user session, a .wmv file is created and added to this folder.
• Highlights folder - This folder contains all of the video highlight clips that were created for the study.

Note: Ovo Solo needs all files to be available in order to function. It is advised that if you move or archive studies, you do so at the study folder level. Do not attempt to move and/or alter individual components, i.e., the ProjectData file, Recordings folder, or Highlights folder.

Creating a New Study

1. Click the Create New Study icon .
2. Name your study and pick a location on your computer's hard drive where it will be created.
3. Click OK.
4. Your study will be created and opened in Ovo Solo.

Opening an Existing Study

You can double-click a ProjectData file to open a study. Or you can open a study from within Ovo Solo by following these steps:

1. Click the Open Existing Study icon
2. Navigate to the project folder on your computer (must be local, cannot open from a network drive) where the study resides.
3. Open the folder and double-click the ProjectData file.
4. Your study will be opened in Ovo Solo.

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Ovo Solo can record any one of the four different configurations listed below. When Ovo Solo is licensed, the trial version textual overlay will no longer appear on new recordings.

Monitor Only: records the computer monitor at its native resolution.

1. Click the Setup Recording button on Ovo Solo's main screen.
2. Select Monitor Only as your Recording Type. Your Palette Preview will show you a preview of your computer's screen.
3. Select an Audio Source from the dropdown list of available sources.
4. Click OK.
5. The Recording Setup window will close and you are ready to start recording.

Monitor with USB Camera: a camera picture-in-picture overlaid on the monitor recording.

1. Click the Setup Recording button on Ovo Solo's main screen.
2. Select Monitor with USB Camera picture-in-picture as your Recording Type. Your Palette Preview will show you a preview of your desktop computer screen.
3. Select the camera source from the dropdown of available devices on your computer.
• Adjust the camera's opacity to your liking using the Opacity slider.
• Adjust the position of the camera feed by using your mouse to drag it to where you want it.
• Adjust the size of the camera feed by clicking and dragging the corners of the camera feed to stretch/squeeze the size of the camera feed.
4. Select an Audio Source from the dropdown list of available sources.
5. Click OK.
6. The Recording Setup window will close and you are ready to start recording.

USB Camera Only: records a single USB camera.

1. Click the Setup Recording button on Ovo Solo's main screen.
2. Select Single USB Camera only as your Recording Type. Your Palette Preview will show you a black box.
3. Select the camera source from the dropdown of available devices on your computer. Your Palette Preview will show a snapshot of what the USB camera is capturing.
• There are no adjustments you can make to a camera only recording.
• Camera output will be recorded at 640x480 resolution.
4. Select an Audio Source from the dropdown list of available sources.
5. Click OK.
6. The Recording Setup window will close and you are ready to start recording.

Two USB Cameras: records two USB web cameras side-by-side at a fixed 1280x480 resolution.

1. Click the Setup Recording button on Ovo Solo's main screen.
2. Select Two USB Cameras, side-by-side as your Recording Type. Your Palette Preview will show you a black rectangle.
3. Select the first camera you wish to use from the dropdown of available devices on your computer. Your Palette Preview will show you a snapshot of what the USB camera is capturing on the left, and a black box on the right.
4. Select the second camera you wish to use from the dropdown of available devices on your computer. Your Palette Preview will show the existing snapshot from Step 3 on the left, and the second camera's snapshot on the right.
• There are no adjustments you can make to the output of the cameras.
• Camera output will be recorded at 1280x480 resolution.
5. Select an Audio Source from the dropdown list of available sources.
6. Click OK.
7. The Recording Setup window will close and you are ready to start recording.

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Ovo Solo will generate a unique name for recordings using the current day, time, and then an incrementer. This is the name of the file as it will be stored in your study's Recordings subdirectory.

Starting Recording

1. Click Start on the Ovo Solo main window.
2. Recording status will update and the Stop button will become enabled.

Stopping Recording

1. Click Stop on the Ovo Solo main window.
2. When Ovo Solo is ready to start recroding again, the software will update the default Recording Name and will re-enable the Start Button.

Recording Preview

You can click the Preview button on the Ovo Solo main window to see a real-time feed of what you are recording. This will help you with positioning cameras.

When working with Ovo Solo on a second computer, the Preview button on the Take Notes dialog gives you access to video, but video will lag behind real-time by several seconds due to the encoding and streaming process.

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Taking notes is the process of marking video when something interesting occurs during your study. These markers can be used after the study to create highlight clips. Ovo Solo gives you the following flexibility in how you take notes.

• You can take notes in real time from the PC where Ovo Solo is recording if the participant isn't using the keyboard and mouse. This usually means you are recording using camera(s) only.
• You can take notes in real time from a second PC running the Ovo Solo software and on the same network as the PC where Ovo Solo is recording.
• You can take notes in real time from an iDevice using the Ovo Logger iOS App.
• You can take notes from saved video after the test using features on the Make Highlights dialog on the PC where the Ovo Solo study is stored.

There are two ways that Ovo Solo permits you to take notes. This is true regardless of when you log, either in real-time or from saved video. And it is true regardless of where you log: from the PC where Ovo Solo is recording, from a second PC, or from the Ovo Logger App.

1. Typing an Observation using free-form text. Typing takes longer than QuickLogging, but events can be described in more detail.
2. QuickLogging an Observation by click a pre-configured label. QuickLogging is faster than typing, but events are only described categorically.

The Ovo Logger iOS App only supports QuickLogs during test time. Every other logging strategy supports both typed observations and QuickLogs. Post-study logging may only be done from the PC where the study resides.

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Observations are typed notes that describe what is occuring. Here are some examples of events (in bold) and the observation that could be typed (in italics):

• Participant comments on error code: I don't understand what you mean by PC LOAD LETTER.
• Participant gives critical feedback: When I click the printer icon, I don't expect the print job to begin immediately.
• Participant describes an especially enjoyable feature: It's nice when my credit card number is grouped into four groups of four numbers.

Use the Type an Observation field to type a free-form text note to indicate an event of interest.

Taking Notes Using Observations:

1. Start recording -- you can only take notes when recording is occurring.
2. Click the Take Notes button to display the window shown above.
3. Click the Type an Observation field
4. Type your observation.
5. Click the Save button or press Enter to save the observation.
>Ovo Solo will clear the text field and place the cursor in the Type an Observation field, ready for another note to be typed.

Working with Observations

Observations are stored in the study's ProjectData database. The database makes a note of the time during the recording that the observation was made. In the Edit Data/Video window, you can see each observation you made. Double-clicking an observation will take you right to the point in the raw video that the observation occured.

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QuickLogs allow you to create labels for frequently made observations and/or behaviors.

Taking notes with QuickLogs.

Taking Notes Using QuickLogs:

1. Start recording -- you can only take notes when recording is occurring.
2. Click the Take Notes button to display the window shown above.
3. Ovo Solo comes with QuickLogs pre-populated with the Ovo Studios 2009 best practices list of categories.
4. Click a button in the QuickLog an Observation list.
5. An observation is saved using the label you clicked

Creating a QuickLog

1. Click the Edit Quicklogs button.
2. An Edit QuickLogs window will appear.
3. Click the New button.
4. Give your QuickLog a name. This will be what is recorded as the observation when you click it during video playback or via Remote Observer.
5. Click OK.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each QuickLog you wish to create.
7. When finished, click the Close button in the Edit QuickLogs window.
8. QuickLog list will be updated.

Editing QuickLogs

1. Click the Edit Quicklogs button.
2. An Edit QuickLogs window will appear.
3. Click the QuickLog you wish to edit.
4. Click the Edit button.
5. Change the label as you desire.
6. Click Save.
7. Repeat Steps 3-6 for each QuickLog you wish to edit.
8. When finished, click the Close button in the Edit QuickLogs window.
9. QuickLog list will be updated

The Edit QuickLogs dialog box.

Working with QuickLogs

Just like typed observations, notes that you took using QuickLogs are saved in your ProjectData database, are accessible in the Edit Data/Video section, and can be used to access specific times in raw video files.

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The Ovo Logger iOS app supports real time logging using QuickLogs by connecting to Ovo Solo Recorder when recording is in progress.

Use the free Ovo Logger Application to log from an iOS device. Available from the Apple Store.

Taking Notes with the Ovo Logger iOS App

1. Open the Ovo Logger app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Enter the IP address of the PC where Ovo Solo is recording (Note: your iOS device must be on the same network as the Ovo Solo Recording PC and any firewalls or other security mechanisms must allow the two to connect.)
3. The Ovo Logger app will display a list of all QuickLogs that are configured on the Ovo Solo Recording PC.
4. Touch a button to log a note using the QuickLog label that was touched. (Note: The list of QuickLogs may not be edited using the iOS app. QuickLog editing can only be done on the Ovo Solo Recording PC.)

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Ovo Solo enables highlights to be identified in real time. If the pace of your study permits this, it can be a real time-saver.

Use the Mark Highlights controls to set the highlight Start and End times. These controls function independently of the logging controls.

Use the Mark Highlights controls to mark highlight start/stop times in real time.

To Mark Highlights in Real Time

1. Start recording -- you can only mark highlights when recording is occurring.
2. Click the Take Notes button to display the window shown above.
3. Click the Set button to the right of Highlight Start Time to mark when the highlight should begin.
4. Click the newly-enabled Set button to the right of Highlight End Time to mark when the highlight should end.
5. Click the Save button to save your highlight. Processing will occur later.
6. Click the Clear button to discard the highlight Start and End times that were just marked.

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You can review video as long as the following are true:

• You have a study opened in Ovo Solo.
• The study is on the hard drive of the computer where you are working, i.e., it is not saved on network storage somewhere.
• The study has saved video associated with it, i.e., you have actually made recordings.
• Recording is stopped.

To Review (Play) Video

1. Click Make Highlights in the main Ovo Solo window.
2. The window shown below will open.

The Make Highlights window - recordings and notes are on the left-hand side in the Logged Notes table.

3. In the Logged Notes table, double click the note that you want to view video for.
   Optionally, if you don't have any notes for a recording, double click a Recording Started item.
4. The following window will appear and you can use the video player controls to view the video.

The Video Player window.

5. While you are viewing video, you can take notes and make highlight clips. Or you can simply watch the video. For more information about creating highlight clips, read the next section.

Filter Recordings

1. In the Make Highlights window, expand the Recording dropdown menu.
2. Select the Recording you wish to filter to.
3. Only the notes for that particular recording will remain.
4. Clear the filter by selecting All Recordings from the Recording dropdown menu.

Filter Notes

1. In the Make Highlights window, begin typing the first few letters of the word or phrase you wish to filter to in the Search Notes field.
2. Only notes with the characters that match what you type will remain.
3. Clear the filter by deleting the text from the Search Notes field.

You can start to make highlight clips as long as the following are true:

• You have a study opened in Ovo Solo.
• The study is on the hard drive of the computer where you are working, i.e., it is not saved on network storage somewhere.
• The study has saved video associated with it, i.e., you have actually made recordings.
• Recording is stopped.

To make a highlight clip:

1. Click Make Highlights in the main Ovo Solo window.
2. The window shown below will open.

The Make Highlights window - notes are on the left-hand side in the Logged Notes table.

3. In the Logged Notes table, double click the note that you want to make a highlight for.
   Optionally, if you don't have any notes for a recording that you want to make a highlight from, double click the Recording Started item.
4. The following window will appear.

The Video Player window with Mark Highlight controls highlighted.

5. Video will play 15 seconds before the time associated with the note.
   Optionally, video will play from the start of the video if you clicked the Recording Started item in the previous step.
6. Click the Set buttons in the Mark Highlight section of the window to mark the Start and End times that you want to use to make a highlight.
7. Click the Save button to send your highlight to processing.
8. The Start and End time fields will reset to blank and you can repeat the above steps to make other highlights from this video file.

Processing Highlights

1. Highlight clips are queued until you launch the Make Highlights window from the main Ovo Solo window.
2. The Make Highlights window is shown below.

The Make Highlights window -- highlight clips are on the right-hand side in the Highlights List table.

3. Highlights will process automatically when this window is open.
From Ovo Solo Recorder, click theEdit Data/Video button.
4. The Edit Data/Video window will open. Your queued clips will begin processing automatically.
5. Processed clips can be found in the Highlights subdirectory of your study folder.

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If your study has highlight clips, you can play them and adjust their start/end times as follows.

1. Click Make Highlights on the main Ovo Solo window.
2. The Make Highlights window is shown below.

The Make Highlights window -- highlight clips are on the right-hand side in the Highlights List table.

3. Double click a highlight clip to play it.
4. The window shown below will open.

The Video Player window playing a highlight clip.

5. If you would like to adjust the Start time and/or End time that were used to create this clip, click Change Timing and Recreate Clip.
6. The Mark Highlights controls will appear, pre-populated with the Start and End times that were used to create this clip.
7. Adjust the Start time and/or End time and click Save.
8. A new highlight clip will be sent for processing.
   Note: Your previous highlight will still exist.

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The Edit Data/Video window allows you to view your logged observations, edit those observations, and play back raw video and highlights. You can use the Recording dropdown menu to filter to a desired recording and the text field to filter notes that contain a word, phrase, or QuickLog.

To Play Back Raw Video

1. Double-click on the Recording column cell of the observation you wish to view.
2. Video Player will open and begin playback from the moment the note was logged.

To Play Back Created Highlights

1. Double-click anywhere on the row of the highlight you wish to view.
2. Video Player will open and play the highlight.

Edit Notes

1. Double-click on the Notes column cell of the observation you wish to edit.
2. The text of the note will become highlighted.
3. Either delete the existing text and begin re-typing, or move cursor to the spot of the note you wish to add/delete text.
4. Press Enter key to save.

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You can install Ovo Solo on a second PC to take notes. This is useful if a user is working on the PC where Ovo Solo is recording.

To take notes on a second PC:

1. Install the Ovo Solo software on a second PC.
2. Start Ovo Solo on the second PC.
3. Click Connect To Another Machine on the Welcome dialog, shown below.

Click the Connect to Another Machine choice when running Ovo Solo on a second PC.

4. The Take Notes window, shown below, will appear.

The Take Notes window that appears when you select Connect To Another Machine.

5. Type the IP address, including periods, of the PC where Ovo Solo is recording. You can find this address in the status bar of the copy of Ovo Solo that is doing the recording.
6. Click the Connect button.
   • If connection is successful, the note taking interface will enable and a "Connected to..." status will display in the status bar.
   • If connection is not successful, a message box will appear.

Once connected to the PC where Ovo Solo is recording, you can take notes. Controls in the Take Notes window will enable when recording is started. They will disable then recording is stopped.

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After installing Ovo Solo on a second PC and working in "Connect To Another Machine" mode, there is a View Stream button to the right of the IP connectivity controls. This gives access to the video that is being recorded by Ovo Solo on the recording PC. Video will lag behind real-time by several seconds due to the encoding and streaming process.

The Take Notes window with a video stream open.

The timing associated with notes taken on the second PC is affected by viewing the video stream in the Video Player window:

1. When the Video Player is open, note times are synchronized with the time in the Video Player.
2. When the Video Player is closed, note times are synchronized with the time in Ovo Solo on the recording PC.

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Security and permissions should not be an issue when you are using Ovo Solo Recorder on a single PC. They may become an issue if you want the Ovo Solo Recording PC to communicate with a 2nd PC that is being used to take notes or view streaming video. In this case, firewalls and TCP ports must permit the transfer of data between the Ovo Solo Recording PC and the 2nd PC.

Firewalls

When working with a second Ovo Solo PC, Ovo Solo and Microsoft Expressions Encoder will require 'trusted app' designation so they may pass data from the Ovo Solo computer to the network.
Why? Firewalls can prevent data from leaving or entering specific machines. Networks can also have firewalls preventing the entry of data into the network.

TCP Ports

When working with a second Ovo Solo PC, the following ports must be open to Ovo Solo:
Why? For clients in corporate environments, network security can also be administered on a port-by-port basis. This means that certain applications only have access to transfer data on certain ports within the network.

• 80
• 443
• 50903
• 51108

Note: If a port number is in use when Ovo Solo tries to use it, Ovo Solo will try the next available port (e.g., if 80 is in use, Ovo Solo will try 81.) If your network security team is willing, they may want to open ranges of ports to make sure the software can always access a port it needs when it needs it (e.g., 80-90, 443-453, 50903-50913, etc.).

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