Welcome to Trailer documentation page (BETA)
1. Introduction
1.1. What is Trailer?
Trailer is a video recorder and visual editor for macOS, designed to democratize video recording, editing and distribution.
Its elegant and intuitive interface will help you make beautiful preview videos of your app in a few simple steps.
Record anything from an iPhone, iPad, Mac or a web app, and compose eye catching videos of your app in action. Use different templates, or create your own; Trailer empowers designers to create their own device templates from premade mockups, and makes distribution easy with an open file type.
Distribute your videos in precut sizes for favourite social networks like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or create your own video layout.
The videos made with Trailer are also iTunes connect compatible, so no more messing around with different exporting options until it works. Trailer just works!
1.2. Who is Trailer for?
Trailer is a macOS app.
First of all, please check the system requirements for Trailer to make sure you can run it!
Now that we've solved technical stuff, let's talk about how Trailer can help you! Trailer is a super user friendly video editing software. In general, Trailer is designed for anyone who want to create videos and have fun while doing it!
If you're an Indie developer and you're in constant battles with creating app/game preview videos for AppStore, Trailer will help you! You can record, edit and export videos and be sure it will work! (No more wasting time!) Also, you can record bugs and repro steps, showcase app and even give feedback.
Digital marketers invest a lot of money in videos and sometimes those videos aren't even as good as they expected. You, as a digital marketer, have a scene of a perfect video in your head, but you don't have time to learn complex video editing software? With Trailer you can easily record your own video, edit it and export video tailor made for social networks of your choice!
As a Product manager you would like to do a keynote style presentation for board members with beautiful backgound, showing device and mirroring your iPhone screen into mockup? No problem! Trailer supports full screen presentation mode, if you need to demo your app to your customers or do a pitch to your investors
1.3. Why choose Trailer?
There are many video editors offering tons of options and tools, and it's easy to get stuck even if you need a simple preview video! Trailer is made for easy, yet professional video editing. In a few simple steps you can record video, screen or camera, fit it into a mockup, edit it and export in desired dimensions. If you want, you can keep it for yourself, but Trailer works best if you share it with your friends or on your favorite social media platform!
We'll give you a few ideas what you can do with Trailer:
- Create demonstration video for any software program
- Create repro steps of a problem or a bug (so you can show it to the tech support)
- Create video tutorials for school or college class (as a professor or as a student)
- Record new tricks and technologies you discovered before you forget them
- Record set of videos answering FAQ
- Create video based information for products you sell
- Create promotional video for products you sell
- Demonstrate usage or functionality of an app
- Give feedback through video
- Record gameplay
1.4. How is Trailer different from other video editing software?
Even though there is a lots of video editing software, let's be honest, there's only a few quality products around. Those product are quite expensive and they are not very easy-to-use.
Trailer’s main focus is to make great looking app preview content recorded, edited and published with least effort. We designed Trailer to be super intuitive for individuals who have never done video editing before, guiding your every step of the way with an intuitive interface and dynamic tooltips.
Recording is easy, just plug in your iPhone or iPad, or select your Mac screen, press record and you’re on your way to create your first recording. Your recording can then fit into a number of beautifully designed device mockups Trailer offers, or you can design your own templates.
Trailer empowers designers to create new templates. Templates are made by a simple drag and drop of a mockup of various file types and then fitting the video to the device screen with Trailer’s powerful shape editing tools. If you’re a mockup designer, you can export your templates to a .trailertemplate file and distribute them to your clients.
2. General
2.1. System Requirements
macOS 10.12+- Metal rendering support. Check this document to see if your device is on the list.
3. Interface
3.1. Overview
Understanding Trailer interface is easy. Interface is made of three main windows - Scene view, Utilities window and Dynamic tooltips window, for access to various recording and editing options.
Trailer user interface components
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Scene view | A place where we visually build our videos. Scene view allows you to look at and directly interact with objects in your scene. |
| Utilities | Utilities window is place where you can find main functions: Record, Templates, Colors and Export |
| Dynamic tooltips | Dynamic tooltips window helps you each step of your process. Just hover the element of choice on your canvas and tooltip will show what you can do and how to execute desired action. |
3.2. Scene View
The Scene is Trailer's main window. The Scene view gives you control over the elements of your video. You can place and move elements around canvas.
3.3. Utilities
- Record - Your recordings library! here you can select devices you want to record, you can record your screen or camera, import your premade videos and browse through your library!
- Templates - Your templates library! Place where you can pick premade templates (including new iPhone X) or create your own!
- Colors - Want a different background color? Pick premade gradient or place custom solid color of your choice.
- Export - Last step before sharing your content... Export video or GIF in precut dimensions for your favorite social media platform!
3.4. Tooltips
While most tooltips only display static information, Trailer will help you with Dynamic tooltips. Hover an element you want to edit and follow tips for the desired action!
4. Functions
| Main Functions | Description |
|---|---|
| Recording | Under "Record" in Utilities window you can create or import new records and browse your record library. Record library keeps all recordings you've imported or made with Trailer at one place. |
| Templates | In templates section you can find and use premade templates and easily create new ones. Import backgrounds or mockups of your choice and build your template library. Use templates to create beautiful videos! |
| Colors | Colors are everywhere! You can use premade color gradients for background of your video or open color wheel and pick your favorite solid color |
| Import | Import premade videos, images, templates and masks |
| Export | Export created video as video or GIF. Trailer took care of video dimensions for most popular social media platforms as well as iTunes Connect! |
4.1. Recording
4.1.1. How to create a new recording?
With Trailer recording is easy; You can record your iOS device screen or Mac screen.
Let us guide you through process of recording:
1. iOS device screen recording
- If you want to record your iOS device you'll need to plug it in your Mac where you are running Trailer. Device should be plugged into one of the USB ports on your Mac. You will have to approve on your iOS device that your Mac is trusted.
- After you've successfully pluged your iOS device into Mac, you're ready to start recording your screen, including camera.
- Select a device under "select a device" option and you will see screen from your device in the video placeholder.
- To start recording simply press record button which will automatically start capturing screen from your iOS device.
- To stop recording, press the stop icon in the main recording window.
- Give a name to your recording, press save and a new recording will be saved to your record library.
- If you're not satisfied with your recording, press stop and discard recording. (This will delete your recording and you won't be able to recover it!)
2. Mac screen recording
- If you want to record your Mac screen, first you need to select your Mac device under recording options/select a device option.
- After you've selected your Mac device, you will see your screen in the video placeholder.
- To start recording simply press record button which will automatically minimize Trailer and start recording your screen.
- To stop recording, press the stop icon in main toolbar. Pressing stop button will finish your capturing session.
- Now you only have to give a name to your recording, press save and new recording is saved to your record library.
- If you're not satisfied with your recording, press stop and discard recording. (This will delete your recording and you won't be able to recover it!)
After you've successfully created your recording it's time to pimp it up!