# Automatic zoom for screen recordings: guide attention to the action Turn recorded clicks into editable zoom ranges in ZXN Studio, then refine timing and framing so viewers can follow the important action. Canonical: https://zxn.studio/blog/automatic-zoom-screen-recordings When you demonstrate software, you already know where to look. Your viewer may be seeing the interface for the first time, in a smaller player, while trying to follow the narration. A well-timed zoom makes a small action easier to notice without forcing the whole video into a tight crop. **ZXN Studio Auto zoom uses click information from a new ZXN screen recording to create editable focus ranges.** The editor suggests where to move closer, while you keep control over timing, position and strength. You can use the flat presentation style for a direct tutorial or combine the same focus ranges with a perspective treatment. ## How automatic zoom chooses a starting point ![Auto zoom enabled in the Screen card, with a generated focus range on the timeline](/media/articles/zxn-auto-zoom.webp) A click gives the editor useful evidence about the action. ZXN Studio records its timing and position, then groups related activity into focus ranges. Nearby actions can share one framing instead of producing a separate camera move for every click. Drag activity also matters. A click that begins a drag may cover more space than the initial point, so the generated framing considers the action rather than treating its start as the only relevant location. Where activity is too spread out for a useful close view, retaining the overview can be the clearer choice. This is a starting edit based on recorded input, not an understanding of your script. A click can reveal a result somewhere else on the screen. You remain the person who knows what the viewer needs to see next. ## Record a take with usable click information Automatic suggestions require a new ZXN screen recording with complete click metadata. If an imported video does not contain that information, the editor cannot reconstruct the same click-based suggestions from the picture alone. Make a short recording of the real task you plan to explain. Include the clicks, any dragging and a pause long enough to show the result. This gives you a representative sample for both the recording setup and the zoom treatment. Keep the demonstration deliberate. Repeatedly moving the pointer while thinking does not necessarily improve the explanation. Prepare the starting state, perform the action and allow the result to become visible before moving on. ## Generate zooms in the Screen controls Select the screen recording and open **Zoom & perspective**. In Simple, you can find these controls in the Screen card. Enable the treatment and choose **Auto zoom** to generate the initial ranges. Use **Focused · flat** when the priority is straightforward, readable interface text. The generated focus ranges appear in the zoom timeline and can be selected individually. Play through the whole recording once before making adjustments so you understand the overall rhythm. Watch for three things: whether the view arrives in time for the action, whether it includes the result, and whether it stays close long enough to read the relevant content. A technically correct click target may still need a wider composition for a useful explanation. ## Refine the range, then the amount of zoom Select a zoom range and adjust **Start** and **End** to fit the explanation. The useful moment may begin before the click, when you identify the control, and end after the result appears. Match the range to that complete thought. Use the focus pad or **Focus X** and **Focus Y** controls to place the view. Centering the clicked button is not always the right composition. For example, an account setting may sit on the left while the updated preview appears on the right. Keep enough context to connect the two. Adjust **Zoom** last. The controls include presets such as 1.25×, 1.5×, 2× and 2.5×, with a wider editable range available. Start modestly and increase only until the important detail becomes easy to read. Stronger magnification can remove the context the viewer needs. ## Use manual zooms for moments without clicks Some important moments involve no click at all: a status changes, a chart finishes updating, or you explain a particular line of text. Move the playhead to the relevant point and choose **Add zoom** to author a range yourself. Manual ranges are also available for clips without the metadata required by Auto zoom. That means an imported video can still receive deliberate framing; the editor simply asks you to choose the moment and focus. You can disable a range to compare the sequence without it, or delete it if the wider view works better. A useful recording does not need motion at every opportunity. Periods of stillness give viewers time to understand the material. ## Regenerate without losing deliberate edits After automatic ranges exist, the button changes to **Regenerate**. Edited zooms are kept when you regenerate, so you can refine an important moment without treating every automatic pass as a complete restart. Review the resulting sequence after a major timing change. Trims, cuts and speed changes alter the way the explanation feels even when the underlying focus data remains attached to the source. Listen to the narration and watch the action together. If you add manual keyframes for recording presentation, remember that those authored values can determine the visible result for their channels. Keep the project understandable by using deliberate overrides where they serve a clear purpose. ## Understand why Auto zoom may be unavailable The editor explains when click metadata is missing or incomplete, or when no clicks were recorded. A held frame also uses manual framing instead of automatic suggestions. In those situations, **Add zoom** lets you choose the view directly. Zoom and perspective are also unavailable while the clip participates in certain tracking or depth-occlusion workflows. Those features depend on the source surface's coordinates. Choose the treatment appropriate to the shot rather than expecting every spatial effect to combine on the same clip. ## Check the finished explanation Export a short sample containing a zoom, a pause and a return to the wider view. Watch it at the size your audience will use. The important label should be readable, the result should stay on screen long enough, and the movement should support your narration. Once the sample works, finish the edit and [share it with a link](/blog/share-screen-recordings-with-a-link). Auto zoom is most useful when it removes repetitive framing work while leaving the final explanation in your control.