Export
Export an OSC-1 session as frame-accurate video or a live recording in 16:9, 1:1 or 9:16 — with a transparent background if you want one — or as WAV audio, an ILDA frame, SVG, or 3D→XY audio.
Open EXPORT in the top header to reach OSC-1's five export paths: VIDEO, AUDIO, ILDA, SVG, and 3D→XY.
Video
The VIDEO tab separates repeatable tracks from sources that only exist in the moment.
- Duration shows FULL TRACK when a loaded or generated track can be rendered from the beginning. With no repeatable track, it shows the maximum live-recording duration.
- SHAPE picks the video's frame: 16:9 (1920×1080), 1:1 (1080×1080) or 9:16 (1080×1920). The trace stays round and centered in every shape; only the black screen around it changes.
- RESOLUTION picks 1080P or 4K. 4K doubles every shape: 3840×2160, 2160×2160 or 2160×3840.
- The line under the two choices shows the exact frame, for example 9:16 · 1080×1920. RENDER VIDEO opens on that frame, and RECORD LIVE INPUT records it.
- RENDER VIDEO opens the frame-accurate renderer. Load an audio file or generate a track to enable it.
- RECORD LIVE INPUT captures the running display in real time as a WebM file. Start playback or a live source to enable it; while recording, the same action becomes STOP RECORDING.
- When a complete track is available, its video and audio both begin at the same zero timestamp.
Render Video settings
The RENDER VIDEO dialog identifies the source and shows its FULL RANGE duration before you start. It opens on the shape and resolution chosen in the Export dialog. Choose:
| Setting | Choices | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | YOUTUBE, INSTAGRAM, SHORTS, REELS, TIKTOK or SPOTIFY CANVAS | Sets the aspect ratio, frame rate and audio a platform expects in one click |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9, 9:16, 1:1 or 4:5 | The frame's shape; picking 16:9, 1:1 or 9:16 here also updates SHAPE in the Export dialog |
| Resolution | 1080P or 4K | Finished frame dimensions — 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 at 16:9, scaled to match the other shapes |
| Frame Rate | 24, 25, 30, 48, or 60 FPS | Exact number of frames created for each second |
| Format | MP4 · H.264 or WEBM · VP9 | Download container and video codec |
| File Name | Any name; optionally ADD FRAME RATE, RESOLUTION, AND ASPECT TO THE FILE NAME | The saved file's name (unsafe characters become dashes, so 9:16 becomes 9X16) |
| Include Audio | On or off | Adds the loaded track to the finished file; unavailable when the source has no repeatable audio |
The footer previews the selected resolution, frame rate, and exact total frame count. CANCEL closes the dialog; RENDER VIDEO starts the job. If the current source cannot be replayed offline, the dialog explains why and offers RECORD LIVE when that path is available.
Rendering, completion, and errors
The rendering view shows a percentage, FRAME N OF TOTAL, and the current stage:
- PREPARING SNAPSHOT
- ENCODING AUDIO
- RENDERING FRAMES
- FINALIZING FILE
The snapshot is fixed when the job begins, so later changes in the live app do not alter that export. CANCEL EXPORT stops the job.
When the video is ready, the dialog reports its dimensions, frame rate, duration, audio status, format, total frames, and file size. Choose SAVE VIDEO to download it or EXPORT AGAIN to return to the settings. If a job fails, the dialog shows the error and RETURN TO SETTINGS.
Every output frame is evaluated at its exact track timestamp. Rendering may run faster or slower than playback without dropping visual frames or changing the finished duration.
How long can a rendered video with audio be? A free account can render one export with audio, up to 240 minutes. The dialog calls it your free full-length export. Sign in so it follows your account. After that, free exports with audio are at most 5 minutes. An export of 5 minutes or less does not use the free one. Pro, Bundle, and Studio have no plan limit on length. Every export with audio, on every plan, still stops at 240 minutes. A render that does not produce a file does not use the free full-length export. RECORD LIVE INPUT is a separate live recording and is not that full-length export.
What does a long render need? Export needs WebCodecs. Chrome or Edge is recommended; Safari and Firefox support varies. Keep the tab open and the computer awake. A background tab may slow the render or pause it. A long export needs a lot of memory. Use a desktop rather than a phone, tablet, or low-memory laptop. Rendering takes real time and is slower without a decent GPU. The same practical limits are on Studio export.
Plan limits: 1080p is available on every plan. Free renders and free live recordings include a BeamTracer watermark that stays inside the frame in every shape; paid plans remove it. A free account can render one full-length export with audio, up to 240 minutes, then free exports with audio are at most 5 minutes. Pro, Bundle, and Studio have no plan limit on length, and every export with audio still stops at 240 minutes. 4K is included with Bundle and Studio, with one trial 4K video below Bundle — a 4K render or a 4K live recording, whichever you finish first. A failed or canceled job does not use the trial. See Pricing.
How do I export an oscilloscope video with a transparent background?
Set Background Opacity to 0% in Beam Properties, then open EXPORT → VIDEO and use RECORD LIVE INPUT. OSC-1 saves a WebM (VP9) file with a real alpha channel: only the trace and its glow remain, ready to layer over other footage in an editor that reads WebM transparency.
- In the right-hand Beam Properties panel, drag Background Opacity down. At 0% the screen, the tube face and the graticule are gone; a checkerboard behind the trace shows what is transparent.
- Open EXPORT, stay on VIDEO, and pick a SHAPE and RESOLUTION.
- Start playback and click RECORD LIVE INPUT, then STOP RECORDING when you have what you need. The WebM downloads automatically.
When the background is below 100%, the Video tab checks what your browser can record and says so: Chrome and Edge save a transparent WebM; a browser that cannot record transparency saves the recording with a black background, and the notice tells you before you start.
Render Video keeps a black background. MP4 (H.264) cannot store transparency, and the frame-accurate renderer cannot write it to WebM in the browser either. When Background Opacity is below 100%, the RENDER VIDEO dialog says this next to the settings — for MP4 and for WebM — and points you to RECORD LIVE INPUT for a transparent file. Professional alpha formats such as ProRes 4444 are not available in a browser.
Audio
The AUDIO tab exports the current track as WAV 16-bit Stereo for DAWs, VJ software, and external oscilloscopes.
- Sample Rate shows the source's original rate; a 192kHz track remains 192kHz and a 48kHz track remains 48kHz.
- Duration shows the exact exported length.
- EXPORT TRACK → WAV is available while a track is active.
The original sample rate is preserved for maximum quality.
ILDA
The ILDA tab exports the current XY frame for laser playback:
- Format: ILDA V5
- Color Depth: 24-bit RGB
- Coordinates: 16-bit signed
- Points: SCANNER-SAFE (the default) or KEEP ORIGINAL, each showing the number of points it writes
- Action: EXPORT ILDA FRAME
The result contains the current XY path with your Beam Effects applied, at the current beam color. It is one frame, not a video or recording, and is compatible with standard ILDA playback software.
POINTS decides how dense that frame is:
- SCANNER-SAFE fits the figure on screen into a frame a scanner can draw. It keeps one pass of a repeating figure, spaces the points evenly along the line, keeps corners where they are, and blanks the fast jumps between strokes the way LASER OUTPUT does. The frame is sized to LASER OUTPUT's Point rate (30,000 pps unless you changed it) at the timeline's FPS, so the ILDA Viewer's FILE HEALTH reads SAFE for that scanner — 699 points at 30,000 pps and 30 FPS. The line under the buttons names the rate it was fitted to.
- KEEP ORIGINAL writes every point the scope is holding, as the display draws it — 12,800 points for a 96 kHz track. That is far more than a scanner can draw in one frame, so a warning under the buttons gives the point rate the file needs and the FILE HEALTH rating it will get before you export.
Plan limit: clean ILDA export is a Studio feature; every other plan gets three clean exports a month. The remaining count appears directly in this tab. See Pricing.
For the closest preview-to-projector match, use the Laser Sharp scope preset. See Laser Safety before sending exported content to hardware.
SVG
The SVG tab saves the current display frame as one optimized vector path. Separate strokes remain separate when the figure fills the frame. Image to Laser imports the trace without adding an outline around the display background. For an older SVG export that shows an extra background outline, export a fresh copy from OSC-1 and inspect the imported paths before preparing laser output.
Export details:
- Format: SVG (XML)
- Type: Vector Path
- Resolution: Scalable, with a 1024px reference size
- Action: EXPORT AS SVG
The export contains raw path geometry rather than beam glow or scope-preset styling. Use it for design software, pen plotters, print work, or as a layer in BT Laser Studio.
3D→XY
The 3D→XY tab converts the active 3D model's traced edges into oscilloscope audio:
- Format: WAV 16-bit Stereo
- Sample Rate: 192kHz
- Channels: left = X, right = Y
- Source: the active model and embedded clip
- Clip Loops: 1–16 complete cycles for an embedded animation
- Duration: the exact length derived from clip timing, speed, playback mode, and loop count
- Action: EXPORT 3D→WAV
- Video action: RENDER 3D→VIDEO
Load a model in the Source panel to enable the actions. The fixed 192kHz WAV output preserves maximum shape clarity and the model's X:Y proportions for an oscilloscope or compatible laser workflow. If the file has an embedded clip, every exported frame uses the selected clip, speed, playback mode, view, and trace settings. You do not choose an arbitrary duration: one Loop cycle uses the clip's exact authored time at the selected speed, while Ping-Pong includes the forward and return passes. Increase Clip Loops when you want the complete motion repeated.
Animated tracing can take longer than real-time playback on a detailed model. The export action shows its percentage and a cancel control while it prepares the XY audio. If preparation fails, the error appears in the dialog instead of leaving the export with no result.
Render 3D→Video opens the same frame-accurate video controls used by the Video tab: 1080p or 4K, 24/25/30/48/60 FPS, MP4 or WebM, and optional synchronized XY audio. Static GLTF/GLB files export normally; animated files keep their motion without depending on real-time playback speed.
To watch the finished XY animation in OSC-1 again, use Load Audio File to import the exported WAV, choose the SCOPE view, and press play. The file remains stereo X/Y audio, so the moving 3D trace plays like any other oscilloscope track. This is a baked result: clip selection, 3D framing, and animation speed must be changed before exporting.