CapDat User Manual

Prepare the source, capture the performance, preserve the parts, and continue in TrackDat

Manual edition: September 20, 2026 Applies to: CapDat 0.1.0 for Android and the current CapDat → TrackDat bridge

CapDat is under active development. Android, Samsung One UI, and the source app can each affect screen and audio capture. The workflow and non-destructive project model below are the intended behavior even when a control moves or gains options.

Contents

1. What CapDat is
2. The five-minute workflow
3. Permissions and first launch
4. Main camera
5. Loading media
6. Capturing media from another app
7. Media Preview and non-destructive edits
8. Waveform, BPM, beats, and bars
9. Capture Settings and audio modes
10. Microphones and Bluetooth
11. Countdown and metronome
12. Recording and saved files
13. Sending a project to TrackDat
14. Deleting and managing media
15. Troubleshooting
16. Recommended workflows
17. Glossary

1. What CapDat is

CapDat is an Android camera and source-preparation app for dancers. It brings the media you are dancing to, the dancer recording, separate audio sources, and the creative decisions made before recording into one project that TrackDat can understand.

CapDat can:

• load audio or video from the phone;
• capture a permitted app screen and its playback audio for later use as a guide;
• preview, trim, crop, and loop guide media without overwriting the original;
• analyze a waveform and tempo, then display beats and bars;
• record with a loaded track, the phone microphone, a metronome, or useful combinations of them;
• add a timed or musical lead-in before the performance;
• preserve source metadata and the relationship between the guide and the dancer recording;
• send the separate assets and edit instructions to TrackDat as a resumable project package.

The non-destructive rule

Trims, crop rectangles, BPM choices, levels, timing offsets, and track relationships are project instructions. CapDat does not need to shorten or overwrite the original guide file to make those decisions. When the project moves to TrackDat, the original media and the instructions can travel together.

What CapDat is not

CapDat cannot bypass DRM or an app's Android audio-capture policy. It also cannot silently start or stop Android's screen capture. Android always requires the user to approve a capture session, and protected media may produce silent audio or a black picture.

2. The five-minute workflow

For a basic recording with a guide track:

1. Open CapDat and grant the requested camera, microphone, and media permissions.
2. Select Load Media.
3. Choose a phone file, a recent item, a CapDat capture, or media acquired through Capture from App.
4. In Media Preview, wait for the waveform and timing grid to load.
5. Set the start and end grips. Crop the picture if needed, then select the check icon to confirm the crop.
6. Select Load Media in the preview.
7. Open Capture Settings and choose the required audio source, microphone route, levels, and metronome options.
8. Choose a countdown. The default is 10 seconds, and the selection persists across reloads.
9. Frame the dancer, then select the record button.
10. Stop the recording when finished.
11. Keep the finished capture on the phone, or pair CapDat with TrackDat and send the complete project.

For a first test, use a short guide and the phone microphone. Confirm that the guide, mic, and finished video all arrive before attempting a longer performance.

3. Permissions and first launch

CapDat asks only for Android capabilities used by its recording workflow. The exact wording varies by Android and Samsung One UI version.

If a permission was denied, open Android Settings → Apps → CapDat → Permissions and enable the required item. Screen-capture approval is session-based and may be requested again even when the other permissions remain enabled.

Do not clear CapDat's app data or uninstall the app while a TrackDat package is pending. The durable project files and pending-transfer state can live in CapDat's private storage until upload completes.

4. Main camera

The main camera is the recording workspace.

Before recording, verify the live camera image, selected guide title, audio mode, countdown, and available storage. Headphones help prevent the guide from bleeding into the phone microphone.

Color controls

Under Capture Settings → Color, brightness, contrast, saturation, and warmth affect the live preview and the prepared output. Reset returns the color controls to their neutral values.

5. Loading media

Select Load Media to choose what the dancer will hear or follow.

SoundCloud Feed

The SoundCloud area is intended for browsing a connected feed and retaining available track identity such as title, artist, artwork, and source URL. Production sign-in requires the configured SoundCloud Authorization Code + PKCE credentials. If the account is not connected, use the system picker or app-capture workflow.

System file picker

Choose Open Library / Browse Phone to open Android's picker. This is the safest route to media that another app exposes through Android's shared storage framework, including cloud-backed providers shown by the picker.

Phone Media

The phone library groups accessible media into:

• Phone for device media;
• Recent for recently used or discovered guide items;
• Captures for media created by CapDat.

Each row has a mini preview. Select the preview itself to open Media Preview. Long file names remain on one line so the thumbnail does not move.

Android's storage protections mean that a file visible inside another app may not be directly browsable by CapDat. Use that app's share/export action, the system picker, or Capture from App when appropriate.

6. Capturing media from another app

Use this workflow to preserve an app performance, feed item, or other permitted source as guide media before dancing to it.

1. Open Load Media and choose Capture from App.
2. In Android's capture chooser, select a single app when available, or select the full screen only when needed.
3. Approve the Android capture prompt.
4. Start playback in the source app.
5. Return to CapDat from the notification or app switcher when the desired section is finished.
6. Select the visible red Stop Capture control.
7. Open the new item in Captures, trim it, and select Load Media.

Where app captures go

Capture limitations

• A source app can prohibit playback-audio capture.
• DRM-protected video can appear black or silent.
• Calls, protected conversations, and some notification surfaces may be excluded by Android.
• A single-app capture is preferable because it limits unrelated screen content.
• CapDat records the approved session; it does not defeat the source service's terms or technical restrictions.

If the video exists but playback audio is silent, first test an unprotected source. If that works, the original app is likely declining Android playback capture.

7. Media Preview and non-destructive edits

Select a media thumbnail to open Media Preview. The X at the top right closes the pane without loading a different guide.

Transport and trim roll

The filmstrip or roll represents the guide timeline. The waveform sits below it, and the same start and end grips define the active section across both views.

• Tap and release in the roll to move the playhead.
• Press and drag before releasing to scrub the playhead.
• Drag a grip only by grabbing the grip itself.
• The inside edge of the start grip is the exact start point.
• The inside edge of the end grip is the exact end point.
• Media outside the grips is greyed out.
• Playback stops at the end grip, or returns to the start when loop mode is enabled.
• Use the jump-to-start control beside play to return precisely to the start grip.

Pinch with two fingers to zoom the timeline without increasing its height. The dark horizontal scrollbar moves through the zoomed timeline. During playback, the view follows the playhead so it does not disappear off-screen.

Cropping

1. Select the crop icon beside the video.
2. Adjust the crop rectangle in the crop workspace.
3. Select the check icon to confirm it.
4. Use the reset icon to return to the full frame.

The normal preview may fit the complete source into its available pane; the saved crop is still an edit instruction. Reopen the crop control to inspect or change it. CapDat remembers the trim and crop for that media item.

Loading or deleting

• Load Media makes the edited item the current guide.
• The trash icon opens a confirmation before deletion.
• Closing the preview leaves the current camera guide unchanged.

8. Waveform, BPM, beats, and bars

CapDat analyzes the selected audio and draws a waveform below the filmstrip. When tempo analysis is ready, the timing grid displays beats and bar numbers over the audio.

Playback waits for the waveform and grid to initialize. This prevents the guide from beginning before the trim, BPM, and snapping controls are ready.

BPM choices

Automatic tempo detection is an estimate. Half-time and double-time interpretations are common, and music with a loose pulse may produce several plausible values. Use the gear beside the BPM value to:

• run detection again;
• choose from the detected candidates;
• select Enter BPM and type a known tempo;
• select Tap BPM, play the audio, and tap along until the estimate steadies.

Eight or more consistent taps usually give a more useful manual estimate. Listen to the bar numbering as well as the displayed number: a numerically plausible BPM can still place the musical downbeat incorrectly.

Trim snapping

Zoom in before placing a precise start. Beat or bar snapping is best after the BPM and grid alignment have been confirmed.

9. Capture Settings and audio modes

Open the gear on the main camera and use the Source, Mic, and Color tabs.

Audio Source

The preview mix is useful for immediate review, but the TrackDat package preserves available sources separately. That makes later level, crop, timing, or replacement decisions reversible.

Loaded Track Controls

• Level changes guide playback or mix level.
• Sync offset corrects a known timing difference without rewriting the guide.
• The trim, crop, BPM, and source metadata remain associated with the loaded item.

TrackDat Bridge

The TrackDat Bridge section pairs the phone with the ShuffleDB account, reports pending packages, and provides Send Pending when a completed project needs to resume or be sent manually.

10. Microphones and Bluetooth

Use Capture Settings → Mic to choose an input route, set microphone level, and select available processing such as noise reduction.

Bluetooth audio on Android has tradeoffs. A headset may provide convenient monitoring or an input route, but Bluetooth microphone quality and latency can differ significantly from the phone microphone or a wired/USB device. Android may also expose a connected device for playback without making its microphone available to the recording session.

Before an important take:

1. Connect the device before opening the final recording setup.
2. Confirm the route shown in CapDat.
3. Make a short test while moving at performance distance.
4. Play the test back and check delay, clipping, noise reduction, and guide bleed.

If the desired input is unavailable, disconnect and reconnect it, reopen Capture Settings, and verify that Android granted the Bluetooth permission.

11. Countdown and metronome

Standard countdown

The main countdown offers Off, 3, 5, and 10 seconds. Ten seconds is the default. The current choice persists so repeated takes do not require the same setup each time.

Metronome lead-in with a loaded guide

After a guide has a confirmed BPM and grid, enable Metronome Lead-In and choose the number of bars. This gives the dancer musical time before the guide's start point.

The Include lead-in in recording option determines whether that count-in is retained in the saved recording/package. Leave it off when the click is only a cue; enable it when TrackDat should receive the lead-in as part of the project timing.

Metronome-only recording

Select Metronome Only or Metronome + Mic when there is no guide track. Set the BPM and recording options in Metronome Controls. The generated metronome can be represented as its own audio lane when the project is opened in TrackDat.

The countdown and the musical lead-in serve different purposes: the countdown gives time to get ready, while the lead-in establishes tempo and bar position.

12. Recording and saved files

When recording starts, CapDat applies the current camera, countdown, guide, microphone, metronome, and color configuration. Stop the take from the main record control.

CapDat retains the useful parts of a take rather than reducing everything to one irreversible video. Depending on the selected mode, the project can include:

• the raw dancer video;
• the loaded guide video;
• guide audio or app-captured playback audio;
• microphone audio;
• a generated metronome description or lane;
• a preview mix for immediate playback;
• trim, crop, BPM, bar, level, timing, and source metadata.

Finished gallery captures are saved under Movies/CapDat. The TrackDat-ready package is first made durable in CapDat's private project storage so a gallery export does not become the only copy used by the bridge.

Wait for finalization before closing CapDat or disconnecting the phone. For a valuable take, verify playback and the TrackDat inbox before deleting any phone copy.

13. Sending a project to TrackDat

The bridge sends one logical performance as a multi-asset TrackDat project.

Pair the phone

1. On a computer, sign in at shuffledb.com/CapDat.
2. In CapDat → TrackDat, select Create pairing code.
3. The code is single-use and expires after ten minutes.
4. On the phone, open Capture Settings → Source → TrackDat Bridge.
5. Enter the code and pair the device.

The resulting device credential can send projects to the paired account. Do not share the code while it is active.

Transfer a take

After a recording is finalized, CapDat can queue the project for upload. Large assets are divided into resumable chunks. If the network drops, return to TrackDat Bridge and use Send Pending rather than creating a duplicate recording.

At shuffledb.com/CapDat, the inbox reports the number of ready assets. Select Open in TrackDat only when the project is ready.

Track mapping

TrackDat receives the sources rather than only the flattened preview. Continue with the TrackDat Manual for motion tracking, multitrack editing, effects, and rendering.

14. Deleting and managing media

The trash icon in Media Preview always asks for confirmation. Android may allow CapDat to delete media it created while requiring additional approval for a file owned by another app.

Deleting a shared gallery copy is not the same as clearing CapDat's private project data. Before removing a take, confirm that:

• the item is not still needed as a guide;
• the TrackDat upload shows all expected assets as ready;
• another project does not depend on the same source file;
• any valuable original is backed up outside the phone.

Do not clear app storage as a general cleanup method. That can remove pending project packages, remembered edits, pairing information, and transfer state.

15. Troubleshooting

The preview has audio but the picture is black

Wait for the thumbnail and preview to finish loading, then close and reopen the item. If it came from app capture, test a non-protected video. A protected source can intentionally produce a black capture even while another permitted audio path remains audible.

The app capture has video but no audio

The source app may prohibit Android playback capture. Confirm the behavior with an unprotected local or browser source. CapDat cannot override a source app's policy.

Capture is running and I cannot find Stop

Return to CapDat from Android's recent-apps screen or the active capture notification. Use the red Stop Capture control in CapDat. Android may also expose a system stop action in the notification or status area.

Playback begins outside the start grip or continues past the end grip

Pause, use jump-to-start, and confirm the inside edges of both grips. Wait for waveform/grid loading to finish before playing. If the item was already loaded, reopen Media Preview, adjust the grips, and load it again.

The crop appears to be lost

Open the crop tool and inspect the saved rectangle. Confirm changes with the check icon. The fitted normal preview can show surrounding layout space; the crop itself remains a non-destructive instruction.

BPM looks wrong

Open the BPM gear. Try another detection candidate, enter a known BPM, or use Tap BPM for at least eight steady taps. Check half and double the displayed tempo, then confirm that bar numbers land on musical downbeats.

A Bluetooth microphone is missing

Grant Nearby devices/Bluetooth permission, reconnect the device, and reopen the Mic tab. Some Bluetooth profiles offer playback only or switch to a lower-quality call profile when used as a microphone.

Save reports ENOENT or a missing cache path

Use the newest CapDat build and repeat the take after restarting the app. Do not rely on an older temporary cache folder as durable storage. If the error continues, preserve the exact message and confirm that the phone has free storage.

The TrackDat upload is incomplete

Keep CapDat installed, connect to a stable network, open TrackDat Bridge, and select Send Pending. In the web inbox, refresh and compare the ready-asset count with the total before opening the project.

16. Recommended workflows

Dance to a SoundCloud or feed discovery

1. Capture the permitted app item or use the connected feed.
2. Preserve the available title, artist, artwork, and source URL.
3. Trim to the section you want, confirm BPM and bar alignment, and load it.
4. Add a metronome lead-in if useful.
5. Record the dancer and send the package to TrackDat.

Dance to a metronome only

1. Choose Metronome Only or Metronome + Mic.
2. Enter or tap the BPM.
3. Choose the countdown and whether the click should be retained.
4. Record the take.
5. Open it in TrackDat, where the metronome can remain a separate lane.

Preserve maximum editing freedom

Use Loaded Track + Mic, keep the raw dancer video, avoid destructive trimming in external apps, and complete the TrackDat upload before phone cleanup. Treat the preview mix as a convenience, not as the only master.

17. Glossary

Guide media — The audio or video the dancer follows during a take.

Grip — A trim boundary whose inside edge marks the exact active start or end.

Playhead — The current playback position in the transport.

Beat — A pulse in the detected or entered tempo grid.

Bar — A grouped set of beats, shown with a bar number for musical navigation.

Lead-in — Optional metronome bars before the guide start, used to establish time.

Preview mix — A convenient combined playback result; it does not replace the preserved source lanes.

Manifest — Structured project information describing sources, edits, timing, and relationships.

Bridge — The paired, resumable transfer from CapDat on Android to the private TrackDat inbox.

Non-destructive — An edit stored as instructions while the source file remains unchanged.