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vhs-recorder

Create professional terminal recordings with VHS tape files - guides through syntax, timing, settings, and best practices

personAuthor: killerapphubclawhub
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VHS Recorder

Create terminal recordings with Charm's VHS. Use when creating CLI demos, README animations, documentation videos.

Prerequisites

  • vhs installed (brew install vhs / go install github.com/charmbracelet/vhs@latest)
  • ttyd and ffmpeg on PATH

Tape File Structure

Output demo.gif         # Outputs first
Set Width 1200          # Settings second
Set Theme "Catppuccin Mocha"
Require git             # Requirements third
Hide                    # Hidden setup
Type "cd /tmp && clear"
Enter
Show
Type "your command"     # Main recording
Enter
Wait
Sleep 2s

Core Commands

| Command | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Type "text" | Type text (uses TypingSpeed setting) | | Enter / Tab / Space | Key presses | | Up / Down / Left / Right | Arrow navigation | | PageUp / PageDown | Page navigation | | Ctrl+C / Ctrl+D / Ctrl+L | Signal/EOF/clear combos | | Wait / Wait /pattern/ | Wait for prompt or regex match | | Sleep 2s | Fixed pause (supports ms/s/m) | | Hide/Show | Hide setup/cleanup from output | | Type@50ms "text" | Override typing speed inline | | Backspace N / Delete N | Delete N chars back/forward | | Copy / Paste | Clipboard operations | | Screenshot path.png | Capture single frame | | Env VAR "value" | Set environment variable |

Essential Settings

| Setting | Default | Notes | |---------|---------|-------| | Width/Height | 1200/600 | Terminal dimensions in pixels | | FontSize | 32 | Text size; FontFamily for custom fonts | | TypingSpeed | 50ms | Per-char delay (override with Type@Xms) | | Theme | - | Use vhs themes to list all available | | Padding | 40 | Border space; LetterSpacing/LineHeight also available |

Timing & Patterns

3-2-1 Rule: 3s after important commands, 2s between actions, 1s for transitions

  • Clean start: Hide → Type "clear" → Enter → Show
  • Command-wait: Type → Enter → Wait → Sleep 2s
  • Fast hidden: Type@10ms "setup command"
  • ASCII preview: Output demo.ascii for instant test

Output Formats

| Format | Use Case | |--------|----------| | .gif | Web/README (universal) | | .mp4/.webm | Social media / modern browsers | | .ascii | Preview/test (instant, no ffmpeg) | | frames/ | PNG sequence for post-processing |

Quick Fixes

| Issue | Solution | |-------|----------| | Commands too fast | Add Wait + Sleep 2s after Enter | | Messy terminal | Hide → clear → Show at start | | Inconsistent pacing | Follow 3-2-1 timing rule |

CLI Commands

vhs demo.tape       # Run tape file
vhs themes          # List all available themes
vhs manual          # Show full command reference

References