# atmos cast record

Use this command to interpret a [VHS](https://github.com/charmbracelet/vhs)-dialect `.tape` file directly into an asciicast recording — an ad hoc entry point for a one-off tape with no workflow YAML at all. It reuses the exact same interpreter as a `type: cast` step's `tape`/`tape_file` fields (see [`type: cast`](/workflows/steps/type/cast#tape-interpretation)); `record` is the missing third verb alongside `play` and `render`: it takes a `.tape` and produces a `.cast` (optionally rendered further), the inverse direction of `render`.

## Usage

```shell
atmos cast record <input.tape> --output=<path> [--format=<fmt>] [--mode=<session|steps>]
```

## Arguments

- **`input.tape`**
  **Required.**
   Path to the VHS-dialect tape file to interpret.

## Flags

- **`--output`, `-o`**
  **Required.**
   Write the recording (or rendered artifact) to this path. A 
  `.cast`
   extension keeps the raw recording; any other supported extension (
  `.gif`
  , 
  `.mp4`
  , 
  `.html`
  , 
  `.ascii`
  , 
  `.png`
  , 
  `.jpg`
  /
  `.jpeg`
  ) records to a temporary 
  `.cast`
   first, renders it here, and removes the temporary file.
- **`--format`, `-f`**
  Output format (
  `cast`
  , 
  `gif`
  , 
  `mp4`
  , 
  `html`
  , 
  `ascii`
  , 
  `png`
  , 
  `jpg`
  , 
  `jpeg`
  ). Optional when 
  `--output`
  's extension already identifies the format.
- **`--mode`**
  Cast mode: 
  `session`
   (default) or 
  `steps`
  . Defaults to 
  `session`
   — the opposite of 
  `type: cast`
  's own default — since a bare 
  `.tape`
   handed to the CLI is almost always meant to replay as an actual VHS-style session, which commonly includes raw keypresses that only 
  `mode: session`
   supports. Use 
  `--mode=steps`
   for a tape that only types shell commands, to get real per-command exit codes; the command errors if the tape contains anything 
  `mode: steps`
   can't express (see 
  [`type: cast` tape interpretation](/workflows/steps/type/cast#tape-interpretation)
  ).

## Examples

```shell
atmos cast record ./demo.tape --output=demo.mp4
atmos cast record ./demo.tape --output=demo.cast
atmos cast record ./demo.tape --output=demo.gif --mode=steps
```

Recording straight to `.cast` lets you inspect, play, or render it further without re-interpreting the tape:

```shell
atmos cast record ./demo.tape --output=demo.cast
atmos cast play demo.cast
atmos cast render demo.cast --output=demo.gif
```

## See Also

- [`type: cast` tape interpretation](/workflows/steps/type/cast#tape-interpretation) — the `tape`/`tape_file` step fields this command shares its interpreter with
- [`atmos cast play`](/cli/commands/cast/play) — Replay a cast recording in the terminal
- [`atmos cast render`](/cli/commands/cast/render) — Render a cast recording to media output