Many methods to creating videos. What do you use?

[KubeDawg]

Here are the steps I use to make a Fortress Forever video:

Tutorial: http://forums.facepunchstudios.com/s...d.php?t=148196

Step 1: These initial commands will remove text, hud, and weapon/crossairs from your screen so you can record a visually pleasing video.

sv_cheats 1

New Values:
(Bind these to an empty key, I used F3)
r_drawviewmodel 0
hud_saytext_time 0
hud_deathnotice_time 0
cl_drawhud 0
r_drawparticals 0

Default Values:
(Bind these to an empty key, I used F4)
r_drawviewmodel 1
hud_saytext_time 11
hud_deathnotice_time 6
cl_drawhud 1
r_drawparticals 1
(note, a few of these may be out of date, used for HL 1 games)

Step 2: Record your demo. If you've already done this, skip to step 3.

Type 'record myfirstdemo.dem' to start recording.
Type 'stop' to stop recording.

Step 3: Record your movie. This is the process that saves the demo you recorded as .tga or Targa files, which are similar to .bmp files. They are saved to your main Fortress Forever directory.

host_framerate 30
playdemo demoname
startmovie myfirstmovie avi(or raw)
endmovie

Step 4: Once this is completed, open VirtualDub, and click File > Open > your 'myfirstmovie00000.tga' file. Then, a pop up box asks you how you want to open it, choose in sequence. This might take an hour or 2 depending on the length of your video. Once it's done, you can save it as an avi file and you are done.

Step 5: Sony Vegas. This video editor allows you to change, edit and altar your video the way you see fit. You can remove the audio, and add music instead, you can edit the clips to have smooth transitions that follow the music, and even add cool effects that make your video much more sexy.

I also have used Adobe Premier, but I like vegas better.

What method do you all use to create your FF videos? I've attempted to create mine by typing startmovie moviename avi, but for some reason that didn't work.

[Circuitous]

Load WeGame.

F9.

F9.

Upload.

[KubeDawg]

Originally Posted by Circuitous

Load WeGame.

F9.

F9.

Upload.

LMFAO, touche. I'll try that and see what quality it puts out. Hopefully it's better than FRAPS...

[Circuitous]

The source videos are usually half-size, it compresses them before upload.

I'll record a short video and upload it without compression.

http://www.onehitcombo.net/crap/demololz.avi

Might gotta give it a sec to upload.

[KubeDawg]

What if you want to add audio to it, say to make a music video, and to be able to edit the clips so you can make a high quality FF music video?

[Circuitous]

Use a video editing program?

http://www.onehitcombo.net/crap/demololz.avi

woooooo.

[SmellyCat]

Until I have a "serious" project to do FRAPs can kick out enough quality for stuff that I've ever needed to make, although I do appreciate that it is not quite the same as creating with startmovie (however my total HDD space is only 120GB and at any point I never have too much space to work with hundres/thousands of BMPs/whatevers)

Recording at 1/2 speed playback tends to give a smooth picture at least. The main problem with FRAPs is that the people who use it tend to be lazy and/or incompetent. It is possible to get decent quality out of it and save yourself a let of trouble with messing around with large numbers of image files.


Uhh, my point? If you're doing stuff largely for your own eyes, to practice editing or just a quick video then you can save so much time with FRAPs (or something similar/better), otherwise you'd probably fare better with startmovie.


Also, please don't remove weapon models from avis.

Originally Posted by Circuitous

Use a video editing program?

http://www.onehitcombo.net/crap/demololz.avi

woooooo.

Coulda shown a bit of movement and pow pow. :X

[Circuitous]

I'm just demonstrating default WeGame compression and resolution, not showing off my elite skills.

[SmellyCat]

Yeah but it could be all horrible and jerky as soon as you start moving around - I wasn't talking about elite skillz.

[Circuitous]

Ah.

Well, maybe later, then. I think WeGame shoots for 60 fps just like FRAPS does, which my rig manages just fine, but I'd have to do a video to be certain.

[Everything]

I either use Fraps, F9 x2, Open up Movavi, convert to mpeg4 to reduce size.

Or just WeGame, F9 x2.

[CaLeB-]

Huffyuv is a very great compressor when it comes to compressing videos off of VirtualDub. The thing I like about it is that it reduces the file size of your AVI, yet it keeps it completely lossless. I've used this ever since I began using source recorder, and it's very satisfying when it comes to lossless video.

http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley...g/huffyuv.html

[Hawk Eye]

Anyone record demos, playback at half speed, and then double the speed of the actual video?

[BoltR]

Originally Posted by CaLeB-

Huffyuv is a very great compressor...

HuffyUV was good in 2002. When it was last updated.

[SmellyCat]

Originally Posted by Hawk Eye

Anyone record demos, playback at half speed, and then double the speed of the actual video?

Originally Posted by SmellyCat

Recording at 1/2 speed playback tends to give a smooth picture at least.

Theoretically gives 120fps (captured at 60fps). Gives you plenty of frames to work with slow-mos anyhow.

[CaLeB-]

Originally Posted by BoltR

HuffyUV was good in 2002. When it was last updated.

And is still good in 2008.

[BoltR]

Originally Posted by CaLeB-

And is still good in 2008.

No, it's not.
You miss the point of me saying it's from 2002. DivX 4 is from 2002, would you still use that? Technology changes, and things get better.

If you are just using it for a lossless format for editing, your best bet is probably Lagarith. Which is a fork of HuffyUV, and will get you WAY better compression for about the same encode time.

If you are going to storage, and just want the best compression you can get, it's probably best to use YULS. (Though some people like MSU more, because it can be much faster for almost the same compression if configured correctly)

Hell, FFV1 which is part of ffmpeg/ffdshow is a MUCH better all around decision.

[chilledsanity]

I haven't heard much about Lagarith. HuffyUV sucks at RGB compression sizes, but that's not much of a surprise. How do the two compare in YUV mode? I'm always a little wary of new codecs until I've tested the hell out of them and never encounter any artifacts.

[CaLeB-]

Originally Posted by BoltR

No, it's not.
You miss the point of me saying it's from 2002. DivX 4 is from 2002, would you still use that? Technology changes, and things get better.

If you are just using it for a lossless format for editing, your best bet is probably Lagarith. Which is a fork of HuffyUV, and will get you WAY better compression for about the same encode time.

If you are going to storage, and just want the best compression you can get, it's probably best to use YULS. (Though some people like MSU more, because it can be much faster for almost the same compression if configured correctly)

Hell, FFV1 which is part of ffmpeg/ffdshow is a MUCH better all around decision.

Huffyuv gives me great quality, and that's all I'm looking for. I don't give a damn about the outcome size of the video because I have a 500GB hard drive. Just because Huffyuv's old doesn't make it useless.

[Iggy]

WeGame USED to record sound with the video. For some reason, this is no longer true. I used WeGame to record the 2fort video clips. It didn't matter about the sound, since I was going to overlay music anyhow.