Making Videos?

[Hammock]

Even way back in my tfc days I've always wanted to make a video, but never really bothered to take the time to learn.

So I figured with the start of FF It'd be a perfect time into getting into making them. But I have a few questions.

How do you guys rip the video from the screen? What application do you use. Are there any free good applications (ie: high res, not some low res crap).

I figured I'd just use nero's video editor to edit the videos once I've collected enough footage. But if there's a different or better one to use could you please link it? I'd prefer a free application. I've paid and have full version of nero, but like I said I have little experience in video creation.

As well the steps usually taken. Do you record demo's first then rip the videos from the demoplay back? Or do you just play the game and record while you get footage.

As well lots of other videos I've seen are in full mode first person. How would one remove the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen in spectate mode so you just capture the visuals?

Same with player names on screen, and the kill info in the top right corner. How to remove these as well to make the videos more generic rather than advertising particular players.

Any help or tips would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Hammock

[groovyf]

I've used Fraps to record to avi (purchase necessary to get over the 30sec time limit and to remove the www.fraps.com overlay), then Windows Media Encoder which does an excellent job of converting to .wmv format.

Need to tweak the encoding options, but DVD quality, 2Mbits works really well for a decent file-size

[Shpongle]

http://www.planetfortress.com/hlmp/h.../tutorials.asp

[Doompiggy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4MK_XJeNqA

[shock]

Its not free but you can try sony vegas for 30 days , wich should be enough .
Also i used gamecam instead of fraps wich is free and has no watermarks ..

[DUCKVILLELOL]

I make DotA videos, which can look really cool, but take some time to create (depending on what style you use to make the video).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGB6TzMWI0

This is one I put together a few months ago, I used FRAPS to capture the ingame footage, then cut it all together with Sony Vegas 7.0c.

I was also thinking about doing a video for FF, but only after I get my upgrade, as this PC is severely lacking in CPU power to get good enough frames to justify an attempt at making a movie.

I might try out gamecam after schocks suggestion

Edit: And now after looking;

Protip for Shock:
25$ to register != free
See: http://www.planetgamecam.com/index.p...id=preregister

I'll stick with FRAPS :P

[SmellyCat]

It used to be free but have a watermark, last I remember. I recall thinking that fraps was better anyhow.

[TheWetMule]

Can't you do it VIA demos anymore? Y'know, record a demo then play it back with the command "startmovie <FPS> <FILENAME>" which would create bitmaps in your folder, which then could be turned into a .avi and that then put into some video editor ;P?

[TobeyII]

This is possible. VideoMach can put the .tga files together with a codec of your choice.

[kam]

if you're making a serious video, use startmovie rather than fraps

[shadow]

Follow kam's advice about startmovie, use vdub, edit with something better than windows movie maker. Videomach adds watermarks.

[be_]

Is there a way that I can make the demos record into a specific folder? I want to put them into my other drive because my C drive does not have enough room.

I tried the vdub way as suggested, but when I click on compress under video options, there is no XVID available so I do not know which one to choose. Same with the audio, the highest available "hz" was about 50, as opposed to 128 in the video. I just guessed a video/audio compression and it came out all slow motion. I noticed that the guy in the tutorial has a different version, but I have what is supposed to be the latest version 1.7.4.

[KubeDawg]

Ok, I've got all the .tga files and the .wav in a specified folder. I've used vdub before to make CS videos, but never have I dealt with .tga files like this. Are there any additional/different steps I need to take other than choosing the correct codec I'd like to use?

[Hammock]

Okay I posted a question in a now locked thread, about how to make it so fraps doesn't lag my computer out. They asked what my specs were.

I run an AMD2 64 4600+, with 2 gigs of ram, and a geforce 7950.

I average 80 - 200 fps normally, but as soon as I turn fraps on (even in demo mode) the preset fps of say 20fps on fraps doesn't even get reached, and I sit at like 8-10 fps isntead.

Also is this startmovie free?

Cheers,
Hammock

[Doompiggy]

Originally Posted by Hammock

Also is this startmovie free?

Cheers,
Hammock

Startmovie is a source command

[Hammock]

Originally Posted by Sasuke~!

Startmovie is a source command

Oh, I'll have to look into that, I couldn't find a list of console commands, hell I couldn't figure out how to play the damn demos for awhile. I stumbled upon it eventually.

Cheers,
Hammock

[be_]

Have you tried Sasuke~!'s suggestion?

[Hammock]

Originally Posted by be_

Have you tried Sasuke~!'s suggestion?

Yes, and as far as running it during real time it sucks, it runs worse than everything combined.

But does it work better for running on demos? As in record a demo, then run it, then startmovie. Then decode the tga files after for a smooth video? Even though the running of the demo might completely degrade? Is that how i'm suppose to use this feature and make a smooth video?

Cheers,
Hammock

[KubeDawg]

Well, thanks to the HLMP link someone posted, I was able to use deductive reasoning, process of elimination, and what would seem to be common knowledge and made myself my first Fortress Forever AVI. Now that I'm done with it in vDub, I'm working on it in Adobe premier, also with the help of some useful Premier articles. It's a short clip, just enough time for me to beat a specific map almost perfectly, and I hope the song I chose for it was excellent. Once it's done rendering(I need more RAM... >.<) I'll see if it's small enough to go on youtube. If so, I'll post it here to give some people an idea of how simple it really is to make a Fortress Forever video.

Keep in mind, that all the articles are mainly for other source games such as CS:S, but the same principles work when extracting your movie from the demo.

[KubeDawg]

Ok here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qgd56hUaho