How to record a demo (discussion)

[ratty]

Discussion regarding the howto

[strangemodule]

Very elaborate. I applaud you Ratty.

[Neh]

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but I didn't feel it warrant a new thread:

 

I figured out why VirtualDub couldn't detect my codecs. Apparently since I tried using the 64 bit version(They said it'd be faster) it couldn't use 32 bit codecs. After downloading the 32 bit version it showed everything perfectly.

 

Hopefully that'll help any other 64-bit runners out there.

[Grinch Axel]

So, you don't use the demo smoother at all to make your videos, Ratty?

[ratty]

[Odd!x]

I think axel just wanted to know whether or not you used the demo smoother, but what do I know

[ratty]

If you don't know for sure either, then you're comment is not really helping.

If he knew what the demo smoother was, he probably knew I wasn't using it from the jerky camera movement, and from the lack of mention of a demo smoother in the above how-to. But who knows for sure what the actual question was? If someone knows how to make the smoother work in sourcetv, thats good info and should be shared, I love finding better ways to do things, but without clear communication, its difficult to respond.

If I did not answer his question, if I guessed wrong, then he can speak for himself.

[William Dogood]

Followed guide, made video!

 

Only trouble I had was at this part:

 

Open up the AVI with virtualdub.

Just choose these options right away:

 

Took me a while to realize that you weren't referring to something popping up when the video was initially loaded. After that though it went very smoothly.

[ratty]

Ok I reworded it. Thanks for the feedback.

[ratty]

this guide has people using divx to record directly, I might not bother doing that myself, but if you are low on disk space, that would sure save a lot.

[Doofirtle]

Thank you very much for this guide, very helpfull.

[ratty]

This is for you William, alternate method!

 

bind f10 "startmovie zz"

If you drop the "avi" off the end, it will instead make a TGA file per frame (30fps default still) and a .wav file for the audio. This is the old method that I did until a month ago or so.

 

This gets really messy though, it fills up the tf2 folder, but it will prefix everything with "zz", so windows will sort the files at the end of everything for easier deletion.

 

Open up virtualdub.

 

Open up the first tga file, which is zz0001.tga virtualdub, it will automatically detect all the other files and load those up too.

 

Audio, Full Processing mode.

Audio, audio from other file, then choose zz.wav

Audio, Compression, same as the other method.

 

Video, full processing mode.

Video, Frame Rate. "change frame rate to", then put 30.

Video, compression, blah blah.

 

I made a batch file called 00clear.bat so it sorts to the top, and it contains:

 

del zz*.*

so between captures I would run it to clear out everything. If virtualdub is open it wont delete it, so you'd have to either close it, or do file, close video file.. and audio, no audio, then it wont have anything open.

[Doofirtle]

Now install this.

http://ffdshow-tryout.sourceforge.net/

I think that comes with xvid, if it doesnt, just google for xvid and install it if you don't see xvid as an encoder later.

 

 

What exactly do we need this for, and do you just install it and never use it?

[ratty]

You need it to make xvid work with virtualdub. You can use whatever codec you want though, xvid is just what I use.

[Doofirtle]

You need it to make xvid work with virtualdub. You can use whatever codec you want though, xvid is just what I use.

So I just install that, and then I am good?

[Conficker]

um how do you move around freely in the demo file?

[Lemming]

It has to be playing for you to move. You're stuck if you pause it.

[OrangeL]

Close demoui.

[Duke429]

You need it to make xvid work with virtualdub. You can use whatever codec you want though, xvid is just what I use.

So I just install that, and then I am good?

Yeah. If you follow the directions, you'll find xvid in the compression options, which (if you followed the whole tutorial) will produce your video into either HQ or HD on youtube. I got HD on mine, but my monitor is HD and I already play the game in the resolution Ratty suggested (windowed as well) so I don't know if it will come out the same on yours.

[Manatee]

I'm just wondering how to record movies in drive and how to do so without showing your arms and weapons. Could you help me?

[denmax]

You mean move freely? While playing a recorded demo?

 

I forgot, but I think it was a command in the console.

 

Or I may be wrong.

[ratty]

I have little experience with player recorded demos, everytime I try to use them, I can't make it go free look mode even if I click drive in "demoui", pausing it, letting it play, no matter what it wont work for me. Roger Dogood got it working I think, but discovered it wont draw you, if you have the intel its just a trail of papers but nobody holding anything, etc..

[Duke429]

The main issue I've been having was letting the buffer empty afterwards. How will I know when it's okay to leave the game?

 

Edit: To be more specific, I've been getting this message when I try to open the .avi in VirtualDub.

Reconstructing Index Block (Aggressive Mode). Then I try to play it and its only a part of the vid.

[ratty]

I get that message all the time in virtualdub, but its always able to read it no problem.

I looked into 'buffering' real quick, and there's filesystem_buffer_size cvar, but its set to 0 by default, which is off.

[Duke429]

Well, it seems to be fixed now (or at least workable). Must remember that I don't have the full process committed to memory.