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Please see the most recent updates in the "Where did the .com name go?" thread. Posts number 16 and 17.
Making FSX videos
- Thread starter PRB
- Start date
stormtrooper271
Charter Member
FS Recorder has a feature available to record videos, but no audio is recorded with the video.
The version of FSRecorder that allows the making of a rendering is still in Beta, and you won't find it in the regular download section, but it is available on the FS-Recorder website. Your renders will be in WMV format as well.
If having exact sounds for the scene is important, you can always grab them using FRAPS, (with all your graphic sliders to the left so you can free up the resources to have a smooth playback) and then strip out the audio from the file using a freeware audio program like Switch. Then in your video editing program, you can add the audio back into the video that was made using the FSRecorder rendering process.
When I made my first flight sim video, (2003-2005) programs like FSRecorder and FRAPS weren't available. I got a video card that had S_video out and I sent the video signal out of the computer when running FS and into a digital cam-corder. Then I brought the video back into the computer and edited the video later.
There's another payware program available that works like FRAPS, but doesn't use as much resources. I think it's called Gamecam. I'll have to look it up. But I remember trying the demo and finding that the quality of the captured video wasn't as good as FRAPS.
My personal preference is to use the rendering feature in FS_Recorder because it allows you crank up the graphic elements as high as they will go. Having to add audio later is a small price to pay and most times I'd be doing that anyway.
If having exact sounds for the scene is important, you can always grab them using FRAPS, (with all your graphic sliders to the left so you can free up the resources to have a smooth playback) and then strip out the audio from the file using a freeware audio program like Switch. Then in your video editing program, you can add the audio back into the video that was made using the FSRecorder rendering process.
When I made my first flight sim video, (2003-2005) programs like FSRecorder and FRAPS weren't available. I got a video card that had S_video out and I sent the video signal out of the computer when running FS and into a digital cam-corder. Then I brought the video back into the computer and edited the video later.
There's another payware program available that works like FRAPS, but doesn't use as much resources. I think it's called Gamecam. I'll have to look it up. But I remember trying the demo and finding that the quality of the captured video wasn't as good as FRAPS.
My personal preference is to use the rendering feature in FS_Recorder because it allows you crank up the graphic elements as high as they will go. Having to add audio later is a small price to pay and most times I'd be doing that anyway.
Newsinger's FSRecorder DOES play sound, so you can record with Fraps. It's the 'built in' FS(X) Recorder that doesn't record sound. It's BROKEN. And the 'other' free cam programs don't record sound. And for 'sound' to 'come thru' when using tower view, make a new window ('[') and reduce window size with drag of sides and place top right. Then use 'Shift+S' to change view for best sound. Click anywhere on main window when you want to change view (with 'Shift+S'). Takes a little practice to get FSX and FSRecorder to 'get along'.
You can use FSRecorder 2.0 'instant replay', which works very simular to FSX instant replay, to record those Fraps movies. The beauty of FSRecorder 2.0 is that you can jump back to start, middle, or end. You can't do that with FSX instant replay. Run FSRecorder (instant replay) and dial in time (seconds) and look around to decide what view you want, etc. You can use FSX instant replay to look at how much/what is available (time wise) and for idea how much time to replay with FSRecorder.
FSRecorder takes away use of 'S' key to change from spot to tower to fly-by. But you can use 'Shift+S' on keyboard to switch views. This is un-documented (don't know why and it's not obvious but this works fine). You can also use 'FSRecorder' menu (up top) for changing views. Of course if in tower view you can use 'V' key to instantly go to the other tower views you set up ahead of time.
Fraps overlay may indicate '8' (fps) when recording (but that is only what you have LEFT OVER for FSX!) but it is RECORDING at 29.97 (the ideal choice) and if 'half-size' is chosen, the 'RESULTS' will be more than good (ie: 29.97 fps). So just cause Fraps 'bogs down' the Sim doesn't mean it is not recording good videos. It is. But, 'Live' recording of FSX 'action' won't be as 'smooth' (due to lag, etc messing up your controls) so this will NOT give you good results. That is why you use instant replay (FSX or FSRecorder) and you record THAT (for best results). There's more. Like making 'formation' videos, etc. But that's it for now. Hope this helps.
Chuck B
Napamule
You can use FSRecorder 2.0 'instant replay', which works very simular to FSX instant replay, to record those Fraps movies. The beauty of FSRecorder 2.0 is that you can jump back to start, middle, or end. You can't do that with FSX instant replay. Run FSRecorder (instant replay) and dial in time (seconds) and look around to decide what view you want, etc. You can use FSX instant replay to look at how much/what is available (time wise) and for idea how much time to replay with FSRecorder.
FSRecorder takes away use of 'S' key to change from spot to tower to fly-by. But you can use 'Shift+S' on keyboard to switch views. This is un-documented (don't know why and it's not obvious but this works fine). You can also use 'FSRecorder' menu (up top) for changing views. Of course if in tower view you can use 'V' key to instantly go to the other tower views you set up ahead of time.
Fraps overlay may indicate '8' (fps) when recording (but that is only what you have LEFT OVER for FSX!) but it is RECORDING at 29.97 (the ideal choice) and if 'half-size' is chosen, the 'RESULTS' will be more than good (ie: 29.97 fps). So just cause Fraps 'bogs down' the Sim doesn't mean it is not recording good videos. It is. But, 'Live' recording of FSX 'action' won't be as 'smooth' (due to lag, etc messing up your controls) so this will NOT give you good results. That is why you use instant replay (FSX or FSRecorder) and you record THAT (for best results). There's more. Like making 'formation' videos, etc. But that's it for now. Hope this helps.
Chuck B
Napamule
Very interesting stuff here. Fraps record the "instant replay" made with FS Recorder. I will try it. Thanks Chuck!
FS Recorder is COOL! I've known it was out there for a while but never installed it because I was always looking for something to save recordings out as movie files of some sort, which FS Recorder cannot do. But, after Chuck's advice, I've installed it and have been playing with it. It's a very nice alternative to the basic "instant replay" feature that comes with FSX. And I love how you can replay recordings as AI traffic and do formation stuff. And free too! Now to get Fraps running...
I made a video!
... using the "napamule technique" (Fraperize an FS Recorder playback). I saved it to WMV using Windows Movie Maker. This seems to be the highest quality thet WMM will save too, which can't be right. I'll keep playing.
Dang, I'll never get anything productive done now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIjuB4ZIT4I
... using the "napamule technique" (Fraperize an FS Recorder playback). I saved it to WMV using Windows Movie Maker. This seems to be the highest quality thet WMM will save too, which can't be right. I'll keep playing.
Dang, I'll never get anything productive done now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIjuB4ZIT4I
Walter
Charter Member
Ok so I too got FRAPS so that I can make movies with FSRecorder, but I'm having issues. I made my video capture key M. I hit M after setting up the playback feature, but all I got was a 2 second long video. Do I have to hold M to get a full length vid?
Thank you,
Walter
Edit - Holding down the key doesn't work... grrr.
Thank you,
Walter
Edit - Holding down the key doesn't work... grrr.
I had a similar thing happen the first time I captured a movie using Fraps, although I got more than 2 seconds. I went to the "Movies" tab and adjusted some settings: Selected "Half-size" and increased the Loop buffer length to 60 seconds. Now I can capture 4-minute movies.
Walter
Charter Member
Rgr free version. Half size results in a movie of smaller dimensions, but still looks to be about the same resolution, I think. Same results in any case.
Another nice thing about using the FS Recorder generated playback for the video capture is that you can concentrate on flying, then when you play it back for video capture you can change lighting conditions, jump in and out of the cockpit, switch camera views etc.
Another nice thing about using the FS Recorder generated playback for the video capture is that you can concentrate on flying, then when you play it back for video capture you can change lighting conditions, jump in and out of the cockpit, switch camera views etc.
PRB,
Wow, you catch on fast. The video was good. The letter-box is due what you saved it from WMM. Use as large a res as MM offers, at as large 'size' as MM offers. I think it will also be 'variable bit'. Nice 1st time video. There are a lot of possibilities. You can even do Fraps videos when FSX is in 'windowed' mode (video still comes out full screen!). The key is in choosing hi-Q in WMM.
Walter,
I use the 'INSERT' key (next to Delete key, above the arrow keys). That one does not interfere with any FSX keys, so it works perfect. The 'M' key is for 'Magneto (select)' in FSX, that is why it don't work for Fraps. 'Insert' is one of the choices in Fraps for 'Start / Stop Recording'. Free version of Fraps is limited to 30 seconds. But you can 'paste' the 29 second clips together to make a 4 min video. Make SURE Fraps clip is 29 sec and NOT 31 sec Fraps clip as THAT will be rendered 'corrupt' and will not load into WMM). 4 min is the (attention span) 'normal' length for YTube videos.
For example you can make a FSX replay of a 4 minute video. You record 30 sec's with Fraps. Run replay again and record 2nd 30 sec portion, etc, etc. Then these individual clips can be made into a 3, or 4, minute video in WMM. When finished 'Save To My Computer' and you're done. That should only take you about an hour (or two-hehe). Practice makes perfect. Write things down on an index card, and keep it handy, as it's like running a 3 ring circus sometimes. And get a bigger HDrive. I make 5 Gig's of Fraps movies for one plane on any good 'shooting' day. Beauty is you can convert to WMV with WMM and cut to 10% of size. Save 'Project'. But keep the clips or the 'Project' will not work (it needs those clips). So go ahead and 'finalize' the WMM movie (gets 'preserved' as 'wmv') and then delete the Fraps 'avi'. Here is a link to a movie I made in 2007 of F1 race cars (vehicles).
Chuck B
Napamule
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeL9yG7aJkI
Wow, you catch on fast. The video was good. The letter-box is due what you saved it from WMM. Use as large a res as MM offers, at as large 'size' as MM offers. I think it will also be 'variable bit'. Nice 1st time video. There are a lot of possibilities. You can even do Fraps videos when FSX is in 'windowed' mode (video still comes out full screen!). The key is in choosing hi-Q in WMM.
Walter,
I use the 'INSERT' key (next to Delete key, above the arrow keys). That one does not interfere with any FSX keys, so it works perfect. The 'M' key is for 'Magneto (select)' in FSX, that is why it don't work for Fraps. 'Insert' is one of the choices in Fraps for 'Start / Stop Recording'. Free version of Fraps is limited to 30 seconds. But you can 'paste' the 29 second clips together to make a 4 min video. Make SURE Fraps clip is 29 sec and NOT 31 sec Fraps clip as THAT will be rendered 'corrupt' and will not load into WMM). 4 min is the (attention span) 'normal' length for YTube videos.
For example you can make a FSX replay of a 4 minute video. You record 30 sec's with Fraps. Run replay again and record 2nd 30 sec portion, etc, etc. Then these individual clips can be made into a 3, or 4, minute video in WMM. When finished 'Save To My Computer' and you're done. That should only take you about an hour (or two-hehe). Practice makes perfect. Write things down on an index card, and keep it handy, as it's like running a 3 ring circus sometimes. And get a bigger HDrive. I make 5 Gig's of Fraps movies for one plane on any good 'shooting' day. Beauty is you can convert to WMV with WMM and cut to 10% of size. Save 'Project'. But keep the clips or the 'Project' will not work (it needs those clips). So go ahead and 'finalize' the WMM movie (gets 'preserved' as 'wmv') and then delete the Fraps 'avi'. Here is a link to a movie I made in 2007 of F1 race cars (vehicles).
Chuck B
Napamule
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeL9yG7aJkI
PRB,
One 'undocumented' trick: Run FSX locked at 24 fps. Then JUST BEFORE you go to do replay (FS or Recorder) go settings and switch to UNLIMITED fps for FSX. Then make sure FRAPS is set to 29.97 and Half-Size. This will prevent sound corruption and stutters. When done with recording set FSX back to locked 24 fps.
Also, after you fly 4 min's (240 sec's) or 10 min's (600 sec's) and want to reset 'count' to zero, go World\Time & Season and change the time of day. (1 min or 1 hour). Forward or backwards doesn't matter. Presto. New slate. New replay length available which is less (accumulated) time. Makes things simple (my motto).
Chuck B
Napamule
PS: This is NOT a bump (no need). It's info one can use.
One 'undocumented' trick: Run FSX locked at 24 fps. Then JUST BEFORE you go to do replay (FS or Recorder) go settings and switch to UNLIMITED fps for FSX. Then make sure FRAPS is set to 29.97 and Half-Size. This will prevent sound corruption and stutters. When done with recording set FSX back to locked 24 fps.
Also, after you fly 4 min's (240 sec's) or 10 min's (600 sec's) and want to reset 'count' to zero, go World\Time & Season and change the time of day. (1 min or 1 hour). Forward or backwards doesn't matter. Presto. New slate. New replay length available which is less (accumulated) time. Makes things simple (my motto).
Chuck B
Napamule
PS: This is NOT a bump (no need). It's info one can use.
Thanks Chuck. That's good to know. Today I was trying to make a video of carrier ops, but found out that AI carriers aren't really AI, in the same sense that airplanes are, because they don't get recorded, even if you set up FS recorder to record AI traffic. I would have to record the whole thing with Fraps to get the ships. I hadn't tried Fraps in some time (two computers ago) and with my current system, FS is not slowed down at all when Fraps is running, which is nice.
Fraps won't help get the carrier in the proper place -it just records the images on the screen - not the data that makes the image.
There's a work around for getting FSRecorder to work with AI Carriers if I remember correctly. It was posted on the FSRecorder forum a couple of years ago. I'll take a quick look and see if I can find it for you.
Here it is:
http://www.fs-recorder.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=370&p=1309&hilit=AI+carriers#p1309
This probably won't work with AIcarriers - but it should work with other AI controlled carriers.
There's a work around for getting FSRecorder to work with AI Carriers if I remember correctly. It was posted on the FSRecorder forum a couple of years ago. I'll take a quick look and see if I can find it for you.
Here it is:
http://www.fs-recorder.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=370&p=1309&hilit=AI+carriers#p1309
This probably won't work with AIcarriers - but it should work with other AI controlled carriers.
PRB,
The carriers in Acceleration are SCENERY (ha) with hard deck. You might need to move the sliders back (auto gen and scenery) and then shoot 'live' with Fraps as the carriers won't show on replay (as you found out). Remember that even if Fraps shows '8 fps' that it's actually recording 29.97. The WMM has 'Other' you can tick and then choose the Quality you want. I choose Hi Q (Large) which is 640x480 pixels, 30 fps (variable bit rate), and aspect ratio of 4:3. This allows YouTube to get best video size and quality when they convert your WMV to FLV (Flash).
I guess using AI Carriers prog will allow instant replay of traps to record with Fraps but I am happy with using the Accel carriers. I do delete a some footage of 'live' but bad traps. A few times I miss-but I don't crash anymore (I'm a 'Ace' now-ha). Keep on trucking. Might give AICarriers a shot. I understand you have to manually enter lines in the dll.xml file, or AICarriers won't be 'initialized' by FSX.
Chuck B
Napamule
The carriers in Acceleration are SCENERY (ha) with hard deck. You might need to move the sliders back (auto gen and scenery) and then shoot 'live' with Fraps as the carriers won't show on replay (as you found out). Remember that even if Fraps shows '8 fps' that it's actually recording 29.97. The WMM has 'Other' you can tick and then choose the Quality you want. I choose Hi Q (Large) which is 640x480 pixels, 30 fps (variable bit rate), and aspect ratio of 4:3. This allows YouTube to get best video size and quality when they convert your WMV to FLV (Flash).
I guess using AI Carriers prog will allow instant replay of traps to record with Fraps but I am happy with using the Accel carriers. I do delete a some footage of 'live' but bad traps. A few times I miss-but I don't crash anymore (I'm a 'Ace' now-ha). Keep on trucking. Might give AICarriers a shot. I understand you have to manually enter lines in the dll.xml file, or AICarriers won't be 'initialized' by FSX.
Chuck B
Napamule
Rgr X_, that's what I meant (I think), that Fraps, recording FS directly, would capture my carrier landing with the boats visible. It does work, but I like recording from FS Recorder playbacks, as it provides more oprions. That's an interesting workaround, too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Of108PZBrEo
SkippyBing
Charter Member
To record an AI Carriers generated carrier with FS Recorder I came up with the following work round:
Get your plane set where you want i.e. Heading, Height, Speed near/over a body of water.
Set to slew mode
and save the flight, when you load the flight it'll be in slew mode.
Load the flight if required (i.e. if you're in a new FSX session).
Before exiting slew mode use AI Carriers to set up the ship you want in the position you want, e.g. 5 miles ahead, but not moving.
Start FS Recorder recording.
When the recording counter gets to a logical number e.g. 10 seconds, use AI carriers to tell the ship to move forward and then exit slew mode.
Fly your flight and then save the recording.
To replay it, load the flight, if necessary delete the carrier and reposition it back where it was in the first place, i.e. 5 miles ahead in this example.
Start the playback, when the playback counter gets to the same place as before tell the carrier to start moving.
I've used this method a few times now and it seems to work reasonably well as long as you start the carrier moving at a consistent point, at 25kts the ship will move about 40' a second. I generally open the AI Carriers window at the 8 second point and then press 1 to get it moving forward as it changes from 9 to 10, which seems to get things within a couple of feet each time.
There's no problem with using the FS Recorder render to video option with this method and I don't seem to have encountered any problems with the fast forward/rewind controls upsetting things which was a bit more surprising.
For carriers on AI routes, rather than generated by AI Carriers, as long as you start the playback at the same time as the original recording was made it should work out ok.
Get your plane set where you want i.e. Heading, Height, Speed near/over a body of water.
Set to slew mode
and save the flight, when you load the flight it'll be in slew mode.Load the flight if required (i.e. if you're in a new FSX session).
Before exiting slew mode use AI Carriers to set up the ship you want in the position you want, e.g. 5 miles ahead, but not moving.
Start FS Recorder recording.
When the recording counter gets to a logical number e.g. 10 seconds, use AI carriers to tell the ship to move forward and then exit slew mode.
Fly your flight and then save the recording.
To replay it, load the flight, if necessary delete the carrier and reposition it back where it was in the first place, i.e. 5 miles ahead in this example.
Start the playback, when the playback counter gets to the same place as before tell the carrier to start moving.
I've used this method a few times now and it seems to work reasonably well as long as you start the carrier moving at a consistent point, at 25kts the ship will move about 40' a second. I generally open the AI Carriers window at the 8 second point and then press 1 to get it moving forward as it changes from 9 to 10, which seems to get things within a couple of feet each time.
There's no problem with using the FS Recorder render to video option with this method and I don't seem to have encountered any problems with the fast forward/rewind controls upsetting things which was a bit more surprising.
For carriers on AI routes, rather than generated by AI Carriers, as long as you start the playback at the same time as the original recording was made it should work out ok.