Well, just to finish off this post:

I suggest that you use Fraps 1.9D instead of the newest version, unless you desperately need to capture sound. 1.9D doesn't capture sound, but it runs much more smoothly on slower systems. As for the frame rate, I suggest a 15 FPS recording, because on 10 FPS your footage will be played back a bit too slowly, and at any higher than 15, it will probably be played back a bit too fast. As for the other settings, you can turn off the screenshot capture feature. Soldat already has one implemented. Make the record button most comfortable. Mine was F12. That's pretty much it. Leave Fraps running, open up Soldat and press the record button while playing. Just remember that these files are absolutely huge, so you may want to clean them out from time to time.

As for Ulead Videostudio, if you can get your hands on it, it is very useful, but if you can't then Windows Movie Maker works just fine. Make sure that you are fond of the special effects and transitions that Movie Maker has to offer, so you can spice your movie up a bit. Also, I wouldn't recommend that you use the Slow Down and Speed Up effects, since they don't look as good, and they don't give you much power, but if you absolutely need to have slow motion or fast forwarding, then they prove useful. Note that you can use each one twice, so if you need extreme slow motion, use Slow Down twice on your clip.

Just a few hints:


Take demos in Soldat and watch them over. It would be wise to ask a few friends to watch some of your demos and tell you what you should record, or if the demo was no good. This is just so you know when to record, and so that you don't have to record a whole demo with Fraps.
Close all of your programs, other than Soldat and Fraps, while recording. This will greatly improve your PC's performance.
While editing, make sure to make your clips fit to the music, and not vise versa. Editing music is extremely hard and annoying, especially with Windows Movie Maker, so pick the song first, and the footage second.
Don't pack your movie with special effects. It ruins the whole thing. Special effects are good, but like chocolate, too much will ruin you.
Make sure that your movie has a meaning! Please, we don't want any more kill, kill, kill clips!


Well, I'm done, I think. :D

Edit: Oh, and this should be in the Fan Art and Movies forum. :D

*Sigh* Showed up by Kazuki...Again. Nice job Kazuki, thanks for contributing :)

It's ok, he's a 'newb' himself.

lol Thanks Spectral :)

Yeah, sorry, Mess, I'm such a 'newb' that Spectral doesn't bother contributing. ;)

Hahahahah, lmfao Hes got a point Spectral xD This was only made for Helping newbs?? :o For you? *sigh* Usless posts these days. *Think Before Posting* :)

well i might be able to actually learn how to start to record something, just maybe...

u can also try out HyperCam http://www.hyperionics.com/ it has more options than Fraps

Soldat movie tutorial by Ta-2 and me.
It doesn't explain everything, but it should get you started.

Try to use either DivX or XviD as the video codec.. please. Think of the kittens :(

That's right. For every movie you make that does not use DivX or XviD, I will masturbate.

hahahahahaha, that thought ought to make people to remember to compile their movies in DivX XD

Why, it's not like he'll stop if people use XviD or DivX (omg anagrams)...

yeah lets get of the topic of n00bface masturbating, please?

Agreed^^

so if i record a demo... then if i watch it i can record it wit fraps?

... Yeah. You can also record straight from the game, though you won't be able to play well, because it will be lagging up your computer. However, if you do record from the game, you'll get those nifty kill messages. ^_^

Sorry again, I made a forum search on "demo" and found out.

Before I start off my post, I'd like to direct you to two valuable locations that you can use for further reference:

Soldat Manual
Common Bugs, Problems, and Questions List

Anyway, I made a bit of a tutorial on demos as well. Here it is. ;D

Step One: Demo Configurations

There are two ways of taking demos, ever since Soldat version 1.2.1. The first way is the old fashioned way; press F8 to start a demo and press F8 again to stop and save it. The second way is a new feature to Soldat and offers numerous configurations. We call this the Auto-Recording feature. Auto-Record does just what its name says, it constantly records, but only saves the last [number of seconds here] seconds of your action once you press F8. So let's say that you have Auto-Record on, and you just had a beautiful shot or a hillarious moment. Well, all you'd have to do is press F8, and now you have it recorded! Here's how to configure your auto-record settings.

First off, turn auto-record on:

[IMAGE]
---
[IMAGE]

Secondly, configure the amount of time your demo saves:

[IMAGE]

Step Two: Record Demos

As I said before, there are two different ways to record demos. While on normal recording mode, you must press F8 to start recording, and F8 again to stop recording and save your demo. This is what your screen should look like:

[IMAGE]

On another note, while on auto-recording mode, Soldat will start recording on its own as soon as you enter a game. This is what the screen should look like then:

[IMAGE]

Step Three: Viewing Demos

There are also two ways to view demos. One way is to open Soldat and click on the Join Game tab. From there, type the name of your demo in the IP box, type 0 in the port box, leave the Password box blank. Click on Request Game, and Soldat will play your demo for you. Example:

IP: autodemo32
Port: 0
Password:

Another way to view your demos is:

(From Hitman's Common Bugs thread)
We've had quite a few people asking how to play the demos they have recorded. For that there is the excellent Diamond Demo Player created by Pr0ger.

Extract the file in to the Soldat Directory and run it from there. Most people then create a shortcut to it on their desktop.

That's about it. Fin.

Dude! Nice Tutorial. Ask that new Bugs mod guy Lipis Laspis...Luper lapus...Lupis nutsack, whatever his name is...tell him to add that to the 'Common Bugs, Problems, and Questions, etc..' topic.

Once again, nice work.

Wow, Kazuki, that's a great addition to Messiahs post. Hope this will help A LOT of people. :D

*Sigh* Addition? I dont even know why i made this thread, Kazuki should have, i dont know [IMAGE].

I sorted that out but what do I do when Windows Movie Maker says that it doesn't support Fraps codecs and that I should download these? On their page Fraps people claim that the codecs was installed when I installed the programme.

Hmm, try downloading the newest version of Movie Maker. If it's not that, try using an earlier version of Fraps.

quote:Originally posted by KazukiBefore I start off my post, I'd like to direct you to two valuable locations that you can use for further reference:

Soldat Manual
Common Bugs, Problems, and Questions List

Anyway, I made a bit of a tutorial on demos as well. Here it is. ;D

Step One: Demo Configurations

There are two ways of taking demos, ever since Soldat version 1.2.1. The first way is the old fashioned way; press F8 to start a demo and press F8 again to stop and save it. The second way is a new feature to Soldat and offers numerous configurations. We call this the Auto-Recording feature. Auto-Record does just what its name says, it constantly records, but only saves the last [number of seconds here] seconds of your action once you press F8. So let's say that you have Auto-Record on, and you just had a beautiful shot or a hillarious moment. Well, all you'd have to do is press F8, and now you have it recorded! Here's how to configure your auto-record settings.

First off, turn auto-record on:

[IMAGE]
---
[IMAGE]

Secondly, configure the amount of time your demo saves:

[IMAGE]

Step Two: Record Demos

As I said before, there are two different ways to record demos. While on normal recording mode, you must press F8 to start recording, and F8 again to stop recording and save your demo. This is what your screen should look like:

[IMAGE]

On another note, while on auto-recording mode, Soldat will start recording on its own as soon as you enter a game. This is what the screen should look like then:

[IMAGE]

Step Three: Viewing Demos

There are also two ways to view demos. One way is to open Soldat and click on the Join Game tab. From there, type the name of your demo in the IP box, type 0 in the port box, leave the Password box blank. Click on Request Game, and Soldat will play your demo for you. Example:

IP: autodemo32
Port: 0
Password:

Another way to view your demos is:

(From Hitman's Common Bugs thread)
We've had quite a few people asking how to play the demos they have recorded. For that there is the excellent Diamond Demo Player created by Pr0ger.

Extract the file in to the Soldat Directory and run it from there. Most people then create a shortcut to it on their desktop.

That's about it. Fin.



okay well i did all of that i changed the suto recored to on i swiched all the configurations i put auto record to 1 and i put recordtime to 0 for all of the stuff i record and still it doesnt auto record so i look back at setup it says that the auto record is unchecked i check it i play still doesnt work i go back its unchecked again and i ALWAYS hit save and exit so i come to you and you must answer me

Try it without setting recordtime to 0. Set recordtime to its default (30) and then try checking the AutoRecord box and Save and Exit. Other than that, I really don't know what could be causing your problem.

I hate to bump, but I saw how everyone apparently neglected to mention one important thing, concerning audio/video compression in general:

Download VirtualDub (It can be obtained from www.virtualdub.org) and pick the codec of your choice. Assuming you don't have any codecs, Google "FDDShow" and be done with it. As for learning how to use VirtualDub, there are plenty of tutorials out there, and the site even offers some basic advice.

You all probably knew that already, and therefore didn't need a newcomer pointing either out, but there are still people out there who are fairly clueless, as far as A/V is concerned.

Thanks a lot for your contribution. ^^

Thats kool i might try it out

ok, ive got another question. I use the Diamond Demo Player to play my demo. But whenever i try to play it (even if i set it manually without diamond demo) it says "Playing Demo" but nothing shows up!!

Help!

So, what could be the best and easiest program to do a movie?
Never tried to do one... :P

quote:Originally posted by MercyMSo, what could be the best and easiest program to do a movie?
Never tried to do one... :P

I use Video Edit Magic, no it's not the best, but its very simple and easy to use. It had a 30 trial. Of course if you have a p2p program...

OK, I'll try VEM

I found a nice how-to-make-a-VOD tutorial, which is in polish unfortunatelly (4 you of course;]) in which you can find out how to make a decent movie using following programs: SnagIt: http://www.techsmith.com/ , VirtualDub: http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/ and K-Lite Codec Pack. They said that even a 400 Mhz CPU is enough so the requirements are extremely low. Anywhow you can download the evaluation version of SnagIt (uh oh evaluation...yes...my profile...ekhm ;>) and try it out. Good luck

Ok, I'll download them too. (I can read polish, check out my profile :P)

Umm, Kazuki, about Fraps, have you even TRIED v2.3.2 or v2.3.3???
For starters, v1.9D SUX....
for another thing, the issue with framerates are completely fixed in v2.3.2 & v2.3.3.
*1.9D works at different speeds for each framerate (like you said) but the newest versions run at the SAME SPEED on ALL framerates.

*v1.9D only supports 640x480 resolution, while 2.3.2 & 2.3.3 support up to 1024x768.

*v1.9D gets EXTREMELY choppy when you press record, while the latest versions only glitch every once in a while (only cuz Soldat runs at a painful 60fps, ouch!... It's pretty funny, cuz you can record clips from Halo much smoother than Soldat)

Yes, I admit, if you have a low-end system, you won't be able to run the new ones (they require DirectX 9.0c + AT LEAST 1ghz or more), but if you CAN support it, definately go for the newer ones.
Only catch is, without registering it, you can only record 30 seconds at a time and are limited to .bmp screenshots (good thing mine's registered, w00t).

Oh, another thing, if you want to add a bunch of 733t video effects to you movie for FREE, go get you a copy of VirtualDub (v1.6.1), it's friggin awesome! You can even crop your clips down to any size you want!

Well, guess thats it from me... later.

+Evil Muska+

Oh, by the way, is there any place that can host my Soldat videos? I'd really appreciate it!

Oh, I didn't read the forum all the way through, you mentioned VirtualDub, nevermind...

+Evil Muska+

Yes, you're right with the fact that versions greater than Fraps 1.9D are the way to go ... if you're willing to go through all the trouble for just one movie. Think about it. If it's just a one-time deal, most people aren't going to try and get Fraps registered. Personally, I think that it's easier to just use v1.9D unless you plan on making more than a couple of movies. But you are right about the fact that the newer versions pwn v1.9D.

Secondly, effects are just a portion of movie making. If you ask me, VirtualDub is pointless while actually creating a movie. It's not all too easy to put clips together and cut them apart, etc. Once again, if this is a one-time deal, you can download a free trial version of Ulead VideoStudio 8. I don't even know when it expires (mine hasn't yet O_o). I prefer UVS because it's more advanced than Windows Movie Maker. If you're new to making videos, Movie Maker will do you just fine. Don't get me wrong, VirtualDub is an awesome tool. I use it after my movies are complete. I load them in, sharpen and resize them, and save them in the format that I like. It's a great tool for compression and easy final touches.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that there probably isn't a program out there that can do it all, so it's best to get programs that specialize in different fields. The only reason I prefer Fraps 1.9D is because it's the only Fraps that my computer can handle, and I don't want to go through registration of v2.x.x, even though it may be as easy as entering a credit card number. Good points on your part, I admire your knowledge on this subject.

By the way, it's 1337, not 733t. ;D

I've been making video game movies (or more like experementing with making them) for a good 2-3 years now, so no, I'm not new to movie-making, but thanx anyway for the support. Yes, I do use Movie Maker, along with VirtualDub and Fraps. Thing is, I just use VirtualDub mostly for editing and compressing recorded sessions (cutting out and saving all the good parts, then tossing the original movie) and adding some very suddle (is that how you spell that?) video effects. Your right, too many can spoil the whole point of the movie, but I like adding in just a pinch when appropriate (like the grayscale slow-mo effect I'm using in my current movie). Thanx again for not getting mad when I pointed out those things (a lot of people would have gotten pissed and cussed me out). Well, guess thats it, later...

+Evil Muska+

Oh, and by the way, dude... potato, potAto.... I say 733t, you say 1337, k... :)

'grumble grumble' I knew it... lol... nice to see someone on a forum with a little respect. Most are just punks (not pertaining to anyone on here).

+Evil Muska+

I'm a bad moderator. A very bad moderator. I can't believe I didn't sticky this. Mistake has been rectified.

shame on you, and where can I host my movie?? and its soo big. if I edit it in moviemaker does it shrink??

What do you mean? What type of movie is it? If it's a fresh Fraps recording, it's absolutely huge, so you have to put the Fraps recordings together in some video editor (Windows Movie Maker, for example) and save it as .AVI, .WMV, .MPG, etc.

From there on you can ask around for hosting. I wouldn't recommend Google Video because you have to wait for them to verify it. Instead, I recommend asking FliesLikeABrick. He's always glad to host these things. ^_^ You can also contact Fractured Soldat (ask around in #hawtsecks @ irc.quakenet.org) or Selfkill (#selfkill @ irc.quakenet.org) for file hosting.

Edit: We all love you, Stalky. ^^

Help...it says that the AVI file is corrupted...and When I try to play it on DivX or any other player, it says that the total time is 00:00:00

You might want to uninstall and reinstall Fraps, and make sure you try both versions (v1.9D and V2.xx). Other than that, I can't help you. You will have to ask b00sta about it and see if he can help you.

Kazuki:
"Don't pack your movie with special effects. It ruins the whole thing. Special effects are good, but like chocolate, too much will ruin you."

LIES ;_; !

quote:Originally posted by antiCamperKazuki:
"Don't pack your movie with special effects. It ruins the whole thing. Special effects are good, but like chocolate, too much will ruin you."

LIES ;_; !


Special effects wtf? Out of all the movies ive seen by Kazuki, the only thing close to *Special Effects* was the *Text* everything else was pwnege.

Haha, no, I think he was talking about his own videos.

I didn't mean it like that, antiCamper. I'm talking about every single scene being distorted, colored differently, or having some SUPER-ULTRA-LEET effect on it. If you can see what's going on and understand it, it's fine.

Sorry for the bump, but here's a little addition that I think you should add:

Using Virtualdub to make a movie

After you've got a fair amount of .avi files, open the first part of your movie with virualdub. Since the .avi's have the same width and height, you can use the Append avi segment tool to add all of your .avi's into one file.
...if you're making a music video, click on Audio/WAV audio and select the .wav file you want to use. ( try converting an mp3 file into a reasonable sized .wav for that ) Now you should have everything in order, do ctrl+p and select the compression method you want to use.

That's the help I can provide with my minor movie making experience :)

I have problems still. I downloaded fraps (latest version) and can't veiw because there is no codec, and when I veiw it in soldat the weapons go funny.

quote:Originally posted by Messiahquote:Originally posted by antiCamperKazuki:
"Don't pack your movie with special effects. It ruins the whole thing. Special effects are good, but like chocolate, too much will ruin you."

LIES ;_; !


Special effects wtf? Out of all the movies ive seen by Kazuki, the only thing close to *Special Effects* was the *Text* everything else was pwnege.



http://www.soldatforums.com/topic.asp?topic_id=27804 <- *Special Effects* <3

IM so lost, Kazuki can you make a guide, explaining the best choices and more programs that can be used to create movies. Also does anyone know how to put effects in demos. I cant use fraps, it wont download for me for some reason. >_< but I have a fast computer so, when I use the AutoRecord thing it works, but I dont know how I can put these things together. I cant open the demos in my Windows Movie Maker, and yeah can anyone help

DrivenUnder, I'm not sure if I can put together a useful guide for that particular part of movie-making, because of the vast variety of methods and programs you can use. Movies can be made in completely different ways. There's no real way to make a guide about it. However, I'll contact you and help you out with your problem. :)

Demos:
Soldat (http://www.soldat.pl)

Convert Demos to Avi:
Fraps (http://www.fraps.com)

Edit:
Windows Movie Maker (good for noobs)
Adobe Premiere (http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/main.html)
Adobe After Effects (http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/main.html)
Adobe Premiere Elements (http://www.adobe.com/products/premiereel/main.html)

Render:
Virtualdub (www.virtualdub.org/)

Ask urhos or b00stA a perfect way to compress with xvid they are leet xD

Mmmm, how do I take off the www.fraps.com sign on top of the movies? Do I have to register it?

Yeah, you can't get rid of it unless you register the program. =|

does anyone know how to get a project from the widows movie maker and make it into a media file that you can play in windows media player?

how come my fps drops to like 35 when i record with fraps? the movies i record become very laggy. My computer is very good so that isnt the problem.

quote:Originally posted by Kenjihow come my fps drops to like 35 when i record with fraps? the movies i record become very laggy. My computer is very good so that isnt the problem.


Thats just what itll do alot of the movies you see arent very smooth either and its cause fraps slows down the game. Best thing to do is record your demos with Soldat Demo Recorder the implented one, if you dont know what it is read the manual and then after you feel you have enough demos just watch your demos with fraps running in the background, you can fast forward as well and just take little snipets of shots to your intrest and they should save in your "Fraps" folder when you stop.

thanks.
i got an other question too.
what is the best codec to use?
the one i use, xvideo converter makes the clip much smaller bur the quality is horrible.
is there some other who makes the clip as small but better quality?

You can use DivX or XviD codecs for apparent best quality and compression. You can find both codecs via Google. You should also use VirtualDub for the compression, which can also be found via Google.

i have xvid, but when i compressed it the quality was bad.
maybe i dont know how to use them..

edit: what does virtualdub do?

With VirtualDub, you can add filters and edit your video, though that's not what I use it for. It's good at compressing both video and audio in many, many different ways.

i'm not sure if anyone said that, but i believe recording your game in non-fullscreen mode will lead to better quality when recorded with fraps

lol..i might give it a try