Which recording Software Should I Use?
- Thread starter GN1996
- Start date
William0d0
Active member
I don't have really any experience in recording video from games like Trainz, but I do know FRAPs is a very good application for the task, software I usually use for taking screenshots in games which don't have a screenshot feature (I don't use it with Trainz), but which can record video as well. The freeware version though only allows 30 seconds of recording at a time and puts a watermark over the recorded video, so if you want to take long videos of your route you'll need to purchase it.
Also, make sure the version of FRAPs you use is compatible with the version of DirectX you happen to have installed on your system - I downloaded the latest release of FRAPs and wondered why it wasn't working - it took me ages to realize that it was because I didn't have DirectX 10 installed on my system at the time.
Another problem FRAPs suffers from I've heard it has a bug where if you save the recorded video to the same drive the game you're recording footage from is also installed on, the game will suffer a major frame rate reduction while recording (and thus making your recording appear more like a Powerpoint slideshow). It's easily overcome though by saving to another drive separate from your installation drive.
Also, make sure the version of FRAPs you use is compatible with the version of DirectX you happen to have installed on your system - I downloaded the latest release of FRAPs and wondered why it wasn't working - it took me ages to realize that it was because I didn't have DirectX 10 installed on my system at the time.
Another problem FRAPs suffers from I've heard it has a bug where if you save the recorded video to the same drive the game you're recording footage from is also installed on, the game will suffer a major frame rate reduction while recording (and thus making your recording appear more like a Powerpoint slideshow). It's easily overcome though by saving to another drive separate from your installation drive.
G'Day,
I just downloaded a REE full version of Fraps, and it's legal. Just google Fraps free full version, and that will direct you to a site where you have to sign up to some commercial stuff, but there are ways around this
.
As for converting your video; try "any video converter" it is also free, and can convert your video into several formats.
Have a good one,
E.C.
I just downloaded a REE full version of Fraps, and it's legal. Just google Fraps free full version, and that will direct you to a site where you have to sign up to some commercial stuff, but there are ways around this
.As for converting your video; try "any video converter" it is also free, and can convert your video into several formats.
Have a good one,
E.C.
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William0d0
Active member
Yes, Windows Movie Maker works great for videos created with FRAPS.
Retro00064
New member
I use the free and open-source Avidemux for video editing, which can save/encode video, but since I have not recorded any Trainz videos I do not know how Avidemux would work with output from programs like FRAPS.
By the way, does anyone know of a free-software alternative to FRAPS? Hopefully there is something out there to break the status quo of using a proprietary recorder.
By the way, does anyone know of a free-software alternative to FRAPS? Hopefully there is something out there to break the status quo of using a proprietary recorder.
G'day,
That's whay I use to pit the video together and edit it (wipes and transitions and to put text in it) but tyhen I put it through "Any Video Converter" to shrink it to a format with a more manageable size such as MP4.
This is uploads much quicker and is kinder on the data alowance if you don't have unlimited data.
Have a good one,
E.C.
Retro00064
New member
Windows Movie Maker, as far as I know, can only save to .WMV format (not sure if it can save to .AVI format). Avidemux can encode directly to a number of formats.
Avidemux doesn't have all the filters that WMM does, though WMM's "old film" filters are crud. I wonder if there are other free/open-source video editors out there with a similar (but better) filter set to WMM.
Avidemux doesn't have all the filters that WMM does, though WMM's "old film" filters are crud. I wonder if there are other free/open-source video editors out there with a similar (but better) filter set to WMM.
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Try VirtualDub
"What about software to compress the video and upload it to youtube after using fraps?"
I've tried most and settled on VirtualDub. It's freeware and easy to use.
It will join the FRAPS output .avi files. It will edit files and compress them.
This video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAdC55jArk
for example, is 5min 44sec in length. The original FRAPS output was six files of between 1.16 GB and 3.90 GB in size. After combining and editing them the output was one 13 GB file. When compressed, even as a full frame HD video, it became 202 MB in size.
For what it is doing VirtualDub is surprisingly quick. Joining and editing took about 20 minutes. Compression about 15 minutes. The slowest part of the whole process was uploading to youtube.
And, no, I don't have shares in VirtualDub.
Phil
"What about software to compress the video and upload it to youtube after using fraps?"
I've tried most and settled on VirtualDub. It's freeware and easy to use.
It will join the FRAPS output .avi files. It will edit files and compress them.
This video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njAdC55jArk
for example, is 5min 44sec in length. The original FRAPS output was six files of between 1.16 GB and 3.90 GB in size. After combining and editing them the output was one 13 GB file. When compressed, even as a full frame HD video, it became 202 MB in size.
For what it is doing VirtualDub is surprisingly quick. Joining and editing took about 20 minutes. Compression about 15 minutes. The slowest part of the whole process was uploading to youtube.
And, no, I don't have shares in VirtualDub.
Phil
Yes it does, but om my laptop it makes my game lag a lot I don't know if it will happen to your computer or laptop
cascaderailroad
New member
Better Video Suggestions
When making a video, segments should be kept between 3-5 seconds in length, as any longer than 10 seconds, the viewer gets really bored with a long drawn out scene.
Tracking view, where the camera follows the train should be avoided, as it is very unprototypical, unless you are viewing from a helicopter or plane (unless railfans can fly like Superman).
Free roam should be from a perspective of down low (@ the height of a persons eye), unless it is taken from a cliff or other trackside vista.
Trackside cameras should mostly be low, although from viewing a slight top of passing traincars makes things more interesting.
When at a RR crossing, position the camera up track, or down track, @ 200' - 500', as a blaring horn or whistle gets really annoying, real quick.
Videos taken from inside of another loco's cab view, looks most amazing, and the Trainzoptions File the line -freeintcam makes in cab roaming possible, and even way outside of cab from a bugz eye view perspective.
When making a video, segments should be kept between 3-5 seconds in length, as any longer than 10 seconds, the viewer gets really bored with a long drawn out scene.
Tracking view, where the camera follows the train should be avoided, as it is very unprototypical, unless you are viewing from a helicopter or plane (unless railfans can fly like Superman).
Free roam should be from a perspective of down low (@ the height of a persons eye), unless it is taken from a cliff or other trackside vista.
Trackside cameras should mostly be low, although from viewing a slight top of passing traincars makes things more interesting.
When at a RR crossing, position the camera up track, or down track, @ 200' - 500', as a blaring horn or whistle gets really annoying, real quick.
Videos taken from inside of another loco's cab view, looks most amazing, and the Trainzoptions File the line -freeintcam makes in cab roaming possible, and even way outside of cab from a bugz eye view perspective.
Stagefright
Joined Feb 21, 2001
Post deleted. Duplicated.
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