http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/150w6r/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/ IF YOU GUYS WOULD BE SO KIND, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD UP VOTE THIS. PLS & THANKS
So I am often asked a lot of questions from different people on how to make a video, and as much as I love answering everyone's questions, I think making a guide would be a good idea.
STEP ONE: WHAT YOU NEED
1. Lawena Recording Tool - There is Lawena and then there is still a working version of PLDX that's hanging on for its life. I suggest using Lawena. You can find a download link for it here https://github.com/iabarca/lawena-recording-tool This is the most up-to-date version of the tool.
2. VirtualDub - You will need this to stitch together the thousands of .tga files you will receive after recording. You can download that here - http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/
3. Sony Vegas Pro # - Used for stitching together .avi (or sometimes .mp4 (sv11)) files that you made with Virtualdub. This will also be used for any editing, unless you use AE or some other program. I don't remember the exact steps on getting SVP#, but Google is your friend. You can try this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWItyXotbR4
4. Easy H.264 - This is software to encode your .avi file that was rendered out of Sony Vegas. For anyone who doesn't know what encoding does, it compresses your video's file size down so that you're not left with a huge file. Easier for uploading quicker and you barely lose any quality. You can download it from here - http://tweevo.com/easy-h-264-video-encoder/
note: you don't need to use EH264, but it's what I use as I find it's the most simple way of encoding/compressing video files.
STEP TWO: RECORDING WITH LAWENA
Ironically, this is the part I get a lot of questions about. Since my videos are usually of great quality, I guess people believe it's partially to do with my Lawena settings. Well, it's not. Below are the settings I use for Lawena.
Resolution: - 1280x720
Framerate: - 480
Quality: - Very High
HUD: - None (kill notices)
Viewmodels: - Typically set to always on, but there are times where I have it set to off, like when I'm recording a smooth for example.
Every box on the bottom half is checked except "disable crosshair".
Viewmodel FOV: - I'll always have this set to 70. The only time I'll set it lower is if I'm going to record an STV, then I'll slide it down to 55. 55 viewmodel FOV on an STV demo is equivalent to ~70 on a POV.
When you launch Lawena, it will ask you where you want to store the .tga files you'll obtain once recording. Put them wherever you find comfortable and can find easily. I made a folder on my desktop specifically for storing .tga files.
After you launch TF2 through Lawena, you'll want to load the demo that has what you want to record in it. Once you find the tick where you want to start recording, press the P* key and it will start recording. Press P* again to stop recording once you want to stop.
* This doesn't have to be set to P. If you want to change the key used to initiate/end recording, go to your Lawena folder, open the cfg folder, open the recbindings.cfg file and scroll down to the bottom. Here you can adjust the keys used to record.
Once you have fully recorded everything you wish to record, exit TF2. If you didn't run Lawena as administrator, after exiting TF2, a prompt will appear, asking if you would like to edit your registry. Select yes. What Lawena does when you launch TF2 is replace your configs with its own in order to record. When it asks you to edit your registry, it's asking to replace the recording configs it used back with your own configs. If you run Lawena as administrator, this prompt will not appear and Lawena will do it without asking.
http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/150w6r/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/ [b]IF YOU GUYS WOULD BE SO KIND, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD UP VOTE THIS. PLS & THANKS[/b]
So I am often asked a lot of questions from different people on how to make a video, and as much as I love answering everyone's questions, I think making a guide would be a good idea.
[b]STEP ONE: WHAT YOU NEED[/b]
1. [b]Lawena Recording Tool[/b] - There is Lawena and then there is still a working version of PLDX that's hanging on for its life. I suggest using Lawena. You can find a download link for it here https://github.com/iabarca/lawena-recording-tool This is the most up-to-date version of the tool.
2. [b]VirtualDub[/b] - You will need this to stitch together the thousands of .tga files you will receive after recording. You can download that here - http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/
3. [b]Sony Vegas Pro #[/b] - Used for stitching together .avi (or sometimes .mp4 (sv11)) files that you made with Virtualdub. This will also be used for any editing, unless you use AE or some other program. I don't remember the exact steps on getting SVP#, but Google is your friend. You can try this video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWItyXotbR4
4. [b]Easy H.264[/b] - This is software to encode your .avi file that was rendered out of Sony Vegas. For anyone who doesn't know what encoding does, it compresses your video's file size down so that you're not left with a huge file. Easier for uploading quicker and you barely lose any quality. You can download it from here - http://tweevo.com/easy-h-264-video-encoder/
[b]note: you don't need to use EH264, but it's what I use as I find it's the most simple way of encoding/compressing video files.[/b]
[b]STEP TWO: RECORDING WITH LAWENA[/b]
Ironically, this is the part I get a lot of questions about. Since my videos are usually of great quality, I guess people believe it's partially to do with my Lawena settings. Well, it's not. Below are the settings I use for Lawena.
[b]Resolution:[/b] - 1280x720
[b]Framerate:[/b] - 480
[b]Quality:[/b] - Very High
[b]HUD:[/b] - None (kill notices)
[b]Viewmodels:[/b] - Typically set to [b]always on[/b], but there are times where I have it set to off, like when I'm recording a smooth for example.
[b]Every box on the bottom half is checked except "disable crosshair".[/b]
[b]Viewmodel FOV:[/b] - I'll always have this set to [b]70[/b]. The only time I'll set it lower is if I'm going to record an STV, then I'll slide it down to [b]55[/b]. 55 viewmodel FOV on an STV demo is equivalent to ~70 on a POV.
When you launch Lawena, it will ask you where you want to store the .tga files you'll obtain once recording. Put them wherever you find comfortable and can find easily. I made a folder on my desktop specifically for storing .tga files.
After you launch TF2 through Lawena, you'll want to load the demo that has what you want to record in it. Once you find the tick where you want to start recording, press the P* key and it will start recording. Press P* again to stop recording once you want to stop.
[b]* This doesn't have to be set to P. If you want to change the key used to initiate/end recording, go to your Lawena folder, open the cfg folder, open the [b]recbindings.cfg[/b] file and scroll down to the bottom. Here you can adjust the keys used to record.[/b]
Once you have fully recorded everything you wish to record, exit TF2. If you didn't run Lawena as administrator, after exiting TF2, a prompt will appear, asking if you would like to edit your registry. Select [b]yes[/b]. What Lawena does when you launch TF2 is replace your configs with its own in order to record. When it asks you to edit your registry, it's asking to replace the recording configs it used back with your own configs. If you run Lawena as administrator, this prompt will not appear and Lawena will do it without asking.
STEP THREE: VIRTUAL DUB
This is the part of the process that I'm asked about the most when it comes down to having problems. It's a really simple process.
First thing you're going to want to do is click on File, then choose Open. Now you'll want to find the path where you decided to store your .tga files. Once there, you'll notice, depending on how many different clips you recorded, different groups of .tga files. These are categorized by letter.
Example: a_00000 - not quite what it looks like, but the fact is the letter will always come first, and the first .tga will always be all 0's.
You don't have to go about it in alphabetical order if you don't want to, but I don't see why you wouldn't. Find the first .tga for the letter you're on. The first .tga is always all 0's. Since you're going to have a lot of .tga files, I search for the next letter in the file search bar by typing what letter is next, and it will show me the first few .tgas for that letter. It's a lot more handy than scrolling to find them.
Once you have selected the first .tga, it will import the rest of the .tgas for that letter. Now click on Audio and choose Audio From Another File. The .wav files will be in the folder you chose to put the .tga files in. The audio files are also in alphabetical order. Once you've done that, click on Video then choose Frame Rate. Select Change so that video and audio durations match. This will make sure the video and the audio are synced together. In parenthesis, it will show what FPS the video/audio will be at once synced. It's normal if the number shown is a few FPS off.
After this, select File again, then choose Save as AVI. Choose where you want the .avi to be saved, then hit okay.
STEP FOUR: SONY VEGAS
This is the part everyone wishes they can skip to. At least it is for me, as I find recording and stitching together the .tgas to be a huge pain in my ass.
First thing you're going to do is select File then choose New. http://i.imgur.com/yEw7q.png - Here is what you'll want it to look like.
Secondly, you're going to want to do is select Explorer on the middle-left side of SV. http://i.imgur.com/WOlmI.png Then drag and drop the necessary .avi files into the blank rectangular box on the bottom. Once it's placed in there, give it a few seconds to finish its process of loading the audio.
Once you have done everything you wanted to the video, select File and choose Render As. This is where you will choose your render settings. Select Customize Template. http://imgur.com/a/EhGmi - Here is a 3 picture album showing my render settings for Video, Audio and Project. Finally, render.
STEP FIVE: ENCODING
Easiest step. Side note: encoding converts your Sony Vegas rendered .avi into an .mp4 file.
Click select for Video File and find the .avi you made from Sony Vegas. Next, click select for Output File. This is where you want the encoded video will be placed on your computer. I put it on my desktop.
For Video FPS choose 29.97 (or 30 if that's an option for you). For Encoding Preset choose Brassemmense HD 720p (Big). After you have done that, click on Start Encoding.
After the video file has finished encoding, you can now upload it to YouTube.
Congratulations, you're on your way to becoming the best video editor in the world!
[b]STEP THREE: VIRTUAL DUB[/b]
This is the part of the process that I'm asked about the most when it comes down to having problems. It's a really simple process.
First thing you're going to want to do is click on [b]File[/b], then choose [b]Open[/b]. Now you'll want to find the path where you decided to store your .tga files. Once there, you'll notice, depending on how many different clips you recorded, different groups of .tga files. These are categorized by letter.
[b]Example:[/b] a_00000 - not quite what it looks like, but the fact is the letter will always come first, and the first .tga will always be all 0's.
You don't have to go about it in alphabetical order if you don't want to, but I don't see why you wouldn't. Find the first .tga for the letter you're on. The first .tga is always all 0's. Since you're going to have a lot of .tga files, I search for the next letter in the file search bar by typing what letter is next, and it will show me the first few .tgas for that letter. It's a lot more handy than scrolling to find them.
Once you have selected the first .tga, it will import the rest of the .tgas for that letter. Now click on [b]Audio[/b] and choose [b]Audio From Another File[/b]. The .wav files will be in the folder you chose to put the .tga files in. The audio files are also in alphabetical order. Once you've done that, click on [b]Video[/b] then choose [b]Frame Rate[/b]. Select [b]Change so that video and audio durations match.[/b] This will make sure the video and the audio are synced together. In parenthesis, it will show what FPS the video/audio will be at once synced. It's normal if the number shown is a few FPS off.
After this, select [b]File[/b] again, then choose [b]Save as AVI[/b]. Choose where you want the .avi to be saved, then hit okay.
[b]STEP FOUR: SONY VEGAS[/b]
This is the part everyone wishes they can skip to. At least it is for me, as I find recording and stitching together the .tgas to be a huge pain in my ass.
First thing you're going to do is select [b]File[/b] then choose [b]New[/b]. http://i.imgur.com/yEw7q.png - Here is what you'll want it to look like.
Secondly, you're going to want to do is select [b]Explorer[/b] on the middle-left side of SV. http://i.imgur.com/WOlmI.png Then [b]drag and drop[/b] the necessary .avi files into the blank rectangular box on the bottom. Once it's placed in there, give it a few seconds to finish its process of loading the audio.
Once you have done everything you wanted to the video, select [b]File[/b] and choose [b]Render As[/b]. This is where you will choose your render settings. Select [b]Customize Template[/b]. http://imgur.com/a/EhGmi - [b]Here is a 3 picture album showing my render settings for Video, Audio and Project.[/b] Finally, render.
[b]STEP FIVE: ENCODING[/b]
Easiest step. Side note: encoding converts your Sony Vegas rendered .avi into an .mp4 file.
Click [b]select[/b] for [b]Video File[/b] and find the .avi you made from Sony Vegas. Next, click [b]select[/b] for [b]Output File[/b]. This is where you want the encoded video will be placed on your computer. I put it on my desktop.
For [b]Video FPS[/b] choose 29.97 (or 30 if that's an option for you). For [b]Encoding Preset[/b] choose [b]Brassemmense HD 720p (Big)[/b]. After you have done that, click on [b]Start Encoding[/b].
After the video file has finished encoding, you can now upload it to YouTube.
Congratulations, you're on your way to becoming the best video editor in the world!
OPTIONAL STEPS
This is the juicy part of the video editing process: the editing part itself. Many people have many different ways of editing their videos. Some edit with a specific style, some edit every video with a new feel, and then some people edit each video with a new feel while still keeping some similarities between each video. Find out for yourself how you want to edit videos. Listen to the feedback given to you by your audience, but don't necessarily make your edits work solely around what they said. Remember, you can't please everyone.
HOW TO SMOOTH
No need to write about it here as I made a tutorial for this in the past. You can watch my smoothing tutorial below. It is the best smoothing tutorial you'll find, on the possible exception of Lucky Luke's.
Smoothing Tutorial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXpMinSv51E&hd=1
Smoothing Tutorial End Result - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL1irpdjgPc
SONY VEGAS' COLOR CORRECTION
Now I can't stress this enough, find what colors work best in your opinion, and what colors work with your audience. Over the ~2 years I've been making TF2 videos, I experimented with many different CC combinations. At least 5 billion.
It wasn't until September when I figured out what looks best, and I thank Decap for being so helpful, despite his seemingly sour personality. I can't tell you what you should use except that you should use what you and your audience both enjoy. Though, I will give you an example of what I use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1 From Process Red Second and Process Mid Point, I used the same color combination since both areas of the map have the same color scheme. When I skipped the soldier capping mid point and skipped it to where he decides to chase the medic, by skipping that part and fading it, I allowed myself to change the color combination to work better for Process BLU Second. We wouldn't want a color combination that favors the color red on an area that is most blue, right? I'll show you what I have set for Process Red Second, Process Mid and Process BLU Second.
http://imgur.com/a/mHHBW - Here are 6 examples (3 for Process Red Second + Process Mid combined, and 3 for Process BLU Second) of what I used for some of the colors in my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1
This is pretty much all I have to offer you guys right now. I feel like I'm missing something, so if I am, I'll throw it in here. If I ever start using After Effects, C4D or anything else over Sony Vegas, I'll be sure to edit this to add that stuff into it if I remember. Thanks a lot for reading all of this, and I hope you make some sick videos.
pz
[b]OPTIONAL STEPS[/b]
This is the juicy part of the video editing process: the editing part itself. Many people have many different ways of editing their videos. Some edit with a specific style, some edit every video with a new feel, and then some people edit each video with a new feel while still keeping some similarities between each video. [b]Find out for yourself how you want to edit videos.[/b] Listen to the feedback given to you by your audience, but don't necessarily make your edits work solely around what they said. Remember, [b]you can't please everyone.[/b]
[b]HOW TO SMOOTH[/b]
No need to write about it here as I made a tutorial for this in the past. You can watch my smoothing tutorial below. It is the best smoothing tutorial you'll find, on the possible exception of Lucky Luke's.
[b]Smoothing Tutorial -[/b] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXpMinSv51E&hd=1
[b]Smoothing Tutorial End Result -[/b] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL1irpdjgPc
[b]SONY VEGAS' COLOR CORRECTION[/b]
Now I can't stress this enough, find what colors work best in your opinion, and what colors work with your audience. Over the ~2 years I've been making TF2 videos, I experimented with many different CC combinations. At least 5 billion.
It wasn't until September when I figured out what looks best, and I thank [b]Decap[/b] for being so helpful, despite his seemingly sour personality. I can't tell you what you should use except that you should use what you and your audience both enjoy. Though, I will give you an example of what I use.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1 From [b]Process Red Second[/b] and [b]Process Mid Point[/b], I used the same color combination since both areas of the map have the same color scheme. When I skipped the soldier capping mid point and skipped it to where he decides to chase the medic, by skipping that part and fading it, I allowed myself to change the color combination to work better for [b]Process BLU Second[/b]. We wouldn't want a color combination that favors the color red on an area that is most blue, right? I'll show you what I have set for [b]Process Red Second, Process Mid and Process BLU Second.[/b]
http://imgur.com/a/mHHBW - Here are 6 examples (3 for Process Red Second + Process Mid combined, and 3 for Process BLU Second) of what I used for some of the colors in my latest video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1
This is pretty much all I have to offer you guys right now. I feel like I'm missing something, so if I am, I'll throw it in here. If I ever start using After Effects, C4D or anything else over Sony Vegas, I'll be sure to edit this to add that stuff into it if I remember. Thanks a lot for reading all of this, and I hope you make some sick videos.
pz
this is amazing, thank you so much!
this is amazing, thank you so much!
Ive used pldx's encoding tool because you can choose the bit rate unlike easyH which highest setting is only 7000kbps.
Ive used pldx's encoding tool because you can choose the bit rate unlike easyH which highest setting is only 7000kbps.
puddddIve used pldx's encoding tool because you can choose the bit rate unlike easyH which highest setting is only 7000kbps.
Yeah, but - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maV9FdV3OP0&hd=1 // http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1 - Amazing quality anyway.
Though I do encourage people to use whatever process they find to be the best, and not necessarily exactly what I say to do.
[quote=pudddd]Ive used pldx's encoding tool because you can choose the bit rate unlike easyH which highest setting is only 7000kbps.[/quote]
Yeah, but - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maV9FdV3OP0&hd=1 // http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQeuk_LVuQQ&hd=1 - Amazing quality anyway.
Though I do encourage people to use whatever process they find to be the best, and not necessarily exactly what I say to do.
*54 viewmodel_fov on stv demo = 70 viewmodel_fov on pov demo, not that 1 fov makes any noticeable difference. Adobe Media Encoder and MeGUI are also both very good encoders (interface is more complex but they offer more options than most others).
*54 viewmodel_fov on stv demo = 70 viewmodel_fov on pov demo, not that 1 fov makes any noticeable difference. Adobe Media Encoder and MeGUI are also both very good encoders (interface is more complex but they offer more options than most others).
dellort*54 viewmodel_fov on stv demo = 70 viewmodel_fov on pov demo, not that 1 fov makes any noticeable difference. Adobe Media Encoder and MeGUI are also both very good encoders (interface is more complex but they offer more options than most others).
Lawena only goes down to 55, or else I would have put 54. I remember what you told me awhile ago :)
Alright, guys, I finished up the guide. Now go make some good videos.
http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/150w6r/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/ - I put this up on Reddit, so if you guys could be awesome like usual, I would appreciate it if you would up vote this. Thank you!
[quote=dellort]*54 viewmodel_fov on stv demo = 70 viewmodel_fov on pov demo, not that 1 fov makes any noticeable difference. Adobe Media Encoder and MeGUI are also both very good encoders (interface is more complex but they offer more options than most others).[/quote]
Lawena only goes down to 55, or else I would have put 54. I remember what you told me awhile ago :)
Alright, guys, I finished up the guide. Now go make some good videos.
http://www.reddit.com/r/tf2/comments/150w6r/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/ - I put this up on Reddit, so if you guys could be awesome like usual, I would appreciate it if you would up vote this. Thank you!
This is great! I've been wanting a cool guide like this for awhile. Also you might get more attention over at /r/truetf2.
This is great! I've been wanting a cool guide like this for awhile. Also you might get more attention over at /r/truetf2.
kirbyIt wasn't until September when I figured out what looks best, and I thank Decap for being so helpful, despite his seemingly sour personality. I can't tell you what you should use except that you should use what you and your audience both enjoy. Though, I will give you an example of what I use.
How nice of you.
By the way this guide is incredibly outdated. It might have been okay in 2010. I don't have time to go into specifics but you should be making use of stuff like VDM files, srcdemo2, SFM, Adobe MPE etc.
[quote=kirby]It wasn't until September when I figured out what looks best, and I thank [b]Decap[/b] for being so helpful, despite his seemingly sour personality. I can't tell you what you should use except that you should use what you and your audience both enjoy. Though, I will give you an example of what I use.[/quote]
How nice of you.
By the way this guide is incredibly outdated. It might have been okay in 2010. I don't have time to go into specifics but you should be making use of stuff like VDM files, srcdemo2, SFM, Adobe MPE etc.
Good point. I posted it there as well - http://www.reddit.com/r/truetf2/comments/150xpw/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/
decapHow nice of you.
By the way this guide is incredibly outdated. It might have been okay in 2010. I don't have time to go into specifics but you should be making use of stuff like VDM files, srcdemo2, SFM, Adobe MPE etc.
As I said earlier, I don't necessarily want to tell people exactly what to do as there is more than 1 method of doing everything. This is simply how I do it, whether easier or more time consuming, and I wanted to share my knowledge with people. If I make the move and start using newer methods, I'll make a more up-to-date guide.
Though as for SFM, that is 100% preference. It's a great addition to any video if used correctly enough, but it isn't a necessary step in making a video, regardless of which method you use. Thanks for the input, though, Decap!
Good point. I posted it there as well - http://www.reddit.com/r/truetf2/comments/150xpw/a_guide_on_how_to_make_tf2_videos_also_with/
[quote=decap]How nice of you.
By the way this guide is incredibly outdated. It might have been okay in 2010. I don't have time to go into specifics but you should be making use of stuff like VDM files, srcdemo2, SFM, Adobe MPE etc.[/quote]
As I said earlier, I don't necessarily want to tell people exactly what to do as there is more than 1 method of doing everything. This is simply how I do it, whether easier or more time consuming, and I wanted to share my knowledge with people. If I make the move and start using newer methods, I'll make a more up-to-date guide.
Though as for SFM, that is 100% preference. It's a great addition to any video if used correctly enough, but it isn't a necessary step in making a video, regardless of which method you use. Thanks for the input, though, Decap!
What about the command in TF2 that's something like startmovie moviename h264? That always records it straight to a video for me. The only problem is when I forget to change my resolution to 720x1280.
What about the command in TF2 that's something like startmovie moviename h264? That always records it straight to a video for me. The only problem is when I forget to change my resolution to 720x1280.
I use startmovie and avidemux, which is the simplest combination I found. OP is talking about fancy frag movies with effects and cheesy soundtracks etc though.
I use startmovie and avidemux, which is the simplest combination I found. OP is talking about fancy frag movies with effects and cheesy soundtracks etc though.
fraacI use startmovie and avidemux, which is the simplest combination I found. OP is talking about fancy frag movies with effects and cheesy soundtracks etc though.
What? All this is telling you is how to record something from the game and make it ready to be uploaded to YouTube w/ good quality.
[quote=fraac]I use startmovie and avidemux, which is the simplest combination I found. OP is talking about fancy frag movies with effects and cheesy soundtracks etc though.[/quote]
What? All this is telling you is how to record something from the game and make it ready to be uploaded to YouTube w/ good quality.
Then it's much, much easier with startmovie and avidemux.
edit: on reddit you said this is the method to make sick nasty frag videos in great quality. We aren't in disagreement here.
Then it's much, much easier with startmovie and avidemux.
edit: on reddit you said this is the method to make sick nasty frag videos in great quality. We aren't in disagreement here.
can you record with a shit pc
can you record with a shit pc
phobiacan you record with a shit pc
Yes. The process will just take longer.
[quote=phobia]can you record with a shit pc[/quote]
Yes. The process will just take longer.
I knew the majority of these tips but stilla good post. +frag and thanks.
I knew the majority of these tips but stilla good post. +frag and thanks.
Agreed with decap, you should definitely include how to use srcdemo2 in this guide, especially for beginners with not-so-great computers. It saves so much space, lets you record at a much higher framerate, and provides more natural motion blur. Great guide otherwise.
Agreed with decap, you should definitely include how to use srcdemo2 in this guide, especially for beginners with not-so-great computers. It saves so much space, lets you record at a much higher framerate, and provides more natural motion blur. Great guide otherwise.
I'm just gonna throw this out there. I dunno how to use srcd2, though I've been interested and will probably check it out once I'm not lazy. I do have to give a reminder that 480 FPS is nowhere near necessary, I only use it for better motion blur and slow motion. 120 FPS would suffice just fine.
I'm just gonna throw this out there. I dunno how to use srcd2, though I've been interested and will probably check it out once I'm not lazy. I do have to give a reminder that 480 FPS is nowhere near necessary, I only use it for better motion blur and slow motion. 120 FPS would suffice just fine.
Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.
Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.
kirbyI'm just gonna throw this out there. I dunno how to use srcd2, though I've been interested and will probably check it out once I'm not lazy. I do have to give a reminder that 480 FPS is nowhere near necessary, I only use it for better motion blur and slow motion. 120 FPS would suffice just fine.
Slow motion in a clip recorded at 120 fps is really limited, if you slow it down too much it will look choppy. The best value is probably from 240-480, but hey, i'm not stopping you.
Auy658Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.
If i understand your question properly, use the VDM function in Lawena. What happens is that you pick a demo, start tick and end tick of the portion you want to record, and then it records it for you (and stops when it reaches the end tick)
[quote=kirby]I'm just gonna throw this out there. I dunno how to use srcd2, though I've been interested and will probably check it out once I'm not lazy. I do have to give a reminder that 480 FPS is nowhere near necessary, I only use it for better motion blur and slow motion. 120 FPS would suffice just fine.[/quote]
Slow motion in a clip recorded at 120 fps is really limited, if you slow it down too much it will look choppy. The best value is probably from 240-480, but hey, i'm not stopping you.
[quote=Auy658]Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.[/quote]
If i understand your question properly, use the VDM function in Lawena. What happens is that you pick a demo, start tick and end tick of the portion you want to record, and then it records it for you (and stops when it reaches the end tick)
Good guide, but like others said, slightly outdated/suboptimal. Some notes:
- About motion blur / frame blending:
I think people should not bother with frameblending/motionblur if they go beneath a 8x blend rate, which means 30x8=240 host_framerate on a normal youtube 30fps video. Anything lower looks blurry and ugly, I'd much rather look at unblended crisp raw 30fps video in that case.
Bottom line: If you cba with recording at 240+ fps, just go for 30fps straight outta TF2, it's a much faster and resource-light workflow anyway. Also prefer SrcDemo2 frameblending over Vegas frameblending because of HD space and quality reasons. Watch out if you go into slowmo with SrcDemo2 though, you will have to go into extremely high framerates.
- Tip for the Virtualdub TGA->AVI stage, will save you loads of HD space:
Don't export uncompressed from virtualdub, as your hard drive will be full before you know it. Install http://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html , a lossless compression codec, meaning that you won't lose quality exporting from virtualdub for further editing, but you will get a smaller filesize compared to not compressing the video at all. How to use: Before you "save as .avi", go to Video -> Compression, and select Lagarith Lossless Codec. My settings: http://prntscr.com/miokk
- Tip for for people who don't want to edit big fragvideos, but just want superfast single-clip processing and uploading:
You can work with just VirtualDub; no other apps required. Download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/ which will add the x264 encoder to the list of compression codecs in VirtualDub's Video -> Compression. My settings: http://prntscr.com/miof7 (make sure zero latency and virtualdub hack are ticked!) You can also use multipass encoding for better quality at a smaller filesize, but I usually don't bother, as this tf2->vdub->youtube method is used for quick and dirty exporting anyway.
(Installing x264vfw will also make this encoder show up in the "Video Format" dropdown box in the Customize Template dialog box of Vegas "Render As" stage; so you will be able to export directly to a small-size Youtube-compatible format from Vegas.)
- About Sony Vegas:
This is basically a subject for a whole new thread, but: I really do not understand why Vegas Pro has become the "fragmovie industry standard". Maybe because it's easy to pirate? Because it has a few consumer level ease of use options (at the cost of other features)? It's simply a way inferior product compared to Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro (I've been editing as a side-thing for about 10 years and produced various sorts content in all 3 NLEs).
I recommend anyone who hasn't grown too attached to Vegas, or is completely new to video editing, to skip Sony's version of Windows Movie Maker and go for a fully featured editor instantly. Pp and FCP aren't rocket science, the basics of movie editing are the same in any of these apps, yet they will save you much annoyances, bugs, crashes, and offer many tiny features that will make your editing workflow so much faster and efficient.
About AE: I wouldn't recommend anyone to edit their movies in After Effects, it's simply not built for that (the way it displays and handles the organisation and manipulation of video clips in the timeline seems almost purposely made impractical, so Adobe wasn't competing with their own Pp software).
- About framerate settings in Virtualdub
Most people seem to agree that the proper setting is to sync video framerate to audio length, however, this should not be the "correct" way of doing things, as you'd end up with clips that all slightly vary in framerate, which can lead to some problems in your editor or finished product (for instance, pull up/down artifacts). I've been outputting from VirtualDub at a flat framerate (normally 30) instead of syncing to audio length, and I'm not noticing any desync.
Good guide, but like others said, slightly outdated/suboptimal. Some notes:
[b]- About motion blur / frame blending:[/b]
I think people should not bother with frameblending/motionblur if they go beneath a 8x blend rate, which means 30x8=240 host_framerate on a normal youtube 30fps video. Anything lower looks blurry and ugly, I'd much rather look at unblended crisp raw 30fps video in that case.
Bottom line: If you cba with recording at 240+ fps, just go for 30fps straight outta TF2, it's a much faster and resource-light workflow anyway. Also prefer SrcDemo2 frameblending over Vegas frameblending because of HD space and quality reasons. Watch out if you go into slowmo with SrcDemo2 though, you will have to go into extremely high framerates.
[b]- Tip for the Virtualdub TGA->AVI stage, will save you loads of HD space: [/b]
Don't export uncompressed from virtualdub, as your hard drive will be full before you know it. Install http://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html , a lossless compression codec, meaning that you won't lose quality exporting from virtualdub for further editing, but you will get a smaller filesize compared to not compressing the video at all. How to use: Before you "save as .avi", go to Video -> Compression, and select Lagarith Lossless Codec. My settings: http://prntscr.com/miokk
[b]- Tip for for people who don't want to edit big fragvideos, but just want superfast single-clip processing and uploading: [/b]
You can work with just VirtualDub; no other apps required. Download: http://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/ which will add the x264 encoder to the list of compression codecs in VirtualDub's Video -> Compression. My settings: http://prntscr.com/miof7 (make sure zero latency and virtualdub hack are ticked!) You can also use multipass encoding for better quality at a smaller filesize, but I usually don't bother, as this tf2->vdub->youtube method is used for quick and dirty exporting anyway.
(Installing x264vfw will also make this encoder show up in the "Video Format" dropdown box in the Customize Template dialog box of Vegas "Render As" stage; so you will be able to export directly to a small-size Youtube-compatible format from Vegas.)
[b]- About Sony Vegas:[/b]
This is basically a subject for a whole new thread, but: I really do not understand why Vegas Pro has become the "fragmovie industry standard". Maybe because it's easy to pirate? Because it has a few consumer level ease of use options (at the cost of other features)? It's simply a way inferior product compared to Adobe Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro (I've been editing as a side-thing for about 10 years and produced various sorts content in all 3 NLEs).
I recommend anyone who hasn't grown too attached to Vegas, or is completely new to video editing, to skip Sony's version of Windows Movie Maker and go for a fully featured editor instantly. Pp and FCP aren't rocket science, the basics of movie editing are the same in any of these apps, yet they will save you much annoyances, bugs, crashes, and offer many tiny features that will make your editing workflow so much faster and efficient.
About AE: I wouldn't recommend anyone to edit their movies in After Effects, it's simply not built for that (the way it displays and handles the organisation and manipulation of video clips in the timeline seems almost purposely made impractical, so Adobe wasn't competing with their own Pp software).
[b]- About framerate settings in Virtualdub[/b]
Most people seem to agree that the proper setting is to sync video framerate to audio length, however, this should not be the "correct" way of doing things, as you'd end up with clips that all slightly vary in framerate, which can lead to some problems in your editor or finished product (for instance, pull up/down artifacts). I've been outputting from VirtualDub at a flat framerate (normally 30) instead of syncing to audio length, and I'm not noticing any desync.
Auy658Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.
When you record a clip in TF2, it's going to be slow regardless of how good your PC is. The more FPS you're recording at, the longer each clip will take to record.
MitsSlow motion in a clip recorded at 120 fps is really limited, if you slow it down too much it will look choppy. The best value is probably from 240-480, but hey, i'm not stopping you.
That's basically what I meant. The higher FPS you record at, the better it will look when you use slow motion. As for the 120 FPS, I meant it would be good enough to record at if you don't plan on doing any slow motion.
#25 Good stuff, man. I appreciate the extra help. I only have two things I want to talk about with what you said.
1) Sony Vegas. It's half one reason why I use it, and half another reason. First half is because I've been using it since ~2009-2010 and have grown used to using it and learned most of what it can offer that I'll need. The second half for using it still is because I don't make videos like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jamuLPfQibU - It's a really good video, but some of the editing in this video requires other programs than SV. And I don't do this type of editing that would require other programs (not right now, at least). Everything I do with my edits/videos only require use of SV.
2) Framerate settings in VDUB. I've honestly never had any problems with the method I listed. Only problem I ever had was when I accidentally chose the wrong audio file to sync with the video file, which is an easy fix, of course.
But yeah, man, thanks for the extra input.
[quote=Auy658]Can i set some sort of timer of something beacuse it records in super slow-motion :/
EDIT: Nvm, i guess i'll just render out the whole thing while doing something else.[/quote]
When you record a clip in TF2, it's going to be slow regardless of how good your PC is. The more FPS you're recording at, the longer each clip will take to record.
[quote=Mits]
Slow motion in a clip recorded at 120 fps is really limited, if you slow it down too much it will look choppy. The best value is probably from 240-480, but hey, i'm not stopping you.[/quote]
That's basically what I meant. The higher FPS you record at, the better it will look when you use slow motion. As for the 120 FPS, I meant it would be good enough to record at if you don't plan on doing any slow motion.
#25 Good stuff, man. I appreciate the extra help. I only have two things I want to talk about with what you said.
1) Sony Vegas. It's half one reason why I use it, and half another reason. First half is because I've been using it since ~2009-2010 and have grown used to using it and learned most of what it can offer that I'll need. The second half for using it still is because I don't make videos like this - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jamuLPfQibU - It's a really good video, but some of the editing in this video requires other programs than SV. And I don't do this type of editing that would require other programs (not right now, at least). Everything I do with my edits/videos only require use of SV.
2) Framerate settings in VDUB. I've honestly never had any problems with the method I listed. Only problem I ever had was when I accidentally chose the wrong audio file to sync with the video file, which is an easy fix, of course.
But yeah, man, thanks for the extra input.
Agreed with skeej. About Sony Vegas - while there's no reason to use it now, back in 2008/2009 when people were first making TF2 movies, Vegas managed the high framerate footage much better than Premiere (the older version would barely run on my C2D), which is why people used that. Now though with better CPUs and GPU acceleration there's no reason to use Vegas.
And obviously, with Final Cut, no one was going to bother setting up OS X and managing recording and editing between two different OS's.
Agreed with skeej. About Sony Vegas - while there's no reason to use it now, back in 2008/2009 when people were first making TF2 movies, Vegas managed the high framerate footage much better than Premiere (the older version would barely run on my C2D), which is why people used that. Now though with better CPUs and GPU acceleration there's no reason to use Vegas.
And obviously, with Final Cut, no one was going to bother setting up OS X and managing recording and editing between two different OS's.
Whenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?
Whenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?
AwesomegyWhenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?
new update broke demos
[quote=Awesomegy]Whenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?[/quote]
new update broke demos
AwesomegyWhenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?
Make sure you go into lawena's config files and set all the multithreading options to 0.
[quote=Awesomegy]Whenever i run my demos through lawena my hl2 crashes any tips?[/quote]
Make sure you go into lawena's config files and set all the multithreading options to 0.