Here's a way to record demos in Single Player

[Gandalf123456]

What you've all been waiting for: Recording Demos in Single Player

 

Ok, this is very "round about" but it works...

 

open the console window ( hold shift and press the key next to the 1)

 

type exactly (if syntax is wrong, it won't work):

 

bind f7 "set cl_avidemo 1; echo Recording Started"

bind f8 "set cl_avidemo 0; echo Recording Stopped"

 

Now for a cool duel, add this:

 

bind g npc spawn Reborn

 

<b><font color="yellow">of course you can bind these to any key you wish...</font></b>

 

<b><font color="yellow">Why a Reborn?</font></b>

 

The Reborn, for those of you who don't know, are low level LightSaber users. They won't use any forces on you but they'll put up a good fight. I'm at the point where I can take on 4 at a time... that's loads of fun.

 

Close the console window, press g and a Reborn will pop up in front of you. <font color="yellow">Now press f7 and your "recording" will start...</font>

 

While recording in this method, a folder gets created in your GameData\Base folder called Screenshots. In there you'll find a series of .jpg files entitled shotxxxx.jpg where xxxx is a sequential number.

 

<b><font color="yellow">Press f8 when finished.</font></b>

 

<b><font color="yellow">Now the drawback:</font></b>

 

Unfortunately I haven't figured out how to record the audio... without using a third party audio capturing software, and recording this way makes the audio in the game very choppy (the motion is fine though).

 

If you want to record the audio anyway, I recommend TotalRecorder by <a href="http://www.highcriteria.com">HighCriteria</a> because this one will start and stop when audio comes through your sound card and you can save it as .wav or .mp3. Keep in mind that this program will only let you record 45 seconds, unless you "register" it.

 

 

<b><font color="yellow">What the heck do I do with the .jpg files?</font></b>

 

I used Rad Video Tools to compile them into an .avi

 

What is Rad Video Tools? It is a multimedia compressor. It is not Freeware however the demo never expires and you only get their logo added to your video if you use their format (.bik)

 

<b><font color="yellow">So here's how:</font></b>

 

1. Open Rad Video Tools

 

2. Browse to the Screenshots folder

 

3. Select the first file in the sequence (it may start at a wierd #)

 

4. Then press the "convert" button

 

You should see it default to "shotxx.avi" where xx will be a number if you have other's compiled already.

 

5. Press Browse if you want to specify a path and filename, otherwise it will be placed in the Screenshots folder

 

6. The only thing you need concern yourself with on this screen is the "Force (no adding/removing") box - which will dictate the FPS for the .avi. I find that entering 10 in this box (10 fps) gives the .avi the closest playback speed as to the game (remember, 3D engines are different than videos)

 

7. Once done, press the "convert" button

 

8. You will now have to choose your compression codec

 

<b><font color="yellow">Do not use Full Frames - your resulting .avi could be huge and Windows craps out playing .avi files over 2 gig.</font></b>

 

Now sit back and wait... depending on the number of screenshots, this could take a while.

 

Voila!! your Single Player .avi demo...

 

<b><font color="yellow">Ok, now here's where you can download Rad Video Tools:</font></b>

 

<a href="http://www.radgametools.com/down/bink/radtools.exe">Radtools.exe</a>

 

Enjoy!!!

 

If anyone can figure out how to capture the audio, please post something.

[Raze]

Um, that's not a demo it's an avi which is probably a hundred times bigger file-size-wise...

[Valdarious]

Ok, I figured I would try this out, and loaded up the Pit map. Set everything up. I hit F7 and I am treated to about 2 fps, so basicaly it turned out to be an avi file of what looks like a person that doesnt know how to play the game since I died in about 35 secs. Needless to say there was only 119 frames, since I couldnt control the game to save my life and she killed me because of it. I play the game normaly at around 80fps, what are you doing to keep the fps high enough to even play to make a demo.

[Gandalf123456]

Valdarious:

 

Well for starters, I have a 1 Ghz processor, 512 MB Ram and a Ge-Force 3 video card with 64MB Ram... so maybe it's the hardware.

 

I just left the FPS at default and started recording and had no change in gameplay except for the audio.

 

Try setting the cl_avidemo 1 to cl_avidemo 80

 

I tried 1000 and got a little better audio quality but still, my gameplay was fine. I don't know if matching the FPS will make a difference because my system can handle it as is.

 

The speed of your harddrive may also make a difference. Mine is pretty fast so writing the .jpg files on the fly doesn't hurt performance.

 

 

OH CRAP!!!! I just remembered, I did this in windowed mode with a resolution of 640x480, I didn't try it in fullscreen.

 

Maybe that's your problem.

 

 

 

 

Raze:

 

I am aware this is not the typical demo... but it's the ONLY way to "record" in Single Player... other than individual screenshots.

 

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING about video processing,

 

You should know you can compress using the DivX codec and shrink a 700 MB avi to 100 MB and that's about 50 minutes of video time... which I doubt anyone will record that much.

 

So whatever, if you don't like my method then suggest a better one. So far I haven't seen one.