convert demos to MPEGs

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Ursemmer-Shapiro
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convert demos to MPEGs

Post by Ursemmer-Shapiro » May 13th, 2005, 4:31 pm

There are several ways, and different progs, to convert a demo to MPEG. But first you need to convert them to AVI.

If you already know how to get your demo to AVI, skip all the next stuff, and go straight to the bottom (where you will find the programs to convert AVI to MPeg).

Recording the demo: How to do it?

In Game

To record your demo ingame, bring the console down and type

/record filename

For example /record demo1 that will create a file in your main/demos folder called demo1.

To stop recording ingame, bring the console down and type

/stoprecord

That’s the easy bit done!

Watching The Demo

To watch the demo, launch COD and when on the main menu bring down the console and type

/demo filename

For example if you called it demo1, type /demo demo1

Converting to AVI

We have 3 options for this. One is to use an ingame command that outputs every frame as a screenshot, another way is to record with fraps and the final way is to use tvout.

Option 1 – Ingame command

This option will give you the best quality, but it does also require a fair amount of work. Playback your demo, and type /cl_avidemo 30 in the console, your screen will go fairly jerky and your FPS will hit the floor. What it is doing is taking a screenshot 30 times a second.


Once you have your desired footage, you will have a LOT of screenshots in your screenshots folder. What you need to do is convert these from TGA to Jpeg. Theres 3 good programs that I tried this with and work very good.
One is a program called reaconverter pro available from http://www.reasoft.com/products/reaconverter/

2jpeg, this is a command line based program and is very quick. You can get this from http://batch.fcodersoft.com/2jpeg/

The last one, that I use is paint shop pro 7. from http://www.jasc.com

All of these programs are pretty simple to use, so I shouldn’t need to bother writing how to batch convert the files to jpeg.

So now we have hundereds of jpeg files, we need to put them all together to make an avi file. My personal choice of program for this is a program called JPGVideo, you can get this from http://www.ndrw.co.uk/download/free/jpg ... gvideo.zip /Link edited by Grom

This is very simple to use also, simply launch the program and click configure. At the top choose the directory where all your jpeg images are, and underneath that the output for the avi file. Set the frames per second slider to 30 then hit Ok.


On the next screen click run, it will then ask you which codec you want to use, at this point you can leave it uncompressed or compress it with your favouritre codec (divx personally)

Once that process is done, you now have the .avi file which you can edit in premier or any other editing program.

Option 2 – TvOut

This uses the same method as how most MOHAA demos are made now, watch back the demo and record via TvOut. Many of you know how to do this already, but for those who don’t please read the tutorial written by mike here http://www.smapump.freeserve.co.uk/demos.htm


Option 3 – Fraps

The most hated method in MOHAA, software based video capture. However the advantage of doing this in COD is that the low fps you get from recording wont effect your gameplay as your watching a video of yourself. This option takes a lot of HDD space and gives nice quality, however its not my personal choice.

You can find information on fraps at http://www.fraps.com


Conclusion

Option 1 – Ingame commands: SUPERB Quality, you need a fair amount of HDD space though and it is a little time consuming.

Option 2 – TvOut: High quality, easy to do once you have it setup

Option 3 – Fraps: High quality, takes a lot of HDD space, but it doesn’t provide a smooth demo

Personally I use option 1, the quality it provides more than makes up for the extra bit of time you put into making it, you can also compress straight to divx without messing about.

Demo Recroding Script

I was contacted in IRC by noginn with this script, paste it into the bottom of your config_mp.cfg in your main folder.

// demo record toggle script by save*noginn

seta demo_start "record; set demo_tog vstr demo_stop"

seta demo_stop "stoprecord; set demo_tog vstr demo_start"

seta demo_tog "vstr demo_start"

bind BACKSPACE "vstr demo_tog"

press backspace to start recording, and press it again to stop. Call of Duty will name the files demo0001, demo0002, demo0003 automatically.

Converting AVI to MPeg

One of the most well know programs for converting files to Mpeg is Tmpeg. Download it for free here:

http://www.downseek.com/download/21411.asp

Another is WinMPeg. Get it from here:

http://www.winmpg.com/

Another is FX MPeg Writer. Get it here:

http://www.jhepple.com/AVI2MPEG.htm
Last edited by Ursemmer-Shapiro on May 19th, 2005, 5:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by Koekie » May 14th, 2005, 2:08 pm

Control + C -> Control + V ;)
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Post by Koekie » May 16th, 2005, 9:32 pm

I'd add this:

"Call of Duty Movies: for Dummies!"
http://www.who-gaming.com/?page=features&id=74

EDIT link fixed:
http://www.callofduty.se/slize/quality.php
Last edited by Koekie on September 22nd, 2005, 8:02 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Ursemmer-Shapiro » May 19th, 2005, 10:33 am

i did it with 55 screenies from /cl_avidemo 55 and there is only 1 problem its a little big ( the move what ive got now )

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Post by Drofder2004 » May 19th, 2005, 6:26 pm

(UA)Ursemmer wrote:i did it with 55 screenies from /cl_avidemo 55 and there is only 1 problem its a little big ( the move what ive got now )
25 is all that is needed for a smooth picture, 30 is the max tbh. More is too much.

Too make your file smaller your need to compress it using a codec... I normally use DivX as it encodes it from 100mb down to 3mb sometimes :shock:
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Post by Koekie » May 19th, 2005, 9:54 pm

well, 30 is the max a human eye can see (I've read that somewhere, so if that's not correct... Not my fault ^^)
and since the DivX codec isn't free, many people use Xvid, which is something similair
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Post by Luke » June 5th, 2005, 10:29 pm

http://www.easydivx.does.it download free divx codec, i use it all the time and it's good quality.
And virtualdub is a good free tool for compressing your files and stuff http://www.virtualdub.org

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Post by <LT>YosemiteSam[NL] » June 6th, 2005, 2:02 pm

Still have a question though, Isn't there a program out there which records everything that you do on your pc ?
I know fraps does something like that but you have to buy that program and the fraps logo shows in the demo (correct me if I'm wrong).

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Post by Soviet » June 6th, 2005, 2:06 pm

i randomly found something called VRtainment Capture Pad at one time, im not sure where, but it works fairly well from what ive seen from the little but i have used it.
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Post by zanpha » August 20th, 2005, 9:24 am

where can i get a tga to Jpeg converter free that lets me convert alot of pics the ones on top can only covert 5 or has a stamp or something

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Post by Neon » August 20th, 2005, 9:35 am

.Koek!e' wrote:well, 30 is the max a human eye can see (I've read that somewhere, so if that's not correct... Not my fault ^^)
and since the DivX codec isn't free, many people use Xvid, which is something similair
28 fps is the lowest fps, where the human eye cannot see the difference, so the image appears "smooth"

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Post by MuRpHy* » August 20th, 2005, 1:47 pm

koekie i actually think its 61 fps, but i mite be mistaken as well, i know its not 30, but i dont know if 61 fps is it either.
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Post by Neon » August 20th, 2005, 2:09 pm

28 :wink:

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Post by Drofder2004 » August 20th, 2005, 2:17 pm

Neon wrote:28 :wink:
That is correct.

Although this topic could give some other info about why better framerates are smoother and how the huan eye is now not physically limited to a certain fps ;)

http://www.firingsquad.com/features/fac ... efault.asp
Last edited by Drofder2004 on August 20th, 2005, 2:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Rince » November 17th, 2005, 2:00 pm

but then u have to capture the sound because u get no sound :-\

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