Please Don't Laugh!

Hiya all,

I've only just recently thought about trying my hand at a few little SL movies... I tried to find as much info as I could about screen capture programs..etc. Well, since I just wanted to 'test out the waters' so to speak, I came across a free program called 'CamStudio'. Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this particular program.

I tried it out to day, but when I played back what I'd recorded, it was very pixelated and grainy. I know that this has to be something that I'm not doing properly or something I'm doing that I shouldn't be.

I apologies for the completely amateurish questions, I'm sure the more experienced of you must be tired of such questions by now...

So far I've published one piece but I'm afraid I chose to go down the 'snapshot montage with cool music in the background' route....

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.....

fraps is the best program. If you are looking for something free try the wegame client. Not quite the same quality but still good.

Thanks Geuis.

I did download the Fraps trial version and had a go with that....a lot better. But I'll try out the wegame one too.... just want to make sure that I know what I'm doing before 'purchasing' the full versions...and then of course, I plan to purchase the 'filming path' tool... I've had a look at a few youtube videos where filming path was used, and they look great....

You might want to look at this...

http://bellsandspurs.com/

It has information about the what, why and hows, and I think they used Wink, which can be downloaded free, and actually isn't too bad.

I am new to this too. I am actually trying to film footage of Pirates to use in a game for dyslexic children. But I am quite new to SL too, only been on there a few months and so |I am still finding my way around too. But I'll keep an eye on the thread see if anything comes up that I know about and i'll let you know how i got on with it.

I also tried Camstudio but the pixelation was appaling.

The reason you are getting pixelation is because you have chosen to use a Codec with the capture, that compresses the raw data. Over use of Codec when capturing may give you smoother footage, but with the byproduct of pixelation.

I personally capture in raw AVI format (uncompressed), although it does require a powerful system, mainly fast HD's. I use 5 SATA II, 4tb raid configuration for capture. Carryout post production and then... add 5 layers of codec into the reference file before flattening. Our servers then add a suitable codec on the fly to the stream depending on the loadings on the servers, viewers location relative to the server(s) and bandwidth available.

I use HyperCam for my captures. This has the flexibility for me to choose the capture window/zone. Depending on the final resolution and format (portrait or landscape), I only capture what I need.

Thanks Shelby and AWM....... I'm going to give it another go later on.. I really just want to 'try it out' so to speak before I go purchasing all sorts of programs and gadgets..lol

But I'd love to get into it a lot more.....I would imagine that the possiblilties are endless. And I've had a look at the 'spurs' video....amazing stuff...

You are welcome. I'm glad you liked Bells n Spurs, it was what got me into the idea of using machinima. I was thinking about using stills before I saw it.
I posted a thread about my project. If you like the sound of it and want to try your hand at a bit of filming then just let me know and come along. If I ever get to that stage lol.

AWL Thank you for the tips I'll try it again. I am also testing Camstudio too, as I am doing research for a project so I'll keep an eye on my capture settings across the board.
Shellby

When using capture programmes, try and sync the fps capture with the same fps you use in editing. Capturing at say more than PAL (25fps) is at best wasteful and can cause dropped frames and jerky results.

Thank you. it's all a bit new to me still to be honest. I come from an illustration background of actual drawing on paper, which all feels a bit antique now I am doing a Multi-media course. ;p
It is great to use a forum where other people are genuinely helpful and I hope to one day be one of them. lol!
Thanks again
Shellby

There are some very knowledgeable and helpful people on these forums Shelby and the forums can be an absolute godsend when you're not sure exactly where you're going....like myself.

My big 'obstacle' was streaming etc...but I've done my first gig and got that under my belt. To be honest, when talking FPS...I know what it stands for but I still haven't a clue how to best set it up... But I'll still keep on going till I get it right. Thanks to everyone who has been generous with their time and expertise....it's all very much appreciated.

So any video set at over 25 FPS is pointless? I thought 30 was best for smoothest results?

Well, consider that the eye is decieved to movement with just 15fps, 25fps is more than enough. However, it very much depends on the output format and resolution. If the media is going to be streamed off a website, or into SL, then you can vary the fps, but if you are making it for a standard format (PAL, NSTC etc), then you are better to try and capture at a frame rate close to those output formats to prevent dropped frames and 'tweening'.

If you capture at say 50fps and render the output at 25fps, frames will be dropped and movements will be less fluid and potentially speed up. If you output at 50fps and capture at 25fps, then providing your editing programme has the capability, it will try and 'tween' the missing frames, leaving you with ghosted and blurred movement. Those are extreme examples, but the principal is sound.

When you first setup your editing/rendering programme, it is always best to set the preferences template for the output format. This will not only give you the eventual movie viewing size in the preview window, but setup the time lines and ruler that the movie is set against. If you are adding a music track, this will have its own timeline and tempo, which for the most part, the vast majority of players, will use to maintain the flow of the media, and let frames drop in the movie section. Matching them, is always going to give you better final results. This is especially true when streaming high quality media into the SL client.

Examples of how this can all go wrong, can be seen, when the media has black margins and the viewing media seems distorted in either height and or width, as the rendering engine tries to alter the pixel size to suit the format (PAL, NSTC etc).