How to watch a replay of your flight (or landing in particular)

[WebMaximus 372]

Just tried it and it worked really good but as you say it does take some time and also the fact that you won't have audio in the video takes away pretty much of the exprience when watching the video.

 

Did some more testing with the NGX and I'm a bit confused because this time when watching my landing the spoilers and reversers didn't move during playback. The difference I can think of is this time I chose to save the instant replay as a file and then play that file instead. Other animations like the flaps and gear worked during playback though.

[Javiz 104]

Here are two great examples of what can be achieved with FS Recorder. Maestro Ted Wolfgang (Tufun at SOH) showing the 'Record, Replay and Record Again, etc.' method. This video features a formation of 3 PBJ's (B-25 Marines version) : http://youtu.be/u01F6IWbp7o

 

And this vid shows 3 B-17's in formation being joined by 2 P-51C escorts. ( checkout their first appearance at 4:00 ) :  http://youtu.be/eExcjoDguoc

 

Ted added sound later. Watch in full screen HD if you can. Fantastic work if you ask me.

 

cheers,
jan

[WebMaximus 372]

Very cool videos and clearly shows the power of FS Recorder and what you can do with it especially if you're in to making FSX videos!

 

Speaking about videos someone else in another thread said that to make videos where you will also have the sound (which you won't by only using the rendering feature in FS Recorder) a great way to accomplish that is to use a combination of FS Recorder and FRAPS where you use FRAPS to capture a running FS Recorder playback. Using that method you'll get both all the advanced features and possibilities in FS Recorder and still get the sound using FRAPS.

 

Back to what I wanted FS Recorder for (simply playing back my landings with all animations and systems working in the playback) I thought I had things figured out yesterday, that you need to make sure both the engines and the hydraulic systems are running/on before you start the playback. It worked fine a couple of times but then every now and then and I couldn't really tell the difference between the different runs again the flaps for instance didn't move and same thing with the spoilers not deploying during replay so I don't know really what to think. I guess my conclusion for now will be that FS Recorder is a very powerful and in many ways impressive program but it doesn't work 100% with advanced addons like the NGX or maybe I'm doing something wrong.

[Von Rondstadd 15]

combination of FS Recorder and FRAPS where you use FRAPS to capture a running FS Recorder playback.

Do you mean this?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H2isoOlCkc

 

Robert

[WebMaximus 372]

Do you mean this?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H2isoOlCkc

 

Robert

 

Without having viewed the whole clip seems to be it yes. This is the thread where someone mentioned this method.

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/407822-tool-for-recording-flights/

 

Checked out the video some more now and seems to be a very good guide for anyone who would like to try this method.

[blocks_off 5]

Often I think it would be great to be able to watch a replay of a flight and in particular to be able to watch a replay of your landing. However I've noticed when using the built-in feature for this in FSX it doesn't work out that good...

 

First of all the current state of the NGX will be transferred into the replay so for instance if I shut down the engines before looking at the replay (which I normally do since I do all my flying online and also with FS2Crew) the engines will not be running in the replay. Also any ground connections like the GPU will also be visible in the replay which does look rather funny but not exactly what I want. Of course it's easy to fix this by simply removing any ground connections before starting the replay but would be nice to have a replay feature that is a little bit more intelligent. Also missing in the replays are the animations of the flaps, the use of spoilers when touching down etc etc.

 

So...what are you guys using when you want to watch a replay?

As you've tried, FSX recorder works for me. I am not commenting on videos, but one tip I hope will be useful and ensures most of instruments for landing are as you would see them during the original landing. I begin my FSX recording say when on final. When landed and just before / or just after I vacate the runway I stop the FSX recorder. I also save the FSX flight here too.

This way I can replay the flight the next day and so on by just reloading the FSX flight and reloading the FSX recording. 

Regards

Carl

[WebMaximus 372]

That's a great tip, thanks Carl!

[Mike777 163]

Looking a little more closely at what's going on, the trick is to load the panel state in the NGX that corresponds to the situation at the beginning of the recording.  FS Recorder saves the situation automatically in Documents>Flight Simulator X Files, if set to do so.  NGX panel state files are also saved (pretty sure by FSUIPC) in ... Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState folder.  So if you 1) start the FS Recorder playback (which will load the situation at the beginning of the recording) and 2) load the corresponding panel situation file (using FMC Menu>PMDG Setup>Load panel state) you should have fewer problems with the replay.  That's what it looks like to me with a little experimenting.  This should eliminate the need to make sure the aircraft has all systems on before the replay begins, as loading the correct panel state should take care of engines or other systems off issues.  Some things still may need manual intervention, such as lowering the gear with the G key when the FS Recorder data tells the aircraft to lower the gear.

 

Mike

Also want to mention that a beta version of FS Recorder does create silent videos.  The standard version does not.  So if you want to make actual videos with sound, you need to use FRAPS or a similar video-making program to record during an FS Recorder playback.

 

Mike

[WebMaximus 372]

OK, so I did some more testing myself and by saving a NGX panel state right after vacating the runway when I still have all systems/engines running and then make sure I always load this panel state before I load a FS Recorder recording I think I got almost everything working really good except for one thing...

 

At touchdown the spoilers deploy just fine but when vacating the runway they don't retract in the replay but I have to do this manually. And to be honest I don't really understand how this is even possible that I can make things happen like retracting the spoilers during a replay...to me that's like being able to travel back in time and change stuff that already happened in past time  :lol:

 

A minor issue but would still be great if I could find some way to have this last thing work too. Anyone else succeeded in this?

[WebMaximus 372]

Couldn't resist playing around a bit with the cameras in FS Recorder and just figured out how to set up 2 cameras using the 'Free mode' type exactly where I usually stand when I'm out at ESSA spotting aircraft IRL so now I've "spotted" myself when landing and must admit it was a very different and cool feeling

[blocks_off 5]

OK, so I did some more testing myself and by saving a NGX panel state right after vacating the runway when I still have all systems/engines running and then make sure I always load this panel state before I load a FS Recorder recording I think I got almost everything working really good except for one thing...

 

At touchdown the spoilers deploy just fine but when vacating the runway they don't retract in the replay but I have to do this manually. And to be honest I don't really understand how this is even possible that I can make things happen like retracting the spoilers during a replay...to me that's like being able to travel back in time and change stuff that already happened in past time  :lol:

 

A minor issue but would still be great if I could find some way to have this last thing work too. Anyone else succeeded in this?

Hi,

Good to hear you're having fun with the replays

I've noticed the same with the spoilers and not found a work around. 

Carl

[WebMaximus 372]

Yes, this is truely a great program allowing you to do lots of cool stuff!

 

As for the spoilers not retracting not a big deal really but I do find it strange since everything else is working just fine as long as you start from the correct panel state.

[Mike777 163]

 

 

OK, so I did some more testing myself and by saving a NGX panel state right after vacating the runway when I still have all systems/engines running and then make sure I always load this panel state before I load a FS Recorder recording I think I got almost everything working really good except for one thing...

 

On my system panel states are being saved automatically in

...\Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState

 

They look similar to the Autosave files generated by FSUIPC.  They are saved in sets of three.  They start w. "Autosave", have the same day and time, and end in  ".rte" or ".fmc" or ".sav".  I think they are also being created by FSUIPC.  So you don't have to stop and manually save a panel state if they are being saved automatically.   Check if they are already being saved in the above folder.  Then load the one that corresponds in time to the beginning of your recording, after you have started your replay.

 

 

 

At touchdown the spoilers deploy just fine but when vacating the runway they don't retract in the replay but I have to do this manually. And to be honest I don't really understand how this is even possible that I can make things happen like retracting the spoilers during a replay...to me that's like being able to travel back in time and change stuff that already happened in past time :lol:

 

I don't have a solution for the spoiler issue.  But to your general point:  FS Recorder is not replaying a video.  It is loading the situation that you had when you began the recording (including the aircraft you were using), and then sending commands to FS X.  This doesn't stop you from sending your own commands.  In replaying a recording I made of a go-around, I noticed that the wheels were retracting very slowly, so I typed G.  That made them go up more normally.  So I think what was happening was that there was a conflict between the commands being sent by FS Recorder and the commands coming from the panel setting -- in this case the gear lever was still down.  With the Level-D I have noticed rapid yoke motions, which can be stopped by manually turning off the autopilot.  So I think that in that situation as well, the autopilot's commands are contradicting those coming from FS Recorder. 

 

Hope this clarified the issue rather than making it foggier!

 

Mike

[SierraHotel 982]

I just used FRAPS.......

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OJVPQs5x2LY

[WebMaximus 372]

On my system panel states are being saved automatically in

...\Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState

 

They look similar to the Autosave files generated by FSUIPC.  They are saved in sets of three.  They start w. "Autosave", have the same day and time, and end in  ".rte" or ".fmc" or ".sav".  I think they are also being created by FSUIPC.  So you don't have to stop and manually save a panel state if they are being saved automatically.   Check if they are already being saved in the above folder.  Then load the one that corresponds in time to the beginning of your recording, after you have started your replay.

 

 

 

 

I don't have a solution for the spoiler issue.  But to your general point:  FS Recorder is not replaying a video.  It is loading the situation that you had when you began the recording (including the aircraft you were using), and then sending commands to FS X.  This doesn't stop you from sending your own commands.  In replaying a recording I made of a go-around, I noticed that the wheels were retracting very slowly, so I typed G.  That made them go up more normally.  So I think what was happening was that there was a conflict between the commands being sent by FS Recorder and the commands coming from the panel setting -- in this case the gear lever was still down.  With the Level-D I have noticed rapid yoke motions, which can be stopped by manually turning off the autopilot.  So I think that in that situation as well, the autopilot's commands are contradicting those coming from FS Recorder. 

 

Hope this clarified the issue rather than making it foggier!

 

Mike

 

Thanks for the tip regarding the automatically saved panel states. I remember seeing the files you mentioned but now when I looked in the panel state folder I don't have these files so not sure if there's a setting in FS Recorder somewhere that tell it if these files should be automatically created. Not a problem though since I already have the panel state I created myself for Fs Recorder and I just use this panel state whenever I want to watch a FS Recording.

 

What you explain about how FS Recorder works and that it actually isn't a recording in the normal sense of the word but rather FS Recorder telling FSX what to display "in real time" makes perfect sense, thanks for the explanation!

 

In one situation I also noticed the issue with the gears retracting very slowly and probably it's caused by what you say, a conflict of the state of the gear between the panel state/current FSX session and what is being replayed. As for the spoilers that's still very confusing to me because what I did notice is that if I play back a recording where the spoilers are deployed at touchdown and then rewind the replay they are stowed back in place again and when it works when rewinding the replay I can't understand why it wouldn't work in the opposite direction.

I just used FRAPS.......

 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OJVPQs5x2LY

 

FRAPS is very nice and especially when used in combination with FS Recorder as discussed earlier in this thread. The limitations only using FRAPS though the way I've understood it are:

 

- you will not see all NGX animations working like the spoilers, flaps etc

 

- you will only be able to see what you actually recorded and for obvious reasons can't change between different views during the replay since it's a video outside FSX

 

- to be able to save videos longer than 30 sek you need to buy the registered version and found the price (almost $40) a bit steep