fsx-se Video recording basics for dummies

[Raven9000 272]

I've been watching a lot of nice fsx (and x-plane) videos on youtube, and while I'm not about to start making any (yet) I'm curious as to what the basic process is for making these.

 

Not talking about post-processing, etc, but rather how do you get the raw video of your flight exported/generated, because I see they're made of some VC footage, some exterior, etc, but all from the same flight, and surely they don't fly the route like that.... So what is the basic process and what tools are needed? Can anyone share if they know these basics?

 

Thanks!

[spearmint_flyer 579]

The best way these days is with shadow play from Nvidia GeForce. How over it only works in the newer 900 series cards I believe.

[Capt Speirs 52]

A lot of videos are done using FSRecorder and as far as I know, that is not possible in FSX-SE. 

[fs4fun 366]

ShadowPlay works on 600 and 700 series as well. The audio can go out of sync with the video unless you set FPS to a fixed rate in ShadowPlay's settings.

 

If you record narration with an external program such as Audacity, you can get more sync problems. I've had some luck running the ShadowPlay recording through Handbrake to get a constant framerate before mixing in the audio track.

 

I think overall FRAPS still gives me the best results even though there's some FPS hit.

[Raven9000 272]

Hey everyone thanks for your replies.

 

No problem about the cards as I have a 980 TI. I guess maybe it's because I don't understand how shadowplay works yet, but wouldn't it record whatever is being output to the screen? How exactly do you get the different views besides switching them on the fly? (No pun intended).

I doubt that people are actually flying this way by switching constantly views and I would've thought that it was rather like if it was an instant replay that they keep showing and recording the relevant bits that they want for each part of their video?

[Alpha Floor 237]

Oh great thread! I'm recording my own videos (see signature link) but as fas as video-editing is concerned I'm a total noob.

 

I use Shadowplay with my GTX770 on FSX. What I don't like is that I can't records FSX full-screen and switch windows to open up a chart while recording.

 

Also, I couldn't figure out how to use Shadowplay on XP-10, any help?

 

I used to use FRAPS but it eats up half my frame-rate and I have to compress the videos afterwards, so I don't really like it.

[fs4fun 366]

 

 

I use Shadowplay with my GTX770 on FSX. What I don't like is that I can't records FSX full-screen and switch windows to open up a chart while recording.

 

For windowed mode, see if you can enable desktop capture: http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/geforce-experience-2-0. It doesn't work for me I think because I disabled Aero.

 

 

 

How exactly do you get the different views besides switching them on the fly? (No pun intended).

 

I record the flight with FSRecorder and do the video capture entirely from the virtual cockpit view. Then I replay the FSRecorder file and video capture clips from other views, then assemble the clips in a video editing program.

[Raven9000 272]

I record the flight with FSRecorder and do the video capture entirely from the virtual cockpit view. Then I replay the FSRecorder file and video capture clips from other views, then assemble the clips in a video editing program.

 

Thanks, this was what I was looking for to know how to even start!

 

So you start fsrecorder first? (Guess I will search for a tutorial on fsrecorder then).

 

I saw someone said it doesn't work on Seam Edition? What do people use then? Because I have seen videos of SE too... What about P3D and X-Plane?

[fs4fun 366]

 

 

So you start fsrecorder first? (Guess I will search for a tutorial on fsrecorder then).

 

FSRecorder includes a very nice manual. It adds its own menu to FSX. You just click on Record... once you've loaded up the flight and then at the end press ESC and you get a dialog prompting you to save the recording. I recommend saving the flight at the start too, so you can first load the saved flight, and then load the recording for playback.

 

 

 

I saw someone said it doesn't work on Seam Edition?

 

Uh-oh that's a problem. There's a thread at the fsrecorder forum: http://www.fs-recorder.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=939. Seems like some people got it to work at least partially by installing old simconnect versions. I don't have FSX:SE but that forum or the steam forums would be the places to ask about fsrecorder and steam edition.

[brucets 94]

I use FSRecorder only to record and replay the takeoffs and landings, not to record video clips. I use only Fraps to actually record all video clips and screenshots, and have been for many years. I have a modest system with an I-5 2500k and and a GT-580 GPU and I don't see much fps loss at all.

 

My friend has a son who is a UAL FO on a 738 and he had a flight a couple days ago to San so we made this video of him landing. He got a laugh and we had fun. I'm not and advanced simmer so it's the default FSX 738

 

https://youtu.be/fofVyg-TiEI

[Raven9000 272]

I recommend saving the flight at the start too, so you can first load the saved flight, and then load the recording for playback.

You lost me there...

 

Save the flight at start? then load recording for playback? Not following..

[fs4fun 366]

By save the flight, I mean press the ';' key and save all the flight state in a file (the .FLT aka "flight" file). That saves all details of the flight, the time of day, weather, state of the aircraft etc. Do that just before starting to record with FSRecorder. When you want to replay the flight with FSrecorder you first want to reload this flight state so you're back to the same state you were in at the start of the flight. If you didn't quit FSX then the alternative is to press Ctrl-; which resets the state of the sim back to where you started.

 

So to replay the flight using the saved fsrecorder data, first press Load from the menu or Free Flight screen, load the saved flight file, then go to the FSRecorder menu and load the saved recording. Then your flight will replay with everything back in the same state as when you started your flight.

 

If you don't do this and you just 'replay' with fsrecorder, it just replays the flight data but doesn't necessarily return the aircraft or other sim state like time or weather back to where it was.

[Pe11e 812]

I've tried ShadowPlay but recorded clips can stutter quite a lot, it depends probably on GPU usage, as far as I can tell. Best results I can get, after testing, gives me Fraps of course, just check "Lock framerate while recording", or lock the framerate in sim. Fraps files are BIG, and they must be compressed, but the quality is superb.

[Capt Speirs 52]

Thanks, this was what I was looking for to know how to even start!

 

So you start fsrecorder first?

 

As I said earlier, I don't believe FSRecorder works in FSX-SE.

 

Check this link.

[brucets 94]

You can also use FSX Instant Replay instead of FSRecorder, although Instant Replay doesn't show AI aircraft.

 

I don't start FSRecorder until I decide to record a segment of the flight where I'm too busy in the cockpit to switch back and forth to outside(other views). If you record the entire flight with FSR it would take forever to replay the entire flight to get the desired video clips. You can use FRAPS to record any cockpit video clips at anytime during the flight, or any outside clips at any point during the flight when you have ample time to change views. Just before I get too busy to switch views, like takeoffs and landing I pause the flight, start FSR, set it to record with no time limit, and then go back to the flight. When cockpit demands ease up I pause the flight, stop FSR and save the file(called frc file). Once it is saved you can go to that frc file any time and play it to make your video clips(for that segment) with FRAPS. It's best to play frc files when you are in the area that the recording was made because FSX has those scenery files already loaded in the sim. If you fly DEN to SAN and your at the gate in SAN with all the video clips made except for the take off in DEN(for which you made an FSR recording(frc), reset the flight so that your at the gate in DEN. That way all the scenery files for the DEN area are loaded in the sim and the frc file will play immediately.

 

You may be confused about the difference between FRAPS and FSRecorder --- "The recorded flights are saved in a binary file format containing flight data and can thus only be played back inside FS. These files are not video files, so it is not possible to play them with a video or media player, or to convert them into video files." This from the website mentioned above -  http://www.fs-recorder.net/

 

It is impractical for anyone to list all the features, quirks and uses here. You have get in the sand box and start playing. Trial and error will teach you a lot and you'll develop your own system. Start by making a folder in My Documents -- mine is called *Video Making*. Inside that folder I have folders titled - Video Clips, Video Clips 2, Video Clips 3, Video Clips 4, Screenshots, Screen 2, FRC, Project, Project 2, Project 3 and My Videos. You tell FRAPS to send clips to whatever folder(I use the folders for different segments of the flights so I don't have a zillion clips all in one folder). When I make FSR recording's I send the FRC files to the FRC folder. The project folders are for the video editing projects - I use Adobe Premier Elements for making FSX videos because MS Movie Maker can not handle FRAPS monster files. When your video is totally finished go back to those files and clean them out entirely because they are taking up a huge amount of storage space on the drive.

 

One last point. Long videos are boring, and so are long video clips. Use 2-3sec clips and keep videos well under 10min. You won't even want to watch your own videos if they are too long. That's probably the hardest part to grasp! I'm still struggling with that --- after 15 years of making FSX, motorcycle and travel videos! 

 

Bruce