Video Record without fraps.

[Guest lc0277]

While reading the SDK, I found that FSX has a native video record function, that saves movies as uncompressed avi files. It can be started/stopped via a keystroke.However, I've not been able to define a key assignment for this. Since it's a key event, it should be configurable via parameters menu, but the "video record toggle" assignment doesn't works for me.I successfully made small add-ons (3 lines XML gauge or 5 lines simconnect program) that sends the corresponding key event to FSX and it works. It generates huge avi files in My Documents/My videos/Flight Simulator X Files, so this function is indeed present in FSX :)The quality seems OK, although I'm not an expert in FS video making.My question is, did somebody manage to get this working directly ? Or is it an issue that should be reported to tell_fs@microsoft.com ?Thank you.--lc0277http://lc0277.nerim.net

[n4gix 4,947]

>While reading the SDK, I found that FSX has a native video>record function, that saves movies as uncompressed avi files.>It can be started/stopped via a keystroke.>However, I've not been able to define a key assignment for>this. Since it's a key event, it should be configurable via>parameters menu, but the "video record toggle" assignment>doesn't works for me.>I successfully made small add-ons (3 lines XML gauge or 5>lines simconnect program) that sends the corresponding key>event to FSX and it works. It generates huge avi files in My>Documents/My videos/Flight Simulator X Files, so this function>is indeed present in FSX :)>>The quality seems OK, although I'm not an expert in FS video>making.>>My question is, did somebody manage to get this working>directly ? Or is it an issue that should be reported to>tell_fs@microsoft.com ?Where specifically did you find this in the SDK? I've read the entire set of SDKs many times, and don't remember seeing any reference to this? Was this perhaps referenced in the beta version of the SDK? If so, I've long ago trashed those... ;) Furthermore, there's absolutely no reference to such in the Learning Center, which makes me suspect that this is indeed a feature that was deliberately cut from the RTM version. The only documented method of "Flight Video" remaining is the same used in FS9: .fsr files, which are nothing more than instructions to "recreate" the flight via the sim's native display engine.It would appear that even though the "feature" was cut from RTM, the core code remains in the fsx.exe and/or the associated .dll support libraries.

[Guest tmilton]

I have also read the SDK and have not come across a native video record function mentioned anywhere. Would you let us know where exactly you came across this?If this is true, I would be surprised that nobody was aware of this in the last 3 months that FSX has been out. This function would certainly be of importance for many of us.

[Guest lc0277]

>Where specifically did you find this in the SDK? I've read>the entire set of SDKs many times, and don't remember seeing>any reference to this? Was this perhaps referenced in the beta>version of the SDK? If so, I've long ago trashed those... ;) >>It's in the Event IDs document (in Variables directory).Paragraph "New Event IDs for Flight Simulator X".However I can't say precisely from which version of the SDK since my installation is mixed from Beta 3 / Final / SP1.The key event id is KEY_VIDEO_RECORD_TOGGLE and the descriptionis also very explicit.>>It would appear that even though the "feature" was cut from>RTM, the core code remains in the fsx.exe and/or the>associated .dll support libraries.That's a cool feature, I don't see why they dropped it for thefinal release. I didn't test it extensively, maybe it hassevere performance or reliability issue.I hope ACES would keep it for the upcoming patch, or betterimprove it and change its status to "official & supported" :)

[Guest ExtraPilot]

I have posted a document about this hidden feature on my Web site at:http://www.bruceair.com/fsastrainingaid.htmScroll down to the Errata and Corrections section at the bottom of the page. You can download the document Recording_FSX_Videos.pdf from the bulleted list of addenda.

[beatle 0]

Hey Bruce,How goes things in the land of wind and snow? Your Extra make it through the storms OK?

[n4gix 4,947]

Hmmm... I would make a wild guess that the reason it remains "undocumented" is that it doesn't seem to work all that well. Six consecutive attempts to record 30sec clips resulted in six files of precisely 64KB size, none of which is a valid .avi file... *:-*