Difference between revisions of "Video resources"

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This page's purpose is to provide a list of those alternatives with anecdotal experiences, and maybe include workarounds/fixes for getting the built-in recorder to work correctly.
This page's purpose is to provide a list of those alternatives with anecdotal experiences, and maybe include workarounds/fixes for getting the built-in recorder to work correctly.


== Things to try ==
* Do a clean uninstall of previous video codecs, then download and install a [http://www.codecguide.com/ comprehensive codec pack].


== Movie recording programs ==
== Movie recording programs ==
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=== Windows ===
=== Windows ===
* '''[http://camstudio.org/ CamStudio] (free)''' - ''NEEDS INFO''
==== Free Tools ====
* '''[http://camstudio.org/ CamStudio]'''
* '''[http://www.menasoft.com/blog/?p=30 Taksi]''' - Sometimes cited as an [http://www.osalt.com/fraps open source alternative] to FRAPS.
 
==== Paid Tools ====
[[Image:Torley%27s_FRAPS_recommended_settings.png|thumbnail|[[User:Torley Linden|Torley Linden]]'s recommended settings for Fraps]]


* '''[http://www.planetgamecam.com/ Game Cam] (US$24.95, Lite version is US$9.95)''' - Torley tried this briefly and found it to be buggy and reduces FPS considerably — YMMV, see how it works for you.
* '''[http://www.planetgamecam.com/ Game Cam] (US$24.95, Lite version is US$9.95)''' - Torley tried this briefly and found it to be buggy and reduces FPS considerably — YMMV, see how it works for you.
* '''[http://www.zdsoft.com/game-recorder/ Game Recorder] (US$39)'''
* '''[http://www.fraps.com/ Fraps] (US$37)''' - This is possibly the most popular video capture utility. With low CPU usage and a mature history of development, it's used by a number of notable Residents to make machinima. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have high compression options, so whatever you record will consume a lot of disk space and need encoding later. Torley Linden uses this to record raw material for [[Video Tutorials]] and video bug reproductions. Note that while it will capture the default cursor, it ''won't'' capture one-click action icons (the ones in the edit tools' General tab, under "When Left-Clicked").


* '''[http://www.zdsoft.com/game-recorder/ Game Recorder] (US$39)''' - ''NEEDS INFO''
* '''[http://www.fraps.com/ FRAPS] (US$37)''' - This is possibly the most popular video capture utility. With low CPU usage and a mature history of development, it's used by a number of notable Residents to make machinima. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have high compression options, so whatever you record will consume a lot of disk space and need encoding later. Torley Linden uses this to record raw material for [http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Video_Tutorials Video Tutorials] and video bug reproductions. Note that while it will capture the default cursor, it ''won't'' capture one-click action icons (the ones in the edit tools' General tab, under "When Left-Clicked").
* '''[http://www.menasoft.com/blog/?p=30 Taksi] (free)''' - Sometimes cited as an [http://www.osalt.com/fraps open source alternative] to FRAPS. ''NEEDS INFO''


=== Mac ===
=== Mac ===
* '''[http://www.chimoosoft.com/products/captureme/ Capture Me] (free)''' - Originally a screen capture program for still images, now can also record MPEG-4 videos (no sound) up to 60 seconds.
==== Free Tools ====
* '''[http://www.chimoosoft.com/products/captureme/ Capture Me]''' - Originally a screen capture program for still images, now can also record MPEG-4 videos (no sound) up to 60 seconds.


* '''[http://www.shinywhitebox.com/home/home.html iShowU] (US$20)''' - ''NEEDS INFO''
==== Paid Tools ====
* '''[http://www.shinywhitebox.com/home/home.html iShowU] (US$20)'''
* '''[http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/ Snapz Pro X] (US$69)''' - Generally regarded as the Mac equivalent of Fraps in terms of its popularity with Residents, it's a tad on the pricey side but very elegantly-designed.


* '''[http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/ Snapz Pro X] (US$69)''' - Generally regarded as the Mac equivalent of Fraps in terms of its popularity with Residents, it's a tad on the pricey side but very elegantly-designed.


=== Linux ===
=== Linux ===
''Any recommendations? Please add them using the above formatting.''
==== Free Tools ====
* '''File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk''' doesn't work at all on Linux. ''Bug report = ... ?''
* '''[http://xvidcap.sourceforge.net/ Xvidcap]''' - Known to work for SL machinima on Linux.
* '''[http://xvidcap.sourceforge.net/ Xvidcap] (free software)''' - Known to work for SL machinima on Linux. (Is it?  It can't seem to capture if hardware 3D acceleration is on, which it almost always is.)
 
== Fraps recommended settings ==
These settings are what [[User:Torley Linden|Torley Linden]] prefers for FRAPS — tweak to your taste:


[[Image:Torley%27s_FRAPS_recommended_settings.png|thumbnail|none]]


=== Things of note ===
== Things of note ==
* I like my video capture to be as smooth as possible, so "30 fps" is a good, standard number. You can always downgrade this later in a video editor (I prefer Sony Vegas, and [[User:Torley_Linden/FAQ#How_do_you_make_a_Video_Tutorial.3F|my Video Tutorial workflow is detailed here]].)
* Try installing a [http://www.codecguide.com/ comprehensive codec pack] for more options when compressing footage for distribution.
* I prefer to use 25fps because it conforms with the PAL standard (which is what we use where I live) and it's easier to achieve in highly laggy or congested sims. - [[User:Skribe Forti|Skribe Forti]]
* "30 fps" is a rate for smooth video capture- this can be lowered later in a video editor.
* I chose F8 as my Video Capture Hotkey because it doesn't interfere with any active Second Life gestures (you can view your personal list inworld via Edit menu > Gestures).
** 25fps conforms with the PAL standard and is easier to achieve in highly laggy or congested sims.
* I usually resize my screen to 1024x768 using [http://www.brianapps.net/sizer.html Sizer], a compact, useful utility. (This is because File menu > Set Window Size in SL lacks many standard screen resolutions.)
* Most video capture programs support a hot-key to start/stop recording. View your gestures list inworld via Edit menu > Gestures, and select a hot-key combination that doesn't conflict with your gestures.
* For web delivery I either use the PAL or 800x600 SL presets. For high-definiton I use the HDTV standard (1920x1080) - [[User:Skribe Forti|Skribe Forti]].
* [http://www.brianapps.net/sizer.html Sizer] can be used to resize the viewer to resolutions not listed in '''File > Set Window Size'''.
* If you're doing machinima instead of tutorials and video bug repros (the main distinction being that the user interface is shown), you'll want to disable [http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/User:Torley_Linden/Debug_Settings Client menu] > Rendering Features > UI in Second Life and check "No Cursor" in FRAPS.
* Use a capture resolution suitable for the method of delivery- PAL or 800x600 is suitable for web delivery.
* Depending on your bandwidth requirements, you may want to opt for faster storage throughput to record movies and be in Second Life (which has heavy disk access) simultaneously; I've found a noticeable improvement by having dual hard drives, one of them a speedy [http://www.wdc.com/en/products/Products.asp?DriveID=189 Western Digital Raptor 150GB].
* Use the [[User:Torley Linden/Debug Settings|Debug Settings]] '''Client > Rendering Features > UI''' to toggle the visibility of the user interface (useful when making [[machinima]])
* a RAID 0 array will also speed up capture - especially if you use raptors as your disks - [[User:Skribe Forti|Skribe Forti]]
* Recording footage to hard disk that Second Life's disk cache isn't on or using a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID RAID] array will improve performance while the footage is being recorded.


== Related issues ==
== Related issues ==
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-696 VWR-696'''] Crash if recording Video
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-696}}''' Crash if recording Video
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-714 VWR-714]''' movie recorded off frame
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-714}}''' movie recorded off frame
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-715 VWR-715]''' Movie not recorded in H.264
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-715}}''' Movie not recorded in H.264
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-2096 VWR-2096]''' Movie to disk causes crash
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-2096}}''' Movie to disk causes crash
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-2184 VWR-2184]''' "Movie to Disk" can not be saved to all directories
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-2184}}''' "Movie to Disk" can not be saved to all directories
* '''[https://jira.lindenlab.com/browse/SL-50734 SL-50734]''' Remove the File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk feature ''(This is an internal Linden Lab issue and can't be viewed by Residents — it's listed here for completeness' sake)
* '''{{JIRA|SL-50734}}''' Remove the File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk feature ''(internal Linden Lab issue that can't be viewed by Residents)
* '''[https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/VWR-2085 VWR-2085]''' Ctrl-Alt-1 Hide/Show UI does not work
* '''{{JIRA|VWR-2085}}''' Ctrl-Alt-1 Hide/Show UI does not work

Revision as of 03:57, 21 December 2007

Linden Lab is aware that File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk doesn't work reliably, depending on various factors like your make and model of computer, the video codecs you have installed, etc. Generally speaking, it works for "some" Residents but not others, and work hasn't been done (or deemed high-priority enough) to improve the built-in movie recorder — this is in part because there are a selection of 3rd-party tools which, while not necessarily free, offer more power and control than SL's own. We're keeping our options open.

This page's purpose is to provide a list of those alternatives with anecdotal experiences, and maybe include workarounds/fixes for getting the built-in recorder to work correctly.


Movie recording programs

Most of these have demo versions you can try out. There's a variety of applications on the market, but to record Second Life's on-screen action correctly, a program must have OpenGL support (it usually says in the features).

Windows

Free Tools

Torley Linden's recommended settings for Fraps
  • Game Cam (US$24.95, Lite version is US$9.95) - Torley tried this briefly and found it to be buggy and reduces FPS considerably — YMMV, see how it works for you.
  • Game Recorder (US$39)
  • Fraps (US$37) - This is possibly the most popular video capture utility. With low CPU usage and a mature history of development, it's used by a number of notable Residents to make machinima. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have high compression options, so whatever you record will consume a lot of disk space and need encoding later. Torley Linden uses this to record raw material for Video Tutorials and video bug reproductions. Note that while it will capture the default cursor, it won't capture one-click action icons (the ones in the edit tools' General tab, under "When Left-Clicked").


Mac

Free Tools

  • Capture Me - Originally a screen capture program for still images, now can also record MPEG-4 videos (no sound) up to 60 seconds.

  • iShowU (US$20)
  • Snapz Pro X (US$69) - Generally regarded as the Mac equivalent of Fraps in terms of its popularity with Residents, it's a tad on the pricey side but very elegantly-designed.


Linux

Free Tools

  • Xvidcap - Known to work for SL machinima on Linux.


Things of note

  • Try installing a comprehensive codec pack for more options when compressing footage for distribution.
  • "30 fps" is a rate for smooth video capture- this can be lowered later in a video editor.
    • 25fps conforms with the PAL standard and is easier to achieve in highly laggy or congested sims.
  • Most video capture programs support a hot-key to start/stop recording. View your gestures list inworld via Edit menu > Gestures, and select a hot-key combination that doesn't conflict with your gestures.
  • Sizer can be used to resize the viewer to resolutions not listed in File > Set Window Size.
  • Use a capture resolution suitable for the method of delivery- PAL or 800x600 is suitable for web delivery.
  • Use the Debug Settings Client > Rendering Features > UI to toggle the visibility of the user interface (useful when making machinima)
  • Recording footage to hard disk that Second Life's disk cache isn't on or using a RAID array will improve performance while the footage is being recorded.

Related issues

  • VWR-696 Crash if recording Video
  • VWR-714 movie recorded off frame
  • VWR-715 Movie not recorded in H.264
  • VWR-2096 Movie to disk causes crash
  • VWR-2184 "Movie to Disk" can not be saved to all directories
  • SL-50734 Remove the File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk feature (internal Linden Lab issue that can't be viewed by Residents)
  • VWR-2085 Ctrl-Alt-1 Hide/Show UI does not work
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