Sick of waiting 3 hours to render a video?

[Glumok]

As you may know, I make videos with the cool Replay Editor, in GTA IV.

As you surely know, if you use it, it takes ages to render a replay into a wmv video.

 

I found a way to save A LOT OF TIME in the process.

 

You will need "Fraps" and "Sony Vegas".

(and optionaly a audio recorder like "Super MP3 Recorder Pro", for instance.

Because you can't record the sound at the same time, with this trick).

 

 

 

How do I proceed ?

 

1 - Launch "Fraps" then launch GTA IV.

2 - Launch the replay editor, open your replay.

 

3 - When you are ready to render the video, hit "H" (to hide the menu) then hit "F9" to record with Fraps.

4 - Then, immediatly, hit the right arrow key (like if you want to go forward in the replay editor).

 

5 - Let it runs until your recorded all the video you need (hit "F9" once again to stop Fraps recording).

6 - Quit GTA IV.

 

7 - Launch Sony Vegas and load in your video file (it is in the Fraps folder (by default "C:/Fraps").

8 - You will need to "stretch" the duration of the video (almost 1/3 of the original duration).

 

That's all.

 

 

To record with the sound :

 

1 - make your replay, place the camera, ect.

2 - set the speed at 45% (I'm not sure of the exact value in the editor).

3 - hit "play", while you record with Fraps (F9)

4 - in Vegas, stretch both the video and sound duration.

 

 

 

 

For instance, I can render a 30 seconds video in 40 seconds process (usualy, it takes ~15 minutes).

 

The problem in this trick is you can't record the sound.

So, if you really need the sound too, you can launch your audio recorder.

And when you are at the step 2, start audio recording and play the replay in the replay editor (I'm 99% sure this sentence is not clear at all)

 

I think you can use something else than Sony Vegas, if the software you use allows you to strech the duration of the clip.

 

It may looks complicated, but it's not. Try yourself and you will get it.

It is really cool to not have to wait 1 hour to render a 1 minute clip.

(sorry if posted in the wrong section !)

Edited January 12, 2009 by gorgeprofondegta4

[Shaunr]

Don't you make the video with the editor that comes with the game? Then export it to your wanted format, choose settings. If anyone wants to know, you should change your settings so you don't save as such high quality. 31 fps, 1000 mbps. 640 by 450.

[chngdman]

Here, I will add a one up to your new system (good thinking BTW).

 

Now, If I recall correctly, before you render videos but after you add effects and camera tricks, you can play it/preview it with sound, right? Or is it still silent? I think it is with sound... So, do all your edits, and then record the playback with fraps.

 

The thing is though... Once you do that, you will still need to do more to make it much smaller etc. so maybe rendering is better in the long run.

 

Also, I haven't gotten into the editor too much yet, but after a few renders (useless/boring just testing/playing) I decided one thing that would save me time would be that if I was making something long-ish, I would render a scene at a time and break my work into a few sessions, the final one being to tie together clips in a third party editor. Longer production times, but shorter sittings for each.

[Glumok]

Now, If I recall correctly, before you render videos but after you add effects and camera tricks, you can play it/preview it with sound, right? Or is it still silent? I think it is with sound...

Yeah, it does. But the problem is you will lose a lot of frames, at least if you don't own a very powerful PC (like me).

In the way I do it, you don't lose any frames (I must try in a crowded/complexe places though).

 

@ playaindahood : I do not get what you are talking about. How can you change the settings ?

I can only choose between the 3 original settings ("Internet", "720" and I don't remember the other one).

[Graven]

I also thought about recording edited clips from editor using Fraps, even You´ll obviously lose some editing possibilities to sync custom audio later compared to what You could do if it was possible to load custom MP3´s in the editor.

 

I even had an idea to listen a custom MP3 and write "marks" up for syncing. So all the editing would be done in GTA editor and recorded with Fraps. Then I would have just merged the capture and audio in VirtualDub.

But the damn editor can´t run edited video as it should. Loads between the clips and it wasn´t even 1:1 how I edited! The 720p render was right though.

 

Guess I´ll try the clip-by-clip method next time

 

This editor could be much better, they should have made it so You can run it individually without launching the game. I´m sure the rendering would be faster that way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[rufnek]

Do you have to hit F9 to start & stop recording EVERY clip in your storyboard? I have about 9 clips on my storyboard, and Fraps recorded the first one, but stopped when the 2nd clip was loading.

 

[Glumok]

Do you have to hit F9 to start & stop recording EVERY clip in your storyboard? I have about 9 clips on my storyboard, and Fraps recorded the first one, but stopped when the 2nd clip was loading.

Good question, I didn't try with many clips, only one at a time...

It is strange that Fraps stops at the end of each clip. I guess you'll have to record each clip separately.

[Shaunr]

Now, If I recall correctly, before you render videos but after you add effects and camera tricks, you can play it/preview it with sound, right? Or is it still silent? I think it is with sound...

Yeah, it does. But the problem is you will lose a lot of frames, at least if you don't own a very powerful PC (like me).

In the way I do it, you don't lose any frames (I must try in a crowded/complexe places though).

 

@ playaindahood : I do not get what you are talking about. How can you change the settings ?

I can only choose between the 3 original settings ("Internet", "720" and I don't remember the other one).

I don't know a lot about the gta iv clip editor and how you are able to export videos, I was just saying if it lets you change save settings or record settings, those settings would be ideal. see if you can change record settings.