DiZaRkY's Guide to Recording Demos

For those of you unfamiliar with what a demo is, it's a recording of gameplay that you can control from the console in ALL half-life and half-life 2 games. You typically see these used as a tool for identifying and reporting hackers. You'll also see them used in clan matches and for regular game play footage.

The source engine provides a set of tools to record a game to a demo file, playback a recorded game and edit a demo file. Most of this info can be found here on Valve's official developer wiki. But for the sake of clarity, i will summarize the most important aspects of this feature set.

Let's Get Started!

To record a demo, you need to type this into the console:
record "name"

To play the demo back type:
playback "name"

There's also a special command you can use for benchmarking. What it does is play the demo back very quickly, and it will give you a summary at the end of your fps and other useful info. To do this type in:

timedemo "name"

All demos you record should go to the main folder for tf2. so it should be located here:
X:\steamapps\(your username)\team fortress 2\tf\

Demo Recording Script

This simple script toggles demo recording. Press "x" once to record to a demo named "tf2demo1", and again to stop recording.

//Toggle Record Demo
alias recdemo "recon"
alias recon "record TF2Demo1; developer 1; echo Recording Demo!; developer 0; alias recdemo recoff"
alias recoff "stop; developer 1; echo Demo Complete!; developer 0; alias recdemo recon"

bind "x" "recdemo"

Addendum

Well, there ya go. A very simple short guide to demo recording and playback. For more info on editing and other more advanced features, visit the Valve developer wiki. I have no desire to summarize all of it. Have fun documenting your adventures in pwning!

Last Edit: September 28, 2007 at 3:37 pm

Dizarky, we are ever thankful for your contribution. This community will thrives on such contributions!
See you on the battlefields!

demoui   

type that in console.. brings up an interface where you can load any demo by browsing for it and you can fast forward/slow it down  and go to any spot in the demo you want

does that command work in TF2?

works in CS:S

havn't tried it, but i know they took out a lot of commands including messagemode, so i'd rather not add that if it's broken, but if anyone can verify if it works, then i can add it.

Hey there, this is my first time posting, but I've been reading these forums for a while now. This guide is actually really helpful; I had no idea how to make demos. I was just wondering though, if you use a script like that, won't each of your previous demos with that name be overwritten? Does it add to it, or is it a one-shot deal, or what?

Thanks in advance

well, that answers my question . i've been looking for any info on this for awhile. should have checked this forum first. i would like to record some of my tf2 gameplay, don't play much half life 2 atm. thanks again!

Quote:
I wonder that as well.

They will be overwritten. I use a script bound to my keypad so I can record up to 9 demos before I have to minimze and rename them.

nice post Diz - how about info on how to create vids from that? (as in a divx file) - or to edit them outside of HL to make stuff to upload to youtube.com or the like??

hehe just bustin your balls .. thanks for the little writeup !!

Haha, I googled "steam recording demos" and this is the third result, time for me to record some nice scout demos