Source Engine Automatic Demo Saver 3.22
Download here: http://code.google.com/p/seads/
==What is this thing?==
The
Source Engine Automatic Demo Saver makes
recording and saving demos of gameplay a lot more streamlined. Normally
you have to open console, enter the name you want every time you want
to start a new demo file, and make sure you don't already have one
named the same thing or it overwrites it.
SEADS uses a mixture of C# and cfg coding to make the process a
lot easier: Hit one key (numpad enter) to start recording a demo, and
then if you want to start another, just hit numpad enter again. When
you're all done, the program organizes your demos into folders by date
and renames them with the save time for ease of access.
Currently Supported Games:
All Source Engine Games & Mods (contact me if SEADS doesn't work for a certain game).
==What's new?==
---HIGHLIGHTED CHANGES---
- Added conversion options to the Demo Browser menu.
- --> H x W - Pretty self-explanatory, lets you define the game window size.
- --> Tick - Lets you choose a starting tick; default is 1 (this
will override any other Demo Edits you have for the selected demo.)
- --> FPS - Lets you define the host_framerate value to record at
(and inversely the host_timescale value; I've read varying info on
timescale, so if anyone has a better grasp on it please chime in).
- --> Disable HUD Elements - Should disable all HUD displays (chat, crosshair, hp, etc.)
- --> Disable Viewmodel - Sets r_drawviewmodel to 0 (this can
persist after recording; add "r_drawviewmodel 1" without quotes to your
autoexec if you use this a lot).
- --> Disable Voice Chatter - Sets voice_enable to 0.
- --> Enable Depth Overlay - Sets r_depthoverlay to 1. Mostly useful for creating depth of field effects in post production.
==So how do I use it?==
---INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS---
SEADS utilizes a two-stage automated installer; extract and
run SEADS_Setup.msi, then follow the instructions to choose an
installation folder for SEADS. After SEADS has been installed, it will
automatically scan for available Source Engine games and enable SEADS
support.
---RECORDING AND SAVING INSTRUCTIONS---
- Make sure SEADS is running (an icon will be visible in the tray of a floppy disk.)
- Begin playing a Source Engine game (TF2, L4D, SourceForts, etc.)
- To record a demo, press the NUMPAD ENTER key (default). To start a new demo, press NUMPAD ENTER again.
- When you're done, exit the game.
- When saving is completed, a window will appear showing how many demos were saved by SEADS.
---WHERE ARE MY DEMOS SAVED---
In a subfolder of the game they were recorded from. For example, Team Fortress 2 demos would be at:
"C:\...\team fortress 2\tf\saved_demos\~date~\xxxxx_saved_demo01.dem"
You can also jump to the last saved demo; right-click the tray icon and select "Go To Last Saved Demo".
---CONFIGURING SEADS---
To configure SEADS, right-click the tray icon and select "Configure Settings".
< General >
This tab displays general program options and information:
- Scan For Source Games - Checks for newly installed Source Engine games and enables SEADS support for them.
- Save Recorded Demos - Checks for recorded demos that were not saved automatically and saves them.
- Launch Options - Allows you to enable/disable "Run at Startup" and "Run Minimized" options.
< Recording Options >
This tab contains two primary option categories:
- Keybind Options - Allows you to change keybinds used to start recording, stop recording, and create markers.
- Naming Options - Allows you to enable/disable renaming demos with the map name.
< Demo Browser >
This tab contains options for the Demo Browser
- Highlight Demos - Select demos to highlight in the Demo Browser (Date - Red, Size - Orange, Markers - Green).
- Recycle Demos - Customize which demos are automatically recycled by the Demo Browser.
---THE DEMO BROWSER---
The Demo Browser simplifies saved demo management for users. To access
the Demo Browser, right-click the SEADS tray icon and select "Open Demo
Browser". The Demo Browser will then open and look for any demos saved
by SEADS.
< Renaming Demos >
To rename a demo in the Demo Browser, click inside the name box for the
demo you want to rename, type the new name, and hit Enter. A message
will ask if you are sure you want to rename the demo. NOTE: Demo files
cannot contain some characters, including spaces. SEADS will
automatically replace spaces with underscores and append .dem to
maintain file types if you do not manually add .dem to the end when
renaming.
< Viewing Demos >
To view a demo, select it in the Demo Browser list, then click on
"Watch Selected Demo". SEADS will then launch the game through Steam
and begin playback of the demo file.
< Converting Demos >
There are two conversion options available in SEADS currently: Convert
to HD AVI, and Convert to TGA. Convert to HD AVI launches the selected
demo through Steam and then prompts you to select a codec (some codecs
may not function properly) to begin converting a demo to an AVI file.
When you are finished converting, open the console and type "endmovie"
to stop recording the new AVI file. AVI files are saved the initial
game directory (i.e. - /team fortress 2/ or /left 4 dead/, not /tf/ or
/left4dead/ ). Convert to TGA launches the selected demo through Steam
and then converts it to a sequence of TGA files that need to be
combined in an external application such as VirtualDub
? to create a video.
Both options launch the game in 1280x720 for HD conversion by default.
< Deleting Demos >
You can delete multiple saved demos at once by highlighting as many as
you like and clicking on "Delete Selected Demos". A message will appear
asking if you are sure. Deleted demos will be moved to the Recycle Bin;
this may take some time depending on the size and number of demos
selected.
---DEMO MARKERS---
Demo Markers are a new feature introduced in Version 3.21, and enables
users to easily mark a demo in specific locations. Demo Markers are
multiple purpose tools depending on user goals. This feature has no
default keybind, and must be configured in "Recording Options" before
it can be used.
< Mark For Deletion >
Demo Markers can be used to mark a demo for automatic deletion by the
Demo Browser if the user decides the demo is not worth keeping. This
option can be configured in the "Demo Browser" tab.
< Mark For Importance >
Demo Markers can be used to mark a demo as important. Simply press your
chosen Demo Marker keybind at the end of a map to mark the demo, and it
will be highlighted by default in the Demo Browser.
< Mark Location in Demo >
Demo Markers send the command "demo_pause" to the Source Engine when
created in the demo recording, which forces the game to pause playback.
In this way, Demo Markers can be used alongside high-speed playback to
locate a marked location in a demo file without user intervention. For
example...
As
a Sniper in TF2, I manage to single-handedly stop the opposing team's
advance before being killed in the middle of a round. I press the Demo
Marker keybind I specified in the options menu ("P" for me), and a
marker is created. When I'm done playing the demo is saved as normal.
Two days later I open the Demo Browser to locate that clip to record
for a video. In the Demo Browser that demo is highlighted in green; I
click "Watch Selected Demo", press Shift+F2 once the playback starts,
and set the speed to 600%. In a minute or two, the demo playback has
paused at the location I made the marker; from there I can use the Go
To Tick option to jump back 1,000 or 2,000 ticks and start recording
there.
A big thank you to Steam User
rezOnance for the idea behind Demo Markers.
==Questions? Comments? Suggestions?==