BF2 Recorder rendering problem

[imported_Draven]

Hello,

I've posted this in General too, and I"ve read all the threads about how to create and render a demo...

I've started playing with the BF2 Recorder (full version latest patch), on a Lan game that I create to just get the hang of it. I can create the demo, I can then go in and create my camera movement (demo.cmd +c). However, the problem comes into play when I go to render the AVI file. No matter what codec I select, I get an unplayable file of usually 300+ - 4gig in size. When I try to play it, I get a "This AVI is corrupt or missing codec" error message.

I sent the demo and the camera file to a friend, and he said he can render it fine.

I've read every message, all 14+ pages of the threads to see if anyone is having this problem, and it appeared that the problem had to do with switching out of BF2 while the file was rendered. This is not my case here, I leave the machine, or spend 20 minutes or so watching my short footage render, until BF2 quits out and I get a DONE message in the command box.

any help on what could be going wrong?

[imported_Draven]

More info on this... Now it appears that the ONLY video that will complete the render process, but still give me an unwatchable video, is the uncompressed option.

I downloaed GSPOT and it reports that the header is corrupt.

Anyone have any ideas?

This is a fresh install of Windows XP SP2 (last week), and a clean install of BF2 and patches last week.

The only video player I installed was Zoom Player, with the following optional files:
DirectVobSub
xVid
DivX

Anyone have any ideas?

[Senap]

I suggest you use Windows Media 9 for rendering with Battlefield 2, works for most of us.

Also, I would personally recommend that you use BattleLauncher (http://www.battlelauncher.com) for working with your demo/camera files. *Shameless advertising*

[Smiley_ie]

You get this problem when you press esc while rendering not saying its the problem you have!. Try a test, Tell it to render demo +r filename filename render a couple of seconds then press R to stop render. Then see if it plays the avi back.
Media player 10 works fine with me.

[imported_Draven]

Thanx. I will try that. However, I can render the video using the default mode of 800x600, and it works if I change the default to 1024x768, but it doesn't work when I change it to 1280x1024. BTW, I am making this default mode change within the demo.cmd file.

I can play BF2 in 1280x1024, and I record the camera in 1280x1024, it just won't render the video at 1280x1024.

I will try the "pressing the R to stop the rendering" trick tonite. Thanx.

[imported_Draven]

I suggest you use Windows Media 9 for rendering with Battlefield 2, works for most of us.
What option is Windows Media 9? I don't see the specific "Windows Media 9" as a codec/rendering option.

[BigBadBob]

where can i find more information on rendering? Are you able to take specific parts and add them together and make a video out of it?

I know there are other threads on here, but i remember some of them and they weren't very good or detailed.

[Smiley_ie]

Im rendering at 800x600 works fine haven't tried anything higher maybe a bug in the recorder ?. But if your uploading films your going to be rendering them at 640x480 or 720x480 to keep the fiile size down and divX compress's the crap out of them, so maybe no point going higher that 800 x 600 ?
check http://www.totalbf2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26328

[Senap]

What option is Windows Media 9? I don't see the specific "Windows Media 9" as a codec/rendering option.

Well it won't show up unless you have it installed of course..
Take a look here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx

where can i find more information on rendering? Are you able to take specific parts and add them together and make a video out of it?

I know there are other threads on here, but i remember some of them and they weren't very good or detailed.

well the recipe for rendering is having a bf2demo file and a bf2cam file, you end up with an AVI file - which is the result of these two files. I have no idea how to explain but the bf2demo file is basically the actual gameplay (battlerecorder) and the bf2cam file is then the camera movements that you record afterwards.

So to make a video with different shots you'd need to render one giant bf2demo file or several smaller bf2demo files and then put them together in your video editor.

[imported_Draven]

Thanx for the info. I think I got the recording camera movements down. Now the question is, can I change the default camera keyboard confirguation away from WASD?

/Draven

[Senap]

I don't think so. But people say that using a joystick works really well, you could try that if you have one

[imported_Draven]

That was my next try... I will try that...Thanx

[Smiley_ie]

Havent tried a joystick ..... have to

[imported_Draven]

I tried a joystick... Camera doesn't move. Is there a trick? :)

God I would love it if we could remap the keys for the camera... Hint...hint... Dice... :)

[imported_Draven]

Well fornicate me sideways with a hammer! Now I can't render ANY movie at 800x600, get the corrupt message. sonbizitch!

I also tried installing WM9, and I didn't have that option, as well as remapping my keys to the joystick, and still couldn't get that to work.

Am I a moron, or is this stuff kind cool, but yet confusing?

Any help...again?

/Draven

[Smiley_ie]

Uninstall & reinstall, Update 1.02. Fook media wm9 10 works fine, Did u press R ?. You update drivers ? Render at 800 x 600. you have to press R to stop render .. ?

[imported_Draven]

I will have to look for WM10, since I just installed 9. Uninstall and re-install BF2? Did this after a fresh install of win XP SP2 last weekend. Oh gawd. :)

I did try rendering at 8x6, and before I bring down the console, I will need to press R to stop the rendering, even if my demo is done, correct?

[imported_Draven]

Didn't see WM10 encoder on MS's website. just did a re-install and getting ready to render a brand new demo I created... wish me luck.

Oh, no go on getting the joystick configured for camera control. Can one of you that has done this offer some advice?

Thanx

/Draven

[Senap]

I don't think WM10 encoder even exists.

[imported_Draven]

Ahhh, someone here suggested it. Oh well. :) I can encode with full frames, then convert to DiVX with no problem....now.

Now if I can only figure out how to get the sound saved with the +s parameter.

[imported_Draven]

Appreciate all the help I've been given, but I am still having problems rendering the video into anything other than Uncompressed. Once the game loads, and before the PLAY button, I Alt-Tab to desktop, and select a different codec, and before I can ALT Tab back to BF2, I get a DONE message in the command window and BF2 is closed.

Any ideas? It has to be something. There has to be a way to render more than 1-2 minutes of a demo.

[Senap]

Does this problem persist with WM9 as well?

Now if I can only figure out how to get the sound saved with the +s parameter.

Sound is not saved with the +s parameter, if you're using the demo.cmd file. It only plays back the sound and it is even a flawed "feature", doesn't sync well with the video.

This is also one of the reasons to why BL (BattleLauncher) can capture sound off Battlefield 2 in case you don't have a decent sound editor to do the job.

[BigBadBob]

you'd think they would have an editor to edit the demos and save them to a video file.

Like Womble MPEC VCR or something. You can cut parts out, and all that.

Why don't they. They touted how you can make your own movies, but it takes an expert to do anything worthy of being watched.

I'm not a video expert, but i can do some limited stuff. But what they have now, is just crap.

Something like the BF2Editor, but for video would be great.

[imported_Draven]

Got the sound going... Thanx for the help. Now, if I can just render the video to something other than Full Frame/Uncompressed, that would be great. Every time I attempt something other than that, I end up with a 0K file, whether it goes through the render process or not. The DiVX option goes through the render process, but I end up with a 0K file. Other options, just close BF2 and I get a 0K file. Uncompressed isn't bad, but I read on Planetforum, that there is a 4gig limit, and 4 gig is only about 2 minutes of demo footage.

I know I've asked this before, and gotten back some suggestions, but NOTHING seems to be working for me. Can anyone help me out on this?

/Draven