Smooth Stuff

lqcorsa · Post by **lqcorsa** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 2:27 am

So I'm making a video using Vegas but I noticed when I watch the Virtual Thunderbirds Promo, everything is so smooth, the graphics look nice. I have max graphics 100% and I can get 40 frames with that, but even with max graphics, I can't seem to get that smooth look, even with Anti-Alaising or however you spell it

. What am I missing?

Rhino · Post by **Rhino** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 11:25 am

You need to record what is happening in the game at a slower rate. Use Alt-A to slow the compression down, and then record it. When you put it in fraps, speed it up. I believe there is an earlier thread in here that explains it 10x better than I can.

Post by **Lawndart** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:11 pm

Forget about your in-game FPS for a sec. I can get three-digit FPS in Lock-On, but with the Fraps engine running it's borderline single-digit FPS instead. In short, what you need to do is exactly what Rhino said: Crank the graphics, set your AA, AF and other quality settings to make it look as good as desired and supported by your rig. Then while frapping observe your FPS WITH the engine running (recording and writing to the disc) and figure out what factor would make it approx 30 FPS. If you see 8 FPS as you're frapping, you'll need to record everything in 1/4 speed (and yes, it will take a long time) and then speed it up by a factor of 4.0 in Vegas, and thereby virtually boosting your playback FPS to 32 (8 x 4). If you note a 14 FPS count while recording, capture everything at half-speed and then increase the playback rate by a factor of 2.0 in Vegas for a total of 28 FPS (14 x 2). In both cases trying to end up close to 30 FPS, by first slowing the capture down and then speeding it up by the same amount and in the process adding more FPS.

Why is 30 FPS the magic number... Well, most motion pictures you see in theaters across the country have 24.97 FPS and most TV programming/home entertainment incl. DVD's use 29.97 FPS (NTSC standard). You can obviously go higher, but remember that most render settings are tailored around these settings (24.97, 25, 29.97 and 30 FPS), so trying to achieve more than 30 FPS for your final cut is in most cases a moot point, since this is what you'll end up with after you render your project.

Related thread: http://www.virtualthunderbirds.com/foru ... php?t=1316

Tailhook · Post by **Tailhook** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 4:39 pm

LD, where did you ever get so good at explaining stuff and providing very useful information??

Post by **Lawndart** » Tue Oct 24, 2006 5:52 pm

I'm just a plethora of information with a meticulous mind as well as some teaching experience!

...and I hate repeating myself, so I'd rather cover every angle the first time.