Fraps questions

[matt1314]

Hi everyone.

I got now also, like dageek, the full version of Fraps. But I have few questions:

1. My first video I made, lasted 2 minutes, but it was more than 1GB large! Is it possible to reduce the size?

2. When I choosed the option "Half-size", my MM2 ran with 30 FPS, it ran smooth, but the videos result was very low. When I choosed "Full-size", my MM2 ran with 16 and lower FPS, and it slowed down my game a little bit, so it didn't run smooth, but the videos result was very high. Is it possible that the video quality stays high, but doesn't slow down my game? And which setting are optimal for normal recording with Fraps for MM2?

Thanks for your help.

[Silent1Unknown]

Lower FPS and lower resolution will bother gameplay the least. Mine is set to 30 FPS and half-size (320x240) and it still slows down the game. My computer is not so good. So it also depends on your PC system.

Ofcourse, when you record any video, the recording software doesnt have time to encode, process or compress the video. Thats why the file size is so large. You will need extra software to encode and convert your recording to another format. I use AnyVideoConverter (Not Professional version) because it is free and also conversion to many formats and its easy to use. Just add video, select conversion type (I think customized MP4 with H.264 encoder is the most efficient) and click "encode". You will see your file size is GREATLY reduced. Upload this to YouTube.

[HummersRock]

1. My first video I made, lasted 2 minutes, but it was more than 1GB large! Is it possible to reduce the size?

Yes, you can reduce it greatly with a program that will encode your video. I thought that AnyVideoConverter had some time limit when you use the free version, but maybe not.

Like Silent said MP4 for the file type and the H.264 codec with other custom settings. Set the fps to whatever you set it for Fraps, or the fps you get the most while recording. Set the resolution to what you set in Fraps. Depending on if you are uploading your video to Youtube or not, or what kind of quality you want, the bitrate should be from 512Kb to 3Mb. To keep file size down set the audio to something low like 92kbps, or if you want to have good quality audio all the way up to 32kbps.

Youtube has improved so much finally that it will accept many more, better file types/codecs then it used to so you may be able to do just as good with other codecs. Youtube also has a much better guide about what settings should be used if your going for an "HD" video or SD video.

2. When I choosed the option "Half-size", my MM2 ran with 30 FPS, it ran smooth, but the videos result was very low. When I choosed "Full-size", my MM2 ran with 16 and lower FPS, and it slowed down my game a little bit, so it didn't run smooth, but the videos result was very high.

Well if you can't get more then 16fps most/all of the time, the you would probably be better off setting Fraps to allow no higher fps then 16. It would at least be smoother that way.

Is it possible that the video quality stays high, but doesn't slow down my game?

Either set the resolution for mm2 really low or get a new, better computer.

And which setting are optimal for normal recording with Fraps for MM2?

For your computer Half-size and probably 25 or 30fps, but if you don't get much more then 16fps, you might as well set Fraps to limit it at 16fps. If your recording SF or London, use very, very few pedestrians/traffic cats to get it to run better.

[matt1314]

Yes, Silent. I have a video converter, and it's a good one.
Thanks, guys for your help. Of course I want to upload a video on YouTube, that's why I asked. I'll have to customize it a little bit in WMM and then I'll upload it. I hope it'll be a bus video. But I have another problem: You know that stop reporter "AR Madness 2"? Those HK bus videos on YouTube are made I think also with Fraps. But I can't! When I start AR Madness 2, and choose "Launch game", my MM2 crashed with the errors, that an error occured on AR Madness 2 (ARM.exe), Midtown Madness 2 (Midtown2.exe) and Explorer (Explorer.exe). So everything crashed, when I have turned on Fraps on the loading screen of MM2. But without it everything goes right. Does anyone know what's the problem?

[Franch88]

But I have another problem: You know that stop reporter "AR Madness 2"? Those HK bus videos on YouTube are made I think also with Fraps. But I can't! When I start AR Madness 2, and choose "Launch game", my MM2 crashed with the errors, that an error occured on AR Madness 2 (ARM.exe), Midtown Madness 2 (Midtown2.exe) and Explorer (Explorer.exe). So everything crashed, when I have turned on Fraps on the loading screen of MM2. But without it everything goes right. Does anyone know what's the problem?

Probably it's just a programs conflict between Fraps and AR Madness. You should try to use another screen video capture program like Camtasia

[matt1314]

OK, I'll try another program. But why does it work on those HK videos?

[HummersRock]

I wouldn't use Camtasia. Unless it's been improved it will make mm2 lag much worse. Those HK videos may have been recorded with HyperCam, which may work nicely if your computer is good enough, but it's really not that good.

[matt1314]

Anyway, I'll try to make a bus video without AR Madness 2, since it's not so important for me.

[matt1314]

Oh! It works now with 30 FPS, without slowing down the game and with AR Madness 2 working! Soon I'll make a bus route teaching vid.