Question on FRAPS

Last updated on 13 years ago
Ivan
I have a problem with FRAPS: when i register something, I end up always with not one movie, but several ones each of 4180 mega in size, does anyone else experienced this? I already asked to FRAPS support, but still waiting an answer.
Any counsel will be welcome.
Thanks and bye,

Ivan
Connor
I'm not recommending anyone to use DSS, I'm just saying it has its uses and can be made to work relatively well.
JonL
We are talking about files recorded with FRAPS here, not the HD PVR. The codec is well known, not exotic. The sound desync is probably linked to the FRAPS codec.
And as FRAPS splits the output video every 4 GB, you get a LOT of files (like 300 for Half-Life 2, for instance).

Indeed, the number of calls to DirectShowSource per AVS script is VERY limited (the DirectX DLL is loaded each time you call it or something), which means you can only have like 10-20 avi file appended in an AVS script (the limit seems to vary on every computer) and then you need to create a new one, and append the whole thing using mkvmerge, which is an additional hassle. AviSource, on the other hand, is documented to be limited to something like 60 calls per AVS script, and I have successfully used it to append 50 AVI files in every AVS script. Not perfect, but still better.

In my opinion, when it comes to FRAPS recording, you should definitely not advise people to use DirectShowSource.

By the way, there's a plugin for AviSynth named ffmpegsource that adds two new commands (FFVideoSource and FFAudioSource). They use ffmpeg, you guessed it. They can handle any exotic codecs AND are documented to be frame accurate, so I would advise to use that instead.
Play long and prosper!
Connor
The performance (and issues) of DirectShowSource depends on the codecs and splitters installed. AviSource uses AviSynth internal code and will have rather limited support for exotic stuff. For example, it refuses to load my M2TS-files the Hauppauge HD PVR creates (obviously, they're not even AVIs...)

I use ffdshow for all encoding and decoding on my Windows-machine, so they are used for DirectShowSource as well, and have absolutely no issues with sound synchronization. Although, I haven't tried THAT many clips appended, since I have other issues then (which, of course, could also be a DirectShowSource-problem), only ~10 in each AVS.
JonL
Actually the FAQ indicating how to encode FRAPS movies takes multiple AVI files into account ;)

And I wouldn't use DirectShowSource because it's not frame accurate, which leads to noticable sound desynchronization when encoding, especially when there are a lot of files to append (exactly the FRAPS scenario). I did that mistake at first, and won't do it again!
Play long and prosper!
Ivan
Thanks for the answers, multiple avi files are OK so I won't panic 8)
I will translate all the tecnical info you gave me another time, while treasuring it.

Ivan
Connor

Quote


Tsunao wrote:
I, however, don't like MKVmerge as MKV files made from it won't play in Divx Video player. Plus, if it was to be uploaded on FailTube, the audio and video won't be synced (from my experience with uploading Cocorin on cubex and ZX on my personal channel).
What I do is use MKVmerge to make my one whole file, extract the video and audio fiile (h.264 and .aac), and then remux them in MeGUI. That is what I did with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and Chrono Trigger.

That's really odd, since MeGUI uses mkvmerge for muxing to Matroska. But perhaps it's an older version, or has default settings to not use compressed headers (the new feature that made mkvmerge start failing on many devices).

I used mkvmerge for Uncharted, and there are no issues with audiosync on YT.

Oh, and if we're talking complicated AviSynth-scripts, I'm quite proud of the following snippet from my Valkyria Chronicles longplay, where I sped up the video for a grinding section, added background music and spliced that in between two other clips;

break=DirectShowSource("Raw\breakdown.mp3", video=false).SSRC(48000)
clip_start=24253
clip_end=89288
ch_2=Trim(raw, clip_start, clip_end)
dummy=BlankClip(ch_2.FrameCount, 16, 16, "YV12", ch_2.FrameRateNumerator, ch_2.FrameRateDenominator)
dummy=Trim(AudioDub(dummy, break), 0, 9415)
ch_2=ChangeFPS(AssumeFPS(ch_2, 414, true), ch_1.FrameRate)
ch_2=AudioDub(ch_2, dummy)
ch_2=ch_2+Trim(raw, clip_end+1, 90080)

:-) :-)
Tsunao
Sounds like something I always do.
Don't mean to echo, but what Connor said.

I, however, don't like MKVmerge as MKV files made from it won't play in Divx Video player. Plus, if it was to be uploaded on FailTube, the audio and video won't be synced (from my experience with uploading Cocorin on cubex and ZX on my personal channel).
What I do is use MKVmerge to make my one whole file, extract the video and audio fiile (h.264 and .aac), and then remux them in MeGUI. That is what I did with Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth and Chrono Trigger.

Also, AviSynth has a trim option for "cutting" out parts (it is more like "display these frames"). I find it very easy to use. Use VirtualDub to find the frames. VirtualDub can also also "read" AVS files (drag and drop).

Dunno if this will help, but here is what I use for trimming:

e1=trim(x,y)
e2=trim(x,y)
e3=trim(x,y)
e1 + e2 + e3

X is the where you want to start and Y is where you want to stop. Say I want to display frames 234 to 43210. That will be e1=trim(234, 43210). The E1 plus E2 etc are to bring them together. You can also add stuff like dissolve and Fade in and Fade out.

Example of what I used for my [hopefully acceptable] Ape Escape 3 Longplay:

e1=trim(500, 20250)
e2=trim(21005, 86560)
e3=trim(87405, 178430)
e4=trim(179795, 361980)
e5=trim(377280, 505545)
e6=trim(511860, 538325)
e7=trim(539225, 666765)
e8=trim(680855, 723205)
e9=trim(733310, 762120)
e1 + e2 + e3 + e4 + e5 + e6 + e7 + e8 + e9


That is pretty much all 5 Ape Escape 3 clips put together and "edited".

How about a somewhat complicate one from doing Parasite Eve on a PSP with RemoteJoyLite:

e1=trim(400, 23560).crop( 80, 24, -82, -24).LanczosResize(640,480)
e2=trim(23561, 25500).crop(80, 22, -80, -16).LanczosResize(640,480)
e3=trim(25501, 32325).crop( 80, 24, -82, -24).LanczosResize(640,480)
e4=trim(32326, 33635).crop(80, 22, -80, -16).LanczosResize(640,480)
e5=trim(33636, 58054).crop( 80, 24, -82, -24).LanczosResize(640,480)
Connor
The easiest way to prevent the issues with appending many clips in AviSynth is to find a "good" cutpoint, such as the game fading to black and silence, and then end the AVS there, making a new one for the next section.

Then encode each AVS to proper formats, use mkvmerge as usual to create MKV-files, and finally append all MKV-files to each other, also using mkvmerge.

The reason I suggest finding good cutpoints is that I've notice some minor issues when merging MKV-files, it won't be a frame-perfect merge like you'd get with AviSynth, so it's safer to find cutpoints with no no audio and black/static video.

I did this with my Uncharted-run, since I had something like 30 clips. I did it in three steps and merged those at the end. I dare anyone to figure out where those merges are. :)
Tsunao
I get it all the time. it isn't that bad. The only problem is renaming all the files so appending will be easier. If you need to append them together, use a script like this:

AviSource("filepath") +\
AviSource("filepath") +\
AviSource("filepath") +\
AviSource("filepath")

The "+" will add the next video. If you want to end, just don't add a "+".

You can substitute AviSource with DirectShowSource if you want. If you need to append more videos, just add more "AviSource("filepath") +". Note that appending too many videos will disable audio..unless it is a time thing (happened to me while I was doing Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth).

Edit: welp, Connor beat me...sorta. LOL And he has a WAY better explanation that what I could come up with. Oh, and this site also accepts MP4 as well.
Connor
Long time since I used FRAPS, but I assume it writes AVI-files? "Normal" AVIs are limited to 4GB each. There are extensions that allow more, but it seems to be badly supported in many encoders, so they segment the file instead.

Since this site requires the upload to be H264/AAC in an MKV-container, neither of which have this problem, it's not really an issue. Just merge the files together before the final encoding.
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