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Hock

How to Make TAS

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I recently got TASMBF and TASdoom but i dont know how to actually slow the thing down and all that.

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For slow motion, there's a clock rate setting in the CFG, by default 100. At least in TASMBF. You're better off using PrBoom+ for TAS, though, unless you need, or prefer, to stick to DOS for some reason.

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For TASMBF, I don't think you have a whole lot of control over the gamespeed in-game. You can set a percentage speed via the menus (or by editing the cfg), but changing it needs a restart - though I could be wrong on that. The "killer app" of TASMBF is the ability to record one map at a time and then sew the demos together. If you're not recording a long multi-level demo, then there's not much point in using TASMBF. Even then, you might find prboom+ more convenient. Bear in mind also that MBF format (which it records in) does not allow certain tricks that are possible in vanilla (some grabs, for instance), and makes it possible to wallrun in additional directions. So you don't get the normal TAS sensation of "this is, in principle, physically possible in vanilla".

In Tasdoom.exe, there are a number of key presses that change the gamespeed between a variety of redefined speeds (20%, 35% and 75%), but you don't have complete freedom. Check the documentation.

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I am going to be making a few TAS videos on plutonia experiment but what I dont know is how to actually start recording the demo. Can soem one tell me how to do this?

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That sounds like "hey guys, I'm taking a part in a NASCAR race, the only thing I don't know is how to start a car". ;)

But FWIW, here goes.

First of all, the latest stable version is 2.5.0.8, although there is no reason not to use the latest test version (available from the change log page), as it's the most up-to-date and bug-free version.

Recording a demo with prB+ can be done in one of the following three ways:

  • via command line e.g.
    glboom-plus.exe -iwad plutonia -complevel 4 -warp 01 -skill 4 -record 001
    records a demo named 001.lmp on MAP01 of Plutonia on Ultra-Violence.
  • via a shortcut to glboom-plus.exe - modify the Target field of its Properties to match the above
  • via a frontend/launcher. That's the most efficient way. I use and recommend Doomer. Here's how to set it up quickly.
    1) Click the Add button below the Programs list and locate your glboom-plus.exe
    2) In the Game section below select the Plutonia radio button
    3) If PLUTONIA.WAD doesn't automatically show up in the IWads list below, click the Add button under the listt and locate your PLUTONIA.WAD
    4) Select a map and a skill
    5) In the Demo section check the Rec box
    6) Click the "..." button on the right and navigate to the folder where you want the demo recorded (most likely, the prB+ folder)
    7) Type 001 in the File name box at the bottom and click the Open button
    8) Check the checkbox in the Additional Parameters section and type -complevel 4 into the drop-down box
    9) Hit the Play button

    On subsequent recording attempts the frontend will ask you every time if you really want to overwrite 001.lmp. To quickly go through with it have the Play button selected and then hit SPACE twice to start recording.

    If you want to start recording from a certain point in an existing demo skip steps 5-7 above and type this in step 8:
    -complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002

    This will play back the existing demo 001.lmp, allow you to take over the player's controls at any point by pressing the Q key and record a new demo 002.lmp. If you want to go directly to a specific point use -skipsec, e.g.
    -complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002 -skipsec 120
    will skip to two minutes from the beginning of 001.lmp or
    -complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002 -skipsec -20
    will skip to 20 seconds from the end of 001.lmp

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Never_Again said:

If you want to start recording from a certain point in an existing demo skip steps 5-7 above and type this in step 8:
-complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002

This will play back the existing demo 001.lmp, allow you to take over the player's controls at any point by pressing the Q key and record a new demo 002.lmp. If you want to go directly to a specific point use -skipsec, e.g.
-complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002 -skipsec 120
will skip to two minutes from the beginning of 001.lmp or
-complevel 4 -recordfromto 001 002 -skipsec -20
will skip to 20 seconds from the end of 001.lmp
[/list]


I'm too lazy to test this out, so someone will have to explain this to me. I never understood exactly how the "Q" key worked (mine was rebound to something like right arrow because Q is right turn for me). So if one presses "Q", how does the engine differentiate the behavior between demo playback and actual playing? I guess this pertains to -longtics behavior or whatever (I'm a noob at this stuff). I've always thought that there's a difference in camera lag/shakiness between watching the demo and actually recording the demo. In other words, does the camera revert to "player mode" when one uses segmentation, or does the camera stay in "playback mode?"

...or, am I just a noob, and there is no difference in the first place?

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The control is transferred with the Join function, which you can bind to a key of your choosing in the in-game menu under Options -> Setup -> Key Bindings, on the sixth page in the Demos section.

Demo recording lowers turning resolution slightly, "-longtics" was created to fix that, at the cost of vanilla compatibility. As for how the switch from playback to recording is performed entryway may tell you that.

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