How to take screenshots?

[Rich_K]

What software are you guys using to take screenshots? I have a couple of programs that work well with MSTS, but when I try to take screen shots with them in RS all I get is a black box.

I run RS full screen, not in a window.

[jovet]

As hard as it may be to seriously believe, I understand that KRS must be in Windowed mode in order to take screen shots.

[sniper297]

http://www.fraps.com/

Freeware version you hit the F10 key and it saves a series of BMP files in the Fraps folder.


http://forums.flightsim.com/vbts/attachment.php?attachmentid=808&stc=1&d=1200794990

Been trying to make a video, but with my cheapskate sound hardware (SigmaTel onboard) haven't been able to do one with sound or decent framerates yet. Works good for screen captures when running in fullscreen mode tho, dunno if there's a limit to the number it stores, haven't been fooling with it that long.

[Rich_K]

Thanks for the tip on FRAPS!

Works great in full screen. Free version captures image in BMP format only, but a quick trip through Adobe Photoshop Elements takes care of that.

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u148/hacksaw412/RailSim/UP5525_1.jpg

Did a couple movies for the heck of it. 30 second limit in freeware version, but still kind of fun to fool around with. Saves in AVI format only which yields pretty big files.

[sniper297]

You ever figure out how to get windows movie maker to work let me know, for some strange reason the AVIs I make, altho silent, will play the video in windows media player, but windows movie makers claims it ain't a valid file.

Here's another tip;

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/angelface.jpg

Options, Advanced, Brightness control to set the lighting for screenshots.

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/RailSim2008-01-1922-22-02-21.jpg

Too bright;

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/RailSim2008-01-1922-24-11-37.jpg

too dark;

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/RailSim2008-01-1922-26-30-06.jpg

Just right at about 30. Just now found that when I was fiddling with some other settings, so rather than screwing around with the brightness and gamma correction in Paint Shop Pro all I need to do is tweak this until I get the light level I want. :D

[sniper297]

ME?! Make a MISTAKE?! IAMTHEGODOFCOCONUTSIAMPERFECTIDONOTMAKEMISTAKES!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, need to get my meds adjusted here. Well that first pic is one of my grandcritters, um, no, not a mistake at all, I did that on purpose to see if you were paying attention. (cough cough senile old fart cough cough) That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Hee-hee, here's the right pic;

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/Advanced.jpg

Compilation of screens there, this is grayed out in windowed mode, you can only get to it in full screen mode. Further fiddling with that I settled on 29, the "magic" number for you will depend on your video card, display settings, monitor, and whether or not you've cleaned your bifocals recently. Some shots of the default US tank car 1 at various times of day set at a brightness of 29;

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank1.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank2.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank3.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank4.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank5.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank6.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank7.jpg

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg183/sniper297/RFRS/tank8.jpg

Some people over at Marc's website were saying the lighting was blah, dunno if that will work for some of them until they trade in those 12 inch black & white TVs for an actual monitor. :p

[jovet]

The lighting is "blah".... but ignoring that, those shots look pretty good :)

[sniper297]

Just scooted over to 3D trains to see the exact wording of some of the complaints, you were in there;

"As already mentioned, the lighting really bites. The light diffusion is like a cloudy day, but I guess there's enough sun peeking through to light "some" things up. But there are no proper shadows. The lighting model has got to go, and really ruins the simulator for me. MSTS's is far from perfect, but... it can make my jaw drop sometimes."

That "light diffusion" thing is what got me going on this, Rich was talking about "over saturation" and - well, can't find it now, but looking like early morning at high noon or something.

"But there are no proper shadows", you know, I think you put your finger on the actual problem there, the lighting is plenty BRIGHT enough and can be adjusted, it's not the lighting, it's the SHADOWS! That's what's wrong here, the shadows just aren't dark enough, need to find the hack for that. :cool:

[jovet]

Yeah I wouldn't call it "oversaturation"... it's no "value differential". I term it "omniflourescent lighting" and that's what it is.

Shadows? What shadows? WHERE? ;-)

[djt1]

Shadows? What shadows? WHERE? ;-)

There is plenty of shadow detail, look through the screens. The most impressive are the dynamic shadows in the cabs, not to mention that there is no real performance hit with them turned on.

[sniper297]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAemUyarBE4

Hee-hee, couldn't resist.

Been fooling with the \Rail Simulator\Assets\Kuju\RailSimulator\System\Texture s (and corresponding \too\many\unnecessary\subfolders\US\equivalent\Sys tem\Textures) shadow files, softshade_long.TgPcDx and softshade_short.TgPcDx, can't get the shadows any darker or even see if those are actually the right files so far.

[Compudoc]

Here are a couple of shots from the latest Metropolitan Suburban Transit route

http://www.svoyager.com/compudoca/rs1.jpg


http://www.svoyager.com/compudoca/rs2.jpg


Compudoc

[Big_foot]

I just hit print screen and paste it in Word.