SCREENSHOT Requests

[Kobal2fr]

Wow. That tercio82ul9.jpg shot is straight up Warhammer Battle army book cover art :)

[Foz]

Nice work Ars Moriendi. Are those shopped? I see what appears to be sharpening in several pictures, and if I had one comment to make it would be that they are a bit over sharpened, enough that background trees look really weird in some of the shots. You may get some mileage out of the unsharp mask instead - it achieves a lot of the same visual effect, but without the edge whiting sharpening can sometimes cause.

As others have said, though, that's some very nice stuff!

[Foz]

Here are some shots you might want for your Papal States Army request. I wasn't sure exactly what you wanted though, so I understand if none suit. I also couldn't help but edit these - they were so drab that I had to do something about it, lol.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Shahed]

WOOHOOO !!! Awesome ! Totally awesome ! THANKS !
Only I JUST finished that sig, found a shot on my HD. Anyway looks like I'm going to have to do it again. LOL !

[Ars Moriendi]

I'm glad you like them - uploading them to imageshack was a pain, took me ~2 hours of repeatedly trying only to get "connection reset" errors.

@Sinan :
"BTW some of them are not showing up, just an FYI, maybe broken links." - links are ok, I checked, probably some bandwidth limitation imposed by imageshack - try hitting refresh once or twice, you'll get served eventually.

"Those MUST go into the Cineditor screenshot thread " - you mean the new thread opened by Foz ? Repost there ?

"If either of you want me to have a go at one for you I'll do it." Thanks for the offer, Sinan, if I come upon a screenshot and an caption idea that suits me, I'll place an order :)


@Foz : it's unsharp mask that's been used, although lightly, and only on those shots were low pass was applied - just to bring back some of the lost edges in armor details. It looks bad indeed on the trees and bushes - on some spots I went as far as to manually blend some contours. Note that I don't use Photoshop (everyone's favorite it seems) but Corel Photopaint 10 - not by choice, really, it's just what I have and know to use.
BTW nice work on those crusaders -Y'know what I'd like to see from that ? if you could put them on the hill and take some shots with those long lines profiled against the sky, like they're just about to come over the top...

Request for help :
1. I'd like to see some other's people [video] section from cine ed config file - I don't completely grok what's in there, and I'm having some problems - very slow (8-12fps) and quality not noticeably better that in-game (where performance goes to ~30fps at max) - if I could diff the files, maybe find out what's overheating my video card :(

2. please, some way to disable the fps /time display ? ruined a lot of shots for me, and a lot of time trying to get it out of camera fov, crop it or clone it out ... it will reduce 30% of the time required for these screenshots.

[Shahed]

Thanks for all that time you spent. Really appreciate it !

There is a cinedit screenshots thread at the .com, excellent pics there:
http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic...s-only?page=40

They also have a calendar competition. TWC has a picture of the week competition

Well I have NEVER used unsharp mask before today, nor high pass. I love being a n00b, it's FUN. So that's something I learnt. I think your shots look great though. That is a great idea for the Cruaders. That will look amazing, it could even make a great movie clip. *ahem* ... now back to our normal programming. BTW I should emphasise that I really prefer completely unedited shots. I don't mind at all if you edit them but Í still love an orginal copy to play with. I ABSOLUTELY love the shots anyway so NO complaints anyway !

Here is my complete cined.cfg:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[audio]

disabled = true

#-------------------------------------------

[camera]

campaign_map_smoothing = 1

default_in_battle = default

fov = 75

move = 30

restrict = 0

rotate = 10

#-------------------------------------------

[controls]

campaign_scroll_max_zoom = 30

campaign_scroll_min_zoom = 30

keyset = 0

minimal_ui = 1

#-------------------------------------------

[game]

morale = 0

blind_advisor = 0

campaign_map_game_speed = 15

campaign_map_speed_up = 0

disable_arrow_markers = 0

english = 0

event_cutscenes = 0

fatigue = 1

first_time_play = 1

fog_of_war = 1

infinite_missiles = 1

label_characters = 0

label_settlements = 1

limited_ammo = 1

micromanage_all_settlements = 0

mute_advisor = 1

no_campaign_battle_time_limit = 1

supply = 1

unit_size = 300

unlimited_men_on_battlefield = 1

disable_events = 1

#-------------------------------------------

[misc]

always_logfile = 0

chat_msg_duration = 10000

use_quickchat = 0

tv_banner_mode = 1

obstacle_cam = false

#-------------------------------------------

[video]

detailed_unit_shadows = 0

glints = 0

gloss_mapping = 0

reflections = 0

smoke = 0

splashes = 0

unit_shaders = 0

vegetation = 1

shadows = 0

unit_detail = medium

building_detail = low

terrain_quality = low

effect_quality = low

vegetation_quality = low

depth_shadows_resolution = 1

texture_filtering = 1

bloom = 0

anisotropic_level = 4

tga_aspect = 1.33333

tga_input_scale = 1

tga_width = 5000

widescreen = 0

show_banners = 1

windowed = 1

tga_reserve_space = 0

anti_alias_mode = off

battle_32_bit = 1

battle_resolution = 1280 720

campaign_32_bit = 1

campaign_resolution = 1280 720

cloud_transitions = 1

desync_animations = 1

graphics_adapter = 0

multi_texture = 1

no_background_fmv = 1

safe_refresh = 1

stencil_shadows = 1

subtitles = 0

triple_buffer = 0

ui_32_bit = 0

movies = 0

#-------------------------------------------

[replay]

play = 1

file = D:\Games\Medieval II Total War\Replays\F@W1.rpy

camera = camera\

show_battle_ui = 0

info = 0

#-------------------------------------------

[ai]

debug = 0

disable_battle_map_pathfinding = 0

no_battle_ai_update = 0

#-------------------------------------------

[features]

editor = true

mod = mods\crusades

#-------------------------------------------

[capture_tga]

enable = 0

fps = 30

dir = C:\video_capture\

#-------------------------------------------

[log]

to = temp\replay.log.txt

level = * warn

#-------------------------------------------

[debug]

window = 1

world_rnd_init = 1

world_rnd_value = -221724412

#-------------------------------------------

[core]

assert_ignore_always = 1

#-------------------------------------------

[io]

file_first=true

#-------------------------------------------

[debug_display]

no_unit_cull = true

#-------------------------------------------

[cine]

show = 1

There is no way that I know of to disable the counter, that is also the general consensus. Must be a way but no one in the public knows it. Like I said though for me there's defintely no need. In Photoshop I believe you can automate that process, I don't know how to yet.

Hey ! Did you notice my sig ? All those Khan's Guards are going into sigs eventually.

[Foz]

Sinan: I'll see what I can get you as far as the Scotland/HRE screenshot request goes. I tried a few times already and was unable to get in position. Would you believe the game actually started me halfway down a cliff, with the other two factions on top of the plateau? Needless to say I arrived... shall we say, late?

Ars Moriendi: the best solution to all your troubles is to setup Cin-Ed with one config for looking around and setting up camera tracks, and one for rendering cameras to video (AVI in this case). Then your editing configuration gets really low settings to keep frame rate up, and all you do in there is setup a camera track and change the bounds of what part of the replay the game will render. Then once you establish a camera, you simply run the rendering config which turns your camera into an AVI of game footage in whatever timeframe you specified (w/ max game settings, I might add). I realize that all might sound a bit crazy right now... so if it does, then hop on over to the Cin-Ed Guide Caliban has helpfully created. It explains how to setup the two different configs, how to use the editor, a whole bunch of things really. Just note that you'll need ~1.5 GB free space for every 5 seconds of game footage you want to render... but if you have a sharp eye, you can easily limit it so it doesn't get out of control. Any given screenshot would only require about 2 sec to make sure you got it though, so you could even get by on a few hundred MB free space if you were careful about it.

The best part is that when the editor is in render mode, it doesn't display the numbers at all: just clean clear screenshots right to video. I've actually been grabbing video tracks (sometimes up to a minute) out of a given replay, and scrolling through it with a free video editing program to find frames to pull out as screenshots. It's actually really useful, and my recommended method.

For an example, look at the crusader shots I have earlier. The camera for that replay actually pans back and forth across the army several times, which I captured entirely to video. The screenshots are just particular stills that I liked from somewhere in all that footage. In case I'm not being clear enough, the camera doesn't follow what your camera did when you played it: you actually get to setup a camera to move automatically from point to point any way you want inside the entire replay. I can delve more into that topic if anyone likes, but for now I figure I'll leave you to get a bit better acquainted with your new toy, Ars Moriendi.

If you take any screenshots you like that aren't for requests, go ahead and post 'em in the new Cinematic Editor Screenshots Thread that I've started up. Hopefully some more people will realize how amazing this thing is and post some of their own shots too: I'd like to see a decent gallery in time.

[Ars Moriendi]

@Foz : Thanks for the pointers. I've already read Caliban's tutorial and his "dual cfg setup" - it's his render.cfg [video] section that I'm using now, with little modifications of my own. I didn't wanted to get into setting camera tracks and rendering, it seemed to complicated for my needs, but I'll give it a try now that you said it works so well.

Oh, and HDD space no problem, I've got about half a terabyte free [/bragging]

--------------------------------

Thanks for all that time you spent. Really appreciate it !

You're welcome. If it's anyone that should be giving thanks it's me, since if it weren't for you advertising this CineEd thing on these threads, I never would've bothered to learn to use it - I'm lazy and I'd rather play the game than read documentation.

There is a cinedit screenshots thread at the .com, excellent pics there:
http://shoguntotalwar.yuku.com/topic...s-only?page=40

Uh, so it's on another forum... I'll consider registering there, but , since the .org is already eating up some of my playtime it might not happen too soon. I'll check the artwork there, though, what I've seen so far looks good indeed.

Here is my complete cined.cfg:

That's Caliban's cine_ed.cfg, isn't it ? Hope you're not taking shots with that one, since it has most quality settings off.

There is no way that I know of to disable the counter, that is also the general consensus. Must be a way but no one in the public knows it.

That's really bad news.

Hey ! Did you notice my sig ? All those Khan's Guards are going into sigs eventually.

Yep, I noticed it, but refrained from praising it because that would be sort of self-promotion

EDIT : Forgot about this : Sinan, if there's one of my shots that you really need to have the untouched version, name it and you'll get it ; but please don't ask me to re-upload them all - for some reason ImageShack is slow as a friday afternoon and I don't wanna spend another two hours clicking the "retry" button again. MORE : I didn't snapped only 20 shots in that battle, but 100+. Any idea, post and I'll review them for something that fits your purpose better.

[Shahed]

Foz, thanks !

Moriendi, HAHA ! Well I changed it temporarily now for a more modern version of cavalry!. Will change it back soon. Yep that's calib's cfg, I'm not taking many screens, my GFX card is too low spec-ed for this and I would'nt be satisfied with the results.

[Shahed]

How's the weeeeeeeek END !!!???

So !!! anyone up for some artwork ? If so Kobal has an extremely precise and rather TOUGH though achievable request...

This one will probably be quite hard to do (or maybe not, I don't have enough disk space to work with the Cinematic Editor or even FRAPS so... I have not one clue, really. Like that's ever stopped me from talking) but here's one shot I'd like.

Picture this : close up on a French lancer or noble knight, dismounted during his charge on a pikewall (maybe fully upgraded Tercio ?) in that head-over-heels move knights sometimes do on impact, with the shot taken when he's halfway off his saddle.
Extra points if you can get frame/angle it in a way that looks like he's going to fly right into another pike.

Foz that's a cool sig ! Good work !

BTW if anyone does this shot, you can post it in the cinematic screenshots thread. Could be a nice addition to that thread.

[Foz]

Foz that's a cool sig ! Good work !

Thanks. I actually took an entire screenshot and just forced it to the appropriate size. Amazingly, the stretching isn't very noticeable at all - much less than I initially thought it would be.

In other news, what follows is the only usable screenshot I've managed to get for that request so far. And by usable I mean I was able to get men from both units in it, and got the ones in main focus to at least face the camera. Would you believe they've been turning their backs, facing all different ways, just trying like hell to avoid having a nice picture taken. I realize it's not exactly a great pic, but I wanted to post it anyway as more of an excuse to tell the story than anything

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Hopefully I can come up with something better soon.

[Shahed]

LOL ! Yeah I know exactly what you mean. That is a hard request, specially to get them fighting together. That is a good shot though, only their disdain for each other is quite palpable, LOL. Look at the GK on the left he does'nt wanna see anything of the Scots!

Did you try rendering any video yet ? I think with your rig it would be beautiful. Takes forever to make a good video though.

[Shahed]

Hey hang on Foz.
I forgot to post this earlier but I (finally) got a reply on my request thread at the TWC.

These were posted by yaelthecruel:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This was posted by bdotward

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I could work with one of these if you don't want to go any further. If you do want to try the shot anyway, that's cool. It is a great idea, 2 of the mean 2 handers fighting side by side. It will make a great shot. It's upto you but I can already work with this. It's not ultimate fantastic quality and I think yael just started with the cinedit, but I can work with it easily.

[Foz]

Yeah go ahead and work on those if you like, I got frustrated and moved on to other things.

Speaking of those other things, that request about the guy getting unhorsed sounded like a ton of fun, so I set out to do that. 3 Shots of it happening:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I especially like the horse behind the unseated guy rearing up in the 3rd shot.

If those don't fit the bill, I can go back and get a shot with him more on the horse, but it might look too much like he's actually riding it - the change in posture was rather abrupt, and the shot with him parallel to the ground was the first one where you could really tell he was unhorsed for sure.

As for rendered video, I'm rendering truckloads of it, lol - I'm just only posting stills from among all that video. I don't have the ambition yet to go edit together any kind of release-worthy product...

[Shahed]

They fit the bill dude. Case closed with a frekin sledgehammer. Thanks !
I think kobal wanted the guy's ass more up in the air, like you know looking utterly ridiculous, doggy style but IMO those are great.

Awesome quality, awesome shots. Can I ask what edits you added ?

[Foz]

They fit the bill dude. Case closed with a frekin sledgehammer. Thanks !
I think kobal wanted the guy's ass more up in the air, like you know looking utterly ridiculous, doggy style but IMO those are great.

Awesome quality, awesome shots. Can I ask what edits you added ?

Sure! First off, I always check brightness/contrast, color balance, and levels. In this case both auto color balance and auto levels would have removed the blue color cast from the shot, so I opted not to use those as it looks really nice blue-ish. Brightness/contrast optimization alone usually helps game screenshots a ton though, which was the case here.

Then I usually bump the saturation up some, as most shots can benefit from that - it makes colors more colorful. It's pretty subjective, but you'll definitely know if you push it too far, oversaturated pics from this game look really bad.

Barring any other obvious changes, it's then on to sharpening. I started out just using the built-in unsharp filter, but have since switched to layer-based approaches (using high pass filter as a central factor), as such methods give cleaner and more easily controlled results, not to mention eliminating most artifacts that arise from simply running sharp-type filters on the base image (specifically, the whiting common to filter-based sharpening, and some of the graininess it can cause as well).

A simple example is to duplicate the image layer, and set it to "overlay" mode. From there run a high pass filter on the copied layer. You'll want to play with the pixel width of the high pass filter until you find the best looking result - usually something between 1.0 and 3.0. Then... you're done! A high-passed copy of the original picture, when used as an overlay, ends up giving a selective sharpening effect that is noticeably superior to anything you can get with normal filters. I've been sometimes doing stuff more complicated than that, but it's not strictly necessary so I'll spare everyone the long and detailed explanation. The benefits of more complicated methods are slim anyway, especially compared to the large benefit gained by using a layered method instead of a sharpening filter in the first place.

[Shahed]

Excellent Foz. Thanks very much. That's very helpful. Really appreciate it ! I've also read you post on how to use cinedit without having a high end system. I did'nt actually try that so I will. I have to reinstall M2 to try it. I still have like +-10 sigs to do, If it's not here, it's for the Broken Crescent mod. I have'nt actually SEEN the game for at least 10 days. I don't even remember the last time I played. LOL. Anyway this is lot of fun and I'm learning a lot. It's challenging as well (lot more than M2 AI anyway). Thanks a lot for the help again. I hope I can reinstall and try again soon. I did take shots using cinedit and the reder.cfg but hmm I don't remember them being any good. Anyway I'll have to check again.

Foz (or anyone else) do you have time for a shot of Timurid (Mongol) Mounted Heavy Archers, close up showing 2 to 4 men in detail, any pose, shooting, walking etc, does'nt matter, any terrain, any weather, cinedit though ? if not it's no problem, I have something I can use but I could use better if it's available.

You've been a great help. Thanks !