Proper way of recording (and playback) a PMDG 777 flight?

[MarkVcz 2]

Heyo,

 

Many of you are recording videos for YouTube or just recording the flights for fun so you might be able to help me out. I'm trying to figure out the right way of recording for example a landing with PMDG 777 and then recording the landing's multiple views into a videos with FRAPS. I don't really have a problem with FRAPS but how do I record the landing (or the whole flight) itself so I can play it back from multiple angles with all the plane's systems actually working (flaps, spoilers, reverse...) in the playback (also with the original proper sounds - without various warning sounds going crazy, but that's not really important..). 

 

I do have a FS Recorder but when I try to record an approach and landing I don't see working reverse thrust or spoilers (even when I check everything in the FSRecorder settings) and the sounds are going totally crazy. Also what is the right workflow for recording? Should I play back and FRAPS the flight for example right after the touchdown or can I taxi to the gate and shut the plane down and then do it? 

 

I'm not sure what I'm missing here.. are there better tools for proper flight recording with PMDG 777? 

 

 

Thanks for sharing your tips for recording a videos! 

[Danny2013 2]

You know I have been wondering the same. I have also tried the FS Recorder but is not really what I was expecting, I see these videos on you tube and I wonder how they do it.

 

Lets hope someone chimes in.

[Kattz 132]

Me too.  I've asked before but never get an answer.  Maybe there's a secret handshake...

[hopskip 253]

Lots of hard work and jimmying the system.

 

FSrecorder puts the aircraft's default stuff right (engine thrust settings, location/attitude) but lots of "not FSX stuff" that PMDG adds to their aircraft won't replay.

 

Example: MD11's centreline gear does not deploy with the rest of the gear when the FSrecorder recording commands gear down. A tap of the "G" Key will get it done.

 

The hint there is, some things need to be "double done". So when your PMDG 777 lands in FS recorder, hit the / and F2 key like you normally would if you were actually flying the thing without an armed spoiler.

 

Doing it while trying to move the viewpoint around at the same time can be a bit of a challenge... but at least you can use cursor arrow <- and try again if you get it wrong, lol.

 

Record your sound seperatley (or off the 'original' flight) because some of those alarms are bound to go a bit batty.

[NGXfanatic 85]

I have no experience with FRAPs or video recording, but I have tons of experience with FSrecorder and PMDG birds, so I can speak to the interconnection between those two pieces of software.  Trent nailed it, PMDG adds so much custom code to get around FSX limitations that is not picked up by FSrecorder.   For the NGX and 777, that means I have to adjust the landing gear, flaps, spoilers, and exterior lights when I run replays.  

 

Also, engine start up replays in FSrecorder are tricky.  When I begin the playback, I reload the aircraft from the aircraft menu after the playback starts, so that I don't get wacky engine sounds, fire alarms going off and full thrust on engine start.  I really wish I was able to capture the awesome engine startups of the PMDG birds during playbacks, but FSrecorder ends up cutting off some parts of the initial spool up sounds.   But we are lucky that FSrecorder even captures as many parameters as it does, even from complex custom coded addon aircraft.  It beats the built in replay mechanism by a mile!

 

Here's a tip, when coming in for landing you can hit the shift / (or whatever the key command for arming the spoiler is) during the approach replay and the spoilers will automatically extend on touchdown.  You just need to remember to retract them yourself on runway turnoff.

[MarkVcz 2]

The hint there is, some things need to be "double done". So when your PMDG 777 lands in FS recorder, hit the / and F2 key like you normally would if you were actually flying the thing without an armed spoiler.

 

...

Oh wow. I thought this might be the case. So this is really the only way to do it? Well, this solves the question of recording an external model but when you try to record a virtual cockpit I guess you need to FRAPS it during the actual landing (with a FPS loss) to have all the gauges and displays working properly, right? Is there a secret for recording virtual cockpit as it was?

 

Also can I shut the plane down after landing (hydraulics, engines..) and then play it back and deploy the spoilers and reverse manually as you said during the playback?

 

 

btw. oh my gosh.. I just read your "About Me" and you're musicalaviator on YouTube! Man, I love your VATSIM videos!

[hopskip 253]

Much like the spoilers etc, you can make the cockpit 'look about right' if you actually do all the things you need to do when actually flying, all over again. ie program the FMS over again, and then arm LNAV/VNAV etc.

 

If your weather isn't set to the exact same paramaters (especially wind and barometer) then that will be 'visible' as crosswind that isn't being corrected for and/or altitude differences, leading to some strange looking flight director cues etc.

 

If you shut down the engines/hydraulics and don't start them back up again, your plane will fly, with the engines off (and lots of alarms etc  :excl: )

"Engine startup" is recorded in FSrecorder, so if your recording starts with engines off, it should start up... but it won't be like normal, it will wait till the engines were "running" then suddenly do the equivalent of a Ctrl+E.

 

FSrecorder can't see the entire electrical bus/hydrualics/bleed air/packs+pressurization systems. It will leave these at whatever setting you have them on, and you can interact with them directly during the replay. 

 

FSrecorder will "input flight control inputs" such as yoke movement, but with the Hydraulics off, PMDG won't move the flight control surfaces etc. As soon as you turn the hydraulics back on, FSrecorder's control inputs won't change, but PMDG will let the flight control surfaces move again because they have hydraulic power.

 

With lights, I seem to remember FSrecorder knows landing lights, but the retracts won't extend/retract from the recording.

 

 

Basically you want to flick the switches (and even run the autopilot MCP) during the playback.

[Mike777 163]

I think this is a developing art.  One thing to think about is that FSRecorder saves the initial situation files at the beginning of the recording, in conjunction with FSUIPC. This includes the panel state, which is then visible (same name as the name of the recording).  You can see this panel state in the PMDG load panel state window.  These states are saved in Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 777X\panelstates not in the usual FSX documents folder.

 

Sometimes this is helpful, sometimes not.  At the beginning of an approach it is helpful, as it will set up the panel, including the CDU, as they were at the beginning of the approach that FSRecorder is in effect re-enacting.  The plane MAY then follow the same commands you gave as you were actually making the approach and landing.  I have found that sometimes the gear comes down when it should, sometimes not (I have to press G manually at the right time).

 

But at the beginning of a departure from the gate, not so much.    I suspect it is better to load a panel state with engines running, so that all sorts of things work, such as hydraulic pressure for the flaps and gear.  Even then, I find the gear comes up very slowly unless I press G at the same time -- seems like there is a conflict between the FSRecorder commands and the gear lever still being in the down position.

 

I use FRAPS to record the interior cockpit view  of takeoffs and landings.  Since FRAPS is actually recording the picture, rather than re-enacting the flight like FSRecorder, you should get a very accurate video.  If you can manage to switch to external view while the plane is actually rolling on the runway and taking off, FRAPS will record exactly what happens.  But I find switching to external view to be very difficult, since  I can no longer monitor Vspeeds, vertical angle after takeoff, etc.  My approach is to record the cockpit view "live," replay the flight using FSRecorder and then record external views with FRAPS.

 

I have thought of making a kind of dummy aircraft for external views.  The idea would be to use the PMDG visual model but some simple FDE that would just follow the commands recorded by FSRecorder.  This would not, of course, create an accurate inside the cockpit view.  Any thoughts on this?

 

Mike

[Kattz 132]

So how does one do those beautiful pans around the aircraft on the ground and in flight?

[hopskip 253]

FSrecorder tower view with a lowered pan & move speed & using the numpad 1,2,3,7,8,9 keys... Maybe the Ctrl+Shift+Enter/Backspace.

 

You can make the camera pan/movement go real slow, which makes it smoother looking.

 

Replaying the flight in half speed can help too (then double speed in post editing).

 

Just remember to "operate" the aircraft too when in cockpit & take care with any config changes like Gear/Flap etc.

[Mike777 163]

Hi, everyone,

 

I've found a workaround that will help with some FS Recorder playback issues. Often when replaying a flight, PMDG aircraft like the 737 NGX and the 777 start up in an inappropriate state.  Example is plane is in midair with engines off, ground carts connected, doors open, panel dead, no loaded flight plan.

When a situation file is saved with these aircraft, three special panel state files are created in subfolders in Flight Simulator X/PMDG.

For the NGX, the files are saved in Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 737 NGX\PanelState

For the 777LR/F the files are saved in Flight Simulator X\PMDG\PMDG 777X\PanelState

The file names have the same name as the chosen saved file name, but different endings.  It is the endings that are important here.

The three files saved end as follows:
[sAVED-FILE-NAME].FLT.0.rte
[sAVED-FILE-NAME].FLT.fmc
[sAVED-FILE-NAME].FLT.sav

These panel states are saved with proper file names when using the FSX save function, and also when using Autosave (part of registered versions of FSUIPC).

FSRecorder saves the situation at the beginning of the recording if it is set to do this.  It also saves three files in the PanelState folder of either the NGX or the LR/F.  However it does not name them correctly.  They are missing the "FLT" in their file names.

FSRecorder names them as follows:
[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.0.rte
[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.fmc
[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.sav

With the above file names, the saved panel state is not picked up when an FSRecording is played back and reloads the flight it saved at the beginning of the recording.

Workaround:  After the flight is recorded, rename the three files as follows:

[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.FLT.0.rte
[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.FLT.fmc
[sAME-NAME-AS-RECORDING].frc.FLT.sav

NOTE that the file ending in "rte" must have "FLT" placed before the 0 (or possibly another number).  Also, I believe that for a saved panel state with no active route, there will not be an "rte" file.  For the other two file types, the "FLT" comes just before the last part of the file name.

Now the saved panel state will be picked up when the recording is played back.

Note that this workaround may not help with non-working gear, ailerons, reversers, etc.  Also, if you start a recording with engines off, external carts connected and doors open, the playback will still start that way.  But if you wait to record until the aircraft is taxiing with loaded flight plan, the playback should start with engines on, doors closed, carts not visible and flight plan visible in CDUs, etc.

If you started the recording midflight or on approach, the plane should load in the same configuration as it was in midfight or at the start of the approach, including gear state and flight plan available.

Mike
 

[CAG2 2]

Hi,

 

I know this is a 3 year old post, but I have found a workaround to this problem.

 

During the replay, all you need to do is enable the autopilot. And magically, the flaoerons and spoilers move in accordance with the aircraft. Honestly I do not understand why this works. Note that it doesn't replay exactly the same movement you put into the yoke, but it's better than nothing.

 

This is a pro-tip if you are using FSRecorder 1.331 - for those using FSX:SE/P3D. Don't know about the newer versions though.

[CaptainLars 21]

I'll definitely try those hints out!