PBX v3.29 (32-Bit) - Create Videos (Game Manager)

[jimmay3]

Which videos will this produce, all?

I'm only getting the BG and Table, no DMD, is this correct?  Is there a way to create a DMD vid?

Also, no way to select the file type, always produces .mp4?

PinballX.ini

log.txt

[jimmay3]

Just noticed that v3.29 shows up in widows as v3.28 and shows the same in the log file...

Downloaded and reinstalled again to double check, and also noted the installer and when the program is running at the bottom it shows the same v3.28...

[Draco1962]

3 hours ago, jimmay3 said:

Just noticed that v3.29 shows up in widows as v3.28 and shows the same in the log file...

Downloaded and reinstalled again to double check, and also noted the installer and when the program is running at the bottom it shows the same v3.28...

Yep - was reported here... I am sure Tom will address it when he's able

It is 3.29 just the version wasn't changed in the file. It will work OK.

[jimmay3]

Thanks, figured it's ok, any help with  creating videos, not finding much info.

[jimmay3]

Is there any way to change the defaults (file type and length of video) for creating videos when creating via PBX Manager?

Also, is it supposed to create a DMD video?

[jimmay3]

Placing a copy of ffmpeg.exe in the PinballX folder allows the "Create Videos" button to work in PBX Game Manager, only issue is the default format is not the community standard (F4V).

By default, it leaves 30 second files in the MP4 format in the "Backglass Videos" and "Table Videos" folder.

Not seeing any way to change the defaults, any one know???

The only work around for now that I can come up with is a bat file to convert them.

Just create a folder anywhere and put ffmpeg.exe and the attached .bat file in it with any MP4 files you want converted to F4V and just double click the .bat file and shortly after you should get a converted copy in the same folder...

Anyone have a better method???

 

convert-all-mp4-f4v.bat (TEXT BELOW)

@echo off
cls
echo Convert/Copy all (MP4) files in this folder to (F4V) format...
echo (Cont-C) to Stop...
pause
for %%a in ("*.mp4") do ffmpeg -i "%%a" "%%~na.f4v"
echo.
echo FIles Converted...
echo.
dir *.f4v /on /p /b
echo.
pause

convert-all-mp4-f4v.bat

[Draco1962]

Maybe I have been living under a rock, but I thought mp4 was the default format that replaced avi and mov as the video standard.

[jimmay3]

Check the pbx ftp site, 95% F4V.  Prob due to file size, after converting all mine to F4V there was about a 25% drop in storage with no noticeable drop in quality.

[Carny_Priest]

mp4 and f4v are pretty much the same type of container. As I understand it, you could just rename the extension without a transcode and it will run as long as the player supports f4v names. You are probably seeing smaller file sizes in your bat file because of default ffmpeg parameters in your ffmpeg instruction and not from anything inherent in the container type.

 

That said, I don't know what the PinballX recordering functions are like or if it is possible to change the defaults. PBX Recorder is a project that gives you some more presets and the source code is available if you need further customization. Of course, it is the older solution and it is not built in or plugged in to the core PinballX program. It can record videos for basically any front-end where the metadata is structured like PinballX, and most front-ends are.

[armyaviation]

where do you get the ffmpeg file?

[joyrider3774]

12 minutes ago, armyaviation said:

where do you get the ffmpeg file?

https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html  which links to https://ffmpeg.zeranoe.com/builds/ for windows builds and i think you might need the static version. Not sure about architecture (x64 or x86) if it would matter (well it would if your windows is 32 bit but on 64 bit windows / cpu not sure if it matters but you could try the 32 bit version) also not sure if pbx expects a certain version or has a version limit

[jimmay3]

1 hour ago, armyaviation said:

where do you get the ffmpeg file?

I believe it originally comes installed in a subfolder of the PinballX folder, but maybe wrong.

If not, then I downloaded it from this website at:  

UPDATE:

Look in the  \PBXRecorder_x32\FFMPEG\bin folder of the PBXRecorder_x32_1.6.zip file, downloaded above...

[Carny_Priest]

Yes to static zeranoe build. x64 if you have a 64bit OS. I've never had any issues just grabbing the latest overnight build and running with it. Portable (zip) build. Extract to your c: drive. Make sure paths are defined correctly in bat files or ahk files that need ffmpeg. Or simply add to Windows Environment PATH variable.