Track Files wanted!

[:FI:Genosse]

Folks!

As you already may have seen I´ve added a new download category to the FIS site called Downloads/Tracks. The purpose of this category is to offer all of you who think that they still need to learn more about the flight maneuvers in IL2 (including myself) a hopefully big choice of .TRK files (they´re usually quite small when recorded as single player missions).

Once downloaded the interested pilot can have a look what the flying pilot when did. On this way the flight student might have a chance to reproduce the flight maneuver on his own like he´s been able to do so since ages as in IL2´s Training videos.

I´m still looking for a way to add text to the .trk files that might explain every single step the showing pilot did.

Any ideas or changes? Any good, folks???

[:FI:Nellip]

Thats a great idea Genosse, should be useful for old and new members alike.



Unfortunately I don't know of any way to add text to an .ntrk file?

We could record them as mpegs, avi's or similar and then add text of course, but they will be much bigger downloads for everyone?

[:FI:TacticalS!]

There is an easy way to add text into a track. Then folks can watch them like they do now with those training tracks. I did an example a little while back for Historic Encounters.

I would encourage folks to take the little extra time and add some commentary to these tracks in order to help others understand why you flew a certain way.

TS!

-----

[Taken from Airwarfare]

CREATING YOUR TRACK.
Within FMB I build a mini-mission to set-up the 'story' I want to tell, utilising plenty of static cameras. Then I fly it.
(When I say fly it, I don't necessarily mean that you actually have to fly it - many of my tracks are flown by AI only.)
I have a 'record track' quick-key set up to begin a 'ntrack' recording from within the game.
I'm not too bothered about camera angles and setting up the right 'shots' at this stage,
I just record all of the action I need.
(make sure you've disabled 'icons' BEFORE you begin recording - again a quick-key can prove useful)

Once you've recorded all of the action you need exit FMB and play the track you've recorded.
This is where you'll edit your track to display the best camera angles and to tell the (visual) story.
(We'll be dealing with the narrative later).
In order to edit the track; Before playing it, make sure that you have enabled 'Manual View Control'.
I also disable the 'Loop' facility and 'inflight Messages'.
Then I play the track once, switching between cameras, to ensure I've captured all that I need and to get a feel for how I want to present the action.
The buttons you need to switch between cameras are all in the manual and are customisable too.
Good use of the 'padlock external targets' cameras can prove very effective - with both enemy and friendly targets, both on the ground and in the air).
You'll just have to experiment here.

Now you're ready to edit the track. Now I'm not going to be able to explain how to make your track exciting or interesting. I'll explain the method and you'll provide the artistic flair.
(If you've got any flair spare then I'll have some from you please)

Play your track again, and hit your pause button immediately. (The pause button is customisable too).
Lets say that you recorded your track 20 seconds too early and actually want it to start later:-
Unpause your track and pause it again after it's been playing for 20 seconds.
With the game paused you can cycle through all the available cameras to find the bit of action you want to start your movie with. Unpause the game and hit the record track button again.
Lets say you're currently following an allied plane and you want to change to a completely different scene. Just hit the pause button and cycle through to the camera you want to use. Unpause the game and the track you're recording will pick-up with the new camera angle.
You simply follow this method throughout the whole track until you're done.

So you've got a little movie to show to the world, what about some subtitles?

CREATING THE NARRATIVE.
This is where things get a bit fiddly.
Minimize FB (or quit) and using Explorer, navigate to your FB folder.
open the records folder and rename the track you want to use in your movie (quick****.ntrk)
to something specific. Lets say it's called 'intro'
(I even name mine WITHOUT the .ntrack extension and they work fine!)
Now copy that file called 'intro' or 'intro.ntrk' or whatever into the 'Training' folder.
In the 'Training' folder is a file called 'all.ini'.
Open it in Notepad or whatever text editor and add the name of your track to the last line.
(The .ntrk extension isn't needed even if your file has it).

Maximise FB again (or reload it) and if you go into 'Training', your track will be available.
Select it and 'Begin mission'. Watch the bottom right of the screen. This is the timer which counts up in minutes and seconds from the beginning of your track.
Simply make a note of the time/s for any action you'd like to punctuate with your narrative.

Now outside of FB (minimise or quit) you need to create a '*****.msg.file
to sit in the same folder as your track. (currently 'Training').
So for this example you need a 'intro.msg' file.
To do this I cheat! I copy an existing '.msg' file and rename it.
Then open the file in notepad or whatever text editor.

The file looks something like:-

[all]
0:0 Welcome back! Today you will learn to land the Bf-109.
0:10 Landing is the most difficult part of flying any airplane....
0:30 .....
0:35 .......

The numbers on the left relate to the time in minutes and seconds from the beginning of the track.
So you simply insert your commentary at the relevant time.
If you want a phrase to display for 5 seconds and then disappear just add a blank line 5 seconds after that phrase.

ie.

[all]
0:0 Display me...
0:05
0:10 New text here.

So that's about it.

[:FI:Sneaky_Russian]

I've seen one example of a training track with voice recorded using in-game comms .Track was recorded as .ntrk.

(did briefly look at this with Gadje for his e-management track, but no narrative here).

http://uk.geocities.com/fisneaky/GadgeG6LvSpitsVIII.zip

_______________________________________________________

instructions for recording voice with .ntrk (thanks Billy)

http://www.simairracing.com/forum/index ... wtopic=715

[:FI:Mikester]

Nice idea!

Gadje has a fantastic track of me getting shot down by 102_Pirke, this was a wee while ago but a fantastic move. Hope he can look it out, i'm sure he knows the one i mean! You can't see this from the pilots point of view but it's well worth a look.

looks like i may have noticed this post a little late

[:FI:Genosse]

Nice idea!

Gadje has a fantastic track of me getting shot down by 102_Pirke, this was a wee while ago but a fantastic move. Hope he can look it out, i'm sure he knows the one i mean! You can't see this from the pilots point of view but it's well worth a look.

looks like i may have noticed this post a little late

No problem, Mike! Better later than never ...

I hope you´ve have got the data to upload the tracks onto the endlager.net server?

Let those track come!