I am making some game scrolls for the tournaments that we are holding in the Northwest, and I need some high quality images displaying the different features and systems from each of the games.
Does anyone know any programs or have any advice on ways to capture high-quality images from videos? They need to be able to print out close to the size of a normal sheet of paper and still look crisp (ie. non-pixelated)
Here a bit of what they will look like.
The posters are going to be 7 feet high and 3 feet wide, and there will be one poster for each game. They are going to be used as decoration, as well as a way to explain certain game systems to attendees not familiar with all the games. Images displaying a character using a super, doing an EX move, or performing a custom combo will go next to text explaining the feature. The images need to be able to print out perfectly in 8.5"x11" at least.
Well, I’m not really looking for images. I need a way to get my own images.
Some of the picture will be progressive and will show how things link. Imagine a series of pictures showing someone performing a DHC in Marvel. I need to be able to capture images showing the first super, the switch, and the next super, so people can clearly see it happening. I’m not going to be able to find sequences like that for all the games, and all the features. I need to get them myself.
My advice would be to not capture from videos. Rather, you should either [alt]+[print screen] or use some recorder while emulating in windows. Even though I have an old 9800 AiW as well as legit copies of games, whenever I want to capture MvC2 or ST stuff, I just emulate it and cap the windows. When you run emulators, you can also do frame advance so that you don’t get motion blur.
ST
Marvel
Third Strike
CVS2
Guilty Gear
Random SNK Games
I am assuming VF5 and Tekken have no emulation. I’ll just do what I can with those. If anyone has these and wants to help, that would save sometime. The images and sequences I want to get for each game are-
ST
Specials
Throws
Pics Explaining High/Low Block
Supers
Marvel
Assists
Supers
DHC’s
Counters
The Top 4
CVS2
The Grooves- Brief for each one.
Guard Meter
Custom Combos
Roll Cancel
SF4
EX Moves
Supers
Ultras
Focus Attacks
Focus Attacks Cancels/Hit Absorb
Third Strike
Parrying
EX Moves
Supers
Throws/Counter Throws
Guilty Gear
Burst
Dust
All the other stuff I know nothing about
VF5
Stuff about this game I don’t know
Tekken
Same
Soul Caliber 4
Ditto
The idea isn’t to completely explain the games, its just to explain the things that would be confusing to anyone watching who was not familiar. (ie. Why is that guy flashing yellow? Why did that character jump out of the screen? How did that guy roll through that fb and not get hit?) We don’t have to explain the ROM.
Virtuafighter.com for virtual fighter stuff. You’d probably want to include that you can ring out to win too and the stagger system (joystick thingy on the side when hit with a stagger move), how walls go into play (Wolf’s buff ass wall combo comes to mind)
For Tekken and Soul Calibur 4 I’d hit up robert for the basic stuff, but off the top of my head here’s what you’d want to cover for each game respectively:
Tekken 5 DR:
crush system
sidestep
grabs (ex. 1+2 or forward 1+2 to have the character take a step forward and grab)
get up moves
Soul Calibur 4:
Guard Impact’s/Just Impacts
soul gauge/critical finishes
ring outs
sidestepping and 8 way walking
Another option would maybe to get a camcorder from the UW that has video input, so we can just directly hook it up from a console. I assume that the UW has some like this.
At least, as long as what you’re looking for is actual movie footage.
Edit: I also have CvS2 (through emulation), but I can’t do ANYTHING in that game, so someone would have to show me the ropes on that. Also got SSF2T and GGXX: Slash for pictures as well.
Yes, that is exactly what I’m looking for. I need images like that for every aspect of the game that we would like to explain, for every game. It needs to clearly show the progression of the move or concept. I might take color and character choice into consideration later on when designing the whole thing.
That is exactly what I was thinking. Is there any way to get it even higher res?
That’s the native resolution, so unless there’s a funky graphics plugin for the emulator, it’s the highest resolution possible.
Even then, for a 2D game, it wouldn’t be much better - you can already see huge, chunky pixels in the MVC2 sprites. Only the background would be any clearer.
Pardon the gratuitous panty shot, but this is a pretty good qualit and sized pic of Sakura. I realize that the top is distorted horribly, but the character doesn’t look to pixelated for the size.
For long-term use, you could consider a TV tuner card for your PC. I got one a while back in college (Leadtek Winfast TV2000,) so my friends and I enjoyed lagless play while recording simultaneously. We ended up posting lots of HnK matches on YouTube that way. This way, you don’t have to deal with various issues with emulators sometimes not getting 100% perfect emulation, plus its lots of fun and hype getting HQ direct-feed match footage.
Right. You can also use a screen-recording tool to make a movie of your emulator on your PC that’s full-size, full-resolution.
Taking screenshots from videos is certainly an option, but I rarely see any videos in resolution higher than 640 x 480. Which is basically fine, since the sprites aren’t really high-res to begin with. But if you want MAXIMUM RESOLUTION, then DC + VGA box out (I have one, but don’t know what could record from it) or emulator + screenshot/movie capture are the ways to go.
Digital camera pictures of an arcade cabinet (The one at the HUB perhaps? Or Pablo’s?) would also be an option, but you might want to just bring a camera and try it out once or twice. There are three issues that might make things difficult. A) The arcade monitors already are already less clear than the high-res output of a DC with a VGA-output box or an emulator. B) Timing the pictures might be difficult. C) You may need to clean up the pictures after the fact. Scanlines, some distortion, and such may be unavoidable. Still, it’s easy enough to try. You should try it once and see if it works out. If it’s good enough, it’s probably the easiest option.
I think that nullDC + screen-movie capture software is probably doable, while still maintaining maximum quality.
One double-check: Are you planning on using these to make banners/print-outs, or to make a short video presentation?
EDIT: WTF is up with that screenshot, anyway? Seriously. WTF would you do that?
