Chaparral Shrub's CoH Movie Studio requesting technical assistance

[chaparralshrub]

All right, here's the gig. The City of Heroes client has a demo record feature, which let you record your missions. These demos are stored as text files, containing the locations of all of the things in your recording, including their coordinates, movements, animations, damage, etc. Naturally, these text files can be edited.

This means that it's possible to make CoH movies. This was how the screenshots displayed in this article were made. I now believe that this is how Paragon devs made all of the actual in-game cutscenes, too. Paragon Wiki has a rudimentary page describing the commands that you can give here. However, in order to make the movies that I want to make, I would greatly appreciate the following questions answered. Thank you all for your help!

I'm a Mac user. How do I watch my CoH demorecordings with my Mac CoH client?

How do I make a custom critter in a movie as I would using Mission Architect?

Is there a repository anywhere containing the names of maps, critters, etc. that we can use as a catalog for moviemaking?

Can we set up a sharing website for CoH players to post their demos so that we can learn each-other's tricks (maybe on Orouboros Portal)?


Thank you very much!

[Hotaru]

Head on over to the Demo Recording sub board in the Multimedia section--I think you'll find a few like-minded individuals there.  ;)
http://www.cohtitan.com/forum/index.php/board,167.0.html

[chaparralshrub]

Thank you, Hotaru - can a friendly mod perhaps move this thread to where it belongs? :)

[Glass Goblin]

I'm afraid I can't help with the Mac question, nor do I know the answer regarding AE critters (although I suspect that's a non-starter at this point), but the last two things you mention are currently underway. :-)

[Arachnion]

Here are some repositories.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~scuzzbopper/ (last updated in 2008/2009, hasnt been updated since)
http://www.randomdice.com/cohdemo/default.aspx

[The Fifth Horseman]

How do I make a custom critter in a movie as I would using Mission Architect?

Depends on the number of slots the critters have available - best case scenario, you could use a player character model and install the needed parts on it.

Is there a repository anywhere containing the names of maps, critters, etc. that we can use as a catalog for moviemaking?

Yes (links above) and I'm working on code that allows a demo hosting site to harvest those names off demo files uploaded to it.

Can we set up a sharing website for CoH players to post their demos so that we can learn each-other's tricks (maybe on Orouboros Portal)?

Coming Soon (TM).  :)

[chaparralshrub]

Thank you very much - what about the Macintosh question? :)

[Glass Goblin]

Thank you very much - what about the Macintosh question? :)

I'm not a Mac user, but unless I'm mistaken, you have access to a command line for starting programs, don't you? A console window or something? It seems as though the program should still take the same parameters as in Windows (as shown in the tutorials in the wiki), but I don't know precisely how to get them there.

I wish I could help more.

[Arachnion]

Thank you very much - what about the Macintosh question? :)

http://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Game_Client#Mac