This forum software has now been archived into static HTML page (i.e. it does not function as a working forum anymore, so you cannot login.)

In due course a new forum will be available to help support newer CamStudio versions.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Temporary directory for CamStudio 2.0?

edited January 2011 in Announcements
Hi everyone again, yet another problem, more forgetfulness though!

I used CamStudio 2.0 to record a video (on windows 7) and had it save to the temporary directory with the default naming (date and such), but where is that folder?
I've tried searching for it on my computer (it left the .avi and .avi.wav file because audio and video didn't merge together) but nothing turns up.
Is this a problem with me not finding the correct folder/file, or was it a problem with camstudio?

Thanks!
Smarty569 :D

Comments

  • Haven't tried to have it save to temp directory but it works fine using the default naming to the program directory. Works OK in XP and W7 Pro x64.

    I've started using 2.6b with default naming but directing it to a folder I've set up. It'll put it there even on an external drive. Still some minor problems with 2.6b for what I do (video captures at a particular site -- the puppycam site) but overall it's nice not to have to move my files from the program directory to somewhere else.
  • edited January 2011
    smarty569,

    If you do not indicate a directory under Options/Program Options/Temporary Directory for Recording, I'm pretty sure it defaults to using the Windows temporary directory in CamStudio 2.0, with the option to use either the program directory instead (in Program Files (x86)) or allowing you to specify your own custom directory location (Use User-specified directory).

    In Windows 7, the Temp directory is inside the Windows folder. They wouldn't DARE move that one after all these years!! ;-)

    Let us know if you have any trouble finding those hidden files. You may have to search your drive for all .wav and .avi files otherwise!

    Terry
  • edited January 2011
    Terry, although CS 2.0 lists a user specified option where the data could be placed, it doesn't put it there in either XP or W7 when you use default naming. On the video captures that I do, so that I don't miss any of the action at the beginning I use the automatic naming rather than having the program stop and ask me the name, etc. Then, trying to avoid the 2GB limit, when the action slows, I often stop that video and start a new one when the action resumes, again not wanting to have to stop and name the file. Then later I edit and piece them all together, adding transitions, using Windows Movie Maker.

    Since using the automatic naming works best for what I do, I've always used the program directory and then, since the program directory is on Drive C, transferred the data to an external drive to keep Drive C from filling up. Although it's sort of a pain having to do those extra steps to use CS 2.0, at least it has worked. Setting a shortcut to the CS program directory has made it relatively painless.

    Having the program accept and USE the directory I specified even if I chose the automatic naming has been the one improvement I'd hoped would be made, and although I'm still experimenting with it, it does look as if 2.6b does use the directory I specify, even with automatic naming. Thanks, guys.

    Terry -- welcome back!
  • booklover,

    You mentioned, "although CS 2.0 lists a user specified option where the data could be placed, it doesn't put it there in either XP or W7 when you use default naming." So, you and smarty569 are saying that the temporary files disappear to some odd, un-findable place, ignoring the specification made in Options/Program Options/Temporary Directory for Recording? If that's the case - call in the Uh-Oh Squad!! I'll do some bug-chasing. I have two machines now, one XP-Pro and one W7-Pro 64-bit, so I am better able to chase bugs now than before. I did not know that the user-defined folder for saving your end results was ignored if you used the automatic naming. I'd used CamStudio 2.5b from early on in my use of the program, and actually have little direct experience with 2.0 and its foibles.

    Thanks for the Welcome Back! It is a relief to return to some semblance of normalcy after my massive relocation event - and it feels great to be back helping to support this great piece of software!

    Terry
  • I wanted my files to go to a specific directory and set up one for that purpose. But over and over, as long as I used the automatic naming, which was the best choice for me in my capture situation, the files didn't go there. It was so long ago that I don't remember now where they went (probably the temp directory), and since I normally operate with all files visible, I probably found them but decided that rather than having to hunt them each time, I'd just specify the program directory, which I knew I could find easily. With the desktop shortcut I had a relatively easy workaround until the promised user-specified directory appeared. When 2.5 was released, I tried that, but no change in this feature, which was the only one that, for my purposes, mattered. So I just kept on using 2.0, which I liked -- and still do -- a lot. Truthfully, I'm still more comfortable with it than 2.6b. But I'm getting more and more comfortable with 2.6b.

    FYI: your suggestion some time ago to change from 32-bit to 16-bit graphics has improved things a lot for me regarding file size and passing the 2GB limit. I had already discovered VirtualDub and found it quite helpful in rescuing otherwise useless files (I believe I posted about using it some time ago) but switching to 16-bit has helped even more. For my capture purposes, I really cannot tell much if any difference in what I see, but it makes a HUGE difference in file size. Since I switched to 16-bit graphics, I have seldom if ever had to rescue a too-big file with VirtualDub. Thanks for that suggestion! It's really helped.

    I'm still having to do a few workarounds with 2.6b, but the major thing I'd hoped for is there. Many times the audio isn't turned on at the site where I capture. With 2.6b with audio capture turned off, a txt file is created. While you were gone, Jan posted something about its purpose but I didn't really understand it, so I just periodically delete the text files. Guess I could just leave audio on even when there's really no audio at the site, since it seems that when audio is being captured there is no txt file. But since it takes significantly longer for the file to compress with audio capture, I'd rather take the time later to delete the txt files than maybe not capture something while I waited for the compression to complete. I have tried running one instance of 2.6b and another of 2.0 but have been successful only occasionally -- but that's probably just operator error!

    Have blathered on too long. We do appreciate your help.
  • Eh.. I just needed to know where it saved the videos in a temporary folder... xD I looked around everywhere, did a search on my computer, nothing turned up. I looked in my videos folder, nothing, camstudio folder, still nothing, every possible folder, nada...

    Quick dumb question too, can we (if even crudely program) use camstudio (2.6b) to record a mic and the speakers at the same time? :D
  • edited January 2011
    Smarty -- Sorry to have gotten offtrack from your original question.

    I've used CS 2.0 almost exclusively for many months. When I discovered that it wouldn't put the data files where I wanted them, I just chose to have the files produced by CS go to the program folder. So until just now I had never looked for them in the temporary folder.

    Using my Windows 7 Pro x64 machine, I just now I did a couple of quick captures using the automatic naming, trying to direct the data files to the windows temporary directory and then again to a specific folder I designated. In all cases the *.avi data files went to the Cam Studio program folder no matter where I directed them to go.

    The 2.0 CamStudio program folder on your W7 machine will probably be at: Computer-->C-->Program Files (x86)-->CamStudio -- at least that's where it is on mine.

    Would you have a look there for your avi video files and let us know?

    Again I apologize for getting off track and not answering your question earlier.

    As to your second question, Terry or someone else will have to tackle that one. Seems as if someone earlier answered something similar but I didn't mark it.

    Jo
  • edited January 2011
    smarty569,

    "Quick dumb question too, can we (if even crudely program) use camstudio (2.6b) to record a mic and the speakers at the same time? :D "

    There are no dumb questions. Only dumb answers! That's MY department! :-)

    Yes, 2.6b works fine - but use the "record from microphone" setting, then set up the "Stereo Mix" and your mixer sliders, and make your microphone pass through by right-clicking it in the Recording tab and selecting Properties, and on the Listen tab, check the "Listen to this device" checkbox so it gets passed through to the Stereo Mix. At least that's what I'd gleaned from a forum conversation from an earlier time. (Now that I HAVE a Win7 64-bit machine, I will test it later in the week. Let me know if you have problems OR successes and how you did it!)

    Terry
  • Terry, so this will record BOTH the speaker sounds and the mic sounds? Perhaps I'm not understanding Smarty's question but that's what I thought he was asking if could be done.
  • booklover,

    Yes - it allows you to speak over a musical background, for instance.

    Terry
  • Oh no its okay if you get off track :)
    I looked in my camstudio folder and no video files were there, so im guessing it just randomly deleted my video files.
    As for the mic/speaker idea, i'll have to try that later because I really really need to finish a project :D

    Smarty569
  • Smarty, do you have everything turned on so that even *.exe files show up?

    Have you done a search for *.avi? When you looked in your CS program folder there weren't any files with names starting like 20110126_xx.avi?

    Is there any chance that your hard drive is so full that maybe the files didn't get saved? Avi files are pretty big files, and the hard drive fills up fairly fast if you're doing a lot of videos. I learned that the hard way when I first started doing video captures with CS 2.0. That computer's hard drive wasn't particularly big but it had always been fine -- plenty of room left -- until I started fooling with videos! I started getting weird error messages and my files wouldn't save. It took a while to figure it out since I had no idea that the files created were so big!
  • I have around 100 GB left on my drive, and all files show up so it might be another problem CS 2.0 has with me
  • YES!!! It CAN record my mic and speakers! :D TYVM, as for the temporary directory for CS 2.0.. if I can get 2.6b to record the things I need, I wont need 2.0 anymore so I hope it'll work :)
  • Smarty 569,

    Excellent!!!

    Terry
  • Sadly it does not record the games screen, again... >.<
  • smarty569,

    I thought that issue (does not record the games screen) was resolved by recording while playing the game in a window?

    Terry
  • It did for flight simulator x, the problem was, in windowed mode it wouldn't have hardware acceleration so instead of getting 20 fps I got 2 fps.. A couple other games I have can't run in windowed mode because they're from the internet (complicated story on that...) so I couldn't record them.
    The thing that confuses me is that camstudio used to be able to record any full screen game I had without a problem (except the flashy in fsx but I fixed that shortly before it wouldnt work anymore).

    Smarty569
  • smarty569,

    digiday here has gotten some impressive results with these settings:

    Lagarith Lossless Codec

    Options/Program Options/Thread Priority Above Normal

    Video Options 200/5/200 for benchmarking. I'd recommend trying 30/20/50.

    Terry
  • Terry, is that for running video's in windowed mode? Because when I get 2 fps in fsx running in windowed mode, thats with all graphics low as they can be.. I dont exactly have a good computer to work with.

    Smarty569
  • edited February 2011
    smarty569,

    Specifically, digiday tested with an 854X480 window recording Google Earth and animated Gifs for tests.

    He then loaded the video into Windows Movie Maker and exported it using a 1280X720 output. If you are using WMM2 you can get such an output profile at Papa John's Windows Movie Maker website. http://papajohn.org/ - look for the HD profiles and how to add them to your profiles folder.

    You can try similar settings with full-screen, but full-screen eats so many resources that I'm doubtful it will help that much (though it may help enough!)

    Terry
  • O_O Wha...? That made no sense at all Dx And doesnt google earth run in a window? Not full screen?
  • edited February 2011
    smarty569,

    Yeah, Google Earth runs in a window.

    digiday then up-sizes them using Windows Movie Maker for upload to YouTube. They look great, BTW.

    Try to get the game to run in a window - or use a much smaller display resolution like 8000X600 and try recording that full screen if your game doesn't like running in a window.

    This conversation has meandered away from the original topic title too far. Did you ever find where the temporary directory was that was being used by CamStudio for your case?

    Please start another topic to further discuss game recording.

    Terry
Sign In or Register to comment.