How to make your machinima's play smoothly tutorial

You've mastered making a machinima.  You're happy with your achievement and how well it came out.  Everyone tells you you've done a good job, and you have!  But then you see a machinima that is smooth with both the camera movement and the movement of the sims.  That person must have an awesome computer for it to look that way, right? Not necessarily.  It's possible they do, or...it's likely they manipulated the Video Recording file.  I want my video to be smooth like that!  How do I do that? It's really a simple process, and I'm going to show you how to do it.

Start by opening you "C" drive, and going to "program files" (or (program files x86) if you're running Windows 64-bit)--rememeber this is in your "C" drive...not your documents folder where you keep your CC/MODS

Go to the folder listed as "Electronic Arts"

Click on "The Sims 3" folder (NOTE!!--If you have ep's/sp's you need to go to the most recent one--although with Generations, I've noticed this file is not there in there, so I had to go to my last SP which is Outdoor Living Stuff and change the file name there--and it works just as well, so if you have Generations and OLS SP--go to OLS SP and continue to follow the directions)

And now the folder labeled "Game" (not "GameData")

Click on the "Bin" folder to open it

Once you have that open, scroll through until you see a "configuration setting" file. It should be titled "sims 3".  The icon will look like a text icon with a "gear" on it.

Double click on it to open it.  If it asks you which progam you want to open it with, choose "NotePad" from your computer.  It will look like this when it opens.

That's a lot of stuff, huh?  But luckily the part we are looking for is already visible for us.  What I want you to do at this point is while looking at this file, go to "File" and choose "Save As". 

You can name it whatever you want, as long as you understand what it is.  Why are we saving a file that is already in the game?  It's back-up of the original file.  Since we're manipulating the original file, it's a good idea to have the original file saved as a back-up somewhere in case something goes wrong, or you decide to put the settings back.  Once you've come up with a title for it, save it somewhere safe...somewhere you can find it quickly (I would not suggest in the sims 3 folder--I would suggest either under "documents" or someplace else you think it will be safe that you'll remember where it is.)

Once you have that original file backed-up, let's get started on manipulating the original file.  We're only going to change one part, so this part goes quickly.  You'll notice in the file at the very top it says "
[VideoRecording]
LowQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:10.0, bitrate:1000
MediumQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:15.0, bitrate:2000
HighQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:30.0, bitrate:4000
MaxQuality = video:rgb24, audio:pcm, fps:30.0, bitrate:0
Small = 320, 0
Medium = 640, 0
Large = 1024, 0
VideoFolder = Recorded Videos
SnapshotsFolder = Screenshots

See the part that says "Large = 1024, 0" (yours may have different numbers), that is what we're changing.

 Go ahead and change the numbers from 1024, 0 (yes...put the comma!!!) to 1280, 720

So now it should look like this:


[VideoRecording]
LowQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:10.0, bitrate:1000
MediumQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:15.0, bitrate:2000
HighQuality = video:vp6, audio:adpcm, fps:30.0, bitrate:4000
MaxQuality = video:rgb24, audio:pcm, fps:30.0, bitrate:0
Small = 320, 0
Medium = 640, 0
Large = 1280, 720
VideoFolder = Recorded Videos
SnapshotsFolder = Screenshots


Now go to "file" and "Save" (not "SaveAs"), it will ask if you want to replace the document with the existing one, choose "yes".  Guess what?  You're done.  Easy right? 

Now open your game and record something.  The game-play will not change (although when you are recording, movement may be slower...which is normal...and will make for easier directing, and getting your camera angles where you want, when you want--(if this annoys you go to your back up file and replace the manipulated file with the backup...this will replace it back to the original file).  Once you're recorded something, go to your "Recorded Video" files (which will be under Documents>EA>The sims 3> Recorded Videos) and find your video. If you've followed this correctly, your video should have smooth motion like this:

This is a visual tutorial based off Pyro's Productions Tips found here: Pyro's Productions: Some Useful Tips to film with Sims 3


 Also, please do not ask me how to do this with Apple Mac's (if the file path is different for Mac's) since I do not, nor have I ever, owned or worked on a Mac--so I do not know if it differs or how to make this work on a Mac.


I will not take responsibility for any problems caused by manipulating the file...persons following tutorial takes full responsibility of their computer and any/all manipulations done to their computer.

Country Mountain Cottage--might have to go!

So I have this "cottage" that is still a WIP.

This really saddens me...I may have to scrap this house.  :(  There is something wrong with the lot.  It crashes whenever I try to remodel (CAS the walls or furniture) in this bathroom:

...I am basically at my wits end. And pissed off because I really liked the way this house was turning out.  I can't even delete anything in this room without the game crashing on me, and I don't know why it's doing it!!!  I "uploaded" the house so that I could run it through custard...clean.  I then converted the .sims3pack to a .packages and ran those files through Delphy's Dashboard...some stuff came back as conflicting, but this stuff has always "conflicted" with on another on other lots and has never given me any problems.  I suppose the easy solution would be to disable those items that are conflicting...however....when I first learned how to compress my .package files, I didn't do it in a very smart way...I grouped certain items in with the same items, but then did the stupid thing of titling the group as "group 1"..."group 2"..."group 3"...etc. so when I run my "packages" folder through Dashboard...it will only tell me that there are items in those packages that conflict with items in another package ( "package 8 conflicts with something in package 5--example).

I know...I should be wearing the dunce cap right now (I've learned from that mistake and label everything accordingly (nor do I group them together with "like" items anymore...I just compress the file and leave the title as the original files title... (so example:  Newsea's Musical Hair stays titled "Newsea Musical Hair" after I've compressed the file). 

I hate hate hate that I may have to scrap this house...I'm holding on to it in hopes I can figure out the issue without deleting the house, or losing those items.

Miranda Aishing

Custard runs clean

Download here

Aisling House

Aisling House by Brunettesimgirl

5 bedroom (master bedroom, nursery, butler/spare room, son and daughter rooms)

Private Bath in Master Bedroom

All EP's and SP's were used in this house

Custard run clean

Click here to see more photos and download

Just a family picture

My legacy family, The Laflin's.

From left to right: Daughter-Carrie, Mom-Darcy, Dad-Alex

Missing from photo:  Son-Joshua (youngest sibling)

They currently reside in this house

 But I am thinking of moving them into this house once it's done

What do you think?

CC-free Modest Modern House

CC-free Modest Modern house I created for Emily4331

Link to download is *shock* in my studio!!!!
CC-free Modest Modern House

WIP--Country Mountain Cottage

New WIP house:

(Picture overload ahead)
The house:

Front door

Front porch

Front walkway (my legacy house "The House That Love Built" is in the back ground--it's also on my blog for download)

Yellow Rose Trellis

Breeze-way

Outdoor kitchen

Back porch

Pool/hot-tub area

Calla-lily garden

Hidden treehouse

Over-view of backyard

Back porch

Family room

Kitchen and pantry

Dining Room

Half Bath

Living room on 2nd floor

2nd floor bathroom (not sure if I'll keep it like this--not crazy about the color scheme of it since I just threw it together)

Still have a lot of work to do on this house, like the 2 bedrooms with baths plus the master bedroom with the master/private bathroom...will update as I go! :D

TMN

Thank you for watching my back when no one else did. I did not know, at the time, that I could get perma-banned for it.

Haven't really updated my blog in a while

Just looking over my blog and realized I hadn't uploaded anything new in a while. I'm working on a new house that should be ready sometime this week, and I will get it uploaded here then! :D

Friezes Cheat

I was helping a user on the official site and came to realize that a lot of people do not know about this cheat. So I decided to post it here for anyone interested in this cheat.

Building Tip: Friezes
Okay, so this extends from the question that I asked yesterday (found here).

While mucking around with the Sims this morning, I discovered that the "layer" I was talking about was not, in fact, a constrained floor, but rather a "frieze". I'm guessing this may be new to Ambitions (or not) since I'd never seen it before.

Anyway, to achieve this effect, press CTRL+SHIFT+C to open your cheats window and type placeFriezes on. This then changes the function of the deck foundation, allowing it to be placed higher than normal (above a floor), and rather than the normal ugly deck pattern, it has blank walls.

Of course, type placeFriezes off to return the decks to normal.

Also, I should point out that I'm not sure if testingcheatsenabled needs to be on or not. I had it turned on when I discovered this trick, but didn't think to test it again with it turned off.


Edit:

Seems this common knowledge of at TSR, but I'm sorta pumped that I worked this out on my own. LoL.

Above text link

I made The Mares Nest

                     Awesome. I love you guys                    

 so you'll find no hard feelings here.  I agree, he does look like a spawn from "The Planet of the Apes". 

 Oh and one more thing, very little, last time I checked...my username only had one "s" in it.

Two new machinima's

These are my two new machinima's. 

Part 1 is "Broken Heart" which is the prelude to "Evil Motives".

It shows the evil girl and the male starting up a short relationship. She finds out he was leading her on and is very much involved with another girl.

Song is "My Immortal (rock version)" by Evanescence

Part 2 is "Evil Motives". 

A woman can't let go or move on from a relationship she once had. Her ex has moved on, and is clearly happy with his new love.

The scorned woman thinks that if she removes the new woman in his life he will go back to her, so she gets an evil plan to burn the house down in hopes it will kill the girl.
It does, and she thinks she's gotten away with "murder" . During the fire scene, he calls to his beloved to leave the house. Thinking she is behind him, he runs out of the house no knowing she is trapped by the fire. Thinking she has gotten away with murder she makes one little slip up, she goes to the church that the deceased girl is at, and unknowingly, her ex shows up to mourn his beloved. It is at the moment he see's his ex that he realizes it was her that cause the house fire, and more importantly, the death of his new love. He knows this because no one was around at the time of the fire.

Song is "Helena"  by My Chemical Romance

I hope you enjoy these two machinima's.  I've put a lot of work into both of them, story-wise and directing/editing.  If you like these, keep an eye out because these are just part 1 and 2 of 3.  3 will start soon!  So keep an eye out to see how the story comes together and ends! :)

And machinima's

If any of you that are following me have seen (maybe here, or over on thesims3.com) I have made my second machinima the other day.  I'm very proud of the video, especially since it's only my second attempt at making a video after I made my first video (Yes! by Chad Brock) which looked...well, horrible compared to how the second one looks.  I love the song "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane and for weeks had been plotting a storyline, I even hinted at one point on another site that I was thinking of making a machinima to this song.  I really wanted the video to look as good as I envisioned it, and in order to do that I knew I would have to learn the tricks of the game to make a good video.


The first thing I learned was about camera placement.  I knew how to "tab" and get the good camera, but didn't know about the ctrl +5-9 pre-set camera angles you could add.  This was so cool and helpful since I do not have a steady hand, and to get the camera back in a certain position to make it appear like a sim is vanishing or suddenly appearing....and with a baby climbing on me, I needed all the steadiness help I could get.  I tried doing my video...it was chopping and lagged in certain places.  I thought "well, not much I can do about it right now...my processor seems to need to upgraded".  I really thought it was my computer causing the choppiness of my video.  I then found the trick to make smooth camera movements and how to show your video in HD.  This meant I would have to manipulate the file.  I'll admit, I was nervous about doing that.  I read very closely how to do it, saved the original file, changed the existing file, and fired up my game.  Fingers crossed the game wouldn't suddenly be corrupted and crash, or worse, corrupt to the point I lose all my saved games/houses/sims.  To my surprise, the game started up fine.  I tested the video camera and panicked a little.  The record moved so slowly and what seemed choppy.  Oh no.  I stopped the video and went to find the saved recording in my file.  I played it expecting to see exactly what I had seen in the game--lagging and choppiness.  Much to my delight....it was smooth, crisp and perfect.  Exactly what I wanted.  It then clicked....it moves slowly so you can control the camera more precisely at the times you want to move it. I played with it a few more times...grinning like an idiot the entire time.  I figured out how to make my videos look like I had seen others do.

I finished the video and watch the generated preview.  It was leaving stuff out, cutting scenes short.  Oh no.  I messed around with them for a while with  no luck.  I sighed heavily and decided that I would have to deal with it the way it was since I figured it was due to my crappy video editing program. After it compressed,saved and uploaded to youtube I went online to watch my video.  I was not expecting what I saw.  Everything was there.  All the fad in's and out's, all the actions I thought it had cut out.  It was then that I realized the preview was just that...a quick view of what the movie would look like.  I was tickled pink with the result.  I watched it several times before showing it on thesims3.com forums.  I wasn't expecting a lot of views, or many comments, but what I really didn't expect was how much the people who did respond would like it as much as I do. 

I've got a new high.  A new "project" to do in my game now.  Machinima's.  I'm thinking of my next one.  I got the song, I'm figuring out the plot, and trying to figure out how to get a certain action to work in the video.  Hopefully I will learn a few more things, and it will be even better looking than "Together Forever".  So, from here on out...be prepared to see my lots, simmies, and machinima's. :D

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge

Catherine "Kate" Middleton

Available here:  http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=4056787