> Frequently Asked Questions:

This FAQ lists most common problems and frequently asked questions. If you cannot find an answer to your question here, please submit your questions to support@d3dgear.com. Alternatively, you can use this online form to enter your inquiries.

1. Does D3DGear slow down 3D game performance?
2. My game FPS drops when I enable ingame movie recording, what should I do?
3. Why does my recorded movie have no sound?
4. How can I remove D3DGear watermark?
5. How do I change framerate position, size and color?
6. How do I take a game screenshot?
7. How do I record game to movie?
8. I was kicked from PunkBuster enabled game server, what should I do?
9. How do I record Vista DWM into movie?

Does D3DGear slow down 3D game performance?
Except Movie Recording feature, other features in D3DGear such as Framerate Measurement, Screenshot Capturing and Systray Integration have virtually zero-impact on game performance. This results from advanced 3D technologies implemented in D3DGear.

Movie Recording feature has noticeable impact on 3D game performance; this is due to extensive movie data being saved to disk during recording movie. Reducing movie recording resolution or using high performance HD helps reduce such performance impact.

My game FPS drops when I enable ingame movie recording, what should I do?
D3DGear has the best movie recording performance among other similar products. However, there is still noticeable impact on game performance. This is due to extensive movie data that being saved to harddisk during recording. The performance bottle neck during movie recording is always on harddisk write output.

There are several ways you can use to reduce above performance impact while recording ingame movie:

1. Use faster harddisk Faster harddisk has better write output ratio, hence will improve the performance. Frequent harddisk defragment is helpful too. Saving movie to a separate clean harddisk partition might also help.
2. Reduce movie resolution. Low movie resolution has much less data that needs to be written to harddisk, hence will improve the performance. However, the drawback of this solution is that it reduces the movie quality too. If your movie is going be uploaded to YouTube, you would use 320x240 resolution. If your movie is for HD, you would use 720x480 as resolution.
3. Reducing movie frame rate. Same as item 2, low movie frame rate requires less data that needs to be output to harddisk, but it reduces movie quality at same time. If your movie is for YouTube, please select 15 as frame rate. And using 24 frame rate for HD movie.
4. Use 16bit color instead of 32bit color. Again, this solution lowers movie quality. If your movie is for YouTube, you probably can try 16bit first to verify if the quality is good enough.
5. Enable movie compression. D3DGear supports to save movie to compressed 16 or 32 bit format. However, the tradeoff of this solution is that it requires more CPU time to do the compression calculation. To enable compression option, you need at least a Dual core system. If you select "Auto" in Color Quality option, D3DGear will use 32bit compression if a Dual Core system is detected; otherwise it will use 32bit w/o compression.

Optimizing movie recording performance actually is a big topic, there are many solutions you can try. But the goal of each solution is always same, try to improve harddisk output performance (via either increase harddisk output ratio or reduce data size), because this is where the bottle neck is.

Why does my recorded movie have no sound?
Most common audio problem is because user does not correctly configure audio recording device. The below are steps to correctly configure audio recording device in XP and in Vista.

Configure audio recording device in XP:

1. From movie "Audio Reord Device" drop down option, selects the appropriate audio deivce in your system; you need to select the audio device that plays the sound in your game.

2. Click "Select Input Volume" button to open XP Recording Control property window

3. From XP Recording Control property window, select correct audio mix input device. In most syste, audio mix input device name is "Stereo Mix". In some system, its name is "What U hear". It is also fine to choose "Mono Mix" device. You need to check the box of the device you selected.

4. If you don't find the audio mix input device mentioned above, you need to select Options->Properties menu to open audio device properties window. From this window, you need to select correct mix device from Mixer device drop down list; this should be the device you use to play sound in your game. Then you need to select "Recording" readio button. From "Show the following volume controls" window, select "Stereo Mix"; in some systems, its name is "What U hear".

Configure audio recording device in Vista:

1. From Movie property tab, click "Select Input Volume" button to open Vista Recording Control property window.

2. From Vista Recording Control property window, right click on empty space to bring up a smal pop up menu, select "Show Disabled Devices".

3. Find "Stereo Mix" deivce (In some systems, it is "What U Hear") recording device, right click mouse to pop up a small menu, select "Enable" to enable the device.

4. Double click "Stereo Mix" device (In some system, it is "What U hear" device) to bring up device property window, select desire volume input level of the device.

5. Go back to D3DGear Movie property tab, from "Audo Record Device" drop down list, select "Stereo Mix" device (In some systems, it is "What U Hear" device).

Will the trial version of your software expire?
Yes, trail version of D3DGear has 15 days evaluation period. After evaluation period, you need to purchase full version in order to continue use.

How can I remove D3DGear watermark?
Trial version of D3DGear places un removable"D3DGear" watermark on top-center of video frame. To remove the watermark, you need to purchase full version of D3DGear.

Systray Integration feature solves this problem by exactly mirroring systray icons into game screen. So you will never have to miss email or instant message while playing your favorite game.

8.How do I change framerate position, size and color?

To set framerate identifier to pre-defined position and size:

1. On the FPS tab, clearing "Manually adjust position and font size" checkbox.
2. From X coordinates list box, select desired horizontal position of framerate identifier.
3. From Y coordinates list box, select desired vertical position of framerate identifier.
4. Please note, the size of framerate identifier is fixed to 64.

To manually adjust framerate identifier position and size:

1. On the FPS tab, select "Manually adjust position and font size" checkbox.
2. From X coordinates editbox, enter desired number of horizontal position of framerate identifier. The entered number must be in range of 0 to 255. 0 is the most left position, and 255 is the most right position.
3. From Y coordinates editbox, enter desired number of horizontal position of framerate identifier. The entered number must be in range of 0 to 255. 0 is the most top position, and 255 is the most bottom position.
4. From Font scale editbox, enter desired number of framerate font size. The entered number must be in range of 0 to 255. 0 is the smallest font size, and 255 is the biggest font size.

To change framerate identifier color:

1. On the FPS tab, click Select Color button to open color edit panel.
2. Click desired color from Basic colors table, or click Define Custom Colors button to create and select custom color.
3. Click OK to close color edit panel.
4. The selected color will appear beside Select Color button.

How do I take a game screenshot?

To take a game screenshot, you need to complete following steps:

1. On Screenshot tab, select Enable screenshot capture checkbox.
2. Enter desired folder path in Save screenshot to this folder editbox. The screenshot will be saved to this folder. Please make sure you have enough space left on disk.
3. Click Click here and press screenshot hotkey editbox; the keyboard cursor will be blinking in the editbox.
4. Select a key as screenshot hotkey and press it once. The key name will appear in the Click here and press screenshot hotkey editbox. To avoid conflict, please avoid use any key that will be used in game as screenshot hotkey.
5. From Screenshot will be saved to this format listbox, select desired image format to which screenshot will be saved.
6. Select Include framerate in screenshot checkbox if you want to have framerate identifier on screenshot.
7. Select Include timestamp in screenshot checkbox if you want to have timestamp on screenshot.
8. Select Notify me when screenshot checkbox is captured if you want D3DGear to display notify message on game screen when you press screenshot hotkey.
9. Select Continue capture screenshot until the hotkey is released checkbox if you want D3DGear to continue take screenshot until hotkey is released. Otherwise, D3DGear will only take one screenshot every time you press the hotkey.
10. Start game. To take screenshot, press the hotkey that you have selected in step 4; screenshot will be saved to the folder you have entered in the step 2.

How do I record game to movie?

To record game to movie, you need to complete following steps:

1. On Movie tab, select Enable movie record checkbox.
2. Enter desired folder path into Save movie to this folder editbox.
3. Click Click here and press movie record hotkey editbox; the keyboard cursor will be blinking in the editbox.
4. Select a key as screenshot hotkey and press it once. The key name will appear in the Click here and press movie record hotkey editbox. To avoid conflict, please avoid use any key that will be used in game as screenshot hotkey.
5. From Select framerate of movie listbox, select desired framerate of movie.
6. Select Include framerate in movie record if you want to put framerate identifier on each frame of recorded movie.
7. Select Include timestamp in movie record if you want to put timestamp on each frame of recorded movie.
8. Select Notify me while recording movie if you want D3DGear to display notify message while recording movie.
9. Start game. To start record movie, press the hotkey that was selected in the step 4. The movie will be recorded and saved to the folder that specified in the step 2. To stop record movie, press the movie record hotkey again.

I was kicked from PunkBuster enabled server, what should I do?

You need to enable PunkBuster Compatible Mode:

1. From General tab, select Enable PunkBuster Compatible Mode checkbox.
2. Restart game for new setting to take effect.

How do I record Vista DWM into movie?

To record Vista DWM into movie:

1. From systray, right click D3DGear icon to bring up D3DGear systray menu.
2. To start recording DWM, select "Start Recording Desktop".
3. To stop recording DWM, select "Stop Recording Desktop".