Flexsim Record Video

[Holly Coffell]

TheVideo Recorder is an object that is added to the Tools folder of the model tree when the Video Recorder option is selected in the Tools menu. The Video Recorder is based on the FFmpeg video solution, and enables the user to record high quality videos of their model, utilizing camera flypaths, layers, and animations if desired. This functionality is obtained by use of output files, sequences, and layers.

The video recorder uses FFmpeg. In order for FFmpeg to properly record videos, Windows display scaling level (DPI) must be set to 100%. If your computer is not at 100%, you can change the setting through the Windows control panel under the Display settings.

The Video Recorder allows the user to record multiple output files at one time. Each output file can have a different size, framerate, codec, and file type. This can be especially useful for long recordings with complicated models, where it can take hours to record, since you can record all of the views you want in one run. By default, output files are encoded using a variant on MPEG-4 and written to the .mp4 file format.

Each output is made up of sequences. Sequences are what defines when to start and stop recording during your model run. A single output can have as many different sequences as you want, so you can capture only the relevant points of your simulation. However, only one sequence is required to make one file, and by default only one sequence is used per output. If you want more than one sequence in a single output, select the Use Shared Sequences option.

Layers allow you to record multiple views of a model in a single video. You can customize the size and position of each layer to arrange the views of your model. By default, there is only one layer, and it is sized so that it matches the output size.

This view lists the names of the output files that will be created when recording. To add another output file, click the Add button . To remove an output file, select the desired output in the list and press the Remove button . When an output is selected, details about that output are displayed in the right portion of the tab. If the box next to the output name is cleared, that file will not be produced during the next recording.

This specifies where the output file will be saved. The path can be set manually or by clicking the browse button. If you want to use a video container other than .mp4, you can specify the extension here. You can specify any container supported by FFmpeg.

This is the codec the video will record in. MPEG-4 is the default codec, and will record in high quality. H.264 is a widely accepted codec for recording high quality video in low file sizes. If you want to use a different codec, you can enter in the standard FFmpeg command line syntax for codec options here.

Windows Media Player normally does not support the playback of video files encoded in the H.264 format, but virtually any other media player (such as the VLC Player) does. There are also extensions to Windows Media Player that allow H.264 to be played that can be downloaded and installed. If you want to guarantee that your video can be played in Windows Media Player, record your video as an MPEG-4.

This field indicates how many frames per second will be recorded. You can save rendering time and output file size by lowering this number. However, values below 30 will cause your videos to look choppy.

Use this option to create simple videos. When you use this option, the following properties are available:Start - The start time (in model time) of the videoEnd - The stop time (in model time) of the videoSpeed - The model speedDuration - The total length of the output video. This is calculated from the previous three properties.View - The view used to record the video. Please note that only some views may be recorded by the Video Recorder.Enable/Disable Preview - When selected, you will see your model running as the video is recorded. Disable this option to improve recording time.Flypath - The flypath to use. None by default.Use Shared SequencesThis option allows you to create more complex videos, including videos with multiple layers. When you choose this option, you can add and remove sequences to the selected output file. You can create and edit sequences on the Shared Sequences tab.

This list shows you all the layers that are part of the selected sequence. You can add, remove, or reorder the layers in this list. Layers are drawn so that the each layer is drawn over the layer below it in the list. Thus the layer on the bottom of the list is the background that all other layers are drawn on top of. The following properties apply to the selected layer:

However, it might be easier to use a (free) third party program to either record your screen (or FlexSim windows). Or record both both views separately with the integrated video recorder and use another program to edit them together into a single video after the fact.

I am working on the visualization of a project and want to record video with FlyPath but want the patients to walk at a normal speed. As shown in the video below, they walk at a max speed right now. Is that possible to record video while patients walk at a normal speed?

Hi @Maryam H2 , the Speed of the video recorder has to do with the model speed. Changing that will affect the speed of your video so you can use that to increase or reduce the video speed. Also, since you are using a Flypath, click on this icon on your Flypoint toolbar.

@Maryam H2 It would help to know what time units your model is in. If it is in minutes, then the Speed field might need to be something less than 1, like .016 instead. From the video it looks like the model time progresses at 1 minute of model time for every real world second. Try .016 (1/60 of a minute) in the Speed field of the Video Recorder and see if that does what you want.

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I have written model.time to two different token labels, and I hope I could write down the token label value when token on entry each activity, at the same time calculate the time between start and ends in third column. I test another example from this forum, I found that there's no problem if the value I'm recording in statistics collector is a label value. Now I try to record the time information, then there's red triangle on left top of a cell, may I ask what this means?

Hi @Fiona C, was Felix Mhlmann's answer helpful? If so, please click the "Accept" button at the bottom of their answer. Or if you still have questions, add a comment and we'll continue the conversation.

The data you are trying to read doesn't exist (yet), that's why you are seeing empty cells with the red mark in the corner. Because you listen to the entry event of the assign activities, the labels you are creating in them don't exist yet, when the statistics collector is triggered.

You also probably want to use a "Row Value". By defining "data.token" as row value, the collector will first check whether a row already exists for that value (the token). If that's the case, no new row will get created, instead the existing one will get updated.

is it defaulted to update every columns if not checking anything? In your model, the on second on entry event has checked last two columns(offtime, flowtime), so it seems these 2 columns update at the same time.

I also like to ask how to write down the label value using enumerate, if I have several task executers, I want to write down labels value of each TE every time the value has changed. If still using listen to object event, the column is updated instead of keeping add new rows. I went through the manual, it could write data.token.labelname in the "Row Add Value". What's the mistake I make so that the doesn't exist.

The first event "Assign start - On Entry" doesn't update any values. It creates the row and sets the values of the first two columns to the values specified in "Row Add Value". The last two columns are then later filled in by the second event. These are marked to be updated in that event. When a value is "updated" the "Event Value" field is used rather than the "Row Add Value" field.

The "Enumerate" event creates a row for each listed object on model reset. Since the selected objects are task executers it has nothing to do with any tokens, so "data.token" doesn't lead anywhere. Where in the manual was this used?

Also, in your model you use both a dispatcher and an instanced process flow to control the task executers. I'd highly advise against mixing 3D- and process flow logic like this. In this case it leads to an error very early, when both task executers try to transport the same item.

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