It might be useful with a quick guide on how to view recordings from Battlerecorder, aka demo-files.
I've been watching a few so I can give you my way of handling them.
I'll start with the part on how to retrieve them and carry on with viewing.
---------Pre-arrangements-----------------
Now these files were intended to view from within the game itself, but there are other ways.
First you want to download a software which uses BF2 to view the demos in window mode.
You will find it here:
http://www.sircommunity.com/?p=software-battledirector It's totally free.
The handling and downloading of the files ingame is full of bugs, so this is how I find, download and store the files.
Create a folder to hold a couple of shortcuts. On your desktop or elsewhere.
After installing Battledirector, place your desktop shortcut to the application in your new folder.
-----------Finding---------------l
First you will have to find the DemoBookmarks.con file. In this file, the url:s to the place where your visited servers store the demo-files.
One url for each round you have played.
The DemoBookmarks.con file can be found in the profiles folder in your BF2 installation folder. In my case: "C:\Documents and Settings\Alexander den\My documents\Battlefield 2\Profiles\0003\DemoBookmarks.con where 0003 stands for the third created account (defaultPlayer would be 0001).
If you have multiple accounts and don't know which profile that is your main account, you can watch the file size. Your main account would have the largest file. Once you find it, right-click on it and chose to open it with a simple text editor such as wordpad. Be sure to tell windows to always open this type of file with this application. Then you right-click again to create a shortcut on your desktop. Move your shourtcut to the folder you just made. Now we'll have a look inside.
The file consists of strings like this:
LocalProfile.addDemoBookmark "=SoE= Iron Gator" "iron_gator" "http://www.sourceofevil.com/bf2/demos/4/auto_2009_01_08_11_37_59.bf2demo" "2009-01-08 18:40:03"
where the part between html and .bf2demo is the URL. Note the timestamps which can help you to identify the file you are looking for. I usually pick the last 3-4 rounds just in case.
To download, just copy the part from html to .bf2demo and paste it in your webbrowserd adress fiels and hit enter. The browser will ask you where to store the file, and that is what we're dealing with in the section storing. A tip is to replace auto with something like glitcher or alexteamkills to remember why you stored it. The files are usually available for 12 to 24 hours. So if your short of time. Download now and view later. On some servers however, it doesn't work. Maybe the demos aren't public. But on our servers it should work.
-----Storing------
There are different files to store files from vanilla maps and SF-maps. These folders are found in (on my computer) "C:\Program\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\bf2\demos" for vanilla maps and in "C:\Program\EA GAMES\Battlefield 2\mods\xpack\demos" for SF-maps.
Now make shortcuts of these and add to the folder we made. Now when you are asked where to place the files you are about to download, you can easily find the right place through your shortcuts.
-----Viewing-------
I'm not going to go through the whole Battledirector program. It comes with documentation.
To get a quick start. Start the program. Go to the Settings tab. If the program haven't found your Bf2.exe location, help it to find it.
Now you can set the desired resolution and framerate. This is more important if you're going to record from the demo-file. I use Windowed mode because it's easier to switch to photoshop when taking screenshots. Do as you please.
It's important that you choose the right soldier profile, to get the program to fetch the demos from the right folders.
Save your settings and go to the Launcher tab.
Here you can choose mods. bf2 for vanilla and xpack for SF. If you can't see your file, try refreshing with the green arrows.
Now you just choose the right file and push Play Freecam. Be sure not to have BF2 launched before doing this.
----------Controls----------
You start in a neutral freecam but once you push spacebar, you can jump between players on both teams. The team which is the first player is assigned to, always wear blue tags.
Use the mouse to rotate view around the selected player and use the scroll wheel to change viewing distance.
The worst thing with demos is that they don't play in reverse. At least I havent found a way. And I have been looking for it goddamnit.
You can however freeze the action with the "1" button. "2" is for normal speed and from "3" to "9" you go from slow motion to fast forward.
Note that the freeze is not total. If you go get a cup of coffee it will move a couple of frames.
----------Good to know-------
You can alt-tab to other programs and having the demo run in the background.
X-fire screenshots works just fine while in Battle recorder.
X-fire video also works perfect.
When the round ends, everything just stops. No more notice. And the only way to shut down the program is to use alt-F4 or right-click on BF2 on the activity-bar and choose close.
------------------------------
Now remember that viewing BR-files takes a lot of time. And you will find more violations than those you are looking for.
Remember that you can't see the ingame chat in these files. So you wouldn't know what players are saying to eachother.
My advice it to only use these files to check out things that you experienced yourself in game. Or when others words is against words.
Also use this to check out suspicious aimbots. But be sure to know how to tell one. This and checking up players with strange k/d will probably make you think twice before calling someone a hacker. It sure taught me not to jump to conclutions.
