Just under three weeks ago, on April 6th, iRacing posted an instructional video on its YouTube channel on how to edit and save replays.
The almost eight-minute video went into more detail about the whole process. While you can check out the video below for that context, in this guide we’re only going to dive into the basics.
The main focuses will be how to save replays and how to do it, how to save part of the replay, what the heck replay render modes are and how to get back to a replay once it’s saved on your computer.
For tips on taking screenshots using the playback controls and camera tool, see our iRacing screenshot guide.
HOW TO SAVE REPS
The first question that probably needs answering is probably the most obvious one – how do you save the playback files and what settings do you need to do to get everything?
The simplest answer is that the replay can be saved to the server at any time. If you are not in the car or in the options or garage areas while in the simulation, the bottom menu bar on the right side of the playback controls has a “Tools” button with a wrench and a hammer on it.
Clicking this button will bring up a new box and clicking the disk or save icon will bring up the Save Replay screen where you can name the file or keep it as the created file and then click the green button “Save on computer”. to save playback according to your settings.
Now there are some settings that you probably want enabled or changed from the defaults.
Make sure you turn on playback spooling in the options menu under the playback tab so the whole thing can be saved from input to storage. Also checking the box to save playback when exiting the server is a good move, as is saving the radio channels.
Your playback files will be larger, so if you don’t have enough space on your hard drive, you’ll probably need to go with a shorter piece.
CUTTING A SECTION OF A REPLAY
If you don’t need the full replay, you can always clip a portion of the replay instead. In this playback tools menu there is a scissors or cutter button on the left side opposite the disk button. When you click this button, it marks a starting point for a playback to be saved.
You can click on the timeline to move time to where you want the cut section of playback to end and end, or you can use the normal fast forward options to move time. When you get to the end where you want your cut rendition, click the save to disk button and only that specific section will be saved.
PLAYBACK RENDER MODES
If you’re in the mood for an artistic rendition, selecting Replay Render Modes in the Options -> Replay section will put an extra strain on your GPU and memory, but it allows for some cool-looking replays without putting the video through some sort of video editor.
Cool for streaming replays and capturing artistic images. You can do things like grayscale, 8-bit video, VHS overscan, sepia, and even one that only shows the red colors and the rest is black or white. There are a few more to choose from as well as a possible vignette option.
For those already struggling for RAM or processing power, it’s recommended to leave this setting disabled unless you absolutely need it.
RETURN TO PLAYBACK IN iRACING UI
Once you have saved the full or truncated replay there are currently two ways to revise those replays but one which is via the iRacing member site in its current form will soon be unavailable and the only way will be via the iRacing – Run UI program .
In the iRacing interface, look for the Playback section and click on it. Any saved replays in your file will appear here. As long as the track and cars are installed in the replay, you can go back and revisit the race based on the settings selected in the options menu to save.
Basically, if you couldn’t see or hear it during the race, it’s not available for playback in replay. So make sure your settings are correct, especially things like turning on all cars.
MORE TIPS AND TRICKS
Did you know that when you press the spacebar in the sim’s menu, the UI disappears for a better view of the replay? This is especially useful if you want to take photos in the simulation or become a broadcaster on the platform.
Replays can be moved from the iRacing replays folder to your iRacing folder on Windows at will. If you need to take a rendition out and put it back in and the UI doesn’t show it as being in the folder, refresh the UI and it should show up.
SOURCE: iRacing Support
