[0.11.x] Time Lapse Mod

[MrP123]

After reading and posting in this thread on the Factorio subreddit I decided to create a mod that helps with creating time lapses of your Factorio world.

This mods basic functionallity is taking screenshots at specified intervals, either at the players location or at a specified location.
Out of those screenshots you can create a time lapse gif or video. The following screenshot of the config screen should give you an idea of the implemented features

screenshot of config file - you may have to open it in a different tab to see the whole image

Current version:
Version 2.0.0 for Factorio 0.12.x
Version 1.3.0 - 24.06.2015

Version 1.3.0

- added a config option to change the way numbers are formatted within the screenshot name

TimeLapseMod_1.3.0.zip

(47.25 KiB) Downloaded 405 times

Version 1.2.0

- added two "console commands" that allow the player to change the screenshot position while the game is still running, see the screenshot of the config file for an explanation of the commands

TimeLapseMod_1.2.0.zip

(47.18 KiB) Downloaded 371 times

Version 1.1.0

- added an option to set the game to day while taking a screenshot Thanks to Align for the idea
- added an option for the console output while taking screenshots

TimeLapseMod_1.1.0.zip

(46.87 KiB) Downloaded 335 times

Version 1.0.0

TimeLapseMod_1.0.0.zip

(33.99 KiB) Downloaded 344 times

This mod can also be found on my github page

[FishSandwich]

Beautiful!

[Degraine]

That's a brilliant idea.

[Align]

Sweet!

Would it be possible to make it turn off nighttime briefly when it takes a shot? I'm using 0.1 zoom at the center to see how my base evolves throughout, but about a third of the shots are at night (natch), so it's hard to tell what's happened during those.
It also seems to catch the floating text when picking something up or inputting resources via ctrl/shift-clicking.

[MrP123]

Sweet!

Would it be possible to make it turn off nighttime briefly when it takes a shot? I'm using 0.1 zoom at the center to see how my base evolves throughout, but about a third of the shots are at night (natch), so it's hard to tell what's happened during those.
It also seems to catch the floating text when picking something up or inputting resources via ctrl/shift-clicking.

Turning of nighttime briefly is now an option in version 1.1.0, but the floating text can't be turned off at all with the current modding features in Factorio

[Align]

Nice. Now the only question is, where can I upload a 300 MB animated PNG...?

[MrP123]

Nice. Now the only question is, where can I upload a 300 MB animated PNG...?

It's probably better to create a video out of all these screenshots.
Nevertheless you could try gfycat, I'm not quite sure what the size limit is, but as far as I know it is pretty big

[Align]

I'll settle for a low quality giffy, with my zoom set so far out it doesn't make much of a difference

http://www.gfycat.com/RelievedDentalHackee

[MrP123]

Align:
I just saw it on reddit. Looks pretty neat

[FishSandwich]

I'll settle for a low quality giffy, with my zoom set so far out it doesn't make much of a difference

http://www.gfycat.com/RelievedDentalHackee

Very nice! Might I ask how long you were playing and what the screenshot interval was set to?

[MrP123]

I'll settle for a low quality giffy, with my zoom set so far out it doesn't make much of a difference

http://www.gfycat.com/RelievedDentalHackee

Very nice! Might I ask how long you were playing and what the screenshot interval was set to?

I'm quoting him from the thread on /r/factorio, as I asked the same question

Uh, most of Saturday to be honest... got really absorbed in it!
Let's see, I think there were 70 images and it takes one every 5 minutes... 6 hours? That sounds about right.

[StanFear]

Hey, "crazy" idea, couyld you make it take the screenshot when the game autosaves ? that way, no problems with laggy games, and if the game tries to generate a huge image that could make the game lag, it won't be "seen"

[MrP123]

Hey, "crazy" idea, couyld you make it take the screenshot when the game autosaves ? that way, no problems with laggy games, and if the game tries to generate a huge image that could make the game lag, it won't be "seen"

Theoretically that would work, by calling my screenshot code within the onsave event, but the modding section of the factorio wiki advises against doing so, as this event is only meant to let the mod init it's own helper structures. Therefore this wouldn't be a good idea and could lead to instability.

[Zengief]

Is there any way to flip it over to the minimap before the screenshot? I looked through the documentation on the wiki and couldn't find anything to set it or even to detect whether or not the map is already showing.

[VeraLapsa]

https://youtu.be/RtBYq1ZYFyg

I used VirtualDub to make the video.

I'm fairly new to mods and if a mod can add commands to the game, if so I'd be nice to be able to set the center of the screenshot in the config with a command.

For example the default center is {0,0} but as your base begins to grow it's growing close to one side of the frame, after running the "/c game.player.zoom=0.1", where 0.1 is what ever zoom level you have set in the timelapse config, you move to where you want the new center of the frame to be and run a command to change the configured center.

Have Fun!

[Align]

Nice. What was the filesize for the screenshots/video?

[TheSAguy]

Cool idea!
Wonder if you could take the screen-shot at noon, so it's always light.

[VeraLapsa]

Nice. What was the filesize for the screenshots/video?

Each screenshot was 3.3MB give, or take, for a total of 4.22GB for 1,280 screenshots.

The video, after rendered, is 331MB, so a good reduction.

Cool idea!
Wonder if you could take the screen-shot at noon, so it's always light.

It's already an option in the config, JSYK.

[MrP123]

https://youtu.be/RtBYq1ZYFyg

I used VirtualDub to make the video.

I'm fairly new to mods and if a mod can add commands to the game, if so I'd be nice to be able to set the center of the screenshot in the config with a command.

For example the default center is {0,0} but as your base begins to grow it's growing close to one side of the frame, after running the "/c game.player.zoom=0.1", where 0.1 is what ever zoom level you have set in the timelapse config, you move to where you want the new center of the frame to be and run a command to change the configured center.

Have Fun!

That time lapse looks very cool, thanks for sharing

[MrP123]

I'm fairly new to mods and if a mod can add commands to the game, if so I'd be nice to be able to set the center of the screenshot in the config with a command.

This feature was just added in version 1.2.0, sadly it isn't able to save the changes to the config file, this has to be done manually after you finish playing, but changing the position works perfectly while playing.