Taking Screenshots in Warcraft: Some (Hopefully) Helpful Tips - 2008-08-07 12:06:55
<<< Previous - Pop Cultural Reference on Azuremyst: Adamant and Depeche Mode | Next - The Strange Popularity of Kadaath, Blood Elf Mage, and an Incident of Rudeness >>>This is actually a post I've been meaning to get around to, thanks to
MamaDruid's thoughtful suggestion a while back (*waves to the druid!*). But I'm only just now getting around to it. What can I say, I have a long list of Things I've Been Meaning to Post, and a pile of screenshots still to upload - but at least I'm finally getting to this topic!
First the basics for folks completely new to this. I've tried to give plenty of links in case the jargon is a bit obscure.
How to Take A Screenshot (PC):
Hit your Print Screen button on your keyboard.
That's it, you've taken the shot!
But of course that's only the start of things.
Now to find the shot you just took.
Finding the Screenshot Folder
Go to your Warcraft files - here, I find it's easiest to locate through these windows - this indicates how to navigate through the folders:
Start menu (bottom left of your screen) >> My Computer >> Local Disk C: >> Program Files >> World of Warcraft >> Screenshots
If you don't see a folder named Screenshots go back into the game and hit the Print Screen button a few more times. Once you've done that the game should have automatically created the Screenshot folder to store those files. Most video games work this way, it's just a matter of finding out if the "Take
screenshot" command is activated by the Print Screen button or another button.
Getting Higher Quality Graphics in Your Screenshots
You'll notice your screenshot is a
.jpg, or should be if you've left your game on its default settings. (I've linked that to wikipedia in case you want to read up on the file type.) Deciding to take my next bit of advice will completely depend on whether you have some software that allows you to open and edit graphics files. Almost all of them will open .jpgs but not all will open a
.tga file. I credit using .tga screenshots for the sharp detail in many of the graphics I end up with. I use Adobe Photoshop to work with my .tga files - you should definitely check the software you plan to use on a sample .tga file to see if it will work first. Also be aware that switching from .jpgs to .tga files will take up a
lot more space on your hard drive to take shots in this format, so be aware of that if you're already low on space.
At this point it's a good time to have you read the
WowWiki page on Screenshots. (I always refer back to that page, as I always forget exactly what to type in.) There you'll find sample .jpg and .tga files to compare. And most importantly that page has the code to type in to change to .tga - but I'll reproduce it here anyway, for those who want immediate gratification! You will simply type in the following in chat:
/console screenshotFormat tga
/console screenshotQuality 10
If you change your mind later and want to change back to jpgs:
/console screenshotFormat jpg
/console screenshotQuality 3
Though I'd personally never set it as low as 3, as the results will be pretty poor.
Removing the UI From Your Shot
One thing you'll quickly notice is that all those buttons and addons - your
User Interface (UI) - really clutter up the view. So you'll want to get all of that out of the way in order to enjoy the scenery. Simply hit the
Alt key and the Z key at the same time - bam, a clear view. Hit Alt and Z again, and there's your UI again.
Now the problem with doing this in order to get a great screenshot is that if you're trying for an action shot - say, something mid-fight - well, it's pretty easy to die, or to accidentally let someone else die. Because of course you can't heal or dps if you've removed all your action buttons from reach. Sometimes you can simply crop out your UI when you edit ...and sometimes you figure out too late that you're too close to a beastie you're trying to screenshot...
This is why you'll see quite a few "This is Us Next to the Dead Thing" screenshots.
Or "These Are My Friends Still Bravely Fighting While I Have Stupidly Managed To Die" screenshots.
If you're a higher level of course it's not such a big deal to let something get close enough to attack in order to get a nice screenshot. But then there are always those special beasties that you're just not going to survive getting close enough to screenshot...
Here I'm dead, and that's the Hand of the Highlord, a particularly nasty
Infernal. Note you really can't see exactly what it looks like because I'm
too close. You get a much better idea of this Infernal from this shot from a distance:
This is back in the day when
Kruul was popping up randomly around Azeroth prior to Burning Crusade. He definitely livened up the game for a while!
Removing Names of Players and NPCs
From that last shot you'll notice that there are both character names and a raid icon showing. The result looks cluttered, and it's not the "vacation photo" type look I like. (Though I'm glad I did leave those names in on that shot so I could remember what that Infernal was called.) Going into the game's settings and turning off the over head names, guild names, pet names, etc. takes a while - and by that time the action you wanted to capture may be over. So I recommend part of the FuBar
addon options:
FuBar at Curse Gaming
FuBar - Name ToggleFu
First double check both of those links and be sure they're up to date before you download. I also encourage you to read up on these things before you download them and see if it's something you're interested in.
These files should be placed in your AddOn folder, which you'll be able to find here:
Start menu (bottom left of your screen) >> My Computer >> Local Disk C: >> Program Files >> World of Warcraft >> Interface >> AddOns
Once you have Fubar installed it's easy to set up NameToggleFu so that with one click you can take away most names over players heads. NPC name removal requires a few more clicks, but it's still easier than having to go into the default menu in that you can still move around and watch what's going on.
Framing Your Shot
Think of taking a screenshot like taking a photograph. You'll want to frame the subject in a way to have an interesting background, and be aware of color and lighting. I'm always cursing that I'm most often playing in the evening as there are a lot of shots that I wish I'd taken in daylight hours so I could have more in-game sun.
For some ideas on composing or framing your shot try these wikipedia links:
Composition in Visual Arts
Photography
Think of taking screenshots as your chance to practice landscape photography, without having to go outside. Also realize that, in the Outland anyway, your flying mount will be worth the gold you paid for it just to get great angles on landscapes.
And of course, if you take any shots with friends, know that there's always going to be something that refuses to turn and face the "camera."
Non combat pets are always the bane of my existance when it comes to trying to arrange a shot! But it's always fun to take that "Celebration Screenshot" - like when a friend helps your level 1 gnome make the run to Azuremyst Isle. Ah, memories.
I'll continue to add to this post if I come up with more tips.
Please feel free to pass along any ideas or corrections if you wish, I always appreciate the feedback. And do share your screenshots if you've been inspired - just pop the link into the comments. (Html will work once I allow it, I'll come in and edit it once I check the link.)
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