Arcanum

Arcanum

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How to make a screenshot for old game
By dimamatik
This game uses ddraw library for rendering, so Steam can not connect overlay and we can not create and upload screenshots. Sad, but true. This guide help you to automatisate the process of uploading screenshots for this game (and for others, whit a little modification).
PS English is not a my first language, so, if you found a mistake - please. write me and I will fix it.
PPS Ссылка на аналогичный гайд на русском языке - смотреть снизу руководства. Небольшие отличия только в написании скрипта - нужен фильтр по .bmp файлам
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Preparing
Firstly, found a way to make a screenshot for your game. It can be a hotkey, integrated into this game by developers, other program, like Fraps or Yandex.Disk, hook for PrintScrean key and other...
For example, Arcanum uses the F12 key for capturing screenshots. It can freeze the game by some time for large screen resolution, so be carefull. Capture two or three pictures for testing.

Second time, determinate a path for the folder with screenshots. For example, full path for default Arcanum from store is:

C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Arcanum\Arcanum\modules\Arcanum

I am using modification Arcanum Multiverse Edition without SierraLauncher, so my path is:

C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Arcanum\modules\Arcanum

I will use default path for this guide, so, if you found mistake with paths - it is just my carelessness.
How you can found this path? Browse local files on game settings from Steam client.

Next, we need a game identificator for Steam. It can be found from url-string for this game in the Steam Store. For example, Arcanum has this url:
http : //store .steampowered .com/app/500810
(text contains spaces, sorry) and id is:
500810

The last for us is the folder for screenshots. It has an unique path for each user, for example I have:
C:\Steam\userdata\166841772\760\remote
How to found it? Select any game from your library, view screenshots by Steam Screenshots menu and browse screenshot on local drive. Up by file hierarchy two times and found this folder.


Creating folders
Now, we have full needed information. Next we will create folders:

The folder with screenshots - go by the content path (ended by remote) and create here new folder with game id, after that create the folder with screenshots name. Go into and create the new folder for previews with thumbnails name. For example, I have:

Path for screenshots:
C:\Steam\userdata\166841772\760\remote\500810\screenshots
Path for previews:
C:\Steam\userdata\166841772\760\remote\500810\screenshots\thumbnails

We also need a folder where our script for screenshoting will be. I created folder here:
C:\Games\SteamScreenshot
but you can use any other place
Downloading ImageMagic
Our screenshots will be automatically converted into JPEG, renamed and copied into destination folder. But we need one program for conversion and preview creation. It is a free program ImageMagic. Binaries can be download from http://www.imagemagick.org/script/download.php

For 64-bit Windows select (version can be different):
ImageMagick-7.0.7-22-portable-Q16-x64.zip

For 32-bit Windows select (version can be different):
ImageMagick-7.0.7-22-portable-Q16-x86.zip

Download the latest portable version for your system!

After that extract download archive into the subfolder im of our script folder. The full path for this tool will same as:
C:\Games\SteamScreenshot\im
Writing .bat script
Open the Notepad and write same script:

@echo off SETLOCAL ENABLEEXTENSIONS ENABLEDELAYEDEXPANSION SET CONV=C:\Games\SteamScreenshot\im\convert.exe SET DIRIN=C:\Steam\steamapps\common\Arcanum\Arcanum\modules\Arcanum SET DIROUT=C:\Steam\userdata\166841772\760\remote\500810\screenshots SET DIRTH=C:\Steam\userdata\166841772\760\remote\500810\screenshots\thumbnails SET RES=200 SET EXT=.jpg SET VREXT=_vr.jpg SET NAMER=%date:~6,4%%date:~0,2%%date:~3,2%%time:~0,2%%time:~3,2%%time:~6,2% SET /A COUNTER=1 FOR /f "tokens=*" %%a IN ('DIR /A-D /b "%DIRIN%\*.bmp"') DO ( %CONV% "%DIRIN%\%%a" "%DIROUT%\%NAMER%_!COUNTER!%EXT%" %CONV% "%DIRIN%\%%a" "%DIROUT%\%NAMER%_!COUNTER!%VREXT%" %CONV% -resize %RES% "%DIRIN%\%%a" "%DIRTH%\%NAMER%_!COUNTER!%EXT%" echo "File '%%a' converted successfully" SET /A COUNTER+=1 ) FOR /f "tokens=*" %%a IN ('DIR /A-D /b "%DIRIN%\*.bmp"') DO DEL "%DIRIN%\%%a" pause

and save it with .bat extension into the our script folder. Full path for it will be, for example, as:
C:\Games\SteamScreenshot\arcanum.bat

What about this script? Firstly - two lines with settings for good script work. After that - block with variables:

  • Line for tool for screenshot converting.
  • Line for folder with screenshots.
  • Line for output directory with screenshots.
  • Line for output directory for previews.
  • Lines with resolution, extenstion and special VR suffix (we need a copy of screenshot for VR, sad).

Next line contains the current date and time for naming screenshots. Steam can use only this format.

Next lines find, convert and copy screenshots, and create VR copies and previews. Last line - remove originals. If you do not need remove them (for example - during testing) - just do not write this line.
At the end - pause until any key pressing.

You need to modificate this script for your game (if it is not Arcanum) and for your folders. Also, this script contains this construction:
('DIR /A-D /b "%DIRIN%\*.bmp"')
This element search .bmp pictures and use them, but if your game or tool saves screenshots with over format (.jpeg, .png ...) - just replace it. If your folder contains only screenshots (for Arcanum it is not true) - you can use this part:
('DIR /b "%DIRIN%"')

Now, you can start script and check result! Game screenshots will be created with previews inside the Steam folders.
If your Steam folder inside the Program Files folder
Or other folder with Admin restrictions - we need to create a link for our script and run it as Administrator. It can be managed on the link settings - after that run only this link!

Also we need to change the path of convertion tool for full path. Example here:
SET CONV=C:\Games\SteamScreenshot\im\convert.exe
Notes

At the end...
http://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1280836189
Gratitude to
  • Winged Hussar, I found a little mistake with spaces
10 Comments
Добро и позитив 6 Jul, 2023 @ 10:55am 
Да не, судя по всему все работает как надо. Все скрины правильно с превьюшками и т.д в нужной папке оказываются, в нужном формате. Только вот в самом стиме в Вид - Скриншоты нет скринов с Арканума( да, я перезагружал стим )
Добро и позитив 6 Jul, 2023 @ 10:49am 
Что то у меня не работает, хотя вроде по инструкции правильно все сделал. Ну не точь в точь, как ты и написал, указывал свой корректный путь( но он у нас кстати вышел одинаковый, мне лишь пришлось заменить номер аккаунта названия папки на свой ).
eskoner 20 Feb, 2023 @ 1:33pm 
Works perfect, ty.
Delta 11 Apr, 2022 @ 10:06pm 
Thank you, it works perfectly.
Khanderous 7 Sep, 2020 @ 12:46am 
Еще раз спасибо
mytri 25 Jul, 2020 @ 12:52pm 
i use -window and PrtSc button
dimamatik  [author] 15 May, 2018 @ 1:48pm 
First look: dgvoodoo not working with my version of Arcanum (Multiverse Edition) - freezes and no Steam overlay
Bluebeak 15 May, 2018 @ 10:46am 
You could also use dgvoodoo, some people got that to work with the Steam overlay. I was going to use it for my steamguide but I figured people wouldn't want to download a separate program as a fix.
dimamatik  [author] 6 May, 2018 @ 3:44pm 
Add me as friend
smoker 6 May, 2018 @ 11:42am 
hello dude, i believe i did everything as supposed to be but it seems sth is wrong. i just execute arcanum.bat and cmd just appears for a moment then closing. checked thumbnails file and nothing converted here. i got 4 bmp ss in modules arcanum. maybe there is sth wrong with image magic i dont know. anyway i need help xd