Creating SFM Posters for tactics.tf

Install SFM (we're starting slow guys)

After SFM has loaded create a new project (one project will work for all of your screenshots, posters aren't that big of a deal when it comes to this)

Right-click on the view portals and go to load map

Here you can scroll through all the maps if you've got some free time, but you should probably just search the folder you're started in and load up the map. (For non-stock maps follow this http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3060938)

Once you're loaded up moving with your Work Camera is fairly simple. Without any changes on your part both viewports should be your Work Camera so if you'd like you can close one of them. To move the Work Camera just click and hold in the viewport  and use WASD to fly around.

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If you are making a poster that has an objective in it (i.e. Control Point) it won't appear without a model animation. The easiest way to do this is to record a very quick animation. To do this press F11. A TF2 window will open. Press F11 again and a timer will start once the timer runs out just AFK for ~1 second in spawn then press F11 again. Problem solved (I hope)
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Once you're in the position you want you're ready to export your poster.

To achieve the highest quality photo you have to adjust the render settings. To do this right-click inside the viewport and select Render Settings from the dropdown menu. Here your only setting that really matters is the #Samples in Depth of Field. I recommend 1024 (might be the highest but I really don't remember). Motion blur doesn't matter.

Now to export your poster at the top of the page go to File>Export>Export Poster. And that's it.




This was a really good use of my time. right?