Add an autosave and screen shot functionality to ZScript

[Chris]

I'm curious why ZScript would need screenshot functionality. The user is the one that would want to take a screenshot, and they'd do so by the screenshot key (or console command/keybind alias). Since ZScript can't access the screenshot it made, and a user would have to go searching for it outside of GZDoom to look at and/or take care of it, it would just be dumping files onto the user's machine that they have to manually clean up. What's the use-case?

[Arctangent]

Making a screenshot bot without having to jump through hoops via external programs that can feed ZDoom input to use the screenshot bind, as JPL mentioned in a previous post.

[m8f]

I'm curious why ZScript would need screenshot functionality. The user is the one that would want to take a screenshot, and they'd do so by the screenshot key (or console command/keybind alias). Since ZScript can't access the screenshot it made, and a user would have to go searching for it outside of GZDoom to look at and/or take care of it, it would just be dumping files onto the user's machine that they have to manually clean up. What's the use-case?

Sometimes the user wants to make screenshots automatically when something interesting happens in the game. Also it allows to easily make videos like this.

I think users understand the consequences of automatic screenshot making in reasonable quantities. When users open the screenshot directory to do what they want with those screenshots, they cannot miss their number.

[Chris]

I think users understand the consequences of automatic screenshot making in reasonable quantities.

This isn't for users, it's for modders. The issue I see is mods that think they need to make screenshots because obviously users will want to look back at them later. Users are then the ones that are stuck having to go through their documents folders afterward outside of GZDoom to clear them out (if they even noticed that some were made). At the very least, to me personally, it seems the kind of thing that needs to be allowed by a CVAR or something, and defaults to off.

[m8f]

needs to be allowed by a CVAR or something, and defaults to off.

I think that's a good idea.

[Graf Zahl]

At the very least, to me personally, it seems the kind of thing that needs to be allowed by a CVAR or something, and defaults to off.

Agreed. I had the same thought already to add an "enable programmatic screenshots" option the user has to enable to make it work. That way it cannot be abused but if someone needs to programmatically needs to create a larger number of screenshots in quick succession they can do it.

[m8f]

So, for this feature to be added do I need to add a bool CVAR "enablescriptscreenshot", defaults to 0 (off), and no more restriction mechanisms to scripted autosaves and screenshots?
Or this CVAR is only a part of the solution?

[Graf Zahl]

Scripted autosaves can at worst grind a mod to a halt, because they start to overwrite themselves when the counter wraps around. No need to artificially restrict that.
For screenshots it's different because they are just saved and forgotten about by the engine.

[m8f]

Made a new PR.

[Rachael]

This apparently got added, so I am closing this. https://github.com/coelckers/gzdoom/com ... e8cbd8fde4

[Enjay]

What safeguard was included to prevent the feared spamming of screenshots?

[Rachael]

A cvar was added. https://github.com/coelckers/gzdoom/blo ... e.cpp#L111