ZDCurtain is a computer-vision based "soft load remover" developed by jayena that allows for Metroid Dread speedrunning VoDs or live source gameplay from a broadcast software projector to be monitored for loading screens, door loads, or the death sequence. Using this footage, it will calculate the time spent on these screens to allow runners to run in real-time and obtain a load-removed time score afterward without interrupting any running timer the runner is using (ex. LiveSplit).
ZDCurtain works by comparing a screen capture of the game to common comparison images used in Metroid Dread's load screens. If ZDCurtain is confident that what it's seeing is a load screen, it will count up the amount of time that should be removed until the load is complete, while also accounting for when the load started. It also removes black screen load times by comparing the a slice of the top of the game feed to solid black and pausing your game timer until the feed is no longer solid black. At the end of the run, you will have a time value that is the sum of all loads removed from the run; you can then subtract this from your Real-Time Attack (RTA) time in order to get your Loads Removed Time (LRT).
ZDCurtain eliminates:
Vale has created a tutorial on the use of the tool, you can find the tutorial below:
See also the README on ZDCurtain's GitHub repo page for instructions and advice on how to solve common problems.
ZDCurtain is compatible with Windows 10 and 11.
If you have any further issues or concerns, please report them to the Community Management Team or to jay so she can investigate the issue.
ZDCurtain is hosted on jayena's GitHub page!
During the first few months of release, the community will be collecting load removal data that will be used to calculate a standard Loads Removed Time (LRT) offset per category, per console and per version combination. This way all players will have access to LRT scoring even if you do not submit video to the leaderboard. If you are able to contribute, please submit your Load Removal data to the Community Management Team.
The transition to a full LRT board will take time, but the Community Management team feels this will be a significant improvement, allowing players to meaningfully compete on our boards regardless of console and game version.