Making GIFs From Video Files With Python(zulko.github.io)

285 pointsby killahpriestvor 13 Jahren41 comments

zulko.github.io

Making GIFs From Video Files With Python

http://zulko.github.io/blog/2014/01/23/making-animated-gifs-from-video-files-with-python/#

43 comments

@Schneems has a really good tutorial on this using ffmpeg. http://www.schneems.com/post/41104255619/use-gifs-in-your-pu...

lasssevor 12 Jahren

I use http://www.gifrocket.com/ for Mac.

killahpriestvor 13 Jahren

Originally from/more discussion at http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/1w2c58/a_few_an...

lawsohardvor 13 Jahren

this is awesome

w1ntermutevor 13 Jahren

Please use silent HTML5 videos instead of animated GIFs wherever possible. They are much more bandwidth- and CPU-efficient. This site allows you to automatically upload/convert animated GIFs into that format: http://gfycat.com/

The links allow you to see the animated GIFs as well, if viewer's device doesn't support HTML5.

Recoil42vor 13 Jahren

The problem, for me, is that HTML5 video is a technical solution with no social advantage. There are so many places on the web where images are allowed that videos will never be allowed -- for good reason. Forums, comment threads, etc.

What we need is an image container format that allows for a silent (and only silent) video stream to be embedded. A better GIF. Something that site maintainers would feel entirely comfortable in allowing.

skymtvor 13 Jahren

A new format would be overkill. Websites can just set the "muted" attribute on video elements. If you also set "loop" & "autoplay" and hide the controls, you've got a video that acts just like a GIF.

boyakavor 13 Jahren

Example, with sound on: http://home.comcast.net/~yugami/lean.html

[deleted]vor 13 Jahren

sethkojovor 13 Jahren

One problem is iOS devices won't play any videos with hidden controls.

nlvor 13 Jahren

This! (Although if the sound thing is such a problem then perhaps the muted attribute should be set to true by the hosting site?)

Here's an idea: <img src="video.mp4">.

Updated semantics should be the same as the video tag.

HowardJvor 13 Jahren

Why don't the powers that be make a new image animated image format that is bandwidth conservative? I don't get why Google/Apple/Microsoft/Adobe haven't jumped on this. Or maybe I do, they don't use animated GIFs. Fuck. If only Reddit/imgur/Internet forums had any lobbying power.

Sir_Cmpwnvor 13 Jahren

Try https://mediacru.sh instead of gfycat. It has a lot more features, and it's open source [1]. It's been around the HN block a few times [2][3].

Disclaimer: I made it with a friend and I'm baised.

[1] https://github.com/MediaCrush/MediaCrush

[2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6773039

[3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6189397

joi_degnvor 13 Jahren

Im baised... I really like that expression and will start using it :D

zulkovor 13 Jahren

The same scripts will output videos for HTML5 if you replace the `to_gif` method by `to_videofile`:

    clip.to_videofile('animation.mp4')
    clip.to_videofile('animation.webm', codec='libvpx')
    clip.to_videofile('animation.ogv',codec='libtheora')

daliusdvor 13 Jahren

Can I make video/gif from multiple photos?

zulkovor 13 Jahren

You can do that with ffmpeg or ImageMagick. Something like

    ffmpeg -i *.png output.gif

You have options like delay, loop, etc.

lelandbateyvor 13 Jahren

Yep, that's how I do my gif conversions because it allows for much finer control, and often returns better results. I built an entire app around abstracting this technique: http://gifmachine.xwl.me/

daliusdvor 13 Jahren

Yes, I guess I could figure out such options but let me explain what problem I have. I take multiple photos (e.g. my camera can take 10 photos per second) and want to make video from that. Gif is poor option as photos are taken with hand and are shaky a little bit. Gif will get big in size because of that alone. Video (e.g. webm) is very good alternative for that. Your project (?) offers option to add text (and other nice little details) and that makes it killer alternative.

jonesetcvor 13 Jahren

I haven't used this, but it looks like this might be what you're looking for [1]. Construct with a folder name and framerate and then use the to_videofile method.

https://github.com/Zulko/moviepy/blob/master/moviepy/video/i...

sehuggvor 13 Jahren

One nice thing about GIF is that the format is not patent-encumbered. Same goes for MPEG-1.

daliusdvor 13 Jahren

WebM seems to avoid all the problems related to patents (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebM).

sehuggvor 12 Jahren

Nokia is still trolling VP8/VP9.

emilystvor 13 Jahren

There's a drawback. Can we save these? Can we link directly to them?

w1ntermutevor 13 Jahren

Yes, if you right click (at least in Firefox) there is an option to download the WebM file. And you can get a direct link, although that doesn't really make sense, since if you're sending it to somebody, they probably want the option of watching the WebM version or the GIF version.

tonethemanvor 13 Jahren

olssonmvor 13 Jahren

Nice! Also check out: "Stupid programmer tricks and Star Wars .gif": http://rarlindseysmash.com/posts/stupid-programmer-tricks-an...

Also Python, but uses VideoLan (VLC) to some extent to create really nifty Star Wars gifs.

pronoiacvor 13 Jahren

This is nifty! Though it's tempting to draft a GUI for it.

donbronsonvor 13 Jahren

This is awesome and much easier than writing FFMPEG commands (which is what I do now). An enhancement could be adding voice to text.

gioivor 13 Jahren

Thank you! I've never met MoviePy and it looks really good. I'm waiting for libopenshot to be released, what do you think about it?

mattdeboardvor 13 Jahren

Very nice API.

idocovor 13 Jahren

I just watched the whole 'Pigs in a polka' video and it is so good! The API is also very cool :)

theophrastusvor 13 Jahren

(on 'jessie'):

apt-cache search 'movie.<asterisk>python|python.<asterisk>movie'

... <squatmo-germane> ...

well, nutz.

(and how the hell do you type a real asterisk in this comment forum? tried escapes... tried html entities...)

maxericksonvor 13 Jahren

For code, just put a couple spaces before the line:

  apt-cache search 'movie.*python|python.*movie'

In general, you can also stick a space after them * * *.

theophrastusvor 13 Jahren

thank you. i would've never thought of that. * *

Chromozonvor 13 Jahren

Very well made tutorial.

radoslawcvor 13 Jahren

Nice, kept me occupied for an hour :) also I must say author did a great job with module and documentation.

JoshTriplettvor 13 Jahren

mplayer can do this as well:

mplayer videofile -vo gif89a:fps=15:output=video.gif
You can use mplayer's other options to set the start time, duration, and cropping.

drakaalvor 13 Jahren

Anyone done a benchmark of this vs AVISynth? I have software I wrote in AVISynth for doing 2d to 3d Stereoscopic upconversion based on motion and parallax. I have often wished I had it in something more "real" like Python.

0x09vor 13 Jahren

Have you tried VaporSynth? It's kind of a spiritual successor to AviSynth in the form of a Python module. Can even load AviSynth plugins.

na85vor 13 Jahren

Isn't this overkill? You can get the exact same result with FFMPEG and a single shell command.

Seems like a solution in search of a problem.

ivancavor 13 Jahren

Can you easily integrate django with a shell command? Or with the python imgur image hosting? Easy online creation of gifs seems kind of useful.

jrockwayvor 13 Jahren

This is much nicer than my normal method of getting the frames with mplayer -vo png and then using ImageMagick to assemble the frames into an animated GIF.