Making Movies from Image Stills under Linux

Required Software

1. ImageMagick -- for easy format conversion, cropping, etc.
2. mjpegtools -- for encoding the movie
3. xine -- for viewing the movie

Installation:

• ImageMagick comes with Fedora/Redhat, installed by default. Otherewise Trash.findDFdf rpm.
• Others: setup yum to work with Dag Wieers repository. Instructions

       >yum install mjpegtools
       >yum install xine
      

Use

• Files should be named as file001.tif, file002.tif,...fileXXX.tif
• Almost any image format is fine, ImageMagick converts many to jpg
• First, need to convert format to jpg and x-y size to a multiple of 16
  • use the "convert" program in ImageMagick

       > foreach F (*.tif)
       foreach?>  convert $F -crop +5-13 +repage $F:r.jpg
       foreach?>  end
        

    This crops five pixels from the left edge and twelve pixels from the bottom edge.
  • To crop five pixels from right edge and 12 from the top, use

               foreach?>  convert $F -crop -6+12 +repage $F:r.jpg

• This command changes filetype and extension to .jpg at the same time.
• To rotate, use convert input.tif -rotate 90 output.jpg (positive values rotate to right)
• To resize, use convert input.tif -resize 50% output.jpg
• Now, convert the file series to a video stream, and convert this stream to a movie format.
  • for avi (better quality, less compression)

          > jpeg2yuv -f 12 -I p -L 0 -j zap%03d.jpg | yuv2lav -f a -o desmo_12fps.avi

• • jpeg2yuv options:
    • -f 12 - 12 frames/sec (movie is 24, TV is 30)
    • -I p - no interlacing
    • -L 0 no interleaving
    • -j zap%03d.jpg filename for iput files: zap000.jpg to zap999.jpg
    • -q N quality (24-100, default is 80)
  • yuv2lav options:
    • -f a -- avi format
    • -o desmo_12fps.avi - output filename
  • ERRORS:
    • may get the following error :

       
      **ERROR: [yuv2lav] Given jpeg buffer was too small!
      Buffer passed to JPEG library is too small
      **ERROR: [yuv2lav] Couldn't compress YUV to JPEG
      

    • add the option -b 512 to yuv2lav in order to increase the buffer size as follows:

          > jpeg2yuv -f 12 -I p -L 0 -j zap%03d.jpg | yuv2lav -f a -b 512 -o desmo_12fps.avi

• • for mpeg (more compressed, but lower quality)

          >jpeg2yuv -f 24 -I p -L 0  -j zap%03d.jpg | mpeg2enc -f 2 -F 2 -R 0 -a 1 -q 4 -r 32 -b 3000 -V 500 -H -o movie.mpg

• • mpeg2enc options
    • must be 24 or 30 fps
    • -f 2 User VCD format. Allows non-standard frame size, buffer size, bit rate
    • -F 2 24 fps frame rate (-F 4 is 30 fps)
    • -R 0 no B-frames (possibly better quality)
    • -a 1 1:1 aspect ratio
    • -q 4 Quantization (1-31) -- the lower the number, the higher quality (8 is SVCD default; 3 or less causes problems)
    • -r 32 motion search radius (16 is default, higher is supposed to be better)
    • -b 3000 maximum bitrate = 3000bps. Because -q was selected, it is a variable bitrate mode.
      • for better quality, increase to 9000, 12000 or higher
    • -V 500 video buffer = 500 KB (std SVCD rate is 230). 500 is better if player can handle it.
    • -H keep high frequency information
    • -o movie.mpg output file

• Chimera:
  • output in png format
  • 720X480 (dvd) size or 480x480 (SVCD) size
  • good sample , for dvd-quality mpeg

     > png2yuv -f 25 -I p -L 0 -n -1 -j chimovie_9ESf-%05d.png | mpeg2enc -f9 -o chimera_movie.mpg

• convert to mp4

ffmpeg -i movie_48fps.avi -vcodec mpeg4 -b 4800k movie_48fps.mp4 

• Viewing the movie:

     > xine movie.avi
     > xine movie.mpg

• • in xine, right click and select "loop" from Playback submenu for looping
• movies will play on Macs (Quicktime) and Windows (Windows MediaPlayer)

To make movies under Windows

• • use RAD tools http://www.radgametools.com/bnkdown.htm
  • can use Indeo v4.5 compression (and specify the degree of compression (85% is default)
  • can also use Cinepak Codec by Radius or Microsoft Video I for compression
  • these avi files can be presented using powerpoint whereas YUV cannot

Using Chimera to make movies

• • AVI files have not so far worked with powerpoint
  • MPEG1 movies are compatible with powerpoint, though of lower quality
  • open "movie recorder" window in chimera
    • click on DVD to resize window
    • 720X480 (dvd) size or 480x480 (SVCD) size
    • specify output file
    • specify output format (MPEG1)
  • create command file to record movie commands
    • * copa-dC-movie.txt: example chimera command file
    • use savepos command to store key positions
    • then use reset command to move to those positions during the movie
  • file->open "chimera commands" to run the command file (this will start movie)
    • also should be able to use source or read from command line
  • after running command file to record the images, will have to hit Make Movie to create movie

Rotate Movie (AVI) 90deg

• The first thing you can try is the Windows Movie Maker in the accessories.
• Import the video file into the storyboard and right click to choose the “video effects”.
• Add “rotate 90″ to the effect, and then you can export the movie to a WMV file.
• The good thing here is that you don’t need to download anything, since Windows Movie Maker comes with Windows XP.
• Can also edit the time line an stitch together movies using this software

• Set ALLOWTOPICVIEW =

-- BillRice - 28 Mar 2006