HCbatchGUI - (batch processor for HCenc and Aften). Development Thread.

freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

I have created a GUI for HCbatch. Normally HCenc requires you to write a .bat file to batch process your videos. HCbatchGUI makes the process a little simpler. It aims at simplifying the process of using command line software. HCbatchGUI should allow for easy batch processing with HC,Aften, and DGpulldown without having to write a batch script. The program and source code are available at the homepage for HCbatchGUI ~~written in c++. Comments & suggestions are welcome.

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end edit October 31, 2009
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For those interested I've updated the windows version of HCbatchGUI to version 14.9

freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Here is a simple guide for HCbatchGUI.

For a larger version of the below video just click here

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gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

Looks good, but of course I have some suggestions which are completely based on my own opinions and preferences, so do with them what you want.

Selecting auto gop should disable the gop length scroll and ideally the auto selected value should be displayed, but I don't think that you can do that (since you won't have feedback from HC). Deselecting auto gop should enable the scroll.
The interlaced fields frame should not be visible unless interlaced is checked. When visible the TFF/BFF options should be radio buttons since it has to be one or the other.
Is there a way to view the job list from within the GUI? It may be useful if you get interrupted and forget where you left off.
And maybe the ability to edit the job list to be able to remove duplicate entries.
Does the ini file display allow for direct editing to add tweaks or comments not covered by the gui, (like chapter points)?
Can you select a line and turn it into a comment instead of completely deleting it?
Also automatically deleting the ini files should be an option, unless there is some way it can detect the drive filling up (or some other error) and stop the batch accordingly. In my experience a batch will keep running even though HC errors out and automatically deleting the ini files means starting from scratch.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Thanks for the reply. This is my first attemp at a gui so it's a learning process...that and I've only been coding for about two weeks now.

gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

Keep posting back here, and I'll keep reading, trying, and commenting.

I don't really do a lot of batch processing, but I've always got a few unprocessed videos hanging around that I can test with.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Second release is out.
edit outdated don't download. Go to sourceforge to download latest.
hcbatchgui_release_2

Changes made.

#Added button and dropdown box to change/select the matrix
#Added manual gop selection. When auto gop is unchecked man gop becomes visible. When man. gop is checked auto gop becomes invisible.
#Interlaced fields option is only visible when interlaced is checked.
#Added ability to select a line and replace it with your own text.
#Removed auto delete ini funtion (so files would not be lost in case of an error)
#Added Delete all ini button to remove ini files after sucessful encode.

#TO DO
Add ability to view current job list.
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gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

My prior comments were based on your screenshots and comments. I actually tried to install and run it this time. Installed OK, but won't run without .NET framework v2. I'm running W2K and don't have the .NET framework installed. What .NET features are you using and is it really necessary?

I can try it on my laptop when I get a chance, but that's not the computer that I do most of my video editing on and I would be unlikely to actually use your program there. I am also unlikely to install .NET on my primary PC.

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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

I programmed it using sharpdevelope 2.0 (primarily because it is opensource) using C# as the language. The code i have is based loosely off several tutorials found on the net. Chose it because it seemed the easiest to learn. Still very new to this.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

3rd release is out.
edit outdated. go to sourceforge to download latest.
hcbatchgui 3rd release

#Added Text box/review of job list. Allows for opening saved ini files and reviewing them.
#Fixed Modify selected line. Now if you select a line in the ini display box it also puts that text in the Modify box so you can directly edit the line.
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gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

I still haven't gotten around to trying it on my laptop, but a suggestion I made earlier about GOP and AutoGOP should be re-examined because I misunderstood the AutoGOP feature and how it works. (You got me thinking and reading.) Autogop allows you to specify a maximum GOP length of between 12 and 18 so there should be a way to set that. (Again, haven't actually seen it yet, maybe you already did this.)
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

I'm only marginally knowledgeable about C (in any flavor) in that I can read the code and usually figure out most of what it's doing, but I don't program in it and don't have any compilers, so I'm speculating here (and would be happy to be corrected by someone who knows for sure), but I don't think any of them should actually require .net be a requirement in the applications they build. However it is probably M$ default to include reference to the .net libraries even if they aren't used in the code and that makes any application made with it require .net be installed. If you can figure out how to remove the library references from the compiled application, .net shouldn't be required.
Having said that, you may not have that option in the compiler version you have.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

I used Sharpdevelop. You can read up about it here. It requires .net.

However I have read about a compiler called the MONO project that will compile C# without .net. Read about it here. I will read up on it myself and if I can get it working I will compile a .net free version as I want this app to be as stand alone as possible.
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AlanHK · Member Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Location: Hong Kong

I haven't installed this, not having NET2, but a small comment:

One annoyance with HC's own GUI is that the default output file remains the same, even when you change the input file. Thus a few times when neglecting that I've overwritten a file. (One reason I wrote my own primitive batch scripter, mentioned elsewhere.) It looks like this has the same behaviour.

I suggest the default output file name be changed automatically, to have the same root name as the input AVS file. And maybe a check to warn if the output file already exists.

freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Yes that is the default setting of the save file dialog. I will have to look into changing that because I like your idea of setting the output name the same as the input name. Will try to implement it in the next release.

Thanks for the input AlanHK!
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

edit. confirmed still requiring .net as of right now.

Gadgetguy or AlanHK. Would either of you be willing to test my next release. I have read up on compiling C# with the mono project (runs off of mono runtimes instead of .net) so you should be able to use the app on computers without .net installed. You can read the article here

hcbatchgui_no_dot_net_test.exe

Thanks for all your help guys. It is much appreciated.

AlanHK I looked into changing the default save filename but couldn't change it the way you suggested. I could set a default name that would show up everytime like"your file.m2v" but that wouldn't really solve anything so I left it alone. It's to bad too because I liked the suggestion.
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gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

I tried the hcbatchgui_no_dot_net_test.exe. Install goes OK, but as soon as you try to start the app, the error message about needing .net framework v2 pops up and execution stops. So it's still requiring .net to run.

P.S. Check your PM
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Crap. Well I'll keep at it. Would be great if I could get it working without .net. Thanks for the PM. I will look into it.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Fourth release is out.

fixed typo in matrix combobox.

hcbatchgui_setup_4.exe

I'm also in the process of re-writing the whole gui in c++ to eliminate the need for .net. Should post it in about a week.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

HCbatchGUI is now hosted at Sourceforge.net

http://sourceforge.net/projects/hcbatchgui/
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Baldrick · Administrator Joined: 09 Aug 2000 Location: Sweden

I added a link to the hcbatchgui to the hc encoder tool page.

gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

Baldrick · Administrator Joined: 09 Aug 2000 Location: Sweden

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/hc under other info.

gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

I meant, how come it doesn't show up on the new tools list on the front page?

Edit: I probably should have asked in Feedback.

Edit Edit: I get it now.

You don't have it listed as a separate tool, just as an "other info" link on the HC Encoder page.
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gadgetguy · Contestant Joined: 14 Feb 2002 Location: Michigan, USA

I tried it on my laptop and received the same error. A quick check showed that the laptop only has .net 1.1. I'm still not likely to update .net, so sorry, still can't test.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Still working on development of another build. Trying both c++ and freebasic. Not sure when will be done but will post here when finished. Thanks for all your effort
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Baldrick thanks for adding the app. I hope people find it useful.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

I have done a major rewrite of the gui (still requires dot net but I am 3/4 done with a c++ non .net version). New release is simpler. Set source directory, target directory, average and max bitrate. Then make your setting and "Save" a ini/template (saving it as whatever is easier for you to remember). Click the "open template create batch" button then click convert the batch at top and your off...

You can reuse the templates over and over again so once you have them set up all you have to enter in the future is the source, target, bitrates then open template and convert the batch.

Pros
No worrying with filenames. Output filenames will be the same as input but end in .m2v

No more multiple settings. Make a few basic templates then you can hide the settings and never look at them again.

Download the latest release at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/hcbatchgui
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

Here is a simple guide.

Lets say we have a bunch of 23.976 files to encode.

First make a template for your project by checking the settings at bottom. Select best for profile, set your dc precision (9 is for normal bitrates), select aspect ratio, matrix, check 3:2 pulldown, Check either auto gop or manual gop ( i suggest auto gop). Then save all that as your template (keep the template name descriptive because you can reuse these later i.e. "4_3 with pulldown.ini").

Now go to the top and Select your source and target directories, set your bitrates.

Then click "open template create batch".

Then click convert the batch and watch your encodes start!

When you have created all the templates you'll need you can hide the settings by checking the "Hide settings controls" checkbox and you won't even have to look at the settings.
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freebird73717 · Man of Steel Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: Smallville

If you downloaded the new release since I posted this you will need to redownload it as I uploaded an old version for release five. Fixed it now though.

edit really fixed it this time. Sorry

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