About Avisynth script

[vertical]

Hi,

I have created a script (resizing and sharpening) for conversion of avi to NTSC DVD with Aviscript. As a result I’ve got two files: “NameOfMovie.avs” and “NameOfMovie.avc”.

First I tried to load “NameOfMovie.avs” to VirtualDubMod, which looks like was not right, my PC crashed.

Then I loaded it Procoder that accepted it with no problem. In the “Source” information it showed NTSC DVD data. I started conversion and when it was finished I got MPEG2 file. When I tried to play it, there only was a bright green picture (I would say luminescent) of a very small size.

If it could help, I can post the script generated by Aviscript.

What did I do wrong? And most importantly, do I need an Avisynth script for Procoder? It looks like it can do resizing and sharpening on its own.

Can you please advise an Avisynth script that can be used to check in VirtualDubMod whther the movie is interleaved? Those scripts are nightmare for me. I believe if Iget one I would be able to use for every movie.

Thank you!

[guns1inger]

Can you post the script here ?

You can't just use the same script for every movie unless all your mmovies have the same properties (resolution, framerate etc) and need the same degree of filtering.

Personally, I would use a script to load into ProCoder or any other encoder (I use both CCE and ProCoder), simply because you know exactly what you are feeding the encoder, and avisynth has a much better range and quality of filters than most encoders have builtin.

FitCD is a good way to start a script that is being used to resize and avi for DVD encoding. From there you can build on to it for filtering etc.

But post your script and we can have a look at what you have now.

[vertical]

guns1inger,

Thank you! Here is what Aviscript created for me:

# File: E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game-[9576-224].avs (unsplitted)
#================================================= =============
# AVISynth-Script to generate Stream: [DVD (NTSC 720x480)]
# created from [AviScript] at: 28.09.2006, 13:48
#================================================= =============

# 01________________________________________________ ___________
# Variables generated by AviScript
video = "E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi"
audio = ""
masktop = 0
maskbuttom = 0
maskleft = 0
maskright = 0
sharpgrade = 0.4
#End01

# 02________________________________________________ ___________
# Load AviSynth PlugIns
#End02

# 03________________________________________________ ___________
# Load Video & Audio
# read AVI videostream
AviSource(video)
#End03

# 06________________________________________________ ___________
# Filtering
# sharpen video
Sharpen(sharpgrade)
#End06

# 07________________________________________________ ___________
# Resize [DVD (NTSC 720x480)] - Add 16:9 Borders: 60
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)
#End07

#EndAll

-------------------------------------------

I do realize that I cannot use the same parameters but I believe if I would be able to unsert parameters from Gspot. My problem to write the script, I mean those lines of text - commands(Syntaxis if I understand it right).

[manono]

Hi-

If your script crashes VDubMod, it's sure as heck not going to produce anything useful in Procoder. Always test your scripts in VDub(Mod) before sending to the encoder. Here, try this:

AVISource("E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi")
Sharpen(0.4) #Adjust the sharpening number, if you wish
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)

What you posted before was just some generic template not meant for encoding. guns1inger's suggestion is a good one. Use FitCD to give you a good basic script. Then add any filters (like the Sharpen filter) yourself.

Open the script in VDubMod and if there's an error message, and you don't understand it, post it here. Also I don't know if the crop/resize is taking the original AVI resolution into account, or if that's generic as well. What is the original resolution of the AVI, and are you planning on encoding for 4:3 or 16:9?

[vertical]

Hi,

It gives an error message:

Avisynth open failure:

AVISource autodetect: could not open file.... (path)
Error code: 2
(E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avs, line1)

--------------------

Should the file have extention avs or avi?

The original resoluthion is 640 x 272.

Thanks!

[manono]

If you're starting with an AVI source, it should definitely be an AVI extension. So, very carefully check and make sure the paths and names are correct.

Edit: Oh, I see, you changed my script.

Edit Again: I was editing while you were answering. What's the resolution of the AVI?

[vertical]

manono,

I just removed the words "change sharphess settings". That's it.

[manono]

The crop and resize are OK for 16:9 encoding.

[vertical]

I've changed the script file extention from avs to avi but I've got another error message:

Cannot detect file type of: E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi

I am missing it....

[manono]

And I may have undersood what you wrote before. My fault and I'm sorry. First, name your .avs something like The Game.avs. I think you already did that.
Next, inside The Game.avs are these lines:

AVISource("E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi")
Sharpen(0.4)
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)

The AVISource line should be pointing to an AVI named The Game.avi.

Please work.

[vertical]

manono,

Really sorry! The movie file name right now is just "Game", without "The". I changed it and opened the file in VirtualDubMod.

Does this mean that I canuse the script for resizing in Procoder?

Thanks!

[manono]

Whew! I was getting worried, and was afraid it was entirely my fault. Good going.

By the way, it's usually better to extract the audio and handle it separately. If AC3, hold it aside until the authoring stage, If MP3, extract it and convert to AC3 and hold it until authoring. To disable the audio in the script:

AVISource("E:\AVI Movies\The Game\Game.avi",False)
Sharpen(0.4)
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)

Test again in VDubMod, and send it to Procoder. It's already resized, DVD compliant, and ready for 16:9 encoding. If you have any Procoder specific questions, someone else (guns1inger, BJ_M, or others) will have to answer. Good luck.

[vertical]

Actually I have already demuxed audio into a separate folder as Procoder cannot swallow AC3 -)

If I undertstand rghit I do not need "false" and can use the first version, right?

I tried to read Avisynth documentation how to write scripts. It looks like it is for people who have some ideas about the stuff. But I could not find anything for total newbies.

For example, why in the world should I write Expression but not impression or depression? How do I know it should be "expression"?

[manono]

Well, demuxing is different from disabling or removing. If you've both demuxed and removed the audio from the AVI, then yes, you don't need the "False", and you can use the earlier script.

I didn't understand your last question. You want some good tutorials? Read the documentation that comes with DGMPGDec. It's for preparing Vobs and MPEGs for use in AviSynth scripts (which I assume you'll be doing at some point). But it's clearly and simply written. And until you get the hang of it, FitCD is good for creating basic scripts. I think you've discovered these sites:

http://www.avisynth.org/
http://www.avisynth.org/mediawiki/wiki/Main_Page

[vertical]

"If you've both demuxed and removed the audio from the AVI, then yes, you don't need the "False" " - No, I just demuxed it. As far as I remeber I can only "Disable" it. Do you mean that? "DElete" does not work.

Could you please write a sample script for checking interlacing in VirtualDubMod? Thanks a lot in advance.

A more braod question; since I need very basic scripts (resizing and sharpening - that's it) can I always use FitCD as a tool to write/get scripts?

Yes, I mean I could not find tutorials that a newbie could understand. They ar all for advnced people. I need something "from scratch".

http://www.avisynth.org/ - I know this one. It is not from scratch. I believe it gives understanding for people who dealt with programming. But I will definitely read the second one. It gives an impression of something I am looking for. Thanks.

[guns1inger]

FitCD will create you a good, accurate resizing script. Throw in a simple sharpen filter (I like asharp) and you are done.

If you used virtualdubmod to demux your audio, then it is still present in the file, so you should still add the ",False" parameter to your load statement. You can disable it in virtualdubmod but clicking the disable button, then saving a new version of the avi without the audio at all. But using ,False is simpler because you don't have to change your avi file.

There is no simple interlace detection script. 99% of material you download will progressive, as will most game videos. It is only when you are dealing with DV, some DVD material, and home analogue captures that it becomes and issue. The general advice is that the eyebals are the most accurate way to see if the footage is interlaced.

I would recommend that you also download avsedit. You can get it from the avisynth downloads page. It is a mini editor for avisynth scripts. It can prompt you about parameters for each filter, and contains a good, condensed version of the avisynth help files and rundowns on the most used filters, both built-in and external. I use notepad to edit a lot more now that I used to, but I still refer back to this help file a lot because it is so handy and concise.

[manono]

You can tell if the audio has been removed from the AVI by playing the AVI. If the audio is still in there, keep the "False" in the script. Or remove the audio completely by Disabling it in Stream List and resaving the AVI while Direct Streaming it.

Could you please write a sample script for checking interlacing in VirtualDubMod? Thanks a lot in advance.

No, that's what your eyes are for. If it's an AVI, there shouldn't be any interlacing in it. If there is, and it's been resized vertically, the chances are very good you can't get rid of it even if you wanted to. So open it in VDubMod. You can zoom in by right-clicking on the video screen. Scroll to a place with movement/motion. and begin advancing a frame at a time. If you don't see any interlacing, it's not interlaced.

A more braod question; since I need very basic scripts (resizing and sharpening - that's it) can I always use FitCD as a tool to write/get scripts?

Yep, it's free and good for all sources and destinations. It'll give you crops, addborders, and resizes, but not sharpening or other such filters. Let me find FulciLives' guide for FitCD:

https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?p=1487285#1487285

Edit: guns1inger beat me to it. Glad you're around. I can retire now.

[vertical]

Guys,

Thank you! Hopefully I will move a little ahead. For now, I am stuck with the scripts.

"So open it in VDubMod. You can zoom in by right-clicking on the video screen. Scroll to a place with movement/motion. and begin advancing a frame at a time. If you don't see any interlacing, it's not interlaced." - I can sure do this. It was my (mis)understanding that I need a script to be able to check it.

As far as I understood I should not use Aviscript as it has not been developed to the right level yet, right?

I removed all empty/errelevant lines from the script that was generated by Aviscript and got the following:

video = "E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi"
sharpgrade = 0.4
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)

It is very close (the first line differs only) to manono's script. Did it not work just because of the first line?

[guns1inger]

I don't know what Sharpgrade is. It isn't a built-in filter, and if it is an external filetr then it needs to be loaded, or put in the avisynth plugin folders.

Secondly, and sharpening should happen after the resize, as the aim is to restore detail lost in the resizing.

Persoanlly, I use asharp for this type of thing.

LoadPlugin("pathtoavisynthfolder\asharp.dll")
video = "E:\AVI Movies\The Game\The Game.avi"
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)
asharp(2,4)

Adjust asharp parameters as necessary.

[vertical]

Thank you!

I tried to load in Procoder the script that manono was so kind to write for me (checked in VirtuaDubMod - works) but after I clicked Convert and then Preview, I again see some bright green luminiscent picture instead of the regular movie picture. Is it supposed to be that way?

I believe Avisynth should be involved here somehow for the script to work. Probably I am missing some settings?

[guns1inger]

Avisynth is running, or you wouldn't see anything in virtualdubmod. Avisynth runs in the background when an avs file is opened in a video program that understands the format. It is avisynth that feeds the video and audio through, and does all the processing. If it isn't running, you would just get an error in virtualdubmod. Avisynth itself doesn't have an interface, so you won't see it when it's running.

You don't see this green image when you open the script in virtualdubmod ?

Open the script again virtualdubmod, then click on File->Information, and tell us what you see for framerate, resolution etc.

[vertical]

When I open the file in VirtualDubMod, everything is fine: just regular movie picture.

Frame size: 720x480. 23.976 fps (41708)
Length: 9211 frames (6:24.17)
Fourcc: Fourcc (Yv12) ATI YVU12 4:20 palnar
Decompressor: ffdshow Video codec
Number of key frames: 9211
Data rate: 99433 kbps (o:00% overhead)

The most important question: do I need a script (resizing) to encode PAL DVD to NTSC DVD with Procoder? For NTSC DVD, Procoder by default sets 720 x 480 in Target settings.

Thank you!

[guns1inger]

PAL to NTSC is a whole other discussion. Let's just get the simple things working first.

Can you use g-spot 2.60 or avicodec on the original avi file, and post the details (preferably a screenshot) here ?

[vertical]

Here it is:

[guns1inger]

Can you try this version of the script instead

DirectShowSource("E:\AVI Movies\The Game\Game.avi",False)
bicubicresize(720,360)
addborders(0,60,0,60)
Sharpen(0.4)

I have moved the Sharpen statement to the correct place, and changed the Source statement to use DirectShow instead. You are already using FFDShow to load the video through avisynth, however I suspect you may have been using the vfw filters. Give this a try instead.

As always, test in virtualdubmod first.

[vertical]

Thank you!

It works both in Virtualdubmod and in Procoder. I removed "False" as I disabled audio.

Please advise in Procoder, should I use closed GOP?

[guns1inger]

What are you authoring in ?

There are sometimes small quality gains in leaving GOPs open, however the downside is slightly less accuracy when authoring chapter points later. You also need closed GOPs if you are encoding video for use in multi-angle authoring.

Otherwise, don't worry to much about it.

[vertical]

It is TSUNAMI-MPEG. No multiangle required. It is just a movie.

The whole project is to add up a small missing part of the movie (avi converted to NTSC DVD) to the major DVD part that is presently PAL DVD but will be also converted to NTSC DVD.

That's why I asked about DVD to NTSC and script.

[vertical]

guns1inger, manono,

Thank you very much for your time! I have to leave.