Time lapse in Vdub. Problems with large file size and x264VfW problems

[nab49]

Hey all,

I just downloaded VirtualDub (32 bit version) as well as the x264VfW codec (32 bit version) and the ffdshow codecs package. They all show fine in VirtualDub. I wanted to make a time lapse video out of some photos. I did not reduce the size of the photos so they are about 5 - 6MB each (maybe that is a problem?)

First I tried with 20 pics. I change the frame rate and added a filter, (resizing the frame to a height of 720 and making it "Multiples of 2"). I also enabled VirtualDub Hack in the x264VfW configuration.

When trying different compressions, it seemed like the ffdshow compressions worked fine but when I made a video using the x264VfW codec, some frames were missing which made for an odd jerky video. Not sure why that went wrong

Second I tried making a video out of all of the 1000 pictures that I have (so about 6GB of data) using the ffdshow H264 codec (the first on the list). The output file was large (800 MB) and when I watched it with WMP or Quick Time, it was just a bunch of colored pixels. Using the x264VfW codec the video displayed fine but again was missing a lot of the images.

Do you have any idea what may have gone wrong? Do I need to reduce the size of the photos first?

Thanks a lot

[jagabo]

I don't know what was going wrong but I know it's not necessary to reduce the photo size first.

[nab49]

Thanks for the reply. I just tried making the video again with the ffdshow decoder H. 264/AVC. Under "Encoders" in the ffdshow configurations, I reduced the quality from 85 to 16 and that made a video that worked (file size 270MB).

Still the x264VfW does not work well...

[jagabo]

Set x264vfw to the ultrafast preset and see what you get.

[nab49]

Ok. That worked. The video doesn't look great but seems like all the pics are there. Would that mean that it is the PC that isn't good enough?

[jagabo]

Your PC shouldn't matter. It would just be slower. When you say some of the frames where missing what exactly do you mean? If you open the video in VirtualDub and step slowly through the frames one by one are there duplicates? Are there skips?

The next thing to try in x264vfw is using the medium preset but set b-frames to 0. Enter --bframes=0 in the extra command line options.

[nab49]

I cannot quite figure out what is wrong with it. In WMP, the video plays but it is as if images were missing. I haven't looked at it in all detail but it looks to me like a video at say 2fps with (random?) pictures removed. So that is why the video is jerky because images are missing.

So for example I want Pic1 - 0.5s break - Pic 2 - 0.5s break - Pic 3 - 0.5 s break Pic4

but I get Pic 1 - 1s break - Pic 3 - 0.5s break - Pic 4 etc.

When I open the video in virtual dub it is confusing. Hlf of the video has no content and the other half is the first half of the pictures. I am not sure. It is probably hard to fix remotely without showing you. I will try medium with b-frames = 0 next. Will be a few minutes

[nab49]

Oh. And I also tried making a video again with more pictures and using the ffdshow decoder H. 264/AVC with the quality set to 16. The video is 1.6GB large and only shows as a bunch of colored pixels again.

So it seems like as soon as the video size gets too large, the H. 264/AVC doesn't work...

[nab49]

--bframes=0 seems to work.

I tried to attach the Video that isn't working.

[nab49]

And here is the one that is working, encoded with the H264/AVC encoder

[MaverickTse]

Then stop using VDub and the x264vfw codec if it is so problematic...

1. Get AviUtl (The minimal pack should already work, if you don't need to save MP4/MKV)
2. Get Lagarith or Utvideo codec (for loseless AVI)
3. Name your source images as 4-digit number, e.g. 0000.bmp, 0001.bmp...0099.bmp
4. In Advanced Editing, create a new project, add a new Video Object, then load your first image.
5. adjust vPlay slider to adjust the play speed
6. File> Export as AVI
7. Select Lagarith/UtVideo, configure if necessary, then save.

[jagabo]

I think the problem you are having is in viewing your encoded files with VirtualDub. All 12 frames are present in upliftx264.avi but VirtualDub doesn't handle h.264 with bframes in AVI well. Many other programs have that problem too. I'd stick to using --bframes=0 if you're going to use x264vfw.

[DarrellS]

Use the external encoder feature of Virtualdub and use the x264.exe command line encoder instead of x264vfw and save as mkv (not avi).

I usually create a psd file in Photoshop using a maximum of 100 layers (sometimes that's too many depending on size and memory). I then open each psd file in Gif Movie Gear and save as uncompressed avi. I then open avi in Virtualdub, adjust framerate if needed, add audio if needed and save as 264.mkv.

I wish Virtualdub could open Photoshop psd files. It sure would make life simpler.

[nab49]

Thanks for all the help. I will try those options and let you know!!

Do you also have an idea, why the video making fails when the file size is too big?

[jagabo]

Do you also have an idea, why the video making fails when the file size is too big?

The only time that should happen is when using a FAT formatted drive for the output -- FAT has a 4GB file size limit.

[nab49]

Hmm That was def not it. The file size was <2GB.

One video was 864MB and the other one 1.61GB.

Another video with 799 MB worked out. It could also be that it wasn't a file size issue but a combined number of frames - quality issue.

I.e.
Video 1: 1000 frames; failed at high quality - (size 860 MB) file; O.K. at Medium quality (size 300MB)
Video 2: 2700 frames ; failed at medium quality (size 1.6GB); O.K at low quality (size 800 MB)

But I am really not sure. It doesn't quite make sense to me...

[DarrellS]

Did you try using the external encoders feature?

I don't know what you mean from the above post. It doesn't make any sense to me. You need to list a whole lot more information. I have no idea what type PC you have with what processor and memory.

If you are using photo files that are 5-6 GB each in size, it will not take long before you run out of memory and whichever encoder you are using crashes.

[nab49]

Oh so it is a memory issue maybe after all? My laptop is definitely not the most powerful (Intel i5 with 6GB RAM and Windows 7 - 64 bit). It would be interesting to see if my office computer would manage but I won't be able to access it until End of Nov.

I have no tried the external encoder feature yet (and also will have to do search for what that actually is; I m not familiar with any of this so I will have to figure it out at some point).

[jagabo]

You can monitor VirtualDub's memory usage with Task Manager. I just created an x264vfw AVI file from 2400 1920x1080 jpg images with VirtualDub (32 bit version). VirtualDub's memory usage was around ~150 MB. I used both the Medium and Superfast presets in x264vfw. You shouldn't have problems with memory usage until a program gets up over 2000 MB.

Laptop? Maybe your CPU is overheating. Run a CPU temperature monitor.