8mm restoration script question

[timsky]

This is an interesting discussion. I too am trying to degrain and clean video taken from 16mm film. I would be very grateful for a link to johnmeyer's script. Does it work in Virtual Dub?

[johnmeyer]

This is an interesting discussion. I too am trying to degrain and clean video taken from 16mm film. I would be very grateful for a link to johnmeyer's script. Does it work in Virtual Dub?

Here is the last version that I have publicly posted:

John Meyer's Version of "VideoFred" Film Restoration Script

Because of its length, the script is posted in two successive posts. The link gets you to the first of those two posts.

I use VirtualDub to open the script and to save its results.

[timsky]

Thank you

[timsky]

How can I get hold of the plug in to do the job?

[johnmeyer]

How can I get hold of the plug in to do the job?

Here is a package that contains the DLLs:

Film Restoration DLLs

I have sent this to a few people and they were able to make the script work. However, your best bet is to download them yourself. Why? Because your O/S and installation may be different than mine. I use an older version of AVISynth that is multi-threading. I run on Windows XP 32-bit. I don't use AvsPMod (nothing wrong with it, I just don't use it). I could go on, but the point it that using these DLLs may, or may not, work on your system. If not, I probably can't help you.

[Bruce/Fl]

The only issue with the plugins that I personally had, that I remember, was with the version of mvtools2. The only one that would not hang up the script is version 2.6.0.5. That one worked well.

I'm on win7 64bit, and also win10, on my laptop.

YMMV.

[Bruce/Fl]

I'm back....

John, or anybody else that can offer guidance

I'm having a hangup in making the tweaks to the script in order to get an output in a DVD (SD) compliant output.

I have some really sweet blu-ray ready files, but the what I think are logical changes to get it down from 1920x1080 to 720x480 aren't working.

What I did so far, from the beginning, I took your script, and changed the "W=720 H=480" final size after cropping to "1920 and 1080", due to my source files being full HD.

When I ran ithe script, I had the "floating borders" issue. So I added in 140 values to the "in_bord_left=0" and "in_bord_right=0", (140+140=280, 1920-280=1440, image size without pillar boxes is1440x1080, which is the correct 4:3) and that fixed it.

So now that I am in the DVD world, the output needs to be 720x480 pillar boxed, which gives an image area without the pillar boxes of 640x480.(4:3)

So, I plugged in the corresponding #'s, 720, 480, for final size after cropping, changed the in_bord_right (and left) to 40 this time, which would make it the coerrect 640x480.

I sent it NTSC widescreen frameserved from Vegas, I tried different PAR's, just to see what would happen, I tried reg NTSC, but my output from the script is always compressed horizontially.

I'm sure it is smoething silly I am simply overloking, but I for the life of me I can't figure it out.

Here is the code I am using after adjusting it for SD

#SIZE, CROP AND BORDERS PARAMETERS
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLeft=16  CTop=16  CRight=16  CBottom=16                           #crop values after Depan and before final resizing 
W=720  H=480                                                     #final size after cropping 
bord_left=0        bord_top=0     bord_right=0     bord_bot=0      
in_bord_left=40  in_bord_top=0  in_bord_right=40  in_bord_bot=0  #Borders around input that must be removed

The whole script I am using is located here, but it is in it's full 1920x1080 incarnation there.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1760232#post1760232

(I also tried feeding the script the full HD version and then resizing it in the script but that didn't work either.)

[johnmeyer]

I cannot help you directly, but a few facts may help you figure it out:

1. 720x480 is non-square pixels. Vegas uses 0.9091 as the PAR, but most other programs use a slightly different number. 656x480 is (roughly) the square pixel equivalent. I always keep everything 720x480, and then feed that to something (my DVD encoder) that understands non-square pixels and does the horizontal "squishing." I never try to deal with it in the script because you can't: the non-square PAR is something only some encoders understand, and it must be done during the encode.

2. in_bord_left/right are two variable that I added when I did my variation of VideoFred's script. They are not in any version of his scripts. They are temporary cropping values, i.e., they do not permanently crop the video. I added them mostly for 8mm which, even in a 4:3 project, still must have vertical pillars to be shown in 4:3 aspect ratio stored on a DVD. So, if your film capture has side borders (which your HD capture of most amateur film will have, unless that film uses an anamorphic lens, something I have actually seen and transferred), those border must be removed prior to applying the Depanstabilize deshaking or else you get horrible wandering borders. However, when it comes time to render the restored video, you have to add back those borders in order to have a standard height & width that can be put on a DVD or other output that only recognizes certain widths.

Of course if you are rendering to play on a computer or to upload to YouTube, you can simply crop the original and then render whatever width/height results from that operation.

[Bruce/Fl]

2. in_bord_left/right are two variable that I added when I did my variation of VideoFred's script. They are not in any version of his scripts. They are temporary cropping values, i.e., they do not permanently crop the video. I added them mostly for 8mm which, even in a 4:3 project, still must have vertical pillars to be shown in 4:3 aspect ratio stored on a DVD. So, if your film capture has side borders (which your HD capture of most amateur film will have, unless that film uses an anamorphic lens, something I have actually seen and transferred), those border must be removed prior to applying the Depanstabilize deshaking or else you get horrible wandering borders. However, when it comes time to render the restored video, you have to add back those borders in order to have a standard height & width that can be put on a DVD or other output that only recognizes certain widths.

This is where I'm having trouble. I totally get why you added the in_bord_left/right, and they work like a champ. I am dealing with 8mm scans, and they are presented to me pillarboxed. On my 1920x1080 files, I took 140 from each side, the depan/stabilize did it's thing beautifully, the pillars were added back with the sesulting file back in all of its 1920x1080 glory, and it was simply perfect.

But since I have to deal with 720x480 aspect ratios for the DVD source, I tried doing the exact same thing, but with the correct values for a 720x480 output. I subtracted 40 from each side instead of 140.

I have it to where it is no nonger horizontally compressed, but I have the floating borders issue. It's like the script totally ignored the temporary removal of the pillars.

I was able to, as an experiment, crop it in Vegas, send it in that way with the in_bords set to 0 (as there was no borders to temporarily remove) and it came out OK, but 640x480 with no pillars, which is what you would expect.

Is that a possible solution? If so, what would be the avisynth script command to add borders to it to get it back to 720x480? Would it be, in this case:

AddBorders(40, 0, 40, 0)

?

If so, optimal placement in the big scheme of things?

Really strange to me that it isn't removing them for depan, running depan, then putting them back like in my bigger files treatment.

Of course if you are rendering to play on a computer or to upload to YouTube, you can simply crop the original and then render whatever width/height results from that operation.

Unfortunately in this case it is for a DVD.

Thank you John

[mcconnor]

Happy new year to you all!

I realize this is rather old but I wagered here I would not disturb the rather technical questions about details in johnmeyers script. I saw severel examples of its craftmanship and wanted to give it a try with my old 8mm scan of Canada in 1984. I am pretty new to the whole avisynth thing but managed to get all plugins to the right place and finally the script (newest Version posted by johnmeyer just recently in another thread) would not give out any errors anymore about missing plugins and the like. I also managed to get the cropping right (obviously the values have to be a multiple of 8) but then the script would simply not run. Normally I can play avs files via WMP but this time the player would just throw an error which is not pointing as to which error exactly. Funny though that the script will work in AVSEdit Plus - I can preview. After getting an error about low memory I adjusted the MaxMemory Setting to 512 MB which would work (altough very slow). Unfortunately Virtualdub2 or anything else besides AVSEdit wont run the script and I dont know why.

In Parallel I have been working on my scan with an alternate workflow and managed to get some result but as this is my first undertaking with restoring that old video I dont know if the script would in principle be able to produce a better result. In this case I would - with help - dig further as to somehow get it to work.

What do you think - will the script be able to recover more than I already have and if so what could be the problem with it running

Thanks very much for your input...

Script:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6rxlr5dwpkxk7ha/Kanada%201984%2001%20JM_Restoring%2001-19.avs?dl=0

Avisynth+ Latest Version, tried to get hold on the newest versions of the mentioned plugins (the package in this post would crash)

Alternate Workflow:
Unprocessed (66 MB):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pm1dbhgozbf41te/Unprocessed.mp4?dl=0

Processed (96 MB):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lw4tuqrwljffj05/Processed.mp4?dl=0

Workflow:
Degrain and Debust with Film9 (which as I understand works similar to the script)
Colorcorrect with VD and Color Mill 2.1
Sharpening with NeatVideo
Deshake with 2-Pass Deshaker for Virtualdub
Cutting Powerdirector
Regrain Final Cut with GrainFactory3 Script

[poisondeathray]

Unfortunately Virtualdub2 or anything else besides AVSEdit wont run the script and I dont know why.

Are you using correct matching versions ?

e.g. if you are using avisynth x86 , you must use vdub2 x86 , or mpchc x86 etc... If x64, use x64 versions

[mcconnor]

I am running on win 10 64 bit so I guess media player is also 64 bit (this has not been an issue with my other scripts - though not as complex). I did make e.g. some comparisons with stacked videos via avisynth script that would play in wmp without issues. Avisynth is 32 bit as are all plugins. Also virtualdub2 is 32 bit. E.g. I did the regraining with an avisynth script which I opend In virtualdub2 and saved to an mkv. That was no issue...

[matyas]

Hello everyone,
I have zero background in programming and have been trying for days... and days... to get any of these scripts to work for me, and never get off the ground.

When I try opening 8mm enhancement scripts in VirtualDub2 I invariably get a box saying 'File Open Error' File.... does not have a video stream. This regardless of what avi I try to open. Or, the scripts just shut down VD2 altogether.

Yet, I am able to run Filters such as Deshaker in VD2. And I have been able to run some in VD1, too. But most of what I want to do with my clips apparently exists only as scripts, not filters.

I keep seeing links to Download DLLs, codecs and so on but no one ever says exactly where to PUT the files. Does it matter if the .avs scripts are not in the same folder as the clips being processed? Can someone point me to a very newbie-oriented tutorial? Maybe the problem is just that since I am used to AutoInstall exe software, I am putting things in the wrong directories on my PC?

Or do scripts like John Meyer's and Fred's assume that users have an advanced programming background, and the only way I am going to be able to run these is to get an IT specialist to set up on my PC for me?

I'm getting discouraged, any help appreciated.

[videofred]

Hello Matyas,

Please learn some Avisynth basics first:
http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page

Have you installed Avisynth on your computer?

Fred.

[Alwyn]

I have zero background in programming and have been trying for days... and days... to get any of these scripts to work for me, and never get off the ground.

I feel your struggle. Have look at this post by Lollo:

https://www.digitalfaq.com/forum/video-capture/12805-first-video-capture.html#post85085

[lollo]

It was for QTGMC, but gives a generic approach.

I cannot access to your script on DropBox. If you post it here, I can try to rewrite the above "sort of" guide for your case, if you wish.

[johnmeyer]

Whatever you do, do NOT try to use Fred's script or my script without first getting a simple script to work. Here is what you should do.

1. Read this first: Your first script – A guide for total newbies.

2. Install AVISynth. I recommend downloading and installing AVISynth+ 32-bit. It should run on anything, and the 64-bit version may not work with all plugins. Also, I've never been convinced that the 64-bit version has any significant advantages over 32-bit.

3. Start with a simple script. Just type this in Notepad and save with the extension ".AVS".

AVISource("e:\fs.avi")

You obviously will change the path and name to point to your actual video.

4. Open this script in VirtualDub. It should play your video just as if you had opened the AVI file directly.

If you can get that far, you will be over the hump and you can start to add lines of code to your script to alter the video. This is somewhat similar to adding VDF filters in VirtualDub. The difference between those filters in VirtualDub and AVISynth is that you can direct each AVISynth filter to act on one pixel, one line, one field, one frame, or multiple frames. You can also feed the results of one operation into the next. You can also inspect any portion of the video and decide whether or not to apply a change. As an example, take a look at how I was able to remove the noise bars from this old amateur Kinescope:

1955 NFL Football Noise Bars Before-After

The script I developed had to correctly identify the noise bar overexposure area as it moved up the screen from one frame to the next, and then apply an exposure adjustment based on the difference between that bar and the average exposure on the adjacent portion of the frame.

I still consider this to be the best fix I ever made, and I don't think any tool other than AVISynth could have done the job.

[matyas]

Thanks to everyone who answered, I really appreciate the support. I was stretched very thin at work this week and only today have been able to engage with the posts.

Fred - yes, I should have mentioned that, sorry. I first installed Avisynth as suggested in your video https://youtu.be/irbZewfz-SA?t=210 . Given my poor results, I thought I have done something wrong, so I then uninstalled that and used the instructions here: https://www.l33tmeatwad.com/avisynth101/software-setup

John - I tried the simple script you posted above, and now it works. Which I don't even understand, because until now I literally could not open a one-line script using AviSynth; I could do *other* things using Vdub1 and 2, but not run scripts. One of my last tweaks must accidentally have solved part of the problem. Until now I only received the error below, and I don't understand what it is trying to tell me. The path is correct, so what does "does not have a video stream" mean?
[Attachment 71162 - Click to enlarge]

[johnmeyer]

Until now I only received the error below, and I don't understand what it is trying to tell me. The path is correct, so what does "does not have a video stream" mean?
[Attachment 71162 - Click to enlarge]

That usually means that you are not using the correct DLL to open the video. Every video uses a codec (coder/decoder) to encode the video. In AVISynth, you have to use the right DLL call or the video will not open.

In my example, I used AVISource. It will open some AVI files, but if the AVI file uses a codec that it doesn't support, it will fail, probably with an error message similar to the one you posted. FFVideoSource is another way to open videos. You can use Mediainfo to find out what codec your video uses. You can also post a short clip and people can tell you what AVISynth call will let you open the video.

[manono]

You can also post the script being used.

[matyas]

Hi again,
Re: Codecs, I have installed every Codec I saw recommended as useful to this project - but I am not sure if I installed/unzipped them in the right place. I cannot seem to find a definitive answer (using Google at least): do all codecs need to uniformly be put in a single location? Or do different codecs need to be installed in different folders?

Attaching a list below. Many of them are in C:\Windows\System32\, but also several in other locations and I am not quite sure now how they ended up there. Some are in Program Files (x86)\ - is that right?


[Attachment 71527 - Click to enlarge]