Avisynth and VirtualDub

[mediaman083]

Hey folks,

(Pardon if some of this may seem nonsensical.. it probably will as I am totally new to Avisynth and VirtualDub.)

I have a 16mm film scanner from moviestuff. I have a test film scanned and want to use the videoFred film restoration scripts. My film is exported as an .mov file. I have also made an uncompressed .avi file to test with. Both files will open on their own in VirtualDub. The only method I can get for the video to work with Avisynth, is using DirectShowSource, and that only works for the .avi and not the .mov. AviSource does not work. (I am probably missing a codec or file somewhere?) I have read about using QTSource for getting .mov's to work but I have had no success with this.

My sample script

DirectShowSource("C:\RetroScanExports\NEW SCANS\TEST.avi") (Works)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AviSource("C:\RetroScanExports\NEW SCANS\TEST.avi") (Does not work) VirtualDub says it cannot open the file.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Neither DirectShowSource, nor AviSource (avi or mov) work for the videoFred scripts for me yet. So I know I am doing something wrong.

I am using VirtualDub 1.10.4
AviSynth 2.6.0
I have FFDshow installed.
I have GSpot installed.

I have spent the past few days reading on things but am still at a loss, so I thought I might post here and see if someone with more experience could/would help me out with getting on the right path.

Let me know if you need any other information, id be glad to provide it! Thanks for your time.

[jagabo]

GSpot will tell you what codec (even uncompressed video needs a codec) is used in the AVI file. Download and install it. ffdshow has "raw" decoders for most uncompressed video fourcc codes.

Another possibility is to install the lsmash package for AviSynth and use LSMashVideoSource() to open the mov file or LWLibavVideoSource() to open the AVI file. Decoders are built into those source filters.

Also, be sure to use all 32 bit or all 64 bit components. You cannot mix/match components of the two environments. So use 32 bit VirtualDub, 32 bit AviSynth, 32 bit filters, and 32 bit codecs. Or use all 64 bit versions. Generally, the 32 bit versions are more reliable.

[alex3676]

For what to break the head with a program that has little support for extensions that are not the standard AVI, I suggest you try the Mediacoder that also works with the filters of AviSinth and DirectShow

[johnmeyer]

MOV is a container format most often used on the Mac. To use it on the PC, you usually have to install Quicktime, something that sometimes has "issues," (click on that link for a "don't do this" story a couple of years ago).

If you can get the AVI version to work, why do you care whether the MOV doesn't work? Does Roger Evans (Moviestuff founder) have a recommended workflow? I haven't talked to him about this for many years, but his older stuff, using Cinecap (now obsolete) only output to AVI.

[jagabo]

Never install Quicktime on anything. Use AviSynth and alternate file readers/splitters like ffVideoSource() and LSmashVideoSource().

By the way, AviSource() requires VFW codecs. DirectShowSource() uses DirectShow codecs.

[mediaman083]

I installed LSmashVideoSource last night. When using LSmash I now can open either AVI or MOV files when the test script. Thank you so much for the information jagabo. I don't think I had ran across that when reading. However, I still cannot use the videoFred scripts, even when using LSmash (neither AVI nor MOV). I assume its because I don't have the relevant VFW codec installed?

The RetroPro 8 and 16 only export to MOV. I spoke recently with Roger and double checked on this, thinking I was missing something. The Universal will export to AVI though.

Also, I thought the question was going to come up of "if the AVI works.. why even bother with the MOV?" If the machine is exporting MOV files, its just one more step of having to convert to the AVI container. Id rather just do any video restoration on the film that needs done while in the MOV format, and then I can export it within VirtualDub to whatever I should need.

[jagabo]

I installed LSmashVideoSource last night. When using LSmash I now can open either AVI or MOV files when the test script. Thank you so much for the information jagabo. I don't think I had ran across that when reading. However, I still cannot use the videoFred scripts, even when using LSmash (neither AVI nor MOV). I assume its because I don't have the relevant VFW codec installed?

No, LSmash uses its own internal decoders. It doesn't need system installed decoders. You're probably missing the other third part filters VideoFred's script relies upon. Always indicate what error message you get from AviSynth. Just saying something "didn't work" is useless.

[mediaman083]

My apologies. It doesn't give me a specific error. It just says the vague "Unable to open file" and then gives the path to the .avs file. If it was telling me something was wrong on a specific line I would have a better idea of where to go.

[jagabo]

That error is probably not from AviSynth but rather the program you're opening the script with -- VirtualDub? Use File -> Open Video File, not File -> Run Script. If that isn't the problem make sure you rare using the same bitness of VirtualDub and AviSynth. Ie, 32 bit VirtualDub, 32 bit AviSynth, and 32 bit third party filters.

[mediaman083]

I am using File > Open Video File. I can confirm I am using both the 32 bit version of VirtualDub, and AviSynth, and all 32 bit version filters. I also have all of the plugins from the videoFred script's in the correct folders, as the help file states. I'm getting frustrated, but I am not going to give up. This is how one learns what one is doing wrong, and obviously.. I'm missing something here.

[jagabo]

You usually get an informative message from AviSynth. It tells you what the problem is and on what line number the problem occurred (Notepad shows line numbers when not in word wrap mode and the Status Bar is enabled). Post your entire script in a code block.

[sneaker]

Like jagabo said: File -> Open Video File. In that dialog select the "AVIFile input driver" in the file type drop-down list at the bottom. Then it should at least show the actual AviSynth error (as also explained by jagabo).

[mediaman083]

Hmm. Ok yeah I was using *.* "All Files and not the way you mentioned sneaker. Thats odd why *.* "All Files doesnt give me an error even though the avs file type is included in it.. So ..now I do get an error code

"Avisynth open failure:
Load Plugin: unable to load "plugins/Depan.dll", Module not found.
Install Missing Library?
(C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth\scripts\01_E_Stabilisation_Only.avs ,
line 54)


Which is odd.. because I have Depan.dll in the plugins folder..



I am trying to use the following script:

01_E_Stabilisation_Only.avs

# film stabilisation script by videoFred.
# modified june 2012
#=============================================================================================




film= "C:\RetroScanExports\NEW SCANS\TEST.avi"  # source clip, you must specify the full path here




#PARAMETERS
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
result="stabS" # specify the wanted output here stab= stabilised clip, stabS= comparison before/after

trim_begin=2  play_speed= 18   #trim frames and play speed 




#SIZE, CROP AND BORDERS PARAMETERS
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CLeft=20  CTop=20  CRight=20  CBottom=20  #crop values after Depan and before final resizing 

W=720  H=576  #final size after cropping 

bord_left=0  bord_top=0  bord_right=0  bord_bot=0  #720p= borders 150


#STABILISING PARAMETERS, YOU REALY MUST USE STABS TO CHECK STABILISATION!
#----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
maxstabH=40 
maxstabV=40 #maximum values for the stabiliser (in pixels) 20 is a good start value

est_left=40   est_top=40  est_right=40  est_bottom=40  #crop values for special Estimate clip

trust_value= 1.0     # scene change detection, higher= more sensitive
cutoff_value= 0.5   # no need to change this, but you can play with it and see what you get




# END VARIABLES, BEGIN SCRIPT
#=================================================================================================================================


SetMemoryMax(800)  #set this to 1/3 of the available memory





Loadplugin("plugins/Depan.dll")
LoadPlugin("plugins/DepanEstimate.dll")




source1= AviSource(film).assumefps(play_speed).trim(trim_begin,0).converttoYV12()




#STABILIZING/CROPPING
#..........................................................................................................................................
stab_reference= source1.crop(est_left,est_top,-est_right,-est_bottom).colorYUV(autogain=true)

mdata=DePanEstimate(stab_reference,trust=trust_value,dxmax=maxstabH,dymax=maxstabV)
stab=DePanStabilize(source1,data=mdata,cutoff=cutoff_value,dxmax=maxstabH,dymax=maxstabV,method=0,mirror=15)
stab2= stab.crop(CLeft,CTop,-CRight,-CBottom)
stab3=DePanStabilize(source1,data=mdata,cutoff=cutoff_value,dxmax=maxstabH,dymax=maxstabV,method=0,info=true)

WS= width(stab)
HS= height(stab)
stab4= stab3.addborders(10,10,10,10,$B1B1B1).Lanczos4Resize(WS,HS)
stab5= Lanczos4Resize(stab2,W,H).sharpen(0.5)







#RESULT5: SPECIAL SERVICE CLIP FOR RESULT S5
#..................................................................................................................................................
result5= overlay(source1,greyscale(stab_reference),x=est_left,y=est_top).addborders(2,2,2,2,$FFFFFF).Lanczos4Resize(WS,HS)




#PARAMETERS FOR THE COMPARISONS
#..................................................................................................................................................
W2= W+bord_left+bord_right
H2= H+bord_top+bord_bot





source4=Lanczos4Resize(source1,W2,H2)





#SPECIAL COMPARISON CLIP FOR TESTING THE STABILIZER
#.........................................................................................................................................................................
stabS= stackhorizontal(subtitle(result5,"baseclip for stabiliser -only the B/W clip is used",size=32,align=2),\
subtitle(stab4,"test stabiliser: dx=horizontal, dy=vertical",size=32,align=5)).converttoYUY2()



Eval(result)

[poisondeathray]

Comment out those 2 lines in your script . Put a "#" preceding it

#Loadplugin("plugins/Depan.dll")
#LoadPlugin("plugins/DepanEstimate.dll")

Because

Load Plugin: unable to load "plugins/Depan.dll", Module not found.

Means it can't find Depan.dll . It's because it's the wrong path . Commenting out lines just disables the line


Save it, then try again .

Either that, or specify the full directory

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth\plugins\Depan.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files (x86)\AviSynth\plugins\DepanEstimate.dll")

But you shouldn't need to do that, because they will already autoload the way you have it (most .dll's will autoload when placed in the plugins directory)

[mediaman083]

Ok.. different error this time with either #'ing or specifying the path.

AviSynth open failure:
DePanEstimate: Can not load FFT3.DLL!
(Lists path)
line 69.

The help file for videoFred's scripts says this..

"ATTENTION:
==========

For some reason fftw3.dll can not be placed in the "plugins" folder.
fftw3.dll must be together with the scripts in the same folder, otherwise it will not work.
fftw3.dll is used by Depan."
======================


The odd part is... thats where I have it. In the scripts folder.

[poisondeathray]

For x64 OS, 32bit avisynth, fftw3.dll should go into the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory

[jagabo]

Yes, fftw3.dll is a Windows system dll, and and goes in "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\" folder if you are running a 64 bit version of Windows, or "C:\Windows\System32\" if you are on 32 bit Windows.

Otherwise, the script worked fine here after changing the filename and commenting out the two LoadPlugin lines (the dll files are already in AviSynth's plugins folder and they automatically load).

[mediaman083]

That was it! I wonder why that wasn't mentioned in the help file for the scripts? Thank you all very much for your help. I doubt I would have figured this out on my own. Now..on to more reading!!

[johnmeyer]

I usually just use ffmpeg to convert the MOV container to AVI, without re-encoding. I then simply use AVISource.

ffmpeg -i movie.mov -acodec copy -vcodec copy movie.avi

[jagabo]

That was it! I wonder why that wasn't mentioned in the help file for the scripts?

It's mentioned in the depan/depanestimate docs. http://www.avisynth.org.ru/depan/depan.html

[mediaman083]

Great info johnmeyer. Thanks for that. Ill give that a shot as well. Also jagabo thanks for that information as well. It made me realize I really need to read the documentation for any and all of the plugin's that I have, or need. I'm making great progress now. The only thing thats a little confusing for me at the moment.. is the VirtualDub panes. For some reason my input/output panes have both input and output in each. Meaning the input has the in/output and the output is also showing the in/output, so everything is doubled, and when I try and render a test file, its still showing both input and output. Its probably something small I'm glossing over. Any idea?

[poisondeathray]

The only thing thats a little confusing for me at the moment.. is the VirtualDub panes. For some reason my input/output panes have both input and output in each. Meaning the input has the in/output and the output is also showing the in/output, so everything is doubled, and when I try and render a test file, its still showing both input and output. Its probably something small I'm glossing over. Any idea?

This line here

result="stabS" # specify the wanted output here stab= stabilised clip, stabS= comparison before/after

Just change it to "stab" instead of "stabS" (erase the "S") , and save it

It should look like this

result="stab" # specify the wanted output here stab= stabilised clip, stabS= comparison before/after

[jagabo]

VirtualDub has no idea what's going on in AviSynth. It just displays the video AviSynth gives it -- in one pane the video before any VirtualDub filters, in the other after VirtualDub filters. Since you're not applying any VirtualDub filter the two panes are the same.

If you read the line poisondeathray quoted you'll see the explanation of what's going on in AviSynth.

[johnmeyer]

What poisondeathray wrote is what VideoFred wrote in the comment in his script. However, it doesn't look to me like it will return the correct result, but it will certainly get rid of the "before/after" display.

Try what poinsondeathray recommends and see if it works, but look carefully to make sure that the video has been stabilized and that there is no residual cropping (black borders).

[mediaman083]

Ahh... ok I see how it works now. That does indeed work. Thanks!