How to use AviSynth and FetDups with VirtualDub to remove duplicate frames?

[pernicio]

Hi, I'm new to AviSynth and to be honest, it's really head-wrecking to try and read all the tutorials and try to apply them to have an undocumented solution =>

1. How to use AviSyth with plugins, that are full of sourcecode files?
1b. How to use them in VirtualDub2?
2. Where the plugin files go and what files the plugin needs to work?
3. What about the sourcecode files, do I need to compile them and how?

All I would need is a simple script to remove duplicate frames (lossless) from a over 5 hours long screen-capture video to make a time-lapse video.

All the more beginner-friendly advises and a simple and accurate example script would be most welcome.

[sneaker]

1. A normal end-user has no use for the source code files, those are only for developers. You only need .dll files.
1b. Write the AviSynth script and load said script in VirtualDub2. You cannot manage AviSynth plugins in the VirtualDub2 GUI. (In some very rare cases the dll file has both an interface for AviSynth as well as VirtualDub, then you can if you copy it into the VirtualDub plugin folder.)
2. Usually there is a "plugin" subfolder in the directory where you install AviSynth. Copy the .dll files there for ease-of-use. Alternatively you can put them somewhere else but then need to load them individually via LoadPlugin().
Some plugins work with just their single dll file. Others may depend on other plugins or things like VC++ redistributables. Often you can find such info via the wiki. With avsmeter you can also search for dependencies.
3. Only if the package doesn't already come with a compiled dll file.

All I would need is a simple script to remove duplicate frames (lossless) from a over 5 hours long screen-capture video to make a time-lapse video.

"lossless"? Why do you need this? I don't understand the process.

[pernicio]

All I would need is a simple script to remove duplicate frames (lossless) from a over 5 hours long screen-capture video to make a time-lapse video.

"lossless"? Why do you need this? I don't understand the process.

I would like to keep the original quality intact while editing the video, before uploading to YouTube. Processing the video multiple times would degrade the quality too much for my taste.

And thank you for the really helpful instructions.

[sneaker]

I still don't understand. In what way do duplicate frames stop you from editing video?

[pernicio]

I still don't understand. In what way do duplicate frames stop you from editing video?

It doesn't stop me from editing the video, just that I want to ensure that the video is processed in Lossless fashion. Is this only determined by VirtualDub2 Setting?
For example, if I select "Direct Stream Copy" from VirtualDub2 and run the AviSynth script, would the end result picture quality be intact after the duplicate frame deletion?

[sneaker]

Yes. But the file would be uncompressed. (10 minutes of 1080p24 video uncompressed ~= 40 GB)

Basically AviSynth always works with uncompressed video internally. It cannot edit losslessly on compressed video without first de-compressing it.

[pernicio]

Okay, thank you for your guidance Helped me a lot.

[pernicio]

Another hurdle with the GetDups;

the getdups.html instructions says at the "Features and Limitations" section, that "1. Works only YUY2, YV12 and any other planar (since v0.9.4) color format."
My video is in YUV444 (YV24) Planar format, but the plugin throws an error saying that the video needs to be in either of the above format.

Is the instruction simply outdated and I need to convert the video to YV12? Does anyone know what it the highest quality color format the said plugin supports for certain?

[pernicio]

I got it working by converting the video to YUV422 Color format and using ffms2 as the vdeo source.

Now, do I just have to put the .avs file to the VirtualDub2 and start the process by "save As.." and the GetDups will be applied?

EDIT; Seems like it Thank you for all the help, sneaker.