clever FFmpeg-GUI, small FFmpeg UI, fully portable, no installation.

[ProWo]

ProWo I can't get the hdr>sdr conversion working at all, it produces a 0 byte file in the output folder.

I tried a few of the HDR demos I have sitting around in my PC, none of them work, using 3.22 and latest FFmpeg

You're right, it doesn't work.
In version 3.2.1 I have rewritten the entire video parsing code, but an error occurred when parsing the color range, which is the reason for this.
I have found the error and corrected it.
A new release v3.2.3 is already online.
Download it, try it out and report back here.
Thanks again for the hint.

[ProWo]

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January 28 2024 release version 3.2.3.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fixed:
Important bug in color range parsing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Ennio]

Not sure yet, but mkv-chapters being muxed or not may have something to do with (non-)constant chapternaming. Maybe in conjunction to whether a chapter is set at the very end of the mkv (something I never do).
When having more time at hand, I'll do more tests to try narrowing things down. Will report back when confident.

The chapternaming/end-chapter seem nothing to do with it. I took a closer look and think I found something. Just to be sure, I removed the settings folder and tested the following with GUI v3.2.2 over ffmpeg v6.1.1.

Chapters are not included when the chapter-data (of retrieved .xml) is written like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- <!DOCTYPE Chapters SYSTEM "matroskachapters.dtd"> -->
<Chapters>
  <EditionEntry>
    <EditionUID>81380214092263253</EditionUID>
    <EditionFlagHidden>0</EditionFlagHidden>
    <EditionFlagDefault>0</EditionFlagDefault>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>26017142771098923</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:00:00.000000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>7478758528289142</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:06:48.950000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>80483442088</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:15:08.157000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>2820206076687</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:23:13.809000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
    </ChapterAtom>
  </EditionEntry>
</Chapters>

The GUI does succesfully include the chapters, when the .xml contains this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- <!DOCTYPE Chapters SYSTEM "matroskachapters.dtd"> -->
<Chapters>
  <EditionEntry>
    <EditionUID>81380214092263253</EditionUID>
    <EditionFlagHidden>0</EditionFlagHidden>
    <EditionFlagDefault>0</EditionFlagDefault>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>26017142771098923</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:00:00.000000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
      <ChapterDisplay>
        <ChapterString/>
        <ChapterLanguage>eng</ChapterLanguage>
        <ChapLanguageIETF>en</ChapLanguageIETF>
      </ChapterDisplay>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>7478758528289142</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:06:48.950000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
      <ChapterDisplay>
        <ChapterString/>
        <ChapterLanguage>eng</ChapterLanguage>
        <ChapLanguageIETF>en</ChapLanguageIETF>
      </ChapterDisplay>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>80483442088</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:15:08.157000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
      <ChapterDisplay>
        <ChapterString/>
        <ChapterLanguage>eng</ChapterLanguage>
        <ChapLanguageIETF>en</ChapLanguageIETF>
      </ChapterDisplay>
    </ChapterAtom>
    <ChapterAtom>
      <ChapterUID>2820206076687</ChapterUID>
      <ChapterTimeStart>00:23:13.809000000</ChapterTimeStart>
      <ChapterFlagHidden>0</ChapterFlagHidden>
      <ChapterFlagEnabled>1</ChapterFlagEnabled>
      <ChapterDisplay>
        <ChapterString/>
        <ChapterLanguage>eng</ChapterLanguage>
        <ChapLanguageIETF>en</ChapLanguageIETF>
      </ChapterDisplay>
    </ChapterAtom>
  </EditionEntry>
</Chapters>

First, note the difference in the first line. FYI only adding the [ encoding="UTF-8"] part seems futile; chapters are still not muxed.

I think your GUI does mux the chapters because of the extra <ChapterDisplay> data (for each chapter entry);
difference being

    <ChapterDisplay>
        <ChapterString/>
        <ChapterLanguage>eng</ChapterLanguage>
        <ChapLanguageIETF>en</ChapLanguageIETF>
      </ChapterDisplay>

However I dare not to be completely sure with this, where I hope you can either rectify or confirm my findings. Should my assumption proof valid, is there a way to modify the GUI so it will accept and mux these "kind" of mkv-chapters?

If you'd like to have the source-files I've worked with, here's a link: https://mega.nz/file/6xYnzTxC#10LFCCFIPdkC-ygyOHRzdgzg1lFvgJswlVCPdstypS8

The archive contains both "working" and "not-working" mkv files and the xmls they're muxed with by MTX.

[ProWo]

@Ennio
I have analyzed your files and changed my code so that these chapters are now successfully muxed.
The latest beta v3.2.3.01 is online.
Try it and report back here.

[ProWo]

Newest beta (v3.2.3.01), online now.

Fixed:
Missing source chapters muxing.

[Ennio]

Yep, the chapters are muxed now in latest beta. Though MediaInfo only shows "Menu" as section. No further info, which I actually would expect.
Quick & dirty test: chapters show up in players and are behaved upon properly.

Thanks for your efforts, ProWo

[ProWo]

Yep, the chapters are muxed now in latest beta. Though MediaInfo only shows "Menu" as section. No further info, which I actually would expect.

In order for them to be displayed in mediainfo,
<ChapterDisplay>
</ChapterDisplay>
must be included.

[Ennio]

Aha, okay. Thanks.

[ingsoc]

Just wanted to notice about how some text are badly affected by desktop themes. Sometimes all the program text is unable to be visible or readable.

I'm currently working on replacing all system colors with real RGB colors, then windows themes and designs can't change them anymore and the functionality should be preserved.
This will be implemented in the next beta.

Yes ProWo, i have messing with that problem in my apps in the past. And i have found that a good final solution is to select very well the colors to use, and when you want to grant that windows won't mess with them i have found that use the 'default' color is the way. Specially the ones that are text involved. By that way desktop themes will put their colors, and if something goes bad, is cause that themes are bad designed. Also like i previosly said, the color inversion may helps with some colors...

edit: I have seen just now that you were working on the problem all the colors now are fixed, and no text is hiding, good job !

[ProWo]

@ingsoc
Test the new release v3.2.3 with your dark themes and report here.

[ingsoc]

^ ok i tested on v3.2.3.01 and still i found one color to control. See on capture. This is with said Penumbra good dark theme. But for the rest, and in the batch etc, all seems ok, only that last i see that needs a touch:

[ProWo]

Newest beta (v3.2.3.02), online now.

Fixed:
Bug in subtitle selection for burn in subtitles.
Bug in audio volume detection.

Changed:
Scan for errors (now errors only, not messages).
Help screen loaded automatically with chapters screen.
Other system colors to RGB.

[ingsoc]

^I don't know if you messed again with colors in that v3.2.3.02, but Streams list part remains with the same color problem, same as in my previous post picture...

[ProWo]

^I don't know if you messed again with colors in that v3.2.3.02, but Streams list part remains with the same color problem, same as in my previous post picture...

Are you sure you have v3.2.3.02?
I have changed the colors for the richtextbox.
Backcolor 200,200,200 (gray)
Forecolor 0,0,0 (black).
It can therefore not be as before.

[Ennio]

Maybe it's because of old settings in user.config? In which case deleting C:\Users\<your name>\AppData\Local\clever_FFmpeg_GUI folder and restarting the GUI might help.

[Ennio]

Hi ProWo,

I'm want to learn more about ffmpeg.exe cli. I have been consulting the documentations at ffmpeg.org but this proofs rather cumbersome and often I get lost. To see how a commandline would be constructed whilst doing something comprehendable on GUI level, is there a way to let CleverFFmpegGUI show this? If not, would you care to implement it?

[ProWo]

Hi ProWo,

I'm want to learn more about ffmpeg.exe cli. I have been consulting the documentations at ffmpeg.org but this proofs rather cumbersome and often I get lost. To see how a commandline would be constructed whilst doing something comprehendable on GUI level, is there a way to let CleverFFmpegGUI show this? If not, would you care to implement it?

Precisely for this reason, because the available ffmpeg documentation is so sparse and sometimes contradictory and therefore putting together a working command line is difficult, and because this has taken years of research on my part, this remains my secret and I will not make it publicly available.

[Ennio]

Understood. I can fully imagine and acknowledge.

[ingsoc]

i have cleaned the old versions config files in 'local' and ensure that i am using the new beta v3.2.3.02, and for the streams list i am obtaining this:

[Mostwest]

I'm using NS Shell Menu, what's the argument to load the selected file(s), for a lot of stuff is "%1" but is not working.

[ProWo]

I'm using NS Shell Menu, what's the argument to load the selected file(s), for a lot of stuff is "%1" but is not working.

You have to select the files either with the source button or by drag & drop.

[ProWo]

i have cleaned the old versions config files in 'local' and ensure that i am using the new beta v3.2.3.02, and for the streams list i am obtaining this:

Penumbra 10 is not an original Windows theme and to install it, system files must be patched.
Obviously the colors in the theme itself or in the patched files have been changed so that black and grey are no longer displayed correctly.
Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about this.
But there seem to be problems with the theme.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/comments/79p442/strange_problem_with_penumbra_theme/

[ingsoc]

have you tried to put 'default' color in the background of the rich control ? just curious
yes, it is a custom theme. But all the apps work fine except those ones that set custom colors or the ones that just not controlled that. But that problem of the colors applies widely to all themes, even original ones when they are dark.

The problem is very common, at least in windows 8. I have seen through the years several and famous apps having this... but well i appreciate your effort.

[ProWo]

have you tried to put 'default' color in the background of the rich control ? just curious
yes, it is a custom theme. But all the apps work fine except those ones that set custom colors or the ones that just not controlled that. But that problem of the colors applies widely to all themes, even original ones when they are dark.

You could try the following:
restore the patched files with
sfc /scannow
(in a cmd windows started as admin).
Restart your pc and apply a windows own dark theme.
Then start clever FFmpeg-GUI.
I am almost certain that it will work as expected.
If you want to use penumbra 10 again afterwards, you know how to do it.

[Mostwest]

I'm using NS Shell Menu, what's the argument to load the selected file(s), for a lot of stuff is "%1" but is not working.

You have to select the files either with the source button or by drag & drop.

oh no command for that, ok no worries

[ingsoc]

have you tried to put 'default' color in the background of the rich control ? just curious
yes, it is a custom theme. But all the apps work fine except those ones that set custom colors or the ones that just not controlled that. But that problem of the colors applies widely to all themes, even original ones when they are dark.

You could try the following:
restore the patched files with
sfc /scannow
(in a cmd windows started as admin).
Restart your pc and apply a windows own dark theme.
Then start clever FFmpeg-GUI.
I am almost certain that it will work as expected.
If you want to use penumbra 10 again afterwards, you know how to do it.

I have to insist on this, and with this capture, an example i made just now. As you can see on it, there is no problem with richtexbox and penunbra, or other dark themes. Default colors = system colors, the ones that Themes just alter. I agree that there are custom themes that are not well made, but it's not the case.



edit: What i want that you understand is that extreme cases like the one in the picture below i added now, is not a fault on the custom theme, see what is happening with all text in this app i was using:

[ProWo]

@ingsoc

Test this version, and specially the initial streams list and then the help text (on the right) with Main, Chapters.
Post both pictures here.

[ingsoc]

^ there it go! this test was much more better. But notice that background in richtextbox doesn't need to be forced to be black, it isn't black in my example because it is using system color applied to it, that is the color defined in the custom theme.

Streams list...


Help text on 'main' chapters...

[ProWo]

@ingsoc
So it turned out that the richtextbox control is special and not like the other controls.

Richtextbox Backcolor here is set to default (not set).
But it's all easy to read, so I'll leave it that way.

[ingsoc]

^Maybe in your frontend richtextbox control by default is not set to use a system color...
In my frontend its background by default is the 'window system background'.