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

[ProWo]

A smaller text addition for the main page.

Will be done.

I know you like the size of the "Output" frame as it is.
But if it's as wide as the buttons above, it will look more coherent.

This remains as it is.

[Findu]

@ ProWo

Could you add the number of source streams behind the Streams?

[Attachment 88954 - Click to enlarge]

Question:
What does the button "Change scan type"?

[davidt1]

Feature request:

Can you give the "OK" button of the messageboxes the focus? This way the users can just hit the enter key to close the messagebox. Thank you.

[ProWo]

Could you add the number of source streams behind the Streams?

Will be done

Question:
What does the button "Change scan type"?

The automatic scan detection (progressive/interlaced) is very reliable.
However, there may be cases where mixed frames are present in the video, both progressive and interlaced.
In order to be able to deinterlace here, for example, the scan flag must be changed beforehand.
You can do this with this button.

[ProWo]

Feature request:

Can you give the "OK" button of the messageboxes the focus? This way the users can just hit the enter key to close the messagebox. Thank you.

Good idea, will be done.

[Findu]

@ ProWo

Thanks for the explanation.

If you use extremely long source file names, you'll see that the target name is truncated earlier than the source name.

[Attachment 88962 - Click to enlarge]
Only with Multiplex are both the same length. Can you extend the target length everywhere?

[ProWo]

If you use extremely long source file names, you'll see that the target name is truncated earlier than the source name.

I can't reproduce that here.

[Findu]

Thank you very much for the recent changes.

The maximum visible length of the source and target filenames were already the same.
Sorry, my mistake!

[Lathe]

Hey Bro, for some reason Doom9 is not reachable at the moment, so I saw your thread here. Ever since I downloaded the new version it keeps throwing the same error as I showed you last time on the Doom9 thread. I have to go back to the 3rd to last version and that one is running now and working just fine. Don't know what's wrong...

[videoAI]

According to virustotal, clever FFmpeg-GUI executable is malicious, with a score of 1/72.
It seems a security vendor, called VBA32 [who??], flagged the file as malicious,
and still, to this day, claims that @ProWo is distributing a malware called
[Cryptor.MSIL.AgentTesla.Heur].

Here is the result of the analysis ..
analysis

@ProWo, I think you should write them a letter asking for their proof. or have your
lawyer contact them.

And stop including VBA macros that mine crypto when we are not looking
[if you missed the sarcasm, that last statement was totally false]

[Lathe]

Heh, wow, that was pretty wild...

Anyway, I just had to go back to an older version which worked perfectly. I have NO bloody idea why the new one won't work.

[videoAI]

Hey Bro, It seems Doom9 is gone for good ..

Hey Bro, for some reason Doom9 is not reachable

[Lathe]

Hey Bro, It seems Doom9 is gone for good ..

Hey Bro, for some reason Doom9 is not reachable

WHOA! How is that possible!

[ProWo]

Heh, wow, that was pretty wild...

Anyway, I just had to go back to an older version which worked perfectly. I have NO bloody idea why the new one won't work.

Hi Lathe,
The best thing is to start from scratch.
Delete your existing clever FFmpeg folder.
Download the latest release here
https://files.videohelp.com/u/292773/clever_ffmpeg_gui_346.zip
and unzip it. All files are necessary.

Start clever FFmpeg GUI.
Once you have everything set up and working as desired, update to the latest nightly build. (Settings & more, update).


[Attachment 88968 - Click to enlarge]

[ProWo]

Hey Bro, It seems Doom9 is gone for good ..

Hey Bro, for some reason Doom9 is not reachable

WHOA! How is that possible!

Use the new link:
https://forum.doom9.se/

[videoAI]

@ProWo
v3.4.6.03

Care to educate us about these tags, and if any of them are not used anymore?
I like to keep the config file clean & tidy.

<upd_reminder>2024-12-29?0</upd_reminder>
<luc>2025-06-24</luc>
<cmd_l>0</cmd_l>
<nva></nva>

Thank you .. and keep up the great work

[ProWo]

Care to educate us about these tags, and if any of them are not used anymore?

<upd_reminder>2024-12-29?0</upd_reminder>
<luc>2025-06-24</luc>
<nva></nva>

Can be deleted.

<cmd_l>0</cmd_l>
is a special key, used for debugging.
With 1 the commandline is shown.

[Lathe]

Hey Bro, It seems Doom9 is gone for good ..

Hey Bro, for some reason Doom9 is not reachable

WHOA! How is that possible!

Use the new link:
https://forum.doom9.se/

Thanks Bro! I did indeed start over and downloaded 346 in a new folder and used that, but I still got the error message. I will update to the nightly version and see if that helps.

[videoAI]

Thank you

<upd_reminder>2024-12-29?0</upd_reminder>
<luc>2025-06-24</luc>
<nva></nva>

Can be deleted.

<cmd_l>0</cmd_l>
is a special key, used for debugging.
With 1 the commandline is shown.

[videoAI]

@ProWo
v3.4.6.03
AMD GPU

Tested av1 encoder ..

av1-svt.........................works fastest
av1-xiph (rav1e)...........very slow
av1-libaom....................even slower
av1-amf........................error [!!]

[videoAI]

Coming soon .. AV2
https://aomedia.org/press%20releases/AOMedia-Announces-Year-End-Launch-of-Next-Generat...h-Anniversary/

[videoAI]

@ProWo
v3.4.6.03

Now that Clever is 'more' portable than before, how about taking another step
to make the program settings more portable and less machine dependent.

Currently, the program asks too many unnecessary questions on first run,
questions like:

1- where is ffmpeg location?
2- where is the bin folder?
3- Could not find ffmpeg.exe
4- Could not find the bin folder

and an image is shown to make it 'easy' to find the bin folder.

All the images, dialog boxes, and bloated code is not really needed.

How about a simple function, to find the bin folder path, even on
multiple drives, or from the system path, and ask the user to
confirm [in case they have multiple version of ffmpeg].

The function will reduce your code, make the program more
portable [easier to move between machines], is faster, and will
make clever more user friendly for non-techies.

Note: You don't even need user confirmation if
- ffmpeg is in path [advanced user]
- or, Multiple versions of ffmpeg ..
[non-techie won't care, advanced knows how to change path in settings]

Just save it directly in 'portable.config' & Clever will be ready to use.

If a user wants to use Clever on 10 different machines, if ffmpeg is in the
system path on all of them then no problem, fully portable.

Here is the

# --------------------------------------------------------
# Function    : find-ffmpeg
# Author      : videoAI
# Date        : Sep 29, 2025
# --------------------------------------------------------
function find-ffmpeg {
    [CmdletBinding()]
    param()
    # Validation: Check if FFmpeg is already in the system PATH
    try {
        $ffmpegPath = (Get-Command ffmpeg.exe -ErrorAction Stop).Source
        return $ffmpegPath
    }
    catch {
        # If not in PATH, search system drives
        $drives = Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Root
        foreach ($drive in $drives) {
            try {
                $searchResults = Get-ChildItem -Path $drive -Recurse -Filter "ffmpeg.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | 
                    Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName
                if ($searchResults) {
                    return $searchResults
                }
            }
            catch {
                # Skip drives that can't be searched
                continue
            }
        }
        # No FFmpeg found
        return $null
    }
}
$p = find-ffmpeg
Write-Host $p

[Lathe]

@ProWo
v3.4.6.03

Now that Clever is 'more' portable than before, how about taking another step
to make the program settings more portable and less machine dependent.

Currently, the program asks too many unnecessary questions on first run,
questions like:

1- where is ffmpeg location?
2- where is the bin folder?
3- Could not find ffmpeg.exe
4- Could not find the bin folder

and an image is shown to make it 'easy' to find the bin folder.

All the images, dialog boxes, and bloated code is not really needed.

How about a simple function, to find the bin folder path, even on
multiple drives, or from the system path, and ask the user to
confirm [in case they have multiple version of ffmpeg].

The function will reduce your code, make the program more
portable [easier to move between machines], is faster, and will
make clever more user friendly for non-techies.

Note: You don't even need user confirmation if
- ffmpeg is in path [advanced user]
- or, Multiple versions of ffmpeg ..
[non-techie won't care, advanced knows how to change path in settings]

Just save it directly in 'portable.config' & Clever will be ready to use.

If a user wants to use Clever on 10 different machines, if ffmpeg is in the
system path on all of them then no problem, fully portable.

Here is the

# --------------------------------------------------------
# Function    : find-ffmpeg
# Author      : videoAI
# Date        : Sep 29, 2025
# --------------------------------------------------------
function find-ffmpeg {
    [CmdletBinding()]
    param()
    # Validation: Check if FFmpeg is already in the system PATH
    try {
        $ffmpegPath = (Get-Command ffmpeg.exe -ErrorAction Stop).Source
        return $ffmpegPath
    }
    catch {
        # If not in PATH, search system drives
        $drives = Get-PSDrive -PSProvider FileSystem | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Root
        foreach ($drive in $drives) {
            try {
                $searchResults = Get-ChildItem -Path $drive -Recurse -Filter "ffmpeg.exe" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | 
                    Select-Object -First 1 -ExpandProperty FullName
                if ($searchResults) {
                    return $searchResults
                }
            }
            catch {
                # Skip drives that can't be searched
                continue
            }
        }
        # No FFmpeg found
        return $null
    }
}
$p = find-ffmpeg
Write-Host $p

Looks like SOMEBODY'S had their Wheaties!

[videoAI]

To estimate the percentage of ffmpeg Windows users who have added it to their system PATH,
we can use some numbers based on typical usage patterns.

Estimate for ffmpeg Windows Users

Approximately 70% to 90% of Windows users who have installed ffmpeg likely added it to their
system PATH.

Assumptions & Reasoning

Total ffmpeg Windows Users: Let's assume there are around 1 to 5 million Windows users who
have installed ffmpeg.

Path Configuration

Many users who install ffmpeg do so for ease of use in command-line environments.
Therefore, a significant portion would add it to their PATH for convenience.

Estimation

If we take 1 million users, then 700,000 to 900,000 users would have added it to their PATH.

Conclusion

This leads to an estimated 70% to 90% of ffmpeg Windows users having added it to their system PATH,
reflecting a strong inclination among users to configure their environment for easier access to the tool.

[videoAI]

@ProWo
v3.4.6.03

Clever navigation analysis:

To make my point, let me start by numbering the screens:

s1 select source file
s2 select file info
s3 main page
s4 various [in main page] {dead locked}
s5 Rotate

you can go 1->2->3->4->5

s4 is dead locked which means you can only exit the
screen by quitting Clever.

to go back from s4->s3 is not possible, unless you go
s4->s5->s3 [!!?].

if you are in s5, you can't go back to s4 [!!?], unless
you go to s5->s3->s4 [you need to pass by s3 [!!?].

if you are at s3, you can go to s2, but not s1.

if you are at s2 you can't go back to s1 [!!?].

I call that inconsistent navigation and a bad design.

you should be able to navigate this way [wizard style]
1->2->3->4->5
5->4->3->2->1

and you should be able to quit, or go to s1 from all the
other screens [directly, so you wouldn't have to navigate
4 screens every time you need to start over in screen 1].

Note:
------
Although the DVG issue has been resolved [kinda ...],
It was done by slowing down navigation, via timers or
delays. Unfortunately, I can now see screens behind screens
[s1], and buttons behind buttons [to Batch, video encode
screen double green button] and visible purple batch
button [visible for 2 sec] when no batch jobs exist.

As always .. keep up the good work ..

[ProWo]

Now that Clever is 'more' portable than before, how about taking another step
to make the program settings more portable and less machine dependent.

Currently, the program asks too many unnecessary questions on first run,
questions like:

1- where is ffmpeg location?
2- where is the bin folder?
3- Could not find ffmpeg.exe
4- Could not find the bin folder

and an image is shown to make it 'easy' to find the bin folder.

All the images, dialog boxes, and bloated code is not really needed.

Thank you for your efforts, but I would like to leave the first start as it is.
It is suitable for every user, especially beginners.

In principle, any automation is welcome, but it also involves many potential sources of error.

[ProWo]

Clever navigation analysis:

To make my point, let me start by numbering the screens:

s1 select source file
s2 select file info
s3 main page
s4 various [in main page] {dead locked}
s5 Rotate

you can go 1->2->3->4->5

s4 is dead locked which means you can only exit the
screen by quitting Clever.

Not true, you can go back to >3 with the "Close various" button.

if you are in s5, you can't go back to s4 [!!?], unless
you go to s5->s3->s4 [you need to pass by s3 [!!?].

This will be solved with the next nightly, in work...

if you are at s3, you can go to s2, but not s1.

S1 and s2 are the same.
If on s2 you want to use a new source, use the select source button or drag a new file.

you should be able to quit, or go to s1 from all the
other screens [directly, so you wouldn't have to navigate
4 screens every time you need to start over in screen 1.

I'm working on a new version, witch starts with the main page.

Although the DVG issue has been resolved [kinda ...],
It was done by slowing down navigation, via timers or
delays. Unfortunately, I can now see screens behind screens
[s1], and buttons behind buttons [to Batch, video encode
screen double green button] and visible purple batch
button [visible for 2 sec] when no batch jobs exist.

The DGV issue was solved without timers/delays.
The program starts with the first start window, reads the settings,
checks whether there are any unused files or open tasks, and then opens the start window.
It is possible that the first start window will be visible for a short period of time.
In addition, the start is delayed by antivirus programs running in the background.

[Findu]

@ ProWo

Testing the latest beta:
Navigation through the pages is as expected - without problems.

When you return from subtitles, EIA and the singel various pages, the Output info filed is missing on the main page.

The other pages still have the old short Output info text without folder at the end.

Returning from subtitles and EIA produce a small black line on the main page comming from the Convert and Extract butttons.

[Attachment 88997 - Click to enlarge]

The "Various" field is slightly higher and lower than the fields below it. When switching, you can see slight jumps in the border lines.


NEW:
Would it make sense to change the "Output: xy" field in the bottom right corner to a button that simply switches between target and source, with the appropriate label? This way, you could switch the output on every page before each individual processing task.
However, being able to select any folder here would be overkill.

Moving that button up (or the current field if you don't like it) would free up space for the full path and long file names!

[Attachment 88998 - Click to enlarge]

[ProWo]

When you return from subtitles, EIA and the singel various pages, the Output info filed is missing on the main page.

That is intentional. There is no output on this page.

Returning from subtitles and EIA produce a small black line on the main page comming from the Convert and Extract butttons.

I can't reproduce that here.
Are you working with a scale >100%?

The "Various" field is slightly higher and lower than the fields below it. When switching, you can see slight jumps in the border lines.

Thx for the hint, will fix it.

NEW:
Would it make sense to change the "Output: xy" field in the bottom right corner to a button that simply switches between target and source, with the appropriate label? This way, you could switch the output on every page before each individual processing task.
However, being able to select any folder here would be overkill.
Moving that button up (or the current field if you don't like it) would free up space for the full path and long file names!

I don't want to do that because I think that in a normal workflow, the output path should not be changed permanently.
In my opinion, specifying the path makes the display confusing and is also unnecessary because the user knows the source/target folders.

[Findu]

EDIT 2: When you enter subtitles, EIA or the singel various pages, the Output info frame in the bottom right corner is shown. When you get back to the mani page, the frame is missing on the main page. When you go stright back to subtitles, EIA or one of thesingel various page, the frame is missing there as well.

I use a scale of 125%


> In my opinion, specifying the path makes the display confusing and is also unnecessary because the user knows the source/target folders.

To be able to set the hook to display the full path is good when you use many different source folders. You activate it to check it and remove the hook stright away before the output get produced.

[Attachment 89001 - Click to enlarge]

To get back to the Main Page you use "Return" or "Main Page >>>". Either of these two terms would be better.

And a small addition.

[Attachment 89000 - Click to enlarge]

EDIT:

The top and bottom edges of the edit frame do not exactly match those of encode/convert.

An other small addition.
And the g in Target is cut off at the bottom.

[Attachment 89005 - Click to enlarge]

EDIT 3:
The text Toggle destination is a bit too low on the button.