VideoTools/docs/MODULES.md

VideoTools Modules

This document describes all the modules in VideoTools and their purpose. Each module is designed to handle specific FFmpeg operations with a user-friendly interface.

Core Modules

Convert ✅ IMPLEMENTED

Convert is the primary module for video transcoding and format conversion. This handles:

• ✅ Codec conversion (H.264, H.265/HEVC, VP9, AV1, etc.)
• ✅ Container format changes (MP4, MKV, WebM, MOV, etc.)
• ✅ Quality presets (CRF-based and bitrate-based encoding)
• ✅ Resolution changes and aspect ratio handling (letterbox, pillarbox, crop, stretch)
• ✅ Deinterlacing and inverse telecine for legacy footage
• ✅ Hardware acceleration support (NVENC, QSV, VAAPI)
• ✅ DVD-NTSC/PAL encoding with professional compliance
• ✅ Auto-resolution setting for DVD formats
• ⏳ Two-pass encoding for optimal quality/size balance (planned)

FFmpeg Features: Video/audio encoding, filtering, format conversion

Current Status: Fully implemented with DVD encoding support, auto-resolution, and professional validation system.

Merge 🔄 PLANNED

Merge joins multiple video clips into a single output file. Features include:

• ⏳ Concatenate clips with different formats, codecs, or resolutions
• ⏳ Automatic transcoding to unified output format
• ⏳ Re-encoding or stream copying (when formats match)
• ⏳ Maintains or normalizes audio levels across clips
• ⏳ Handles mixed framerates and aspect ratios
• ⏳ Optional transition effects between clips

FFmpeg Features: Concat demuxer/filter, stream mapping

Current Status: Planned for dev15, UI design phase.

Trim 🔄 PLANNED (Lossless-Cut Inspired)

Trim provides frame-accurate cutting with lossless-first philosophy (inspired by Lossless-Cut). Features include:

Core Lossless-Cut Features

• ⏳ Lossless-First Approach - Stream copy when possible, smart re-encode fallback
• ⏳ Keyframe-Snapping Timeline - Visual keyframe markers with smart snapping
• ⏳ Frame-Accurate Navigation - Reuse VT_Player's keyframe detection system
• ⏳ Smart Export System - Automatic method selection (lossless/re-encode/hybrid)
• ⏳ Multi-Segment Trimming - Multiple cuts from single source with auto-chapters

UI/UX Features

• ⏳ Timeline Interface - Zoomable timeline with keyframe visibility (reuse VT_Player)
• ⏳ Visual Markers - Blue (in), Red (out), Green (current position)
• ⏳ Keyboard Shortcuts - I (in), O (out), X (clear), ←→ (frames), ↑↓ (keyframes)
• ⏳ Preview System - Instant segment preview with loop option
• ⏳ Quality Indicators - Real-time feedback on export method and quality

Technical Implementation

• ⏳ Stream Analysis - Detect lossless trim possibility automatically
• ⏳ Smart Export Logic - Choose optimal method based on content and markers
• ⏳ Format Conversion - Handle format changes during trim operations
• ⏳ Quality Validation - Verify output integrity and quality preservation
• ⏳ Error Recovery - Smart suggestions when export fails

FFmpeg Features: Seeking, segment muxer, stream copying, smart re-encoding Integration: Reuses VT_Player's keyframe detector and timeline widget Current Status: Planning complete, implementation ready for dev15 Inspiration: Lossless-Cut's lossless-first philosophy with modern enhancements

Filters 🔄 PLANNED

Filters module provides video and audio processing effects:

• ⏳ Color Correction: Brightness, contrast, saturation, hue, color balance
• ⏳ Image Enhancement: Sharpen, blur, denoise, deband
• ⏳ Video Effects: Grayscale, sepia, vignette, fade in/out
• ⏳ Audio Effects: Normalize, equalize, noise reduction, tempo change
• ⏳ Correction: Stabilization, deshake, lens distortion
• ⏳ Creative: Speed adjustment, reverse playback, rotation/flip
• ⏳ Overlay: Watermarks, logos, text, timecode burn-in

FFmpeg Features: Video/audio filter graphs, complex filters

Current Status: Planned for dev15, basic filter system design.

Upscale 🔄 PLANNED

Upscale increases video resolution using advanced scaling algorithms:

• ⏳ AI-based: Waifu2x, Real-ESRGAN (via external integration)
• ⏳ Traditional: Lanczos, Bicubic, Spline, Super-resolution
• ⏳ Target resolutions: 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 4K, custom
• ⏳ Noise reduction and artifact mitigation during upscaling
• ⏳ Batch processing for multiple files
• ⏳ Quality presets balancing speed vs. output quality

FFmpeg Features: Scale filter, super-resolution filters

Current Status: Planned for dev16, AI integration research phase.

Audio 🔄 PLANNED

Audio module handles all audio track operations:

• ⏳ Extract audio tracks to separate files (MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, OGG)
• ⏳ Replace or add audio tracks to video
• ⏳ Audio format conversion and codec changes
• ⏳ Multi-track management (select, reorder, remove tracks)
• ⏳ Volume normalization and adjustment
• ⏳ Audio delay/sync correction
• ⏳ Stereo/mono/surround channel mapping
• ⏳ Sample rate and bitrate conversion

FFmpeg Features: Audio stream mapping, audio encoding, audio filters

Current Status: Planned for dev15, basic audio operations design.

Thumb 🔄 PLANNED

Thumbnail and preview generation module:

• ⏳ Generate single or grid thumbnails from video
• ⏳ Contact sheet creation with customizable layouts
• ⏳ Extract frames at specific timestamps or intervals
• ⏳ Animated thumbnails (short preview clips)
• ⏳ Smart scene detection for representative frames
• ⏳ Batch thumbnail generation
• ⏳ Custom resolution and quality settings

FFmpeg Features: Frame extraction, select filter, tile filter

Current Status: Planned for dev15, thumbnail system design.

Inspect ✅ PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED

Comprehensive metadata viewer and editor:

• ✅ Technical Details: Codec, resolution, framerate, bitrate, pixel format
• ✅ Stream Information: All video/audio/subtitle streams with full details
• ✅ Container Metadata: Title, artist, album, year, genre, cover art
• ⏳ Advanced Info: Color space, HDR metadata, field order, GOP structure
• ⏳ Chapter Viewer: Display and edit chapter markers
• ⏳ Subtitle Info: List all subtitle tracks and languages
• ⏳ MediaInfo Integration: Extended technical analysis
• ⏳ Edit and update metadata fields

FFmpeg Features: ffprobe, metadata filters

Current Status: Basic metadata viewing implemented, advanced features planned.

Rip 🔄 PLANNED

Extract and convert content from optical media and disc images:

• ⏳ Rip directly from DVD/Blu-ray drives to video files
• ⏳ Extract from ISO, IMG, and other disc image formats
• ⏳ Title and chapter selection
• ⏳ Preserve or transcode during extraction
• ⏳ Handle copy protection (via libdvdcss/libaacs when available)
• ⏳ Subtitle and audio track selection
• ⏳ Batch ripping of multiple titles
• ⏳ Output to lossless or compressed formats

FFmpeg Features: DVD/Blu-ray input, concat, stream copying

Current Status: Planned for dev16, requires legal research and library integration.

Blu-ray 🔄 PLANNED

Professional Blu-ray Disc authoring and encoding system:

• ⏳ Blu-ray Standards Support: 1080p, 4K UHD, HDR content
• ⏳ Multi-Region Encoding: Region A/B/C with proper specifications
• ⏳ Advanced Video Codecs: H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC with professional profiles
• ⏳ Professional Audio: LPCM, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS-HD Master Audio
• ⏳ HDR Support: HDR10, Dolby Vision metadata handling
• ⏳ Authoring Compatibility: Adobe Encore, Sony Scenarist integration
• ⏳ Hardware Compatibility: PS3/4/5, Xbox, standalone players
• ⏳ Validation System: Blu-ray specification compliance checking

FFmpeg Features: H.264/HEVC encoding, transport stream muxing, HDR metadata

Current Status: Comprehensive planning complete, implementation planned for dev15+. See TODO.md for detailed specifications.

Additional Suggested Modules

Subtitle

Dedicated subtitle handling module:

• Extract subtitle tracks (SRT, ASS, SSA, VTT)
• Add or replace subtitle files
• Burn (hardcode) subtitles into video
• Convert between subtitle formats
• Adjust subtitle timing/sync
• Multi-language subtitle management

FFmpeg Features: Subtitle filters, subtitle codec support

Streams

Advanced stream management for complex files:

• View all streams (video/audio/subtitle/data) in detail
• Select which streams to keep or remove
• Reorder stream priority/default flags
• Map streams to different output files
• Handle multiple video angles or audio tracks
• Copy or transcode individual streams

FFmpeg Features: Stream mapping, stream selection

GIF

Create animated GIFs from videos:

• Convert video segments to GIF format
• Optimize file size with palette generation
• Frame rate and resolution control
• Loop settings and duration limits
• Dithering options for better quality
• Preview before final export

FFmpeg Features: Palettegen, paletteuse filters

Crop

Precise cropping and aspect ratio tools:

• Visual crop selection with preview
• Auto-detect black bars
• Aspect ratio presets
• Maintain aspect ratio or free-form crop
• Batch crop with saved presets

FFmpeg Features: Crop filter, cropdetect

Screenshots

Extract still images from video:

• Single frame extraction at specific time
• Burst capture (multiple frames)
• Scene-based capture
• Format options (PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIFF)
• Resolution and quality control

FFmpeg Features: Frame extraction, image encoding

Module Coverage Summary

This module set covers all major FFmpeg capabilities:

✅ Currently Implemented

• ✅ Transcoding and format conversion - Full DVD encoding system
• ✅ Metadata viewing and editing - Basic implementation
• ✅ Queue system - Batch processing with job management
• ✅ Cross-platform support - Linux, macOS, Windows (dev14)

🔄 In Development/Planned

• 🔄 Concatenation and merging - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Trimming and splitting - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Video/audio filtering and effects - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Scaling and upscaling - Planned for dev16
• 🔄 Audio extraction and manipulation - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Thumbnail generation - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Optical media ripping - Planned for dev16
• 🔄 Blu-ray authoring - Comprehensive planning complete
• 🔄 Subtitle handling - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Stream management - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 GIF creation - Planned for dev16
• 🔄 Cropping - Planned for dev15
• 🔄 Screenshot capture - Planned for dev16

📊 Implementation Progress

• Core Modules: 1/8 fully implemented (Convert)
• Additional Modules: 0/7 implemented
• Overall Progress: ~12% complete
• Next Major Release: dev15 (Merge, Trim, Filters modules)
• Future Focus: Blu-ray professional authoring system