Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post your questions here and we'll all try to help.
Post Reply
User avatar
subpixel
Hasn't felt like this about software in a long time
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 09:32
Location: Sydney, AU

Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post by subpixel »

Hey Resolumers,

I was talking to someone about converting still images (jpg files) to DXV3 clips for playback in Resolume Arena.

I'm not sure if that has/will fix their playback performance issue, but there are a couple of issues to address in any case.

Replacing the media files for the Clips in the existing Composition is (going to be) a hassle. I came up with a basic workflow to save the Composition (as always) and close Resolume (or start a new Composition), move the original media files (eg into a subdirectory called "moved"), and reload the Composition. Use the "Reload" button on one of the Clips that is now missing its media, do the Media Manager relocation dance to replace the jpg sources with the new (DXV) mov files, and finally re-save the Composition.

Maybe there could be a way to make this process a little easier in the Resolume UI; a "Convert Image to DXV video" option, maybe.

Separate issue: generated MOV file size. For the process above, I pulled a JPEG image (4160x3120) that I'd taken with my phone's camera and converted it to a few different DXV files (with different settings in Alley). I was surprised that the output file was so large. I did some number bashing and estimated that a DXT1 texture for that frame size should be around 6MB, but the "Normal Quality, No Alpha" mov file is around 8MB. Something doesn't seem right... Poking around some more, it seems that the MOV video is 2 frames. Two! Why two? Does something go wrong in Resolume if the file has only one frame?

I couldn't see any information about this. Reviewed at least these three support articles

Video Conversion with Alley
https://resolume.com/support/en/conversion-with-alley

Stills
https://resolume.com/support/en/stills

Preparing Media
https://resolume.com/support/en/preparing-media

-subpixel

Media properties from Media Tab (Advanced view)

Code: Select all

===================== General =====================
Count                       : 322
Countof stream of this kind : 1
Kind of stream              : General
Kind of stream              : General
Stream identifier           : 0
Countof video streams       : 1
Video formats               : DXD3
Video_Format_WithHint_List  : DXD3
Codecs Video                : DXD3
Complete name               : D:\data\photos\OppoF1S\220430 Sat Di Doof\test\reflection Normal Quality.mov
Folder name                 : D:\data\photos\OppoF1S\220430 Sat Di Doof\test
File name                   : reflection Normal Quality
File extension              : mov
Format                      : MPEG-4
Format                      : MPEG-4
Format extensionsusually us : mp4 m4v m4a m4b m4p 3gpp 3gp 3gpp2 3g2 k3g jpm jpx mqv ismv isma f4v
Commercial name             : MPEG-4
Formatprofile               : QuickTime
Internet media type         : video/mp4
Codec Id                    : qt  
Codec Id                    : qt   0000.02 (qt  )
Codec URL                   : http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/standalone.html
CodecID_Version             : 0000.02
CodecID_Compatible          : qt  
Codec                       : MPEG-4
Codec                       : MPEG-4
Codec extensionsusually use : mp4 m4v m4a m4b m4p 3gpp 3gp 3gpp2 3g2 k3g jpm jpx mqv ismv isma f4v
File size                   : 8420471
File size                   : 8.03 MB
File size                   : 8 MB
File size                   : 8.0 MB
File size                   : 8.03 MB
File size                   : 8.030 MB
Duration (ms)               : 80
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00.080
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00:02
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00.080 (00:00:00:02)
Overall bit rate mode       : CBR
Overall bit rate mode       : Constant
Overall bit rate            : 842047104
Overall bit rate            : 842 Mbps
Frame rate                  : 25.000
Frame rate                  : 25.000 fps
Frame count                 : 2
Stream size                 : 715
Stream size                 : 715 Bytes (0%)
Stream size                 : 715 Bytes
Stream size                 : 715 Bytes
Stream size                 : 715 Bytes
Stream size                 : 715.0 Bytes
Stream size                 : 715 Bytes (0%)
Proportion of this stream   : 0.00008
HeaderSize                  : 28
DataSize                    : 8419764
FooterSize                  : 679
IsStreamable                : No
File creation date          : UTC 2022-05-20 14:59:49.998
File creation date (local)  : 2022-05-21 00:59:49.998
File last modification date : UTC 2022-05-20 14:59:50.811
File last modification date : 2022-05-21 00:59:50.811
Writing application         : Resolume
Writing application         : Resolume

===================== Video =====================
Count                       : 334
Countof stream of this kind : 1
Kind of stream              : Video
Kind of stream              : Video
Stream identifier           : 0
StreamOrder                 : 0
Id                          : 1
Id                          : 1
Format                      : DXD3
Commercial name             : DXD3
Codec Id                    : DXD3
Codec                       : DXD3
Codec                       : DXD3
Codec/cc                    : DXD3
Duration (ms)               : 80
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 80ms
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00.080
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00:02
Duration (ms)               : 00:00:00.080 (00:00:00:02)
Bit rate mode               : CBR
Bit rate mode               : Constant
Bit rate                    : 841975600
Bit rate                    : 842 Mbps
Width                       : 4160
Width                       : 4 160 pixels
Height                      : 3120
Height                      : 3 120 pixels
Pixel aspect ratio          : 1.000
Display aspect ratio        : 1.333
Display aspect ratio        : 4:3
Rotation                    : 0.000
Frame rate mode             : CFR
Frame rate mode             : Constant
Frame rate                  : 25.000
Frame rate                  : 25.000 fps
Frame count                 : 2
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)          : 2.595
Stream size                 : 8419756
Stream size                 : 8.03 MB (100%)
Stream size                 : 8 MB
Stream size                 : 8.0 MB
Stream size                 : 8.03 MB
Stream size                 : 8.030 MB
Stream size                 : 8.03 MB (100%)
Proportion of this stream   : 0.99992

Zoltán
Team Resolume
Posts: 7088
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 13:08
Location: Székesfehérvár, Hungary

Re: Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post by Zoltán »

Hmm, interesting.
Made a ticket.
Software developer, Sound Engineer,
Control Your show with ”Enter” - multiple Resolume servers at once - SMPTE/MTC column launch
try for free: http://programs.palffyzoltan.hu

Menno
Team Resolume
Posts: 137
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 13:56

Re: Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post by Menno »

For the output video being two frames: i can see that the alley beta we've posted on our community slack does this better, it outputs a video with just a single frame.

Just for my curiosity, is there a reason you want to convert it to a video? Dont you just want a faster image format? I'm wondering about the .dds format specifically. It also contains DXT compressed textures, meaning that decompression happens on the gpu, but it's still a single frame image format which may be a closer representation of what you want?

Holm
Is taking Resolume on a second date
Posts: 25
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2017 20:50

Re: Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post by Holm »

On slower systems, i own one, the converting from *.png or *.jpeg or any other pictureformat to *.dxv is a real advantage. It's can make the difference between possible or sorry.

User avatar
subpixel
Hasn't felt like this about software in a long time
Posts: 152
Joined: Thu Jun 05, 2014 09:32
Location: Sydney, AU

Re: Alley - still image conversion creates 2-frame videos

Post by subpixel »

No, there is no reason why I want it to be a "video". Converting to a "single frame DXV" is, I believe, the recommended way to load stills (without codec delays that can freeze up the system).
So if your VJ style depends on lightning fast triggering, it's best to avoid stills completely. Instead, it's better to convert them to short DXV encoded movie files.
-- https://resolume.com/support/en/stills

Post Reply