Typesetting Filter (VirtualDub)

[Access]

This is a very straightforward idea -- overlays a highly visible, configurable grid on top of a video to facilitate typesetting and image placement. I could not find such a filter so I spent a few hours and coded one. It is specifically aimed at typesetting shows with lots of on-screen titles and like, ie. Keroro Gunso. If you would like such a tool, you can download it here:
http://www.live-evil.org/sindo/filters.html

[Enragin_Angel]

Great! No more guess and check!

[K_R]

Would it be difficult to make it a native avs filter? That would be most helpful. I do all my filtering in avs, and there are probably others that shun vdub filters too...

[Tofusensei]

Originally Posted by K_R

Would it be difficult to make it a native avs filter? That would be most helpful. I do all my filtering in avs, and there are probably others that shun vdub filters too...

You use avs when you do typesetting? This isn't an encoding filter but rather for preparing the SSA script.

-Tofu

[Kasshin]

Nice.

I'd probably only use it for when I need to be REALLY precise though, cuz I'm already used to positioning stuff approximately. Beats opening photoshop or paintshop to find exact coordinates.

Edit (posted at the same time as me):

Originally Posted by Tofusensei

You use avs when you do typesetting? This isn't an encoding filter but rather for preparing the SSA script.

-Tofu

You can typeset with avs? I'm not an encoder, and encoders keep telling me to typeset for AVS, but the changes I make don't refresh, so I have to close vdub down and reopen the avs script...

[Access]

Originally Posted by K_R

Would it be difficult to make it a native avs filter? That would be most helpful. I do all my filtering in avs, and there are probably others that shun vdub filters too...

Do you know of any sites or documentation for .avs filter creation (not use)? Everything I could find online described how to make scripts but not the filters themselves. The reason I chose VDub was the relative ease, it was well documented and includes a filter SDK that uses the tools I'm used to. As far as colorspace, as-is it would only work with RGB. Batch configuration should work using LoadVirtualDubPlugin, but that is RGB32 only, and probably slow. If the parameters are a mystery, set it up in VDub, save it as a .vcf, and look at the "Config" line in the script where the filter is set up.

[Enragin_Angel]

Here's something that may help: http://www.avisynth.org/index.php?page=BensAviSynthDocs

[K_R]

Sorry, I know nothing of making filters for avs...

Tofu: I typeset purely in avs because vsfilter doesn't auto-update in vdub (have to go to filters, select textsub, then reload the ssa), but if you use textsub() in avs, you just need to hit F5 to refresh.

[Tofusensei]

Originally Posted by K_R

Sorry, I know nothing of making filters for avs...

Tofu: I typeset purely in avs because vsfilter doesn't auto-update in vdub (have to go to filters, select textsub, then reload the ssa), but if you use textsub() in avs, you just need to hit F5 to refresh.

Textsub doesn't auto-refresh for you? Odd, it does for me O_O;;; I dont even have to hit F5, just advance the video.

-Tofu

[K_R]

Originally Posted by Tofusensei

Textsub doesn't auto-refresh for you? Odd, it does for me O_O;;; I dont even have to hit F5, just advance the video.

I think gabest took out the autorefresh function in vsfilter textsub (I'm using version 2.33 - 2004-03-07 build), I think the autorefresh only works in the vobsub textsub (version 2.23? I've forgotten...)

Also, vobsub textsub and vsfilter textsub have slight differences in positioning and effects... So if you're encoding with avs/fast recomp, while the typesetter is using vobsub textsub...

[Tofusensei]

Originally Posted by K_R

I think gabest took out the autorefresh function in vsfilter textsub (I'm using version 2.33 - 2004-03-07 build), I think the autorefresh only works in the vobsub textsub (version 2.23? I've forgotten...)

Also, vobsub textsub and vsfilter textsub have slight differences in positioning and effects... So if you're encoding with avs/fast recomp, while the typesetter is using vobsub textsub...

Yeah, this is true. They are /supposed/ to behave the same but there are some glitches. I've seen it happen with some alpha commands that cause the scripts to come out all black when used with vsfilter. Also sometimes a broken textsub script will render properly in vdub version but not avs. It just is more friendly to poorly written scripts.

I didn't know about that autorefresh thing being removed! Thanks for telling me b/c I will not upgrade now I am using Textsub 2.23.

Also I have emailed Gabest and offered to send him scripts that I have that expose these differences in the way vsfilter.dll and vdub textsub filter handle scripts, but he never got back to me :[

-Tofu

[Access]

Originally Posted by K_R

Would it be difficult to make it a native avs filter? That would be most helpful. I do all my filtering in avs, and there are probably others that shun vdub filters too...

OK, hopefully it works, setup is a bit different since it works in the Y-channel and Y-channel resolution doesn't always match the display resolution. Same place, follow the link above and read the documentation.

[K_R]

Access: (More annoying questions) Is it possible to make it work in YV12?

Maybe my questions are unique since I typeset and encode, and only encode via fast recompress, so I only use avs filters than operate in the YV12 colourspace...

Tofu: Be careful if you're going to use vdub filtering, since vdub will force a colourspace conversion on your video... the most obvious artefact is a darker image.

Regarding the alpha commands, I did notice that, in some of the effects that involve specifying colours, vsfilter strictly enforces uppercase usage as specified in the vobsub docs (colours to be defined as &H, but vobsub works fine with &h). That could be the problem you're encountering (gabba encountered this problem when typesetting midori).

[Access]

Originally Posted by K_R

Access: (More annoying questions) Is it possible to make it work in YV12?

Maybe my questions are unique since I typeset and encode, and only encode via fast recompress, so I only use avs filters than operate in the YV12 colourspace...

It works in YV12, just to make sure, I tried:
LoadPlugin ("...\CGrid.dll")
AVISource ("...")
ConvertToYV12 ()
CGrid ()
and that works fine, fast enough to play in WMP6 full speed.

YV12 is the colorspace of choice with avisynth25, for most people at least.
Just don't ask for RGB, that makes no sense for something like this, right now it's a 1-channel operation; RGB would be 3-channel operation (3 times as slow).

http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guid...olorspace.html
Is that where you're coming from?

[Tofusensei]

Originally Posted by K_R

Access: (More annoying questions)
Tofu: Be careful if you're going to use vdub filtering, since vdub will force a colourspace conversion on your video... the most obvious artefact is a darker image..

When did I say I encode using virtualdub textsub filter? O_o;;

I know all about the colorspace conversions, thank you

Please read more carefully next time >_<

-Tofu

[K_R]

Originally Posted by Tofusensei

When did I say I encode using virtualdub textsub filter? O_o;;

I just assumed you did since you typeset with it and know that it renders differently than vsfilter textsub (otherwise your typesetting would be off when you go to encode) ~

--

Access, yeah OK, I didn't check when I posted that - busy writing a research presentation script... in japanese =\ (I'm not going to be able to memorise it ~)

[Tofusensei]

Originally Posted by K_R

I just assumed you did since you typeset with it and know that it renders differently than vsfilter textsub (otherwise your typesetting would be off when you go to encode)

Yeah, but I never have any issues personally with it rendering differently in the two because I never bother doing fancy textsub effects with alpha channels and crap I prefer the ghetto typesetting So I always create scripts that look identical in both. But I guess that'd be bad advice for people to follow so all aspiring typesetters out there, do NOT follow my example! :O you have been warned! (^-^)/

-Tofu