Generate Loading Videos

[Mike_da_Spike]

Generate Loading Videos

View File

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This is the latest release of my "Generate loading Videos" from playfield program.

The idea started when PinballX introduced loading Videos and @scutters modified his "Loading Video & Image Changer (de-randomiser) "

With Scutters his plugin and this program (and a lot of creativity of yourself), you can create your loading video's per table.

Version 3 of this program, makes it much easier than the previous version I created. And more flexible.

The settings interface can now easily add 'animations' (.gif, .apng or .mp4), you can choose the location where the animation should be added to playfield image
And you can choose if you want to use an overlay (Some overlays already included)

When set everything up, the program will create from your playfield video , a video with the animation on top (and if you choose an overlay, that will be placed above the playfield video and under the animation)

Setup :

• Download the zip file , and extract all to the same folder
  • Download the individual animations that you want to use as well
• Run CreateLoadingVideos.exe
  • Select the PinballX system where you want to create the videos for
  • Go to tab 'animations', and setup your Animations path. 
    Put all your animations in that folder.
  • Click on Add to add an entry, select your animation, select the overlay (or use the checkbox to not use an overlay) and set the location where you want the animation
  • Exit the program if all is setup correctly
  • Run CreateLoadingVideos.exe every time you add/modify your playfield videos
    The program will create missing loading videos and re-create loading videos if your playfield video is newer.
    It will randomly pick an animation that was setup.

 

A big thanks to @scutters
He created some animations,
tested the program and helped with ideas on it 

if you create Videos of your playfield yourself (and with every update of the table), uses Scutters his de-randomizer plugin and this tools to generate the videos, it will look like a seamless start from front-end to the emulator itself.

Some examples video's 

 

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• Submitter
  Mike_da_Spike
• Submitted
  03/16/22
• Category
  PinballX

 

[Mike_da_Spike]

This makes the previous versions obsolete.
No need to download the big video packs anymore. Just small Videos/animation files

I prefer to set a overlay , as during creation there can be some distortion to make the animation transparent. 
Just check if the settings that you use are fine, before you create a bulk of videos.
A missed/wrong setting can result that you need to redo all your animation videos 

[Denys06]

I can't create loading videos.

I keep getting the following error message for all my tables:

9/03/2022 01:44:09    INFO    Start creating video : [C:\PinballX\Media\Visual Pinball\Table Videos\Theatre of Magic (Bally 1995).mp4] with animation [alt1.gif] from [Overlay1]
19/03/2022 01:44:09    ERROR    Video creation failed for :[step1.mp4]
19/03/2022 01:44:09    ERROR    Error during creating video : [C:\PinballX\Media\Visual Pinball\Table Videos\Theatre of Magic (Bally 1995).mp4]

Can you help me ?

[Mike_da_Spike]

2 hours ago, Denys06 said:

Can you help me ?

Sure. 

First start the settings program and go to the log tab. Put this on nightmare logging level.

Run the loadingsvideos exe file and generate it.

Poste the log and your inifile (and if you want your animations file alt1.gif as wel)

Sorry if the program doesnt do what you expect

[Denys06]

Hello,

First of all, thank you for answering me, it's really appreciated.

Here are all the requested documents :

CreateLoadingVideos.logCreateLoadingVideos.ini

I hope you can explain why it doesn't work for me. I tried to understand but I couldn't find it.

[Mike_da_Spike]

Looks like the ffmpeg command to build tour overlay is failing, but don't  see why.

can you open a command prompt and run the following command ?

C:\PinballX\FFMPEG.exe -y -i "C:\PinballX\Media\Visual Pinball\Table Videos\X-Men LE (Stern 2012) v1.0.3.mp4" -i "C:\LoadingVideos\OverlayImages\GradientDarkMid.png" -ss 0 -t 00:00:02.00 -filter_complex "[0:v]scale=1920:1080[scaled];[scaled][1:v]overlay=(main_w-overlay_w)/2:(main_h-overlay_h)/2,fps=fps=30,vflip,hflip" -an -vcodec:a h264_nvenc  "C:\Users\WonderWoman\AppData\Local\Temp\Step1.mp4"

 

This shouls grab your playfield video, cut it to the length of your gif and overlay it with the gradient you choose

As you have an nvidia card. It will do the vcodec with h264_nvenc

 

Maybe try to use another version of ffmpeg.exe in your pinballx folder

[Denys06]

Hello,

I have a problem with " h264_nvenc " :

You tell me to try with another version of "ffmpeg.exe". Can you tell me how to manage to change the version in Pinball FX because when I go to the official site https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html#build-windows it tells me to install a version for windows but there is nothing to do with Pinball FX. Do you know how I can manage to use your software with my configuration ? Thx

[Denys06]

Hello,

Finally I used the option of integrating an image "loading.gif" directly in the options of Visual Pinball and it works as I wish without using new videos created.

Anyhow, thanks for your help.

[Mike_da_Spike]

9 minutes ago, Denys06 said:

Hello,

Finally I used the option of integrating an image "loading.gif" directly in the options of Visual Pinball and it works as I wish without using new videos created.

Anyhow, thanks for your help.

Nice !

2 hours ago, Denys06 said:

Hello,

I have a problem with " h264_nvenc " :

You tell me to try with another version of "ffmpeg.exe". Can you tell me how to manage to change the version in Pinball FX because when I go to the official site https://www.ffmpeg.org/download.html#build-windows it tells me to install a version for windows but there is nothing to do with Pinball FX. Do you know how I can manage to use your software with my configuration ? Thx

I think you have an old version of ffmpeg.exe. if you change the exe in the pinballx folder with the latest, it should work, but you find an alternative

[Mike_da_Spike]

Updated to version 3.0.1
New zip file available for download
Changed the settings and main program

You can now automatically re-create the loading videos when your playfield video is updated

This will give you a better transition when the playfield is updated and you created new playfield video from it