Mencodeme: a newbie oriented GUI - 0.23 is out!
 

Hi everyone,

I created this GUI. It's simple and template based. The idea behind it is very simple: 95% of the time encoding, we use the encode with optimized parameters. Most of us don't touch the templates when using tmpgenc/CCE. So here's how this GUI works: keeping the process very simple for everyone to get great results. Please note that this is aimed to use mencoder internal filters, so no avisyth support right now (but it would be easier to add, I just wanted to focus on this). This GUI is also multiplataform, it was done in C++ and WxWidgets.

Needed software:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
DVDDecrypter if you going to encode DVDs. For AVIs, nothing else is needed to process video.

How to use it:

1) Ripping with DVDDecrypter (Skip this step if you are using an AVI)
a)Open DVDDecrypter, go to Tools/Settings/IFO Mode and change file splitting to none. This way DVDDecrypter will create a BIG VOB with the whole move, instead os splitting in 1GB pieces. If you are going to use a AVI source, skip this step. Please take note of the movie duration if you're going to use a DVD source, you're going to need it.
b)Click on the tab "Stream Processing", check "Enable Stream Processing". Now keep checked only the audio and videoboxes corresponding to the tracks you want. For each checked option, change mode to "Demux" instead of direct stream copy
c) Click on the "DVD to HD" graphic button.
d) After the ripping process is complete, go to folder where the files are and rename the .m2v to .vob

2) Load Mencode-ME.
a)Click on "..." and select your VOB or AVI.
b) Select the kind of media you are going to use: DVD/1x CD 80 Min, etc... Also select audio bitrate. And if you are using VOBs, you also need to input movie length (in minutes!)
c) Select the resolution.
d) Select the framerate. (No support for interlaced PAL/NTSC): 23.976 for NTSC movies, 25 for PAL movies. If you are doing a NTSC movie, also check "Forced Film"
e) Select the template corresponding to your conversion
f) Check two pass for best quality (or don't for faster and worse results)
g) Click encode and let it fly!

:D :D :D

Get it here:
Windows
----------
http://www.vmesquita.com
(Mencoder and MPlayer already included this time)

The package comes with compiled mencoder and templates.
Linux
------
Grab it here:
http://www.vmesquita.com
You need gtk1.2 to use this. GTK2 doesn't work. But don't worry, you can have both installed.
For Debian based distro (like knoppix and kurumin), do:
apt-get install libgtk1.2



It doesn't include mencoder, you need to have mencoder already installed and in the path. Just unpack whatever you like and use it.

What's new in 0.23:
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
- VBV buffer is set correctly. This should also solve mpeg1 dct coeficients messages/mpeg1 desynch.
- 2 pass is fixed.
- IVTC working like a charm
- Comes with a non-cpu optmized Mencoder CVS build. This was needed for IVTC and DirectX preview to work.
- Preview is now done using directX as output of mplayer. This should work fast for everyone. But you need Directx 8 or higher,
- target templates adjusted.

Hi vmesquita,

Going to try your MEncoder GUI today and will let you know some
results soon. :)

-BP

Sorry, here not working.
Can you please make to type the bitrate in the window - I somehow can't reach the bitrate I want (892)
And the temp.conf file:
Nice work. The settings are 352x576 kvcd 25 fps
EDIT: ops, another small thing: in the template is written expand WIDTH HEIGHT, but in the temp.conf it is height width. :wink:

Ok, stupid bug of mine. :( Edit the conf file you are using and replace
PASS
with
%%PASS%%
This should solve. About bitrate: you can fine-tune using the left and right directional keys. :wink:
I'll fix this later, unfortunatelly I am not at home right now.

Two things I remembered:
- GOP is always 18.
- A.R. is automatically calculated, but AR flag is always 1:1. This is very simple to fix, I actually forgot. :oops: You can fix the file later usign ReStream. I'll fix this bugs later, bug it's still usable. :D

vmesquita, I have edited my post a bit...

ooops... :oops: Another bug for me to fix when I get home. :lol: :lol: This way it will produce a 576x352 MPEG (as opposed to 352x576 8O ).

Sorry for the confusion, the whole GUI was conceived, programmed and (little) tested in less than 24 hours (considering thatI also did a lot of things in this time besides this). But these are simple problems (looks like I should sleep a little more. :lol: )

vmesquita,
CoNgRaTuLaTiOn
cOnGrAtUlAtIoN
conGRAtuLAtion
CONgraTUlaTION
(... and so on) :lol: :lol:

Very nice interface, easy to manage.
There's some debugging to do. But as you said, not that bad for 24 hours :wink:
(even I know a newbie programmer that did it in just 2 days... :lol: :lol: :P )
Some suggestions else: option to change vob from 18 to 15 (PAL), option in KDVD to just crop and expand (not scale nor bicubic
resize when encoding KDVD 16:9), did you try lmax=10 as bilu advised? (lower quantizer peaks in first pass). Maybe scplx_mask
could be just an option (not always of a help).

And, of course, last but not list, an "advanced" GUI would be great, with more parameters to be adjusted as desired. You could
keep templates for general use, but the possibility to adjust it to our desire.

Very good job, man

V,
Mencoder-me deserve a sticky and the answers and questions in another thread, don't ?
:idea:

let me see.....it's for newbys.....then....it's for me!

thanks and congrats my friend !
8)

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
When I was in the bus today I remembered that I forgot about the GOP.
Actually, I don't know how I could crop the black borders in mencoder. Detecting the crop area in a automated way is hard...
I think this options are beyond the scope of this GUI... As soon as we find the optimal parameters, we will probably not mess with them. Or maybe there will be a few that we will adjust according to the situation. I realized using mencoder that many parameters are useless or produce bad quality.

I haven't done any mencoder quality tests since sunday...

Maybe there could be a "Template Maker Tool" :D
Thanks! :D

@jorel
Enjoy! :D

That's OK
You could leave the option to introduce it manually...
You're right
Very good idea.

I get this Error by Mencoder in 2-pass mode. Mencoder creates a .stackdump file which contains the following:

1 pass works well. Thanks for your effort vmesquita!

Vmesquita ..... great job! :)

A question: As you provide your own compiling of mencoder.exe and cygwin1.dll ... how does your GUI call that mencoder?? Will it be like If I would create a bat file where it justs starts with the words "mencoder .....", or does your GUI call a setted Path?
Because I did set mencoders Folder in my system variables!, means if you just type mencoder it refers directly to C:/Program files/mplayer/mencoder.exe.
Would this mean I have to exchange the mencoder in that mentioned path above incl the adding of cygwin1.dll ??

Thanks!

Inc.

@digitall.doc
Mencoder has a -cropdetect switch (http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en...dvd-mpeg4-crop)
that detects the proper cropping options. I may add this later.

@Jellygoose
Maybe mencoder is not being able to read the logfile from 1st pass for some reason... :? Anyone with this problem? Actually I haven't done a full test with my own tool yet... :oops: I'll do it later.

@incredible
The GUI just calls a mencode.exe in its folder. If you want to use another compilation, replace mencoder.exe in the tool's folder or remove the included mencoder.exe and put your mencoder in path (I don't know if this will work). :roll: You have to test. :wink:

The output of the m2v can't be read by Vdub, only if FFvfw is set as decoder for mpeg's in Avi files. So I did set that in FFvfw and it works. Is that ok?
(I never had to do it before, means when using the old build)

Re: Mencoder-me: a newbie oriented GUI
 

Hi vmesquita. where is the source code?. I want try to compile it in my MDK 10.

Thanks

Re: Mencoder-me: a newbie oriented GUI
 

Deeply saved and guarded in his computer :mrgreen:

-kwag

Hi,
I suspect Vinicius is not releasing the source code until he thinks the tool is properly polished and only
needs minor arrangements.
In fact that's what I would do, anyway.
And maybe V wants it multiplatform but is not planing in releasing the code at all.
By that I mean he may be posting downloads for win32, linux, freebsd, etc...
BTW I didn't have the time to congratulate him on his newest baby.
:ole:
Thanks for this new toy V.

Wish-list:
Could you release just the GUI without MEncoder binaries?
My cable link has had so many downtime that I have been surfing the web on my old regular
56K modem.
And that's a pretty big packet to download under this kind of bandwidth.
Also could you spare some time to post a step by step best way to compile MEncoder with Cygwin?
If so could you also mention which packages to download on Cygwin setup?
Thanks man.
Guys like you make our community STRONG :D
Cheers

@ Kwag

I need it to compile it in Linux :(

@Vmesquita

Will you post releases for linux? Only the gui please, I prefer compile mencoder from CVS.

Thanks !!

Vmesquita.

This baby rocks! Thanks a lot for this nice GUI! :D

A little suggestion in case of PAL 702x576 anamorph to 704x576 anamorph encoding: As pal 720x576 only has to be cropped at both sides by 8 to get the correct 704x576 by still correct AR keeped, I changed the Line in the DVD template from your scalers and expanders to just crop=704:576:8:0.
This gave me a recognisable speed advantage of 7fps!

As I do see is, that there will be a Colorspaceconversion! 8O Don't ask me why .... :?:


Now Im playing with mencoders internal filters :twisted: (for shure).
Vmesquita, how can I output the pphelp log??? Means where do I have to put that -pphelp argument so it will show me mencoders postprocessing options at least on a minimal sliced test encoding ?

Thanks!

Hi sertinell. I will release a linux compile (just need my knoppix working). About the source code, please read this thread to understand my position:
http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic....ghlight=source

VirtualDub is not supposed to read MPEG2, unless you are using VirtualDubMod. Are sure you were actually producing MPEG2VIDEO files... :?
Yes, this is a nice idea! :D I'll do that.

I think you have to use just "mencoder -pphelp". Just tested now and it works. :wink:
Please let me know if you find a good filters combo. :D

@rds_correa
Well, I am not planing to release the source code. But I do plan to to multiplataform compiles.
I'll release the next version in 2 packages, 1 featuring the GUI only. :wink:
About the compilation guide: I would like to do that but it will be a bit hard because I'll have to reinstall cygwin to find out what packages I already have. :lol: But I am planing a reinstall in my machine at work and I'll take the chance to write the guide.

Thanks vmesquita for making this GUI for newbs like me, now hopefully I can finally get to grips with Mencoder. :D

Well I know that, I do use VdubMod and had never problems when loading the demuxed or even not demuxed m2v/mpg's when using my old build.
Even Bitrateviewer says "Illegal Stream Format" ... just to test what the right window says.

SO wil that stream be totally DVD conform??

BTW: Here are the Postprocessing options of mencoder:

http://www.digitalfaq.com/archives/i.../2004/04/1.gif

Hi

Ok. I respect your opinion about source code. thanks for the linux compile :)

This problems never happended to me... Please check the folowing: sometimes mencoder don't understand the command-line because there's a syntax error, and in this cases it produces.. Divx output! So check when you are encoding if you see right before the line showing the status of the encode
[mpeg2video] or something like that.
If you see [DIVX] it's because mencoder is doing DivX. I had this problem and may seem obvious but it took me some time to figure out. :D

My tweaked PAL 720x576 anamorph to 704x576 anamorph .config file

of=rawvideo=1
ovc=lavc=1
nosound=1
noskip=1
vf=yuvcsp,pp=hb:100:100/vb/dr,crop=704:576:8:0,hqdn3d=10:0:5 :arrow: a noisy dvd!
sws=9
lavcopts=vcodec=mpeg2video:vrc_eq=tex
:vmax_b_frames=2:vrc_maxrate=9800:
keyint=15:vrc_buf_size=1835:preme=2:
precmp=2:vstrict=-1:autoaspect=1:scplx_mask=0.3:
vqblur=0:mbqmin=1:vqmin=1:mbqmin=1:lmin=1:
intra_matrix=8,9,12,22,26,27,29,34,9,10,14,26,27,2 9,
34,37,12,14,18,27,29,34,37,38,22,26,27,31,36,37,38 ,
40,26,27,29,36,39,38,40,48,27,29,34,37,38,40,48,58 ,
29,34,37,38,40,48,58,69,34,37,38,40,48,58,69,79:
inter_matrix=16,18,20,22,24,26,28,30,18,20,22,24,
26,28,30,32,20,22,24,26,28,30,32,34,22,24,26,30,32 ,
32,34,36,24,26,28,32,34,34,36,38,26,28,30,32,34,36 ,
38,40,28,30,32,34,36,38,42,42,30,32,34,36,38,40,42 ,44
ofps=%%FPS%%
fps=%%FPS%%




This is my output :

Means mpeg2video .... but still I'm confused that a m2v capable reading appl. like Bitrateviewer doesn't accept that one 8O

Gspot tells me this:
http://www.digitalfaq.com/archives/i.../2004/04/2.gif

An avi container :lol:

I tried to demux that one the BBdemux.exe way (commandline) ... but it doesnt work .... command log "stands still" and nothing happens.
I also did one test and did apply of=mpeg=1 ..... no success

Now .... I tried to load it into DVDlab .... not accepted :!:
(as recommended by DVDlab I tried to use the DVDlab tool "Fix stream headers" .... :arrow: headers can't be fixed 8O

Great job vmesquita,looks pretty easy to use but i am still having a problem with the end result,can i email someone a 1mb of the finished product to help me out :D

If so please pm me

New version out! Now everything should be working properly.

Changelog:
-of=mpeg was not being used, that's why m2v were invalids. Fixed
-Gop selection box
-Aspect Ratio now being properly set
-width/height and cropped/final dimentions swap bug fixed.
-now using ivtc for InverseTelecine instead of detc.

And added a new CVS compile "MEncoder dev-CVS-040414-23:25", that I just did right now. I also updated libavcodec. And this time, it comes with latest manpage. :D

Get it here:
http://www.jltoca.uaivip.com.br/files/MencodeMe011.zip

@incredible and bigggt
The first line of the template wasn't being read (bug) and because of that, it was using a AVI container... :( Get the new release, now it should work fine.
:wink:

:D Thanks!!
Ill test it this evening.

After a quick look at the latest vers. it seems to miss the option of choosing a Final Resolution of 480x576, which I use for most of my KSVCD's :D

But it looks very nice...thanks.

Anerboda

1.

As I yesterday the first time took a look at mencoders internal postprocessing options like cropping resizing, expanding etc .... maybe my point of view is wrong but ...

Vmesquita, you choose resizing/bordering as followed .... Scaling ... expanding ....
Im a bit confused WHY mencoder does a colorconversation when doing a scaling. But I think it would make sense if the image proportion preparing by mencoder would be done in the order FitCD does it like .... Crop .... scale ... addingborders. That would mean we could enter in fields of MEncoderGUI the values given by FitCD as also suggested by Kwag.
But that would mean to have three fields in your GUI and doing all calculations in FitCD before :?
But you already did a routine which also autodetects borders etc. in Avisynth, would it be possible (I know Im crazy now cause that means work) to implementate a calculation routine within your programming, which auto fills those mentioned fields? Maybe Muaddib can offer you the needed source? (just a crazy thought)

As always, if you need help .... ring the bell :)


2.

The postprocessing Filters of mencoder are very powerful at the first view and tests! The hq3denoiser is very powerful but slow. But I saw that the pp postprocessing routines of mencoder also got an integrated temporal denoiser ... but I dont get in the settings as just mentioned there are 1. 2. 3. ? Well time will bring it ;-)
As you see bove I still do load a makeAvis avi from a mpeg2source importing avs script but NO filters at all aplied. The encoding speed at 25fps 704x576 2.35:1 gots 58fps! 8O :D
If I do apply the hq3denoiser, the speed drops down significantly to about 29 fps! .... And I did a comparison of speed if the temporal denoising is done within the makeavis Avisynth script .... and that resulted a bit faster!

3.

The output of the mencoder log still says something about the CPU runtime detection .... is it possible to offer two compilings, one for athlon XP and one for Intel based machines... or did I understand something wrong?

Thanks a lot in advance Vmesquita!
I know you already dont get sleep as you are attacked by DIKO suggestions and now you got another baby to take care of .... great work!

PS: I do love the "template" way you offer in MEncoderGUI!
By this we can share optimal templates for special purposes like optimal scripts for AVS in here!! So If someone gots a new better filter etc. setting, we just can offer it in here as a template, thats all and YOU don't have to worry to re-encode your code as this would happen if you would have coded a ALLinOne Code appl. like Qenc. :D

@Anerboda
I forgot that resolution. I'll add to the next version. :D

@incredible
1-Actually I a not cropping black borders yet.In order to do that via mencoder, I have to first run a mencoder -include opts.conf -vf autocrop which will tell me the correct cropping values. :wink: I found out this yesterday. I don't think FitCD is needed for that, because righth now I already calulate this inside the program, only crop, ovescan and macroblock optimization is missing. But I will add this.

2-Maybe using mencoder filters is not as fast as I thought... :( Another things I wanted to do is a command-line MakeAvis. I already managed to re-compile MakeAvis but I still don't know exactly how it works. :?

3-I'll offer a AtlhonXP . Actually I'd like to offer builds for every plataform The only problem is that I am just one. :lol: :lol: :lol:

About DIKO, I think this project is mean to be a lot simpler than DIKO. I want to provide a simple, yet effective way for people to use mencoder, including newbies. The template thing has exactly the spirit you thought, make it easy to share and use. And easy to develop, too. :lol: :lol:

Good job, vinicius :wink:
Already downloading, I'll test as soon as I can...
And it's nice we have a new compilation and a new man_page. I hope it'll be clearer tahn in previous versions :?

:)
Well lets see if we can trust on the autocrop engine of mencoder 8)
I think .... .... .... uops! (I stop here as you are already filled up with suggestions and so on :lol: )

Ill do tests these days using FitCD parameters in mencoders internal engines and I will do a comparison between Quality and speed of the mencoder internal resizing way and the makeavis (resized via AVS) way.

Cause these mencoder filter options would be GREAT as it also contains a de-logo engine! So if the filters of mencoder will output better, we could just take capts, delete the commercials out resafe them via Vdub direct stream copy (faaaast) and everything else would be don internal of mencoder!
BUT I have to find out IF the filters in Mencoder like delogo wont change into another colorspce as AVS delogo filters do that!
And thats a VERY big issue if I did understand right, that Scale: of mencoder does a colorspace conversion EVEN into RGB!
That would be very worse as a colorspace resampling from YUV to RGB is VERY tricky! as colors are separated totally different.

Inc,

You woundn't need to delete via VirtualDub. This can also be done via mencoder with sb, endpos and ss. Then you can simply join the generated M2Vs using copy/b (this is valid, if I remember correctly). Or maybe it's possible to specify more than I set of endpos/ss, who knows... :?

Edit: The RGB coneversion would be really bad... :cry:

That would had be my next question! :) As I also thought about that and its nice that mencoder does such things have integrated :D

If it would possible to do sliced encodings using a special mencoder command line ... we could proceed as followed:

1. Open the capture in Vdub and cut the commercials out.
2. Do safe the processing settings in Vdub as the cut points also will be safed
3. An import tab in MEncoderGUI could load the .vdf file and read out the cut points.
4. In the command line we will have the count of encodings called and each one will got the specified range and on every coding will a suffix added like .1 .2 .3
5 at the end of the command line a copy/b command will exist which merges the streams again and deletes the sliced encodings.
(thats also nice if DIKO is used to burn multiple captures to DVD-R using mencoder :) )

I whish I could do encode :cry:

:)

PS: Right now testing your latest release: Avicontainer Problem is fixed! Thanx! But I do see that you determine the %%aspect%% and also you do an autoaspect=1 afterwards .. is that ok?

EDIT: I got the right settet AR of 16/9 ... so its ok! :)

!!Warning Newb Alert!!

I used this tool to do a quick conversion of a DivX conversion i did years ago and I got a resulting m2v video file.

I used AVI2WAV to extract the audio and BeSweet to convert to MP2.

What should I use to mux them TMPGEnc???

Also I ripped a small VOB from my Austin Powers 3 DVD the Hard knock life music vid with Minnie Me and Dr Evil and tried to test that with this app.

I used DVD Decrypter to rip it to my HDD and when I tried to convert it to KDVD the DOS box flashed up quickly and nothing happened so im puzzled. :?: :?:

Sorry for being such a newb but this encoder is totally new to me. :oops:

Better u do test mplex.exe a appl. which does the same like BBmpeg but much easier to get into the wanted/muxing screen/engine.
So do mux your m2v and mp2 using mplex.exe, or BBmpeg or TmpgEnc, guides for muxing you find in this forum.

Be shure you did rip the VOB as ONE file by setting in DVD decrypter NO filesplitting! And shure u use the IFO mode.

So the Command Box just flashes and no more? But as your Divx encoding was successful the path to mencoder.exe was found and it cant be guilty for that.

--------------------------
@ All
Also we should make some tests on mencoders lame audio engine as it could be useful to directly encode the mp2 out of the VOB too incl, a mplex.exe command line version engine call to mux it as Ksvcd.
And if that doesnt work than a special!! build of ffmpeg can decode ac3 and encode it into AC3 again or mp2. That ffmpeg build can be found at doom9.org at "other mpeg encoders" and then search for the thread "daily ffmpeg builds"

@vm,

Tried MEncoderME v0.11. I have some questions??

1) I used avs MA script and used FakeAVIS as input. The program
failed with stack errors. Is your program only for Divx or VOB's.

2) I tried using just 1 vob for test purposes. The bitrate setting is
what? (Max, Min, or Average).

3) After setting DVD4:3 to VCD4:3, force film checked, GOP 18,
width= 352, height=240 (352X240), my output file was always
"movie.m2v" instead of "movie.m1v". Did I do something wrong?

Comments:

Good first start for the short time development. 8) My video results
will need more work. The movie would speed-up every 5 seconds and
go back to normal. It has a solarized display with some blockiness
especially water and fire scenes. :)

-BP

Im not Vmesquita, but .... well ;-)
I dont have problems when doing the MencoderGUI way by using MakeAvis and no matter which routines the internal Avs script does provide (till now). So what errors do occur??

Do the avg bitrate calculation using for example calcumatic to be found at the CQ matic thread. Min and Max are already set to the purpose oif the encoding format like Ksvcd or kvcd or Kdvd
In the state now MencoderGUI calls a mpeg2 engine of mencoder. So thats why you end up with a m2v!

:?:
Post a pic! As I want to interprete your "solarisation" definition well ;-)

VCD (in regular) comes as CBR where such issues do come up but as we never do CBR that would mean something diff. is going wrong.
Seems that the Bitrate was set too low.
So tell your avg bitrate value you did enter in MencoderGUI for that 352x240 resolution.
Do you encode using 2pass or one pass?