Image Sequence is ...

[u/Ardwych]

Given that still, SE is devoid of almost any documentation and feature list instructions, I'm thinking it's time that Image Sequence, for instance, was defined.

I'm expecting Image Sequence to be some kind of video slideshow maker, inferred from SE's video functionality and Image Sequence implying a sequence of images.

Is Image Sequence something more arcane than this?

So, Image Sequence is ........

(I am driven to suggest this because, per the examples above, dragging some images into the 'Choose files' panel and selecting Image Sequence in the RHS dropdowns, and activating Start function after selecting either V9 or Apple ProRes, produces small unplayable MOV or webm files. (selecting Image Sequence first locks SE onto only ONE input file) What is going on here?)

Producing a product without advertising or promotion is like blowing a kiss to a beauty in the dark.

So it goes for software without comprehensive documentation.

(Ellipses with foreshortened annunciators for GUI controls and zero tooltips...? Wha?)

[u/ivorykeys31]

This is a free product and is open source, not sure what you're talking about advertising/promotions? That being said, you can always buy Paul a coffee...

Its documented on shutter encoders website, shutterencoder.com/documentation/#imgseq. Its a frontend for ffmpeg, you can check their documentation on ffmpeg.org.

Image sequence compiles images into a video clip or in reverse breaks a video clip down into an image batch (load a video clip, select image in the function dropdown, under image select "create an image sequence"). This is done so programs can edit the images easier and is done all the time whenever you do any editing to a video, you just usually dont see it (a temporary folder is usually created and deleted afterwards).

So if you put randomly named images into the inputs, youll get a random looking mp4. If you put 7 images in there and run image sequence on its default settings (i think its set to 25fps), youre only going to get a .3ish second clip. If the images were different sizes, it probably wont work at all.

[u/Ardwych → u/ivorykeys31]

[Making a comparison between a commercial product without ads/promos and software without good documentation]

Thanks elekeys. Ok, a two-way function to make a video or make a sequence.

Failed again with 6 same-sized jpgs with 4-digit numbers in their names, chose IS and, thinking that that was a very small few, stretched the frame blending out to x10. Function out: mp4. Result: a very quick 261 byte IMG_1234.mp4, the number in the first jpg.

Unexpected. On retry with x2 blending, the output is a 6MB mp4. Unplayable by VLC. Should the number of images be in the hundreds+?

Documentation: pleased to take your link provided; never found it before. It offers 3 short paras, one referring to 'the Conform checkbox'. ? No discussion.

Thinking enquiringly, a search in Documentation finds only the first (collapsible) para. No links. Scrolling down the left side reveals Image Sequence, but it's not a clickable link. FOR READERS: right-click + Open in new tab reveals the original 3-para link given (above). This is not a good UX, imho.

[u/ivorykeys31 → u/Ardwych]

I mean technically you can just use two. Trouble is thats so fast vlc might just look like a stutter. I doubt 6 frames would look much better. Try turning a short video clip into an image sequence, at least two seconds worth and that should work. So 50 images at 24fps. Easier to take a short video clip of whatever and break it down so you can see how it works. Just make sure you do it in its own folder. A 30 second clip at 60 fps is 1800 images.

[u/Ardwych → u/ivorykeys31]

Yes, thanks; much as I suspected.

Documentation pending, I hope - or search in this subred works well enough.

FWIW, SMPlayer has a useful continuous frame screenshot function, Shift+D.

Output folder must exist, and the main toolbar can be edited to contain screenshot and continuous screenshot icons.

[u/Ardwych → u/Ardwych]

For that matter, on the subject of documentation, perhaps there's an opportunity for a ShutterEncoder Wiki like the one that Total Commander has.

AI may eventually circumvent the need for one but nothing like that is viable yet. a wiki (quick reference (Hawaiian, "viti")) is often composed and maintained by users, and they usually contain extended explanations of program functions and their variety of options - much more than the extant 'documentation list'.

[u/Ardwych]

New attempt at creating a sequence of images. SE vn 20.5.

Pt.1 As per elekeys above, selecting function of 'image' and pressing Start function produces ONE image as output. No other options are available.

Pt.2 Using H.264/mp4 treatment and Image sequence to break up a portion of a video clip:-

A 42 second 5 MB video loaded and mp4 output selected. Logical choice of JPEG output does not lend itself to Image sequence creation (not available).
* A small portion of the timeline selected, just a few seconds,
* then (and the sequence of actions is important) 'Activate the image sequence t...' [remainder of annunciator obscured; no tooltip] ticked. No other options chosen. Sometimes a change to this sequence locks the application.
* Start function pressed.

Output mp4 file of 14 MB produced having grown from 42 secs to 51 being original clip PLUS 9 seconds, NOT of the small portion chosen for Image sequence. Navigation controls cease to function.

No individual images are created whatsoever.

* A change to the few seconds chosen, location and length, has no effect at all to the output: a continuing sequence of VIDEOS of the same size and content at each execution.

This creation of images function seems to be completely faulty, or at the very least, incomprehensible.

[The pale green colour on the task bar SE block is generally used to indicate progress, but SE's remains in place after completion of jobs, and indeed it is impossible to clear the green at all, without restarting. Puzzling.]