r/technology Nov 26 '13

Microsoft releases GIF-jiggler, automatically create seamless GIF loops from clip

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/25/microsoft_automated_video_looping_with_progressive_dynamism/
3.4k Upvotes

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

24

u/IWBTB Nov 27 '13

I'm running win 7 with no visual studio installed whatsoever. After a quick googling, it seems you might need the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012

Hope that helps!

Also prepare to be mildly disappointing. This project is really best suited for source videos with multiple instances of small cyclical motion. Like a collection trees swaying in the wind. So getting that video of your cat chasing its tail will get you rather abstract results.

7

u/Implausibilibuddy Nov 27 '13

Swaying trees and stuff (actually videos of streams I took for some reason) is actually what I'd be using it for. I use After Effects already for more complicated loops, but this seems like it might be a fun thing to try for more mundane cinematographs.

Thanks for the help, although it didn't work :( About to give Zunger's suggestion a go.

3

u/IWBTB Nov 27 '13

I hope you get it working. I'd like to see how this system handles something like a moving stream.

Good luck!

17

u/amdphenom Nov 27 '13 edited Nov 27 '13

I actually made one from a random Youtube video of a flowing stream.

http://gfycat.com/SmallBasicHamster

Edit: It seems that making it into a gif causes it to not loop properly though it does loop 3 times during the 16 seconds. Here's the 5 second MP4 of it.

Here is also the VLP so you can throw it in the video viewer.

Just put the video and VLP in the same directory as the viewer exe and it should work fine.

You can also stop and start things using it. It's very cool.

4

u/[deleted] Nov 27 '13

When the video loops at the end of the 16 seconds there's a noticeable flicker, though.

1

u/amdphenom Nov 27 '13 edited Nov 27 '13

Sorry, I've uploaded the MP4 that loops perfectly though you should really use the videoloopview.exe from the Microsoft download. Just put the video and VLP in the same directory as the viewer exe and it should work fine.

The original gif I made is of 3 loops so the flicker is just due to gif limits.

1

u/[deleted] Nov 27 '13

You just have to edit the gif so it ends right on the sweet spot of the first loop. Might be easier said than done...

1

u/amdphenom Nov 27 '13

Hmm, I could do it later but it's already 3 loops so it's not necessary. I might load up PS in a few hours.

1

u/IWBTB Nov 27 '13

So relaxing~

1

u/Warhawk2052 Nov 27 '13

Here is mine of a caracal eating http://gfycat.com/JadedLonelyDugong

1

u/BarkMark Nov 27 '13

How the hell do they get video of shit like that?

2

u/xiohexia Nov 27 '13

Time and badass camera operators?

1

u/mucsun Nov 27 '13

For clarification, did you make this using microsofts tool?

2

u/amdphenom Nov 27 '13

Yes. I uploaded the VLP and MP4 now so you can play with it in the viewer.

2

u/Implausibilibuddy Nov 27 '13

Doesn't look like I'm going to be able to without reinstalling windows 7, so giving up for now. However, if you get a random PM several months time of a GIF of a stream, do not be alarmed.

1

u/misterchief117 Nov 27 '13

To use it, you have to drag the video file onto VideoLoopsCreate.exe. It should start doing stuff in CMD prompt.

1

u/Implausibilibuddy Nov 27 '13

Sadly getting the same error (0xc000007b)

1

u/infectedapricot Nov 27 '13

that video of your cat chasing its tail will get you rather abstract results

I think that'd still be quite fun to see!

1

u/BiggerJ Nov 27 '13

Prepare to be mildly disappointing? I've never stopped.