VB.Net - Animations and Movies
Overview
This is a small application that creates an animation in AVI or GIF format from user selected images. This functionality isn't possible in native VB.Net, but you can run the freeware program FFmpeg with the process class which produces video and GIF output from a contiguous sequence of numbered images.
The application is made up of the GUI code that handles all of the GUI related events such as adding, organizing, and removing image files, enabling or disabling buttons, etc...
The imageUtilities class contains three static methods, one private and only used internally within the class. The two public methods are createGIF and createAVI.
Figure 1. The GUI
The imageUtilities class
The image files chosen to be used in the animation or movie are copied locally and renamed in a sequentially numbered format that works with FFmpeg. This allows up to 100,000 frames to be used. The original image files are left intact in their original location.
Public Class imageUtilities
''' <summary>
''' Makes local copies of image files
''' first deleting any existing local image files
''' </summary>
''' <param name="files">an array of IO.FileInfo to be used in animation</param>
Private Shared Sub copyFiles(files() As IO.FileInfo)
Dim oldFiles() As String = IO.Directory.GetFiles("images")
For x As Integer = 0 To oldFiles.GetUpperBound(0)
IO.File.Delete(oldFiles(x))
Next
For x As Integer = 0 To files.GetUpperBound(0)
files(x).CopyTo($"images\frame{x.ToString("00000")}.png")
Next
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' Creates an animated GIF using images, framerate and output filename specified
''' </summary>
''' <param name="files">an array of IO.FileInfo to be used in animation</param>
''' <param name="outputFilename">where to save the GIF</param>
''' <param name="fps">the framerate</param>
Public Shared Sub createGIF(files() As IO.FileInfo, outputFilename As String, fps As Integer)
'gif
copyFiles(files)
Dim tempFiles() As String = {"palette.png", "temp.avi", "output.gif"}
For x As Integer = 0 To 2
IO.File.Delete(tempFiles(x))
Next
Dim cmdStrings() As String = {"-f image2 -framerate " & fps & " -pattern_type sequence -start_number 0 -r " & fps & " -i images\frame%05d.png -vcodec mjpeg -qscale 1 temp.avi",
"-i temp.avi -vf palettegen palette.png",
"-i temp.avi -i palette.png -lavfi paletteuse output.gif"}
For x As Integer = 0 To 2
Dim p As New Process
p.StartInfo.FileName = "ffmpeg.exe"
p.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath
p.StartInfo.Arguments = cmdStrings(x)
p.Start()
p.WaitForExit()
Next
IO.File.Copy("output.gif", outputFilename)
MsgBox("done")
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' Creates an AVI movie using images, framerate and output filename specified
''' </summary>
''' <param name="files">an array of IO.FileInfo to be used in movie</param>
''' <param name="outputFilename">where to save the AVI</param>
''' <param name="fps">the framerate</param>
Public Shared Sub createAVI(files() As IO.FileInfo, outputFilename As String, fps As Integer)
'avi
copyFiles(files)
IO.File.Delete("output.avi")
Dim p As New Process
p.StartInfo.FileName = "ffmpeg.exe"
p.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = My.Application.Info.DirectoryPath
p.StartInfo.Arguments = "-f image2 -framerate " & fps & " -pattern_type sequence -start_number 0 -r " & fps & " -i images\frame%05d.png -vcodec mjpeg -qscale 1 output.avi"
p.Start()
p.WaitForExit()
IO.File.Copy("output.avi", outputFilename)
MsgBox("done")
End Sub
End Class
Other Resources
FFmpeg - A complete, cross platform solution to record, convert and stream audio and video.