AutoGK Tweaker

[gircobain]

http://users.masternap.org/gircobain/AutoGKTweaker.zip

I coded this little program to allow tweaking AutoGK's encodes by editing avs scripts and VDubMod processing settings (hence codec settings).
This program is aimed at advanced users. AutoGK with default settings already produces excellent quality encodes in most cases.

DO NOT use this program if you don't know what you are doing. If you use it and your encodes turn out to be crappy, it is your fault only and not AutoGK's.

Also, being this a beta software, it is provided "as is", so if something goes wrongs and it screws up your computer, do not blame me :rolleyes:

[WorBry]

With that sort of disclaimer, who would even look at it ?

[gircobain]

Indeed :D

People who enjoy AutoGK's ability to conveniently make knowledgeable, automatic decisions to achieve the best quality encode, but also like GK's flexibility to tweak it at your will, I guess.

Anyways the approach is very simple: it just replaces VDubMod with a replacement executable and sits in the tray. When AutoGK fires the replacement exe instead of VDubMod, it opens notepad with avs script so you can change it; after you save and close notepad, it opens VDubMod with the current processing settings, so you can change anything you want (codec settings most notably). Then, after you save your changes and close VDubMod, the actual encoding is performed, with the changes made. Upon being closed, AutoGK Tweaker restores the original VDubMod.

In my first post, I just wanted to make it clear that unless one has a fair knowledge about avs scripting and codec settings, this program is useless for them. I for one don't want people crying at me "hey your piece of crap of a program don't work like it should", so I warn about it beforehand. It's a free pie: take it if you want to, but don't complain about it - after all it's free.

[pernas]

I will look at it :)

I like the way of automatic in the beginning as AGK and manual
control in the middle - this is just what i was looking for !

Hopefully this will replace my previous solution with Xmpeg5.0x + avisynth frame server + vdubm :D

Regards,

[len0x]

A bit of warning: codec settings/avisynth filters influence compressibility quite a lot, so don't be surprised if expected quality is not what you expected after comp test.

[pernas]

@gircobain

Does it work with AGK 1.47b ? i tried one session but the "hijacking" didn't occour - maybe it's because i've already done one session in AGK before starting your tweek. I will try again but it takes a lot of time on a PentiumM@1400Mhz ;) - i really need to change testclip!

Everything looked ok, the vdb-exe was replaced and so on...

Another question, should it "hijack" all calls to vdm including comptest, pass 1 & 2 ?

Regards

[gircobain]

Originally posted by pernas
@gircobain

Does it work with AGK 1.47b ? i tried one session but the "hijacking" didn't occour - maybe it's because i've already done one session in AGK before starting your tweek. I will try again but it takes a lot of time on a PentiumM@1400Mhz ;) - i really need to change testclip!

Everything looked ok, the vdb-exe was replaced and so on...

Another question, should it "hijack" all calls to vdm including comptest, pass 1 & 2 ?

Regards
Yes, it is supposed to work with 1.47b
In fact I'm doing an encode using it just right now
AutoGK Tweaker must be running thru the whole encoding session for it to work
And yes, it overtakes comptest, 1st and 2nd pass

[pernas]

@gircobain

It worked the 2nd time after a complete restart of both AGK & tweek,
Nice tweek :D

[WorBry]

As my comment above suggests, I was a little wary at first, but I thought I'd give it a go. I for one have no interest in modifying AutoGK default settings which, for me at least (as a "DivX man")squeeze higher resolutions than I ever seem to acheive with GK. One application I have just tested however is modification of subtitle streams for those movies where you only want to keep the dialogue spoken in another language. An example is Kill Bill, where the Japanese dialogue is not distinguished as "forced subtitles" in the single English subtitle stream or as a separate substream. Using the Tweaker, it was possible to halt the processing, edit the main subtitle stream with Vob SubResync (the fact that the Japanese dialogue was in italics helped) and replace the original thread with the edited thread in the AGK AVS Script. It worked perfectly, at least with a quality based single pass (80%) encode. Obviously its a bit tedious waiting for all of the indexing, analysis etc to complete, but its a neat tool for situations like this. Thanks alot.

[gircobain]

I'm glad you found usefulness for it :D

In fact, AutoGK alone is pretty damn good, but in special situations when only a little tweak is needed, for example, the one you quoted, or adding a deen() for noisy sources, or adding/removing a logo for your tv/dv captures, and many others, the regular GK is just too bulky. That's where I hope AutoGK may help people with their encodes.

[WorBry]

It would be helpful if you could turn off the Tweaker when you dont need it. I was under the impression that it had to be activated after an AutoGK job is started. However, it would appear that runs in the background and engages AutoGK regardless. I found this out when I set up a batch of AutoGK encodes to run overnight, and found this morning that it had not progressed beyond indexing, with the first Tweaker pop-up message displayed. Obviously, the only remedy was to delete the unzipped Tweaker and VDMReplacement exe. Thanks.

[gircobain]

All you had to do was right click on the tray icon and choose "Exit"
AutoGK Tweaker replaces the actual VirtualDubMod back before exiting.

[WorBry]

OK, thanks

[Carraway]

Originally posted by gircobain
All you had to do was right click on the tray icon and choose "Exit"
AutoGK Tweaker replaces the actual VirtualDubMod back before exiting.

Out of curiosity, what happens if it crashes? Or if it were forced to terminate? Or if I randomly powered off my computer while the program was still open? Would Virtualdubmod still somehow be restored?

[gircobain]

In case it would be forced to normally terminate (by killing the process in task manager, for instance), it will restore the original VirtualDubMod
Upon abnornal termination though (system crash, power off, etc) I cannot guarantee it
Nonetheless you just have to run AutoGK Tweaker again and exit, in order to fix that

[ukb007]

Your tool certainly warrants not giving it a miss. Just tell me this:

Can it change the output AR suggested in the AGK from, say, 2.14 to 2.34 ?

And d'you have a cool guide for the tool somewhere (other than with the application itself)?

Thanks, and regards.

[gircobain]

Originally posted by ukb007 Can it change the output AR suggested in the AGK from, say, 2.14 to 2.34 ?
This program is, so to speak, nothing but a "breakpoint maker"

As such, it lets you modify AutoGK's default behaviour at keypoints in the encoding process, therefore it is possible to make any change as long as you have enough knowledge about avisynth scripting and the whole encoding process

I'm afraid it won't do any black magic by itself :)

And btw the output AR shown in AutoGK is not merely "suggested" as you perhaps might think. It is calculated by an algorithm in order to achieve the least AR error as possible
Originally posted by ukb007
And d'you have a cool guide for the tool somewhere (other than with the application itself)?
I don't have anything of that sort. I don't think there's really any need for that, since the program has no settings at all

[ukb007]

AviSynth usage is an area I am shaky about, although I know that any self-respecting video-tinkerer ought to be comfortable using AviSynth. One has to learn somewhere; so I had tried the program's homepage, and the guide that is posted there is - how can I express it - fragmented, in multiple links, and not one wholesome cohesive English tutorial, like one can get for other programs like the AGK (manono) or the GK.

I'd very much like to use your tool, because it sounds exciting, and, by what I've read about it in this thread, allows one to harness the inevitable power of AGK. Seems it's exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.

So you are the man to ask. Can you point me to a single cohesive wholesome English guide for AviSynth and oblige?

Regards.

[gircobain]

Try this link:

http://neuron2.net/www.math.berkeley.edu/benrg/avisynth-tutorial.html

After you start getting the hang of it, you may wanna use this link as a quick reference guide:

http://www.avisynth.org/index.php?page=AviSynthManual

[therealjoeblow]

Originally posted by gircobain
This program is, so to speak, nothing but a "breakpoint maker"

As such, it lets you modify AutoGK's default behaviour at keypoints in the encoding process, therefore it is possible to make any change as long as you have enough knowledge about avisynth scripting and the whole encoding process


Since, as len0x suggests, there is great danger in fooling with the codec settings or filters once the AutoGK process has started, I've used your little tool to simply make one-off changes (such as inserting a filter in the processing chain) for an entire encode, and comparing the results against another attempt with other filters.

But, once I decide on a set of changes to make, I don't vary them until the whole encode is done.

So, that said, I find that this tool, as useful as it is, would be much better if it only asked the user for interaction *once* rather than 3 times as it does now. If I'm trying to encode something while away at work, or while sleeping, The process stalls waiting for user input; not really as 'auto' as AutoGK should be...

Would it be possible for you to make a version that could remember the user's changes the first time, and then use the same changes for all other steps in the encode process, entering them in the .avs file and auto-saving the customized vdubmod .vcf file all on it's own?

Otherwise, great little tool!

[gircobain]

Originally posted by therealjoeblow
Would it be possible for you to make a version that could remember the user's changes the first time, and then use the same changes for all other steps in the encode process, entering them in the .avs file and auto-saving the customized vdubmod .vcf file all on it's own?
The main problem is that I don't have available the data for you to change from before the encoding process takes place.
I have some ideas though and I'll see what can I do.
If anyone has any suggestions on how the workflow should be in practical terms, please feel free to tell me so.

[Alwayscamp]

The main problem is that I don't have available the data for you to change from before the encoding process takes place.
I have some ideas though and I'll see what can I do.
If anyone has any suggestions on how the workflow should be in practical terms, please feel free to tell me so.

if you had a delay sort of .. lets say for 5 min. than if the person didn't/did do something it would get changed otherwise the program would let the encoding process continue.
just a suggestion.
....5 min. might be a little too short .. what do you think.'

p.s. nice tool
thanks

[SirLurksAlot]

problem solved....had a corrupted copy of VDMReplacement.exe

[therealjoeblow]

Any update on possible simplification of this tool's integration with AutoGK (ie - as I described earlier - user specs the additional filters and parameters only once before any encoding starts, and then the tweaker tool takes over automatically and inserts exactly the same filters and/or parameters as specified at the various multiple stages necessary - comptest, first pass, second pass)?

I love the ability to add some extra noise cleaning filters like Deen, or to change the deinterlacing/ivtc parameters, (eg. decimate(6) to be able to return an original PAL movie from NTSC back to PAL). However, having to make the same change manually 3x or more during the encoding process makes this using tool time consuming, and pretty much unworkable in a "set-it-and-forget-it-overnight" mode.

[OvERaCiD23]

I'm with therealjoeblow on this. All I would like to do currently is add Convolution3D for a set of noisy CSI episode (season 1). Since there's 23 of them, I don't really want to encode manually. Or maybe the ability to add custom filters could be added to AutoGK. It'd make the program a little more robust.

[ydobon]

Hello,

Originally posted by therealjoeblow
[...] having to make the same change manually 3x or more during the encoding process makes this using tool time consuming, and pretty much unworkable in a "set-it-and-forget-it-overnight" mode.

Maybe this (http://ydobon.cjb.cc/) can help you. I've commented it here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=552012#post552012).


Regards,

[pdottz]

EDIT: nm found the solution.

[BigDid]

Originally posted by pdottz
EDIT: nm found the solution.

Solution? any more details? :) tks.

Did

[pdottz]

actually, i still have a problem.

i started agk, then agktweaker. and agkt never got called. i use agk 1.51b since i've had no issues with it and it encodes the way i want. the only thing i need agkt for is to edit the avs file to load the vsfilter and then hardcode my killbill subs into it. i have no need to do any other type of tweaking.
does anyone know if agkt supports agk 1.51b or if im doing something wrong?

[BigDid]

Originally posted by pdottz
actually, i still have a problem.
... and agkt never got called...
does anyone know if agkt supports agk 1.51b or if im doing something wrong?

Sorry, I thought you had a solution for not clicking 3/4 times the avs script and closing 3/4 times vdubmod with the tweaker :D

I toy with it since AGK 1.60 but to answer your request just manage to get it working in 1.53b. If I understand it well (the author is sure the best person to answer:) ) AGk-Tweaker renames virtualdubmod in virtualdubmod.bak.exe, the newly created virtualdubmod.exe is the tweaker. To recognize which is which look at the icons they are different (in the vdubmod folder).

If you don't have that configuration you could try to de-install & reinstall the tweaker or try "by hand".

For more explanations on how it works see 1st page of this thread, post1 & 3 by gircobain. Good luck.

Did

[fewtch]

A long-belated thank you for AutoGK Tweaker, I use it regularly. gircobain if you're still around, did you ever release any other versions?

[seehowyouare]

http://users.masternap.org/gircobain/AutoGKTweaker.zip

This link doesn't work for me. Been trying for a week now.
Anyone got a link to AutoGK Tweaker ?

[woah!]

http://users.masternap.org/gircobain/AutoGKTweaker.zip

This link doesn't work for me. Been trying for a week now.
Anyone got a link to AutoGK Tweaker ?

try this:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3316G14C

[djan]

Hi,

I tried AutoGK Tweaker with AutoGK 2.13b but it didn't work. Here is how I did :

- I extracted AutoGKTweaker.exe and VDMReplacement.exe into C:\Program Files\AutoGK\tools\AutoGKTweaker\.
- I ran AutoGK and then AutoGKTweaker.
- I've set all the settings and started the job.
- I've wait but nothing happened and now it is encoding the first pass. I thought I could add some filters :(

Thx for any help.

[BigDid]

Hi,

I tried AutoGK Tweaker with AutoGK 2.13b but it didn't work. Here is how I did :

- I extracted AutoGKTweaker.exe and VDMReplacement.exe into C:\Program Files\AutoGK\tools\AutoGKTweaker\.
- I ran AutoGK and then AutoGKTweaker.
- I've set all the settings and started the job.
- I've wait but nothing happened and now it is encoding the first pass. I thought I could add some filters :(

Thx for any help.
Hi djan,

First reboot, then run AGK followed by tweaker, it should be triggered for analysing+comptest+1st pass+2nd pass if exists.
An easy way to see if tweaker works is is to search the virtualdubmod (vdm) folder for a file vdm.bak and/or make a shortcut of vdm on the desk and tweaker will change the icon if working.
I confirm it works with AGK 2.13; done an encoding of a near 3hour captured movie which needed denoising and I used tweaker+fft3d; my mistake: nearly 18hours of encoding but really nice :eek:

Did

[unskinnyboy]

First reboot [..]
Did
Why reboot?

[BigDid]

Why reboot?
Why not as it is not working.

[unskinnyboy]

Why not as it is not working.
Yeah, why not reb00t as it seems to solve every Windows issue? :p But actually, I have extensively tested AutoGK Tweaker way before, and at no point had I had to reb00t. And moreover there is no setup.exe here which extracts a lot of temp files which needs to be cleaned up after the installation OR do we need to update or delete a file that is currently in use by the OS (some good stuff here (http://www.exodus-dev.com/products/WhyReboot/)).

I am guessing that the reason why "nothing happened" was because AutoGK Tweaker was started a tad too late after the encoding had started.

[BigDid]

Yeah, why not reb00t as it seems to solve every Windows issue? :p But actually, I have extensively tested AutoGK Tweaker way before, and at no point had I had to reb00t. And moreover there is no setup.exe here which extracts a lot of temp files which needs to be cleaned up after the installation OR do we need to update or delete a file that is currently in use by the OS (some good stuff here (http://www.exodus-dev.com/products/WhyReboot/)).

I am guessing that the reason why "nothing happened" was because AutoGK Tweaker was started a tad too late after the encoding had started.
I have my experience and you have yours.I have mixed feelings about this exchange so I will not continue as I don't want any competition notion to break in.
And if it's up to the point you don't want other contribution in a thread you started I can respect that if you can do the same. Bye.

Did

[djan]

Hi djan,

First reboot, then run AGK followed by tweaker, it should be triggered for analysing+comptest+1st pass+2nd pass if exists.
An easy way to see if tweaker works is is to search the virtualdubmod (vdm) folder for a file vdm.bak and/or make a shortcut of vdm on the desk and tweaker will change the icon if working.
I confirm it works with AGK 2.13; done an encoding of a near 3hour captured movie which needed denoising and I used tweaker+fft3d; my mistake: nearly 18hours of encoding but really nice :eek:

DidI just did what you said but without any result. The vdm.bak exists and the icon changes but never AutoGK is stopped to make me able to change the avs. Am I doing something wrong ??

[unskinnyboy]

I have my experience and you have yours.I have mixed feelings about this exchange so I will not continue as I don't want any competition notion to break in.
And if it's up to the point you don't want other contribution in a thread you started I can respect that if you can do the same. Bye.

Did
I am sorry, it wasn't my intention to come across like that. :stupid: Your advice is always good. Respect! Friends? :)

[seehowyouare]

AutoGK Tweaker and 2.13b work fine for me.
Thanks for the link

[djan]

Please, I need a step by step explanation for how to use it. I can't make it work.

[seehowyouare]

Please, I need a step by step explanation for how to use it. I can't make it work.
Start AutoGK, leave it open on the desktop, don't minimise it
Start AutoGK Tweaker - a new blue icon, with tooltip text of AutoGK tweaker ,should appear in your system tray. It has only 1 option Exit.

Create and start your job in AutoGK. I used a 1gb B&W movie.

[28/7/2005 17:45:37] AutoGK 2.13b
<Snip>
[28/7/2005 17:46:01] Analyzing source

About 1-2 minutes later a pop up window titled VirtuaDubMod replacement will appear - AutoGK tweaker will now let you modify the current avs script. etc etc
Click OK and Notepad will open with the _.avs script loaded
Make your changes > File > Save then File > Exit
Notepad is closed and another pop up window titled VirtuaDubMod replacement will appear - AutoGK tweaker will now load VirtualDubMod with current processing settings from the _.avs script
Click OK and VirtualDubMod will appear in minimised in the taskbar.
Restore VirtualDubMod, make your changes, save them and close VirtualDubMod. Encoding will now start.

The above occurs 3 or so times during the encoding process.

I noticed that AutoGK Tweaker seems only to be pop up after a job is started. AutoGK tweaker doesn't pop up when clicking the Preview button in AutoGK.

[djan]

Your explanation is good but nothing about installation/extraction. I ask it because I don't know where to extract files. In AutoGK folder ? Or in any folder ? Thx.

[seehowyouare]

Your explanation is good but nothing about installation/extraction. I ask it because I don't know where to extract files. In AutoGK folder ? Or in any folder ? Thx.

Any folder.

[JohnMK]

A bit of warning: codec settings/avisynth filters influence compressibility quite a lot, so don't be surprised if expected quality is not what you expected after comp test.

Going outside of the program to modify these settings is the only possible way considering there is no built-in capability.

[Backflip]

You can do that with GKnot :)

[laserfan]

I tried this again recently on AGK 2.26 and can't seem to get it to work. By all accounts it behaves as it should, stopping 6 times during the process (3 each for Notepad/avs and VDubMod/codec mods) including that the movie.avs that is in the agk_tmp folder reflects the script changes I made. But then the agk.log does not show that the new lines in the script were run at all!!??

I'd make the changes in Notepad at Stage 3 (the final movie-making stage after the DGindex and comptest stages) and verify them in the Script Editor of VDubMod--everything looking good. But then as I said the log doesn't show the changes.

Is it possible my little test video is to blame (source only 10Mb, target 3Mb)? I suppose I need to try it on a full-length program? :confused:

[BigDid]

... the movie.avs that is in the agk_tmp folder reflects the script changes I made. But then the agk.log does not show that the new lines in the script were run at all!!??...:confused:

Hi,

I had the same doubts in the beginning so I re-used the comptest.avs in VDM just to see if it worked; it worked (fast recompress, 1 pass)
I changed the filter param and again re-used the comptest in VDM to see if changes were applied, it worked.
I re-used the new params in AGK tweaker and had the confirmation all was working... but no change reflected in the log. I live with it.

Exemple: I use removegrain(mode=5) instead of mode=2 because this mode is less destructive than mode2 (yes I checked it by size and visually) the comptest size for mode2 was 54190K, mode5 was 55942K so the script is working in VDM and in AGK tweaker, as long as you respect the syntax like:
removegrain(mode=5).removegrain(mode=25)
The mode=25 is a little effect sharpener only available in the Removegrain pre-1.0 package release from Kassandro here: http://home.arcor.de/kassandro/RemoveGrain/

Happy tweaking :)

Did

Edit: the above was done using AGKPal (which incorporates and uses AGK Tweaker)

[laserfan]

...had the confirmation all was working... but no change reflected in the log. I live with it...Thanks, Did--I've deleted my various tests already but IIRC I DID note that the filesizes with the "filtered & tweaked" outputs were different. I just didn't SEE any difference, but maybe that was because I was trying LimitedSharpen on a pretty crummy clip (might simply not have had an effect).

I still think it's very odd that AGK would not write-to-the-log what it reads-from-the-avs but will give this another try with a more critical look-see at the outputs.

Thanks again.

[priyaradha]

Links dead pelease fix..

[BigDid]

Hi,

You can use AGKPal if you are talking about the AGKtweaker link, see my edited previous post in this thread.
AGKPal Link:http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=100517&highlight=agkpal

If not, more precisions are welcome.

Did

[priyaradha]

I could i still add a logo......