AviSynth 2.5.6 Released!

[Wilbert]

Release notes:

Summary of changelist (with respect to v2.55)

* Added options to DirectShowSource (seekzero, timeout and pixel_type).
* Added DevIL support for RGB32 to ImageSource.
* Added Russian language documentation. Thanks to Fizick and his team. Well done.
* Added Merge() filter. Includes very fast iSSE pavgb code for weight=0.5.
* Added MergeARGB(), MergeRGB() filter.
* Added ShowRed(), ShowGreen(), ShowBlue() filters.
* Added operator MulDiv(multiplicand, multiplier, divisor).
* Added AssumeScaledFPS(multiplier, divisor, sync_audio) maps vi.MulDivFPS.
* Added gamma option (ala ColorYUV) in RGBAdjust.
* Added Spline16Resize, Spline36Resize, GaussResize and LanczosResize(tap=xx)
* Added options to ShowFrameNumber: ShowFrameNumber(offset=10, x=360, y=576, font="georgia", size=24, text_color=$ff0000)
* Added integer offset to ShowSMPTE: ShowSMPTE(offset_f=10)
* Added options to ShowSMPTE: ShowSMPTE(offset="00:00:00:30", x=360, y=576, font="georgia", size=24, text_color=$ff0000)
* Added Fractional resampling support in ResampleAudio().
* Added Limiter(show=show_luma/show_luma_grey/show_chroma/show_chroma_grey) shows out of bound luma/chroma; *_grey makes the rest of the pixels greyscale.
* Added offsets and analyze option (ala ColorYUV) in RGBAdjust.
* ConvertTo*(Matrix="Rec709, PC.709, PC.601") conversions supported.
* ConvertFPS()/ChangeFPS() copies FPS from a 2nd clip.
* GreyScale() RGB supports Matrix="Rec709, Average"
* Support for [vfr content in DSS]: DirectShowSource("F:\Guides\Hybrid\vfr_startrek.mkv", fps=119.88, convertfps=true) turns vfr into cfr stream by duplicating frames (patch by Nyaochi).
* A lot of bugfixes and optimizations.
* Cache improvements.

A complete list can be found here.

Known problems and issues

* The seh/c++ exception handling mix in readhelper that will cause a crash in xp sp2.
* Some problems encoding .avs video with Windows Media Encoder 9. The problem is that the "wmeenc.exe" process doesn't shut down properly. The encoder program closes, but an instance of "wmeenc.exe" remains in Task Manager hogging a LOT of memory.
* Rightclick on scripts to open them in VDubMod: When the script is messed up in the script editor, the correct error message doesn't appear.
* The filter Animate. See releasenotes.htm.
* Possible other bugs which are reported at sourceforge.

Future plans

AviSynth v2.57:

This version will be a bug fix release (bugs which are found in v2.56).

AviSynth v2.6:

This version will be the next version. Plugins for v2.5 will work in v2.6. Design goals and proposals can be found here. Proposals include the following:

* Y8 (greyscale), YV16 (4:2:2 planar), YV24 (4:4:4 planar) formats.
* All planes delivered to filters are 16 byte adress aligned and have mod 16 pitch.
* Thread-safe avisynth.h.
* Add MaskTools to the core.
* Official Win64 support.
* Intelligent frame prefetching on multicpu/core.
* ImageMagick support to import and export pictures (besides DevIL).

AviSynth v3:

AviSynth v3.0 is a powerful frameserver for Windows and Linux, and it is a complete rewrite of AviSynth v2.5, written from scratch by Bidoche (David Pierre), Kurosu, Caro and others. v3.0 is not relying on vfw anymore, although it can be used when possible. It is made in such a way, that new APIs can be added to the core, like ffmpeg and gstreamer. Also here many new colorformats will be added: YV24, RGB45 and YV45 which are 15 bits depth versions of RGB24 and YV24. Direct streaming will be supported, and many other new things. The progress can be found here. The discussion takes place at irc.freenode.org#avisynth and here.

Download from the SourceForge Project page as usual!

[unskinnyboy]

YAY! That's what I'm talking about! Thanks..

[Fizick]

Wilbert, why your sourceforge link is https ?

Beer

[708145]

cool

patiently waiting for 3.0.

*dumdidumdidum*
*tappetitap*

bis besser,
Tobias

[foxyshadis]

I read old threads from 2003 where 3.0 was 'right around the corner'. I'm glad development picked up again, and I'm doubly glad this new version is out; the RC was very stable for me. Only question is, were there any changes from the last RC?

Hm, dlls seem to have the same date, I'm guessing no changes. Still cool.

[Wilbert]

I'm glad development picked up again

The development never stopped. It's just that only a few people are working on it.

Only question is, were there any changes from the last RC?

Hm, dlls seem to have the same date, I'm guessing no changes. Still cool.

Indeed, there were not changes from RC2 (except for the documentation).

[Revgen]

Didn't TSP submit a SetMTmode parameter for multiple CPU's?

[tsp]

yes but that was for avisynth 2.60 (I think that "* Thread-safe avisynth.h." covers that)

[Revgen]

Okay, I understand now.

@Wilbert -- Will version 3.0 support older filters via LoadPluginEx?

[Wilbert]

I guess it should be possible to make a wrapper ala LoadPluginEx. Of course, someone has to make it

Originally Posted by Wilbert

I guess it should be possible to make a wrapper ala LoadPluginEx. Of course, someone has to make it

I'd really hate to "lose" Dust.

[Devinator]

Is 2.5.6 by itself multithreaded or is there any advantage to dual core with avisynth if im not running any filters? I use Avisynth/CCE/DVDRebuilder so I don't mess with scripts often. Only "filter" I believe I am using is the necessary decoder.

[tsp]

Originally Posted by Devinator

Is 2.5.6 by itself multithreaded or is there any advantage to dual core with avisynth if im not running any filters? I use Avisynth/CCE/DVDRebuilder so I don't mess with scripts often. Only "filter" I believe I am using is the necessary decoder.

only a modified unofficial version of 2.56 is multithreaded. The 2.60 also includes that change. Although it doesn't allways produces faster encoding. If you use a cpu demanding encoder in vdub or avs2avi one thread will run avisynth while the other handles the encoding.

[Devinator]

Originally Posted by tsp

only a modified unofficial version of 2.56 is multithreaded. The 2.60 also includes that change. Although it doesn't allways produces faster encoding. If you use a cpu demanding encoder in vdub or avs2avi one thread will run avisynth while the other handles the encoding.

Thanks... I did see that thread earlier but I wasn't sure if that would help if not using some heavy filters. CCE uses about 60-65% CPU while encoding.

[acrespo]

I didn't find any thread with details of the new resizers (Spline16Resize, Spline36Resize, GaussResize). What's the difference between all resizers? AviSynth documentation is not clear about.
What situation is better to use each resizer?

[IanB]

All of the resizers are multitap interpolators (except PointResize taps=1, K=1). The various flavours use varying numbers of taps and fomulae to calculate the tap weightings. The author of each of the algorithm usually claims some benefit over the existing algorithms. All the algorithms are in common use, Google is your friend!

I believe the Spline filters claim similar sharpness but less ringing than the equivalent Lanczos. I cannot see a difference.

GaussResize uses a gaussian average of the input points. I personally think it is quite blurry, but the results do seem to compress very well.

[Wilbert]

We decided to rerelease AviSynth 2.5.6 due to a bug in avisynth.h. It doesn't affect users of avisynth.dll (hence the rerelease - only to match the fixed source), but it effects only a small number of plugins compiled with the old avisynth.h.

More info: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=101954

----------

Any new plugins using the following calls in avisynth.h from version:

 
IScriptEnvironment::SubFrame() 
IScriptEnvironment::SetMemoryMax() 
IScriptEnvironment::SetWorkingDir() 
IScriptEnvironment::ManageCache() 
IScriptEnvironment::PlanarChromaAlignment()

will need to be recompiled with the avisynth.h in the replacement version 2.5.6.

[IanB]

Due to unprecedented public pressure the replacement release has been renamed to Avisynth 2.5.6a

The files are still the same, so save your downloads.