new AviSynth FAQ

[Wilbert]

I finally (more or less) finished a new version of the AviSynth FAQ, which is attached to this post (till avisynth.org is editable again). The contents are below. I invite and encourage you to have a look at them, post any corrections, stuff which should be removed or added, things which needs to be explained differently, etc ...

Contents:


General information
Loading clips (video, audio and images) into AviSynth
Opening scripts in encoder and player applications
Some common error messages
Recognizing and processing different types of content
The color format YV12 and related processing and encoding issues
How to use VirtualDub's plugins in AviSynth


General information

1. What is AviSynth?
2. Who is developing AviSynth?
3. Where can I download the latest versions of AviSynth?
4. What are the main bugs in these versions?
5. Where can I find documentation about AviSynth?
6. How do I install/uninstall AviSynth?
7. What is the main difference between v1.0x, v2.0x, v2.5x, v2.6x and v3.x?
8. How do I know which version number of AviSynth I have?
9. How do I make an AVS-file?
10. Where do I save my AVS-file?
11. Are plugins compiled for v2.5x/v2.6x compatible with v1.0x/v2.0x and vice versa?
13. How do I use a plugin compiled for v2.0x in v2.5x?
14. How do I switch between different AviSynth versions without re-install?
15. VirtualdubMod, WMP6.4, CCE and other programs crash every time on exit (when previewing an avs file)?
16. My computer seems to crash at random during a second pass in any encoder?
17. Is there a command line utility for encoding to DivX/XviD using AviSynth?
18. Does AviSynth have a GUI (graphical user interface)?

Loading clips (video, audio and images) into AviSynth

1. Which media formats can be loaded in AviSynth?
2. Which possibilities exist to load my clip into AviSynth?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using DirectShowSource to load your media files?
4. Has AviSynth a direct stream copy mode like VirtualDub?
5. How do I load AVI files into AviSynth?
6. Can I load video with audio from AVI into AviSynth?
7. How do I load MPEG-1/MPEG-2/DVD VOB/TS/PVA into AviSynth?
8. How do I load QuickTime files into AviSynth?
9. How do I load raw source video files into AviSynth?
10. How do I load RealMedia files into AviSynth?
11. How do I load Windows Media Video files into AviSynth?
12. How do I load MP4/MKV/M2TS/EVO into AviSynth?
13. How do I load WAVE PCM files into AviSynth?
14. How do I load MP1/MP2/MP3/MPA/AC3/DTS/LPCM into AviSynth?
15. How do I load aac/flac/ogg files into AviSynth?
16. How do I load pictures into AviSynth?

Opening scripts in encoder and player applications

1. What is frameserving and what is it good for?
2. How do I use AviSynth as a frameserver?
3. How do I frameserve my AVS-file to encoder/application X?

* Direct frameserving to compatible applications
* Direct frameserving to applications using additional plugins
* Direct frameserving to special or modified versions of encoders
* Frameserving to applications via fake AVI files and proxy utilities
* Frameserving via pipe from auxiliary programs to application-encoders

4. How do I solve problems when opening/reading scripts in encoders and players?
5. How do I frameserve from Premiere/Ulead/Vegas to AviSynth?

Some common error messages

1. I got the message "LoadPlugin: unable to load "xxx" is not an AviSynth 1.0/AviSynth 2.0 plugin"?
2. When frameserving I got the following message: "Script error, there is no function named "xxx (some filter)"" ?
3. I installed AviSynth and get the following error message: "Couldn't locate decompressor for format 'YV12' (unknown)."?
4. When encoding I got the following error "ACM failed to suggest a compatible PCM format"?
5. When encoding I got the following error: "framesize xxx not supported"?
6. When frameserving I got the following message: "AVISource: couldn't locate a decompressor for fourcc (...)"?
7. When frameserving I got the following message: "DirectShowSource: Could not open as video or audio
Video Returned: "DirectShowSource: the filter graph manager won't talk to me""?
8. I am trying to load a script that has a path name with a mix of japanese characters (someone's name) and Ascii test. I got an import error and the path that is displayed has some strange characters (not the japanese characters)?
9. When frameserving I got the following message: " CAVIStreamSynth: System exception - Access Violation at 0x0, reading from 0x0"?

Recognizing and processing different types of content

1. The video and audio in my final encoding is out of sync, what should I do?
2. How do I recognize progressive, interlaced, telecined, hybrid and blended content?
3. How do I process interlaced content?
4. How do I process telecined content?
5. How do I process hybrid content?
6. What is variable framerate video?
7. How do I import variable framerate video into AviSynth and how do I process it?


The color format YV12 and related processing and encoding issues

1. What is YV12?
2. Where can I download the latest stable AviSynth version which supports YV12?
3. Where can I download the DGIndex/DGDecode plugin, which supports YV12, to import MPEG-1/MPEG-2/TS/PVA in AviSynth ?
4. Which encoding programs support YV12?
5. How do I use v2.5x if the encoding programs can't handle YV12 (like TMPGEnc or CCE SP)?
6. What will be the main advantages of processing in YV12?
7. How do I use VirtualDub/VirtualDubMod such that there are no unnecessary color conversions?
8. Which internal filters support YV12?
9. Which external plugins support YV12?
10. Are there any disadvantages of processing in YV12?
11. How do I know which colorspace I'm using at a given place in my script?
12. The colors are swapped when my I load a DivX file in AviSynth v2.5?
13. I got a green (or colored line) at the left or at the right of the clip, how do I get rid of it?
15. I installed AviSynth v2.5 and DivX5 (or one of the latest Xvid builds of Koepi), all I got is a black screen when opening my avs in VirtualDub/VirtualDubMod/MPEG-2 encoder?
16. Are there any lossless YV12 codecs, which I can use for capturing for example?
17. Some important links

How to use VirtualDub's plugins in AviSynth

1. Where can I download the latest version of scripts which import filters from VirtualDub?
2. Which filters can be imported?
3. Do these scripts work in RGB-space or in YUV-space?
4. How do I make such a script?


A while ago i also made a very lengthy article, describing a systematic way to open your media in AviSynth. It can be found here:

http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/Importing_media

[unskinnyboy]

After a cursory walk-through...

Reg: General information
1) Reg: AviSynth GUIs, www.swiftavs.net no longer works for SwiftAVS. It should be this (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=74272).
2) Reg: AviSynth GUIs, you missed AvsP.

Reg: Loading clips (video, audio and images) into AviSynth
1) Reg: which media clips can be loaded into AviSynth, swf video is no longer an exception. FFmpegSource can be used to load it now.
2) Reg: which possibilities exist to load my clip into AviSynth, to be more clear, the sentence should be "make sure you have a good AVI splitter installed. e.g. Gabest's AVI splitter.". Also a link to the SourceForge download page should given for Gabest's AVI Splitter as in the current mediawiki entry.

Reg: Opening scripts in encoder and player applications
1) Reg: Direct frameserving to compatible applications, Mencoder, HC Encoder, CCE SP 2.50 etc. are 'Encoders' and not 'Coders'.

Reg: Some common error messages
1) Reg: When encoding I got the following error: "framesize xxx not supported", I think this can be explained better. I propose the following modification:

When encoding I get the following error: "frame size xyz x 56 not supported"?

This usually is an indicator of a script error, where the input is actually the error message being displayed. Here, xyz is the length of the error message text and 56 is the height (xyz will vary depending on the error message whilst the height will always be 56 pixels). Your encoder is seeing the error message as an RGB32 input source and hence the error. Opening the script with WMP or VirtualDub should display the error message. Fix the error in the script and retry the encode.
2) Reg: the CAVIStreamSynth error message, instead of throwing up our hands and say "no idea", maybe suggest a few things which might alleviate the issue or make it go away with some luck? Like using SetMemoryMax(...), downgrading to 2.5.6a, disable disk flushing in utorrent etc plus some links to relevant threads?

Reg: The color format YV12 and related processing and encoding issues
1) Should we mention the once-common b-frame decoder lag message too? Although this message was taken off in Xvid PatchSet 1542, if the user is using an older version of Xvid, he/she would see this.

P.S: Haven't checked the 'Importing media' article yet.

[Wilbert]

Thanks! I added all your corrections, except the XviD one. I'm not sure whether that should be included.

I kinda hoped that more people would have posted corrections and additions :(

[Adub]

I'll take a look at it some time in the next few days and post back.

Also, is this on the Wiki yet?

[Wilbert]

Also, is this on the Wiki yet?

Yes, here: http://avisynth.org/mediawiki/AviSynth_FAQ

[vcmohan]

I suggest a subsection on use of GraphEdit files may be included.

[Adub]

Fixed the SwiftAVS link in the wiki.
Fixed AVSGenie link in the wiki.
Updated AvsP link to main website. Added discussion link.
Added Graphedit as an option to "FAQ Loading Clips". Needs to be elaborated on though.
Added Avidemux in the editing section.
Added link in Common errors section to Load Plugin area as discussed in the General Info section.
Added additional info concerning occurrence of "Script error, the filter ...".
Added Navigation links to all sections.


Otherwise it looks pretty good.

[IanB]

Suggest direct links between section. i.e. <-Prev U^p Next->

Place links at both the top and bottom of each page.

[Adub]

Edit: Done

[IanB]

@Merlin7777,

yes thats the ticket. :D


@Wilbert,

Some of the example scripts have crept back out to super cinimascope width again. These force the whole page to render to this width and have horizontal scroll bars.

Either refix the examples or change the style such that code block get private horizontal scroll bars when required. This is documentation, you should be able to easily refer to it in a very narrow window (4-500 pixels) while doing work in the rest of the screen.

[Adub]

I think I may start adding documentation for all of the external filters. I figure if I do about one a day, it will take me... oh.... a long time.

However, we have to start somewhere. One thing is that the wiki is slow, and that damn confirmation code everytime I make an edit slows me down alot. Is there a way to bypass that?

Edit: Finished SeeSaw documentation.
Added SeeSaw documentation.
Added SAA documentation.
Added antialiasing documentation.
Added link to ChromaShift
Added link to ColorMatrix
Added FixChromaBleeding documentation.
Added Temporal Degrain documentation.
Added link to Unfilter.
Added link to WarpSharp Package.
Added link to WarpSharp YV12.
Added link to XSharpen.
Added link to aSharp.
Added link to aWarpSharp.

[Fizick]

In my opinion, some "trusted human" user group must be created in the wiki.


BTW, I have intention reorganize all external plugin classification to make it more similar to new internal.
But I do not know when it will be done.
I am afraid it will be my last contribution to avisynth (like mg262) ;)

[Adub]

You mean to override the "Type this here to save edit" kind of thing?

I agree. It is a pain in the ass. Especially if the word contains i's and l's which look very similar when slurred together.