How do you "replicate" video effects with AVISynth?

[GAP]

I had been looking for alternative methods to upscale and create clips until someone suggested I use AVISynth for those tasks. While I was getting some advice and feedback, I learned of something that you could use to "replicate" effects of some videos using AVISynth. I am still learning about AVISynth myself but I had no idea that you can "replicate" video effects from editors wiht AVISynth. Let's say you have a particular that you like in a video and you want to "replicate" it. How do you go about "replicating" that effect in AVISynth? How do you "replicate" in the script?

I know that there is more to this than just "replicating" from a video but I am genuinely curious. I am looking to "replicate" some effects to use in my own videos. I am just trying to figure out how to "copy" the effect so that I can "replicate" it.

[videoh]

Tell us what effects you want to replicate.

[VoodooFX]

Your post is too abstract to answer.
First, what effect? Post samples of that effect.

[johnmeyer]

You keep putting "replicate" in quotes. That usually means you are using the word outside its normal meaning. So, what does "replicate" mean when you use that word? As others have said, it is completely unclear what you are asking.

[StainlessS]

While I was getting some advice and feedback, I learned of something that you could use to "replicate" effects of some videos using AVISynth.

Indeed, what was it that you learnt of ?

EDIT: Or, is Avisynth itself the thing that you learnt of ?

You really have to give people some idea what you are talking about,
otherwise you can only hope for answers like,

"use the same filter that was used to create the effect in the video to be 'replicated'".

If you pose a non specific question, you may likely get a non specific answer,
or further requests for more detail on what it is that you do want.

[GAP]

You keep putting "replicate" in quotes. That usually means you are using the word outside its normal meaning. So, what does "replicate" mean when you use that word? As others have said, it is completely unclear what you are asking.

I meant how you can the effects that used in those videos like overlays,transitions,crops,animations,etc. I was also asking if was possible to see what aspect ratios are being used or even what resize methods are being used.

Indeed, what was it that you learnt of ?

EDIT: Or, is Avisynth itself the thing that you learnt of ?

You really have to give people some idea what you are talking about,
otherwise you can only hope for answers like,

"use the same filter that was used to create the effect in the video to be 'replicated'".

If you pose an non specific question, you may likely get a non specific answer,
or further requests for more detail on what it is that you do want.

I had learned of AVISynth or at least how to upscale with PointResize. I mostly planned to use MeGUI for resizing and upscaling as AVISynth is quite the learning curve. As for the question itself, I was asking about replicating the edits and filters being used in those videos.

[StainlessS]

I was asking about replicating the edits and filters being used in those videos.

Here we go again, WHAT VIDEOS ?

Avisynth does have a learning curve, and there aint no getting away from it, if you want to be able to use it sucessfully you have to spend some time on it, thats what everyone else has to do.
See the stuff here:- http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page

MeGUI uses Avisynth, but only implements some basic functionality, to go further than that, you need to know avisynth scripting.
Using some other video editor with point and click interface is another alternative, maybe saving output as avi and loading result of that into MeGUI.

VcMohan, has lots off effect/transition style filters,
http://www.avisynth.nl/users/vcmohan/
(some of vcmohan filters are quite technical and not what you want, look for words "Effects" and "transitions".)

EDIT:
If you dont know what to call and effect, then maybe you could post a link to a video clip that is using the effect that interests you.
[also maybe specify the time where video effect is used]
Nobody here is magic (well Pinterf is a bit magic), the rest of us are just muggles, and are not so good at guessing.

[GAP]

Here we go again, WHAT VIDEOS ?

Avisynth does have a learning curve, and there aint no getting away from it, if you want to be able to use it sucessfully you have to spend some time on it, thats what everyone else has to do.
See the stuff here:- http://avisynth.nl/index.php/Main_Page

MeGUI uses Avisynth, but only implements some basic functionality, to go further than that, you need to know avisynth scripting.
Using some other video editor with point and click interface is another alternative, maybe saving output as avi and loading result of that into MeGUI.

VcMohan, has lots off effect/transition style filters,
http://www.avisynth.nl/users/vcmohan/
(some of vcmohan filters are quite technical and not what you want, look for words "Effects" and "transitions".)

EDIT:
If you dont know what to call and effect, then maybe you could post a link to a video clip that is using the effect that interests you.
[also maybe specify the time where video effect is used]
Nobody here is magic (well Pinterf is a bit magic), the rest of us are just muggles, and are not so good at guessing.

Here are some videos with overlays:

https://youtu.be/gzG6Eg4d4dk
https://youtu.be/C47kYKFaNj4

Here are some videos with edits with cropping:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRAlW9YStN8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUou0tst8_M

[StainlessS]

OK GAP,
Here a couple of simple scripts,

Overlay.avs

# Overlay.avs

BackGround = BlankClip # or Avisource(".\SomeFile.avi"), or eg ImageSource(".\Somepic.jpg,end=0)")
ForeGround = Colorbars # or Avisource(".\SomeOtherFile.avi")

ForeGround = ForeGround.ShowFrameNumber.Spline36Resize(320,240)

# Center FG over BG
x = (BackGround.width - ForeGround.Width) / 2
y = (BackGround.height - ForeGround.height) / 2

Opacity = 1.0 # Vary it 0.0 -> 1.0

Overlay(BackGround,Foreground,x=x,y=y,Opacity=Opacity)


Crop.avs

# crop.avs

clip = Colorbars # or Avisource(".\SomeOtherFile.avi") # 640,480

clip = clip.ShowFrameNumber

BG = clip.Spline36Resize(960,720)

# 4 quarters
TL = clip.crop(0,0,clip.width/2,clip.height/2).Subtitle("TL",align=5)
TR = clip.crop(clip.width/2,0,0,clip.height/2).Subtitle("TR",align=5)
BL = clip.crop(0,clip.height/2,clip.width/2,0).Subtitle("BL",align=5)
BR = clip.crop(clip.width/2,clip.height/2,0,0).Subtitle("BR",align=5)

# re-order quarters
NEW_TL = BR
NEW_TR = BL
NEW_BL = TR
NEW_BR = TL

# glue em 2gether
TOP = StackHorizontal(NEW_TL,NEW_TR)
BOT = StackHorizontal(NEW_BL,NEW_BR)


GLUED = StackVertical(TOP,BOT)
# Return GLUED # just temp look at Glued result [remove the '#' comment to enable]

# x,y of top LHS, for center coords for overlay
x = (BG.width - GLUED.Width) / 2
y = (BG.height - GLUED.height) / 2

Opacity = 0.5 # Vary it 0.0 -> 1.0

Overlay(BG,GLUED,x=x,y=y,Opacity=Opacity) # Result assigned to Special Last clip [not explicitly assigned to anything else]

AddBorders(20,20,20,20,Color=$FF0000) # Add a 20 pixel border in red


You dont need anything else.

[GAP]

I will give those a shot.Thanks for the help.

[StainlessS]

GAP,
Here, an Avisynth *.CHM [compressed html] help file,
I have it on hotkey [ CTRL / ALT / H ].

EDIT: Oops, sorry guys:- https://www.mediafire.com/file/62mphc846sdh6u0/AvisynthEngHelp%252BSDK26_FINAL-2015-05-31.zip/file

[GAP]

GAP,
Here, an Avisynth *.CHM [compressed html] help file,
I have it on hotkey [ CTRL / ALT / H ].

How do I receive it? Just press the CTRL,ALT,H keys?

[videoh]

Here Where?

[VoodooFX]

In his signature I guess "StainlessS@MediaFire".

[videoh]

In his signature I guess "StainlessS@MediaFire". Did you find it there? I didn't.

[StainlessS]

Oops, sorry guys:- https://www.mediafire.com/file/62mphc846sdh6u0/AvisynthEngHelp%252BSDK26_FINAL-2015-05-31.zip/file

[It's in the DATA folder @ StainlessS@MediaFire]

[VoodooFX]

Did you find it there? I didn't.
It's in the "DATA" folder.

[StainlessS]

How do I receive it? Just press the CTRL,ALT,H keys?

Copy the CHM file somewhere,
Create a shortcut to it and place on eg Desktop,
Right click shortcut,
select Properties,
On the Shortcut Tab, with mouse on ShortCut Key textbox,
press "CTRL / ALT / H".

Thereafter, when you press CTRL / ALT / H, the help file will jump up.

EDIT: Windows 10 [I think W7 too, not sure] makes the Start Menu Programs directory [the list of program shortcuts to execute
installed programs] pretty well hidden and more difficult to reach than in earlier versions of windows,
and a working shortcut HOTKEY must be scanned and installed on boot up, so there are a limited number of places
where hotkey shortcuts can reside and act as HotKeys.
The Desktop is the easiest place to put a shortcut for HOTKEY use, there are others like the Program shortcut dir,
but I dont have the full list handy.

I use "Open Shell Menu" [old Classic Shell] on W10, where the PROGRAMS shortcuts directories are easily gotoable,
and I'm not gonna unstall to find out how to get to the harder to get to new W10 PROGRAMS dir, but you may research this yourself.
But here is page on custom HOTKEYS, Perhaps it helps, I have not read it.

https://www.alphr.com/add-custom-hotkeys-windows-10/

EDIT:
The secret-ish All Users Programs Shortcut dir is here,
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
and the current user Programs Shortcut dir is here,
C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs
They are probably specifically made difficult to find by M$.

the easiest by far place to put your shortcut for HOTKEY use is the desktop.

EDIT: Custom hotkey install type programs probably set HOTKEY shortcut locations via registry,
and so those hotkey shortcuts may be able to reside anywhere, look for custom hotkey installers
if that is what you want.

[GAP]

What program is good for preview the script being used?

[VoodooFX]

What program is good for preview the script being used?

AvsPMod, VirtualDub2, MeGUI ect..

[Reclusive Eagle]

You can't replicate those effects.

All of it is animated. Its CG you'd have to learn how to use After Effects for that. It can't be done in AviSynth.
Here is an amazing example of the effects in Watch Dogs 2 and the exact plugins they used for After effects to make them.
https://aescripts.com/learn/watch-dogs-2-0---cinematic/

Here is also an extremely in-depth breakdown of those effects and even internal test effects from the studio
https://motionographer.com/2016/11/16/breakdown-watch-dogs-2-0-opening-cinematic-by-mk12/

Either way you need a Plugin to generate them or you need to make them in 3D modeling software.

So basically you need to know how to:
Create Vector shapes
Apply on the fly effects to a scene in AE
Know how to use 3D modeling software like Blender or Unreal etc.

So Skills in:
Photoshop
After Effects
Illustrator
Any advanced 3D modeling software with both 2D and 3D planes

[GAP]

I will admit that was I was wrong the whole thing. As someone on another forum made me realize, I expected to simply put the video file on a processor and I expected to show what edits were use in a video. It made me realize that it is not how it works and it isn't that simple. To be honest, I expected to simply dump the videos I used and it will give me the edits, upscaling methods, etc. and simply copy that. I was wrong about that and I realized that I was making things more frustrating for me. Thanks for the help.