Frame-stepping forwards and backwards

[ssinfod]

I would also like the backward frame stepping.

In my opinion, VLC is the best video player out there and I use it almost every day on my computer.
This backward frame stepping feature would help me when I analyze video for my work...

Maybe this feature could go through a "crowd funding" effort ?

Anyway, I hope one day this feature will be implemented. (at least experimental for some video type)

Thanks for the great software

ssinfod

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

ROFL. It's super tempting to write a rant about coder design and ignoring completely valid user requests. Sorry, but I have to get this out.

This missing feature is the primary reason why I'm using the QuickTime-Viewer most of the time. But sometimes (under Windows and for .AVIs) I'm stuck with VLC. I don't --please stay polite-- care how hard it is. You're having it backwards: If the user want's to see the previous frame, jump to the previous iFrame and decode forward. Of course it's not as efficient as possible, but nowadays computers are so fast, that it would get the job done. Sorry, but an answer like this drives me insane. You might be the smartest developer on the planet, but PLEASE I beg you, PLLEEEASE read "Don't make me think" but Steve Krug. You're wasting your time by writing code that misses its potential.

A mentality like this will drive VLC down the route to Gimp, and becoming an icon that normal people use to make fun of open source projects.

You are exactly the definition of an a**hole.

If it's not hard, why don't you do it?
People are volunteers and work on what they want/can.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I would also like the backward frame stepping.

In my opinion, VLC is the best video player out there and I use it almost every day on my computer.
This backward frame stepping feature would help me when I analyze video for my work...

Maybe this feature could go through a "crowd funding" effort ?

Anyway, I hope one day this feature will be implemented. (at least experimental for some video type)

Thanks for the great software

ssinfod

There is a plugin to emulate this, if you want.

[ssinfod]

Ok, I will have a look in the plugins section.

For now, I have found this one:
"Jump to time (Previous frame)" - VLC Extension
http://addons.videolan.org/content/show ... ent=156396

Is this the plugin you are speaking about ?
Thanks
ssinfod

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I think so.

[fishstick]

Hello JB,

Can you bring 'us' power users in contact with the programming volunteers who maybe be able to put our wish into code? To be able to frame step in video. Forward and backwards. Looping would be nice. Fluidity is mandatory since it's allready unpacked in memory.

Our need (as I see it more like a request) is fairly simple; totally codec indepent, everything is based on the existing available hardware of the computer, freeze by space bar, user defined memory (like 500MB or more) is used to store each frame already passed in time, uncompressed, the rest is flushed, controlling step backward and forward by using userdefined key's, if the memory buffer is empty while the user uses the needle/cursor by mouse a few seconds (or any other thingy seconds defined in setup) is preread and filling the memory with uncompressed (RLE TGA's or something) frames. The same frames as normaly used to project on my display.

Please don't forget that there are a lot of researchers - and others - using VLC because it is very handy and plays videowise everything. Researching means analysing and recalling the smallest part. The frame and differences between them : )


Thanks!

[Trenth]

It should be easy to implement single frame step to previews. A couple lines of code, and it needs to be activated by a key, so it's not on the screen.

Clearly the software can already jump back a second or so or to the last I frame and then play to the previous frame from where the video is at the moment. Clearly the software can already do this are several times real time.

When people are stepping through frames, 5 times a second is plenty fast.

Step back to iframe,
play without display to the previous frame.
display previous frame.

I don't see a problem.

[Trenth]

Even easier. the goto time function already exists,

just create a keyboard stoke that does a goto to the previous frame.

[a2m1n]

Hello!

just wanted to add to this request if possible -
I work with a large animation studio and we have a number of users that would like to use VLC -
the one thing holding us back from deploying the app to everyone is the lack of ability to scrub backward frame by frame (this is used for timers)
the ability to scrub forward with the E key is awesome but when checking walk cycles and such with animation you need both forward and backward...
currently we're deploying quicklime 7 to our systems - and we're noticing that gets buggier each time apple releases a new OS so VLC !!! HELP!!!! we love you =)

[Etoh]

Hello!

just wanted to add to this request if possible -
I work with a large animation studio and we have a number of users that would like to use VLC -
the one thing holding us back from deploying the app to everyone is the lack of ability to scrub backward frame by frame (this is used for timers)
the ability to scrub forward with the E key is awesome but when checking walk cycles and such with animation you need both forward and backward...
currently we're deploying quicklime 7 to our systems - and we're noticing that gets buggier each time apple releases a new OS so VLC !!! HELP!!!! we love you =)

It's great that you like VLC and want it to be better. VLC is free and open source, and so relies heavily on the work of volunteer developers. As I'm sure you can appreciate, volunteer time for the project is limited, and is typically devoted to either the areas that most interest the volunteer or where there appears to be the greatest pay-off for time volunteered.

Unfortunately, according to https://trac.videolan.org/vlc/ticket/10252 it would be quite an effort to add reliable 'previous frame' functionality to VLC as it would have to work on various different file formats. The long-standing nature of the request also indicates that getting a reliable and polished previous-frame feature is not something that volunteers feel inclined to work on, presumably because it is not something that they themselves need and it would necessitate a large amount of developing and testing time whilst not being vital to the average VLC user.

As such, in this instance if you want VLC to have the feature you desire then it looks like the best option would be to get a developer of your own (in-house or third party) to implement the feature within VLC and contribute it back to the open source ecosystem. In the meantime there is http://addons.videolan.org/content/show ... ent=156396

[remmargorp]

I just found out, that in at-least VLC 2.2.2 on Windows, if your mouse is over the time selector bar and you use middle scroll that it will step the video forward and backwards. It's not per frame but considering it's an easy way to step backwards it works for me.

[4REEE]

And that, my friends, is why open source projects stagnate. Those who want to implement new features don't know where to start, and those who know where to start don't like to help.

I'm having flashbacks to the bad old unix days...

@whunter: +1

[komocode]

How about:

- If user has manually defined a hotkey for step previous frame, always keep three previous frames in memory
- When a user steps back N-1 frame, seek and buffer the N-6 through N-4 frames on top of the current N-1 through N-3 (6 frames in memory total).
- When user steps to N-4 frame, seek and buffer the previous three frames again
- User can change the step frame buffer size in preferences.

I've never looked at the code, but I'll take a stab on it this weekend. I'm not really good at C since I'm so used to Obj-C's verbose style.

[TheBigLebowski]

ROFL. It's super tempting to write a rant about coder design and ignoring completely valid user requests. Sorry, but I have to get this out.

This missing feature is the primary reason why I'm using the QuickTime-Viewer most of the time. But sometimes (under Windows and for .AVIs) I'm stuck with VLC. I don't --please stay polite-- care how hard it is. You're having it backwards: If the user want's to see the previous frame, jump to the previous iFrame and decode forward. Of course it's not as efficient as possible, but nowadays computers are so fast, that it would get the job done. Sorry, but an answer like this drives me insane. You might be the smartest developer on the planet, but PLEASE I beg you, PLLEEEASE read "Don't make me think" but Steve Krug. You're wasting your time by writing code that misses its potential.

A mentality like this will drive VLC down the route to Gimp, and becoming an icon that normal people use to make fun of open source projects.

You are exactly the definition of an a**hole.

If it's not hard, why don't you do it?
People are volunteers and work on what they want/can.

Jesus H Christ…

I’m with pixtur on this one.

If that festuring pustule Quicktime Player can do this, it can't be that difficult. I love to study films. I rip my DVDs to my hard drive and when I play the resulting file, anywhere I pause I can advance and reverse frame-by-frame, with either the keyboard or mouse wheel.

And this is Quicktime player we’re talking about here, second only to RealPlayer as the worst player for *anything* that ever existed.

I even booted up a 1999 iBook (one of the blue ones), threw some .MOV files at it (Quicktime 5 was little short on codecs in their salad days). But, sure enough, on both files I was able to freeze, advance or retreat several frames.

And this was Mac OS 9.

From the 1990s.

VLC used one of my favorite players — I could read formats nothing else could. But as I got into film studies it’s shortcomings began to glow like plutonium.These days I use it as a last resort if nothing else will open the file.

There are some us out there who love to examine films in depth, and the ability to stop then advance or reverse by 1 (or several) frames at a time is essential. Who cares if you can jump forward or backward 30 seconds or a minute. Your core users will get to the money shots in “Urban MILF Bukkae #27” fast enough.

You are exactly the definition of an a**hole.

Hey, I gotta hand it to you...that's some A-! customer service attitude you have there.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I’m with pixtur on this one.

Then, we're waiting for your patches. Seriously.

It's harder in VLC than in QuickTime, because VLC support way more formats than QT. If someone is smart enough to do that, patches very welcome.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Closing this topic because of bullying. If you want to discuss this, please open a new topic.