Any chance of restoring 'File > Save > Save Selection as JPEG Images' function?

[BG Davis]

Avidemux v2.5.6 allowed users to save a segment of a video clip as a series of JPEG images (for use in creating animated GIF).
This function has been removed from v2.6, leaving only the option of saving one frame at a time as either JPEG or BMP.
Is there any way to request that this very useful function be restored?

Meanwhile, does anyone know of a workaround?

Thanks

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Mark section from you want picture from video [A ] [ B], and save as new video.

Code Select Expand

ffmpeg -i YourNewVideo.ts -r 50 -s hd1080 -f image2 image-%3d.png
-r 50 = framerate

other examples are around on the web doing this with ffmpeg

[BG Davis]

Thanks for the suggestion; I had some problems when I tried it with AVCHD 1080/60p video.

1. Got error messages, including lack of support for 60p (which is what I always use if I'm going for frame caps).
Screen shots of error messages attached.

2. Didn't see any way to use the string you provided; once I had selected ffmpeg the "Configure" button for Video Output was deactivated.

Did you mean to use the DV (ffmpeg) option under Video Output, or some other path?  I have never done anything with ffmpeg before and therefore have no familiarity with its use.

Thanks

[BG Davis]

Second attachment failed to post.  Here it is.

[Jan Gruuthuse]

ffmpeg is a standalone program, run from commandline.
- mark and save the wanted with [Copy] for both Video and Audio Output the videosegment (avidemux) as YourNewVideo.ts.
Replace the extension .ts with the original one from the source video. Do the sam in the command line below.
from commandline with ffmpeg:

Code Select Expand

ffmpeg -i YourNewVideo.ts -r 60 -s hd1080 -f image2 image-%3d.jpg
If not working with jpg use png.

[BG Davis]

Thank you for your patience.  Since I have never done anything with command line I am not familiar with how it is used.
Starting from the top:
1. The only option I find in the Avidemux program is "Tools>Scripting Shell."  Is this the correct path?
2. To keep things simple, I copied and pasted the sample command that you provided.  I tried both .jpg and .png extensions.  I got error messages for both when I selected "Evaluation."  (Screen shots attached.)
3. I could find no option in Avidemux for saving with .ts extension.  The only option I have is .avi.  (Screen shot attached.)
I seem to have hit a dead end. 

[BG Davis]

Additional screenshots (the max size allowed is very low).

[BG Davis]

NOTES:
Downloaded ffmpeg from https://ffmpeg.org/

Could not open file with any program on my computer, including Avidemux.  So no way to use it.

[Jan Gruuthuse]

Not in avidemux.
You need to install ffmpeg for your Operating Sysytem
From windows command prompt, or
Linux terminal window ([Ctrl] [Alt] [T]

If source video has extension:
- .avi save video selection with AVI Muxer
- .mp4 save video selection with MP4 or MP4v2 Muxer
- .mkv save video selection with MKV Muxer
- ...

[BG Davis]

Thank you!  I will give it a try.  (I'm more a photographer and video/photo processing person and not a computer guy, so it may be an adventure.)

[Jan Gruuthuse]

We all had to start somewhere.

[BG Davis]

After all this I downloaded v2.5.6.  It does the multiple JPEG frame save, but it is temperamental.
Some things I have found:
--WMV works best, MP4 is conditional (depends on the clip), .avi is very unstable.
--It seems to prefer smaller frame sizes.  A 720 video (including 120fps) seems to function no matter what the format.  But some small (640) .avi files play perfectly; others do not (trying to Play causes immediate crash.  You must advance the frames with the directional arrow).  These files were all shot with the same camera at about the same time.
--4K video can be processed, but won't play - you must advance the frames with the directional arrow.
--AVCCH 1080/60p can't be played (crashes).  You must advance the frames with the directional arrow.  You can't reverse or retreat; the program will freeze or crash.
I'm still sorting out what works and what doesn't.  When it does work, it's very nice to be able to get a series of JPEG frame captures for creating animated GIFs, selecting stills, etc.

[Jan Gruuthuse]

2.5.6 has issues reading/processing most newer encodings.

[BG Davis]

"2.5.6 has issues reading/processing most newer encodings."
It certainly does!   
I will get into the command line for 2.6.x as soon as I can get around to it.

[BG Davis]

Good news, puzzling news.
The good: I got the ffmpeg program working and it did a fine job of saving frame sequences in JPEG, BPM, PNG.
The puzzling: I tried to do frame caps from a 4K video, inserting [2160] instead of [1080].  The program kept giving me "incorrect frame size" error messages so I ran it with [1080] and it generated the sequence.  But of course they are all 1080 size (2MP) images, which negates the benefit of shooting 4K.
Is there a way to get around this?  It would be nice to get the 8MP frames.  (I tried both [hd2160] and [uhd2160] with the same result.)

Footnote: I was able to do frame caps from 120fps video with different frame rates (120, 60, 30) specified in the string.  The number of frames was reduced proportionately (68 frames, 34 frames, 17 frames in my test sample).