[FFmpeg-devel] GSoC with FFMpeg waht a combination!

[Jason spot Brower]

Last night while thinking over what I could do I came up with this brain dump.
cat brain | grep 'idea GSOC FFMPEG' > FFMPEG maillist
-------------------------------------------
Recipe Based Video Converter
Concept:
With so many different formats of audio and video, it has become
dificult to convert content to your prefered formats without having to
learn a complicated command line operation that doesn't always meet
your expectations.  Additionally, if your trying to convert a 30
second clip and it takes you 5 minutes to read examples and the
manual, you know you need something that can just get the job done.
I propose a video conversion gui that will convert video/audio formats
using a "recipe based system" of conversion.  This program will help
users choose the best formats, quality and rates by asking specific
questions that help the users come up with a solution the fits there
needs.  An example use case could be the following:
Jeremy wants to publish his video to the website.  Jeremy starts
VRecipe and selects from a list of choices and VRecipe recomends and
converts the video to the proper format.  Jeremy's selections would
also be saved in a list of previous complete jobs that can be used
again later. When the job is completed Jeremy can whatch the video or
if the choice entails it, public the video to a specific location on
the internet.
Additionally Vrecipe would also have options for advanced users
looking for a specific format setting.  The program would remember if
the user wanted advance settings or not.
One of the best parts of VRecipe will be the ability to have all
profiled video conversion recipes in a right click menu in the scripts
of nautilus.  This would provide quick access to converting videos
without having to jump into a gui to work on a video conversion you
have done before.  It would also be a great way for multiple formats
to be changed.
The lsit of ways this program have many further options.  But this
should give you a general idea of what I am thinkin of.
Production:
Language: I will be programming in python and gtk+.
Developement tools:
	Geany text editor
	Glade3
	Paper, Pen, and other supplies.
Developement Process:
	I will start with a general idea after working with my mentor with
other concepts and ideas that may come up.  Then the mentor and I will
come up with the scope of the program and what feature and parts we
want to focus on.  Once we know this I move to see what formats are
good for what scenarios and begin creating some basic VARecipe's.
Then I will create a paper prototype of the program so that we have a
quick way of knowing how people react to the video conversion tools
features and usability.  By testing this paper prototype with actual
users and recording their sessions, I will come up with a possible gtk
based solution to create.  I then create the program.
Schedule:
The basic schedule will be to create all this research a few weeks
before I am alowed to start coding.  I will try to put in 3 or 4 hours
a day of hard coding and review so that I will have plenty of time to
complete this project.
My Skills:
I am a previously successful GSoC student, but not to proud of my
work.  I have learned a lot since then.  I program in Python and use
the GTK+ environment.  I am an ubuntu user and am fond of gnome.  I
have a very fun and quickly growing pet project called memaker.  It's
a gtk application that create high quality avatars that can be used in
many places.  It has just been added to the universe repositories of
ubuntu.  There are plans to integrate it into ubuntu.
I am studing Business Information Technology in Haaga-Helia University
of Applied Sciences in Helsinki Finland. I am in my 3rd year.  This
summer I will be doing my internship with PCulture working on the Miro
Application.  I hope to integrate part of my work with Miro Player
with my work with VARecipe.  I know I will have the time and power to
do both things at the same time.
Family:  I am married to a Finnish wife named Katri and we have a cute
little 1 year old girl named Jaden.  I am 28.
-------------------------------------------
I haven't totally looked it over for grammar and such but you should
get the idea of what I am thinking.  My obvious focus was gnome in
this example.  Yes having a single set of code for all platforms if
hunky dory, but remember I can't do all the totally awsome integration
code.  Like auto adding the nautilus scripts for all previously used
profiles.
If we HAVE to do the cross compilability then we would have to scratch
so many fun ideas. (dang)
Firefox used to think this way, but now they are creating a better
browser by building a little different for each OS.  I lean in the
same direction.
We could have multiple frontends that are recommended by the ffmpeg
project. Windows in it's eviron, Linux in Gnome or KDE, and mac in
cocoa.
Just my thought, not to feel the burn of yours.
Regards,
Jason

On Fri, Mar 21, 2008 at 4:00 PM, Robert Swain <robert.swain at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
>
>  On 21/03/2008, V?ctor Paesa <wzrlpy at arsystel.com> wrote:
>  > Mmmh, there are already a number of GUIs around, see
>  >  http://ffmpeg.mplayerhq.hu/projects.html
>  >
>  >  My favorite is WinFF (it runs on Windows and Linux, and has a number of
>  >  convenient presets).
>
>  I just had a look at it. Clean and simple though I'm a little dubious
>  about 'hard coding' frame rates, cropping, etc. into a preset. I
>  suppose there's no reason you shouldn't be able to but I'd think it
>  should be discouraged.
>
>  I was thinking more of a UI that hooked up to the libraries than the
>  CLI though I don't know now whether this is the best course of action
>  or not.
>
>
>  >  If you want to make your own, you might check the FLTK toolkit: it is
>  >  quite small, multiplatform and has a GUI designer.
>
>  There was a suggestion on IRC that having a well-working GUI for
>  Windows and Mac OS X would be more important than for Linux. I think
>  it should work on all three and more as that is our general philosophy
>  (excepting dirty hacks). I suppose what toolkit to use to achieve such
>  will be the main area for discussion by people on this list.
>
>  I haven't actually done any GUI coding before so I'd be basing any
>  guidance I give on intuition and knowledge of what works in other
>  programs. If anyone who has done some GUI stuff before wants to step
>  us a possible mentor, go for it. Knowing me I'll stick my nose into
>  any SoC projects that interest me anyway. :)
>
>  Rob
>
>
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