FFmpeg

Support Synfig related help
1

Pretend like I know nothing about ffmpeg. :smiley:
Does the all-in-one installer for synfig include a full version of ffmpeg?
What is ffmpeg anyway? How do you use it?
Am I better off using Blender? (for pictures to video and visa versa)?
Any information is appreciated

P.S. sorry if this is a little off topic from Synfig. I love the software and just want to get the most out of it!

2

FFmpeg is a set of libraries that is used by Synfig to combine the standar output from Synfig (image sequence) into a movie file. Iā€™m not sure if it is bundled with the all in one version for windows but I think it is. You can check what does it install at the install details of the installer wizard for windows.
In Synfig, FFmpeg is a target output. To use it if installed you have to:

  1. Specify an extension recognizable by FFmpeg (avi, mpg) in the render dialog filename.
  2. Select FFmpeg form the target drop down combo box in the render dialog.

Anyway, I strongly recommend to export to image sequence and composite it with your favorite video editor.
-G

3

Yes the full version of FFMpeg is included in the Synfig All-in-one installer. The mpg option in synfig is a little limited in that it uses mpg 1 (think Video CD quality) not mpg 2 (think DVD quality). The best quality is obtained by rendering separate PNGs and using, say, Blender sequence editor to combine them.