libavfilter.texi

\input texinfo @c -*- texinfo -*-

@settitle Libavfilter Documentation
@titlepage
@center @titlefont{Libavfilter Documentation}
@end titlepage

@top

@contents

@chapter Introduction

Libavfilter is the filtering API of Libav. It replaces 'vhooks', and
started as a Google Summer of Code project.

Note that there may still be serious bugs in the code and its API
and ABI should not be considered stable yet!

@chapter Tutorial

In libavfilter, it is possible for filters to have multiple inputs and
multiple outputs.
To illustrate the sorts of things that are possible, we can
use a complex filter graph. For example, the following one:

@example
input --> split --> fifo -----------------------> overlay --> output
            |                                        ^
            |                                        |
            +------> fifo --> crop --> vflip --------+
@end example

splits the stream in two streams, then sends one stream through the crop filter
and the vflip filter, before merging it back with the other stream by
overlaying it on top. You can use the following command to achieve this:

@example
./avconv -i input -vf "[in] split [T1], fifo, [T2] overlay=0:H/2 [out]; [T1] fifo, crop=iw:ih/2:0:ih/2, vflip [T2]" output
@end example

The result will be that the top half of the video is mirrored
onto the bottom half of the output video.

Video filters are loaded using the @var{-vf} option passed to
avconv or to avplay. Filters in the same linear chain are separated by
commas. In our example, @var{split}, @var{fifo}, and @var{overlay} are in one
linear chain, and @var{fifo}, @var{crop}, and @var{vflip} are in another. The
points where the linear chains join are labeled by names enclosed in square
brackets. In our example, they join at @var{[T1]} and @var{[T2]}. The magic
labels @var{[in]} and @var{[out]} are the points where video is input
and output.

Some filters take a list of parameters: they are specified
after the filter name and an equal sign, and are separated
by a semicolon.

There are so-called @var{source filters} that do not take video
input, and we expect that some @var{sink filters} will
not have video output, at some point in the future.

@chapter graph2dot

The @file{graph2dot} program included in the Libav @file{tools}
directory can be used to parse a filter graph description and issue a
corresponding textual representation in the dot language.

Invoke the command:
@example
graph2dot -h
@end example

to see how to use @file{graph2dot}.

You can then pass the dot description to the @file{dot} program (from
the graphviz suite of programs) and obtain a graphical representation
of the filter graph.

For example the sequence of commands:
@example
echo @var{GRAPH_DESCRIPTION} | \
tools/graph2dot -o graph.tmp && \
dot -Tpng graph.tmp -o graph.png && \
display graph.png
@end example

can be used to create and display an image representing the graph
described by the @var{GRAPH_DESCRIPTION} string.

@include filters.texi

@bye