Create a video from a sequence of images (or PDFs) in python (using ffmpeg internally)

make_video.py

import os
import sys
import tempfile
import argparse
import subprocess

NATURAL_FPS = 30.

# Formats convertible by imagemagick:
CONVERTIBLE_EXTENSIONS = ['png', 'jpeg', 'jpg', 'pdf', 'pgm', 'bmp']

# Formats readable by ffmpeg:
FFMPEG_EXTENSIONS = ['png', 'jpg', 'jpeg']

def extension(path):
    return os.path.splitext(path)[1][1:].lower()

def main():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Make a video from a sequence of video frames')
    parser.add_argument('--limit', type=int, required=False)
    parser.add_argument('--fps', type=float, default=NATURAL_FPS)
    parser.add_argument('input', nargs='+',
                        help='Images or PDFs from which to create the video, or a directory '+\
                             'containing images or pdfs')
    parser.add_argument('output', type=str)
    args = parser.parse_args()

    if os.path.exists(args.output):
        ext = extension(args.output)
        if ext in CONVERTIBLE_EXTENSIONS:
            print 'Error: Cannot overwrite with output: %s' % args.output
            return -1

    # Process input paths
    input_paths = []
    for path in args.input:
        if os.path.isdir(path):
            for entry in sorted(os.listdir(path)):
                if extension(entry) in CONVERTIBLE_EXTENSIONS:
                    input_paths.append(os.path.join(path, entry))
        else:
            input_paths.append(path)

    if args.limit:
        input_paths = input_paths[:args.limit]

    # Pick an intermediate format to convert the frames to
    temp_ext = extension(input_paths[0])
    if temp_ext not in FFMPEG_EXTENSIONS:
        print '%s files are not readable by ffmpeg: will convert to png.' % temp_ext
        temp_ext = 'png'

    # Create symlinks
    tempdir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
    index = 0
    for index, input_path in enumerate(input_paths):
        ext = extension(input_path)
        temp_path = os.path.join(tempdir, '%08d.%s' % (index, temp_ext))
        if ext == temp_ext:
            os.symlink(input_path, temp_path)
        else:
            print 'Converting %s to %s' % (input_path, temp_ext)
            retval = subprocess.call(['convert', input_path, temp_path])
            if retval:
                print 'Unable to convert %s to %s' % (input_path, temp_ext)
                return -1

    # Create video
    print '\nRunning ffmpeg:'
    ffmpeg_options = {
        '-filter:v' : 'setpts=%f*PTS' % (NATURAL_FPS / args.fps),
        '-b:v' : '1000k',
        '-f': 'image2',
        '-i': os.path.join(tempdir, '%%08d.%s' % temp_ext)
        }

    command = ['ffmpeg']
    for key, value in ffmpeg_options.iteritems():
        command.extend((key, str(value)))
    command.append('-y')  # overwrite outputs
    command.append(args.output)

    print ' '.join(command)
    subprocess.call(command)

    print '\nWrote output to %s' % args.output

    return 0
            
if __name__ == '__main__':
    sys.exit(main())

i test it and got error : usage: player.py [-h] [--limit LIMIT] [--fps FPS] input [input ...] c:/output
player.py: error: too few arguments

Hi!
Do you have a Python 3 port?

I changed all the print statements and am getting this error about Symlinks.
I'm running windows 10

I LOVE how you kept everything using only standard stuff that I already have, but I need it to run of course :-)

I put my PNG images into a folder named inputs... does that work or do I need to name PNG?

I really would like to use this if I can.

Thank you for posting it.

Here is my error:
C:\Python\PycharmProjects\MIDI-Video>python "Make Video.py" inputs output
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "Make Video.py", line 94, in
main()
File "Make Video.py", line 62, in main
os.symlink(input_path, temp_path)
OSError: symbolic link privilege not held