DOCUMENTATION FOR USING EKD UNDER LINUX (hide)
A) SIMPLE INTRODUCTION
EKD (EnKoDeur-Mixeur) at the beginning has been created to encode videos in divx, mpeg1 or motion jpeg formats, and then it evoved to propose tools to make post production operations for video files and images. Concerning the images, EKD can work with a batch of images (which means that it can work with one or more images without any problem). EKD works under GNU/GPL licence, release 3.
Here you can find the documentation about the Linux release.EKD Linux Version uses the following applications: Mplayer, Mencoder, FFmpeg, Lame and the commands ImageMagick. Python, PyQt4, Python Imaging Library, Numpy, ffmpeg2theora, MjpegTools and SoX must be as well installed on your computer.
a1) VIDEO MANAGEMENT
- Transcoding of video formats: AVI RAW i420, DV, MOV, HFYU, Motion JPEG, OGG THEORA, VOB, MPEG2, H264 MPEG4 (.mp4), H264 MPEG4 (.h264), XVID, DIVX4, MPEG1, Macromedia Flash Video, WMV2 et AMV.
- Transcoding video for the web: Transcoding YouTube 16/9 High Quality, Transcoding YouTube 16/9 Average Quality, Transcoding YouTube 16/9 Low Quality, Transcoding YouTube 4/3 High Quality, Transcoding YouTube 4/3 Average Quality, Transcoding YouTube 4/3 Low Quality, Transcoding Google vidéo 16/9 High Quality, Transcoding Google vidéo 16/9 Average Quality, Transcoding Google vidéo 16/9 Low Quality, Transcoding Google vidéo 4/3 High Quality, Transcoding Google vidéo 4/3 Average Quality, Transcodage Google vidéo 4/3 Low Quality, Transcoding Dailymotion SD 4/3, Transcoding Dailymotion SD 16/9 et Transcoding Dailymotion HD 720p.
- Encoding HD (High Definition): HD1080 16/9 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1920×1080 (.mov), HD720 16/9 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1280×720 (.mov) and HD1080 4/3 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1440×1080 (.mov).
- AVCHD Management … transcoding mts et m2ts files to: MOV, VOB, MPEG2, MPEG1, MPEG4, WMV2, HFYU, MSMPEG 4 version 2, Motion JPEG and FFV1 (FFmpeg).
- Filters (for videos): Grayscale, Reserve for subtitles (Expand), Noise, Brightness-contratst, Cutting attended (Crop), Cutting free (Crop), Coolor/Saturation (Hue), Mirror horizontal, Blur box (Boxblur), Change resolution, Turn the video (90° to the right) and Deinterlace.
- A small module very basic video editing, including the possibility of moutning between several videos (with videos using differents codecs and different sizes), the possibility of mounting between videos (with videos using differents codecs and different sizes) and audio files (different extensions) and the ability to cut a video.
- Separate the video track and audio track (in a video with sound).
- The conversion of a batch of images into videos (with, among others, the possibility to adjust the number of frames per second).
- Converting a video in a batch of images.
- Change the number of frames per second.
- Convert a video en 16/9ème, 16/10ème, 4/3, 5/3 Widescreen 1.85:1, Cinemascope Panavision 2.35:1, Optical CinemaScope 2.35:1 and magnetic CinemaScope 2.55:1.
- Create a slideswho (slideshow of images into videos). Many output settings including RAW DV, VCD, SVCD, DVD, Flash FLV, Theora and MJPEG.
a2) IMAGE MANAGEMENT
- Crate contact sheets (many possible settings).
- View and save file (.txt) with complete informations on one or more images. View abd save (in a .html page) EXIF dateas of photos.
- Ability to change the format (extension) images.
- Resize images (change the size in pixels) retaining or not retaining ratio.
- Adding items (allows you to write text on multiple lines and add more images in a batch of images).
- A small module compositing: Composite Image (you can work with a background consisting of a single image or several).
- The ability to rename a batch of images (if you decide to rename pictures with EXIF datas, you can also rename them taking into account the date of shooting).
- Create animated GIF cutting and chuncking images (found in the category for the webb).
- Image multiplication: multiply images (images here can be converted into videos, and we have the batch processing of images and videos).
- Transitions on two sequences of images; allows you to move from one sequence to another (the availables modules are fade and spiral).
- A specific module (Alpha Mask) that you can use (to resume very briefly) for cutting a uniform colored green or bleu background (to know what you can use it for, follow the link). Another module (Masque 3D), produces images (the green or bleu background turns into white and the subject or the character completely black or the contrary) that can be later imported (the images) in a computer-generated images software (as Blender) and then be able to inlay/put the all of it (the character(s)previously filmed on a bleu background, for instance) in a 3D set.
- Filters: Old Film (bands + dust), Sepia (to be used for exemple after the Old Film filter), Drawing 1: (black lines), Drawing 2: (Pencil), Drawing 3: (Monochrome), Drawing 4: (with a little color), Oil, Blur - Fuzziness, Gamma, Drawing 5: Fascinating colors + black background, Pointillism, dark-Clear, Paint-to-water, Drawing 6: Illustration grayscale, Drawing 7: Features very fine + color, Emboss, Sharpen (details), Greyscale, Color predefined, Creating custom colors, Bas-relief or carved stone, Improvement edges (clarere image), Reduced noise (denoising), Drawing 8: thresholding images, Drawing 9: evanescence, Drawing 10: imitation cartoon 1, negative (inverse colors/values), Framing photographic, Separation into modules, Shadow and light in color, Rotate image, Drawing 11: imitation cartoon 2, Drawing 12: laplacian and Contour and color.
a3) AUDIO FILE MANAGEMENT
- Transoding audio. You can transcode your audio files with the following inputs and outputs: WAV. OGG, FLAC.
- Join several audio files (WAV. OGG, FLAC).
- Cutting an audio file.
- Normalize and convert an audio file.
a4) PLAY VIDEOS AND DISPLAY IMAGES
- Watch videos and pictures directly in EKD.
B) INTERFACE: CURRENT USE
b1) The main window
The use of EKD is quite easy beacuse an help button is available in all the frames (except for the reading module):
b2) Video treatment
In order to know a bit more (practical case), follow the link.
b3) Image treatment
In order to know a bit more (practical case), follow the link.
b4) Tools bar and EKD setting
In order to know a bit more, follow the link.
C) THE DIFFERENT FRAMES
c1) VIDEO
- Vidéo > Transcoding > General: nothing special to say (everything is clear enough), just one thing ; do not forget to make the Compression setting for Codec Motion JPEG (.avi), Codec OGG THEORA (.ogg), Codec MPEG 2 (.mpg), Codec DIVX4 (.avi), Codec MPEG 1 (.mpg), Codec WMV2 (.wmv) and the Quality setting for Macromedia Flash Vidéo (.flv).
- Vidéo > Transcoding > For the web: you can encode videos (in 16/9ème or 4/3, and in High Quality, Average or Low Quality) to be put on YouTube, Google Video or Dailymotion.
- Vidéo > Transcoding > High Definition: let you encode videos in HD1080 16/9 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1920×1080, HD720 16/9 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1280×720 or HD1080 4/3 (mpeg4 - pcm s16be) 1440×1080.
In order to know a bit more about HD.
- Vidéo > Transcoding > AVCHD Management: if you use a camera which is using the AVCHD, your videos with the mts et m2ts extension can be transcoded to: MOV, VOB, MPEG2, MPEG1, MPEG4, WMV2, HFYU, MSMPEG 4 version 2, Motion JPEG and FFV1 (FFmpeg). If you want to know more about the management of the AVCHD in EKD, follow the link.
- Vidéo > Picture Slideshow into video: Creating a slideshow (Pictures slideshow into video). Many settings among which the output in RAW DV, VCD, SVCD, DVD, Flash FLV, Theora et MJPEG. The software Slideshow has been included, in this occasion, in EKD.
- Vidéo > Filters: to see the different video filters, follow the link.
- Vidéo > Video editing: to see the different options for video editing, follow the link.
- Vidéo > Separation audio-video: here we can separate (and at the same time save in two different files) the video track and the audio track.
- Vidéo > Conversion of images into vidéo: here we can convert a series of images into a video file, this a part of EKD which is very very useful, we can, for instance, convert somes images after a treatment with images that have been treated by the filters of the Image section. Do not forget to make the settings for the Number of images/s and Codecs.
- Vidéo > Converting a video into images: we’re having here exactly the contrary of what we found before (very useful anyway). The series of images can be saved at the JPEG format with a quality at 100 %.
- Vidéo > Number of images per second: changingn the number of images per second in a video.
- Vidéo > Convert a vidéo into 16/9 or 4/3: change the kind of resolution/proportions of the videos. The kind of videos are: 16/9ème, 16/10ème, 4/3, 5/3 Widescreen 1.85:1, panavision Cinemascope 2.35:1, Optical CinemaScope 2.35:1 et Magnetic CinemaScope 2.55:1.
If you want to know more about 16/9.
If you want to know more about 4/3.
c2) IMAGE
- Image > Various > Picture board: to see a detailed presentation, follow the link.
- Image > Various > Information: gives you somes detailed informations about the image(s) you loaded. You can save those informations in a text file (.txt). And you can also get the EXIF informations (if they exist) about the pictures you took, it is possible to save the EXIF infos in an html page html. If you want more informations about this module, follow the link.
- Image > Various > Change in format: it allows to change the extension of the batch of images (by giving the properties of this same file to the images you just transformed). It manages the conversion of sixteen formats.
- Image > Various > Resize: it allows to change the size in pixels of a batch of images. You have to possible choices; first you can keep the ratio (you have to know that in this case you must not indicate the new dimensions of height, they’re directly calculated according to the new widht), or second you can write the new height and the new widht (and here of course you don’t keep any ratio).
- Image > Various > Adding items: it allows to write a text on several lines on a batch of images (we can for instance create an ending credits with this option). It also allows to add some images. If you want to know more about it, all you have to do is reading this small documentation about it.
- Image > Various > Composite picture: it allows to make the compositing between two images (or two sets of images). The compositing is the possibility of overlaying two images in order to have one at the end; one image (that you use as a background → somehow on the back side and whichdo not have an alpha canal [transparency]) and another image (which can be used as a foreground, that usually has [here of course] an alpha canal). You have the possibility to work on a batch of images making the background (in case of a mouvement) or on asingle image (as when you work with a fixed background → steady caméra ). If you want to know more about this module, follow the link.
- Image > Various > Re-name images: we rename a batch of images. If you decide to rename some pictures containing EXIF datas, you can rename them taking into account the date of shooting. If you want to know more about this module, follow the link.
- Image > Various > For the web: here we deal about the useful operations for internet. You can create an animated gif starting from a video (take care to settle in the right way Number of colors (Reduction), Pause delay between two frames (ms) for the animated gif), and Cutting/chunking image. Further informations about this last option ; if you have an image with a full resolution, you will be able to cut it in different parts (following the settings of Number of parts (on the horizontal line) and Number of parts (vertical line)) in order to be able to see it quickly in an html page, for instance. If you want to know more about it, follow the link.
- Image > Various > Image multiplication: Here you can multiply an image (it will be the same image multiplied x times) … can be make the settings Multiplication, time in seconfs, Format type after treatment (if you’re working with the JPEG (.jpg) or the JPEG (.jpeg) format, you will se Quality for the setting of the compression. In this menut, we have the choice to multiply simply the images or to multiply the images and convert them into videos. Thanks to this menu (as for Adding elements) we can put some titles in the video.
- Image > Transitions: a transition is somehow a way to go from a sequences of images A to a sequences of images B. In orde to know more follow the link.
- Image > Alpha mask/3D: We’re not going to spend more time about these functions as they’re already available in this tutorial.
- Image > Filters: You can use here 34 filters. To see (in image) the filters we’re talking about, follow the link.
c3) MUSIC-SOUND
- Music-Sound > Transcoding audio: you can transcode your audio files with the following inputs and outputs: WAV. OGG, FLAC.
- Music-Sound > Join several audio files: you can here set together (or put side by side). The formats you can use are:WAV. OGG, FLAC.
- Music-Sound > Cutting in an audio file: as it it said, you can cut an audio file.
- Music-Sound > Normalise and convert an audio file: you can here normalise the audio files, that means to adjust the volume.
c4) PLAY
- Read > Images reading: this module allows you to display some images (one image each time) or to launch a slideshow, in order to know more, read this.
- Read > Playing videos: this module allows you to play videos straight in EKD, in order to know more, read this.
D) INSTALL EKD ON THE HARD DISK:
To benefit of an installation through apt-get install ekd (for Debian and/or Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu distribution), read this page.
You can install EKD on your hard disk, for those who are not under Debian or Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Edubuntu (in your user account or as the administrator) ; to know alla bout it read the following lines.
E) A written documentation about EKD
A full written documentation (printable) is ready to be downloaded here (only in french, sorry). This paperback version describes in a quite precise way how EKD works … do not hesitate to download it and to print it !. For you to know, read carefully the terms of use of this documentation (page 4).