Video playlists with start and end times

Question

Is there a good GUI-application (for example an mplayer GUI or something like banshee) for linux which allows to make and edit playlists (for video files) with different starting and stopping times for each video on the list?

Added:

At the moment I make manually files which contain something like that:

video.avi -ss 2440 -endpos 210
#some comment

video2.mp4 -ss 112 -endpos 2112

Then I have a wrapper script for: mplayer -fs $(grep -v "^ #" $1)

Furthermore I have written some emacs functions which simplify the editing of such files a little bit. (Like converting starting and end time from hh:mm:ss format to seconds and endtime to relative position (endtime - starttime) as required by -endpos (I can post the macros if someone is interested). However, that's still too uncomfortable. So my question is if there is a nice GUI for doing this (for example which allows you to mark in a video timeline the start and end times for the playlist and so on).

Answer 1

Maybe I'm getting the question wrong, since English is not my first language, but wouldn't it be better if you edited the video with a tool like Kino instead of making a playlist like that?

You can adjust the starting and stopping times as you want, and I don't think it would be that difficult.

Answer 2

UPDATE-2: After submitting the following script, it dawned on me that another way to set up time positions (in a GUI) is to use a Subtitles Editor (eg. gnome-subtitles). You can just click to mark start and end positions of "phantom subtitles"; actually you can put your file-path and comments in as the "subtitle"... Some formats aren't suitable (eg. using frame numbers).. 'ViPlay Subtitle File', Power DivX, and 'Adobe Encore DVD' look good.

UPDATE-1; a new script... This script won't give you integrated playlist ability, but it will allow you to select and save and modify beginning and ending times within Smplayer, without the need to type anything.

This info is saved in a config file, the file-paths of which can be "played" individually, or in grouped in a sequence, via another script (similar to my 'play' script, or like your Emacs scripts)..

It works by utilizing Smplayer's Seek dialog... xmacro manipulates the dialog (I've found that it needs sleep .3 between xmacro commands)... The times are stored in HH:MM:SS format in a file in ~/.config/smplayer... The 1st line is the Start-time, the 2nd line is the End-time, and the 3rd line is there for specifying a root directory... This 3rd line is used as an optional path indicator by the folow-up script which modifies an smplayer config setting by priming it with -ss and -endpos... The timestamps config file is named the same as the media file, with a .smplay suffix...

So this isn't everything you want, but it may help to set up the times without any typing...

Here is the 'get timestamps' script:

#!/bin/bash
# Bind this script to a key-combination of your choice..
# It currently responds only to an Smplayer window.  

id=$(xdotool getactivewindow)
title="$(xwininfo -id "$id" |
  sed -n "2s/^xwininfo: Window id: \(0x[[:xdigit:]]\+\) \x22\(.*\)\x22$/\2/p")"

if [[ $title =~ ^.*\ -\ SMPlayer$ ]] ; then
  smplayer_d="$HOME/.config/smplayer"
  clip_d="$smplayer_d/clips"
  [[ ! -d "$clip_d" ]] && mkdir -p "$clip_d"
  bname="${title% - SMPlayer}"
  clip_f="$clip_d/$bname.smplay" # Same name as video, with '.smplay' suffix

  if [[ ! -f "$clip_f" \
      || "$(<"$clip_f" wc -l)" != "3" ]]
  then     # Prime with three defaults
           # FROM     TO      ROOT-dir
    echo -e "0:00:00\n0:00:00\n"     >"$clip_f"
  fi

  # Get timestamp, in seconds, of current stream position (from the current window)
  #   using the "Smplayer - seek" dialog, via  Ctrl+j
  sleep .3; echo -n "KeyStrPress Control_L  KeyStrPress j       KeyStrRelease j       KeyStrRelease Control_L" | xmacroplay -d 10 :0.0 &>/dev/null 
  sleep .3; echo -n "                       KeyStrPress Home    KeyStrRelease Home                           " | xmacroplay -d 10 :0.0 &>/dev/null 
  sleep .3; echo -n "KeyStrPress Shift_L    KeyStrPress End     KeyStrRelease End     KeyStrRelease Shift_L  " | xmacroplay -d 10 :0.0 &>/dev/null 
  sleep .3; echo -n "KeyStrPress Control_L  KeyStrPress c       KeyStrRelease c       KeyStrRelease Control_L" | xmacroplay -d 10 :0.0 &>/dev/null
  sleep .3; echo -n "                       KeyStrPress Escape  KeyStrRelease Escape                         " | xmacroplay -d 10 :0.0 &>/dev/null 
    seekHMS="$(xsel -o -b)"
  # Now set config times to defaults (in case of malformed times)
      ssHMS="0:00:00"
  endposHMS="0:00:00"
  # Now get config data from config file
  eval "$( sed -ne "1s/^\([0-9]\+\):\([0-5][0-9]\):\([0-5][0-9]\)$/    ssHMS=\"&\"/p" \
                -e "2s/^\([0-9]\+\):\([0-5][0-9]\):\([0-5][0-9]\)$/endposHMS=\"&\"/p" \
                -e "3s/.*/   root_d=\"&\"/p" "$clip_f" )"

  # Present dialog to set specifick  items.
  REPLY=$(zenity \
   --list --height=310 --width=375 \
   --title="Set Clip Start / End Time" \
   --text=" Select Clip Start / End  for time:  $seekHMS\n\
       or choose another option\n\
       \tthen click OK" \
   --column="Position" --column=" " --column="Current Setting  "  \
            "Clip Start"        " "          "$ssHMS" \
            "Clip End"          " "          "$endposHMS" \
            "UNSET Start"       " "          " " \
            "UNSET End"         " "          " " \
            "* Open directory"  " of"        "config files *" 
  ); 
  [[ "$REPLY" == "Clip Start"       ]] && sed -i -e "1 s/.*/$seekHMS/" "$clip_f"
  [[ "$REPLY" == "Clip End"         ]] && sed -i -e "2 s/.*/$seekHMS/" "$clip_f"
  [[ "$REPLY" == "UNSET Start"      ]] && sed -i -e "1 s/.*/0:00:00/"  "$clip_f"
  [[ "$REPLY" == "UNSET End"        ]] && sed -i -e "2 s/.*/0:00:00/"  "$clip_f"
  [[ "$REPLY" == "* Open directory" ]] && nautilus "$clip_d"
fi  

---

The following script is my original 'play" scrpt. It is independent of the avove Timestamp script, but it wouldn't take much to get them to work together...

It will 'drive 'Smplayer, which uses mplayer internally.. it is,at least, a normal GUI, but your playlist would need to be in your text editor .. and you obviously know about that method already :)

I tried this a couple of years ago, but I'd forgotten all about it as I don't often need such a thing, but it is good to keep "bookmarks".. I'm glad you've resurrected the idea.. Here is the script... which really only does the same as you have been doing, but to Smplayer (an mplayer GUi)

#
# Summary: 
#   Play one video (only) in 'smplayer', passing -ss and -endpos values to 'mplayer'
#   It uses 'locate' to get the path of the video (by just its basename)
#
# eg:
#     $1                              $2   $3       $4 
#     basename                       -ss  -endpos   root 
#     "Titus - The Gorilla King.mp4"  240  30      "$HOME"  # A fascinating documentary of the long reign of a silver-back gorialla
#

[[ "$2" == "" ]] && set "$1"  0   "$3"   "$4"
[[ "$3" == "" ]] && set "$1" "$2"  36000 "$4"  # 36000 is arbitary (24 hours) 
[[ "$4" == "" ]] && root="$HOME" || root="$4"

file=( "$(locate -er "^$root/\(.*/\)*\+$1$")" )

# 1) Tweak 'smplayer.ini' to run 'mplayer' with the specified -ss and -endpos  times
# 2) Run 'smplayer' to play one video only. The time settings will hold afer exit,  
#                         so the script waits (backgrounded) for smplayer to exit
# 3) When 'smplayer' exits, set values to extreme limits:  -ss 0 -endpos 3600 
#                           or(?): TODO remove the settings enitrely, 
#                                       but that requires a different regex
a=0 z=36000     
# 
# -ss <time> (also see -sb)
# -ss 56       # Seeks to 56 seconds.
# -ss 01:10:00 #Seeks to 1 hour 10 min.
#
# -endpos <[[hh:]mm:]ss[.ms]|size[b|kb|mb]> (also see -ss and -sb)
#         Stop at given time or byte position.
#         NOTE: Byte position is enabled only for MEncoder and will not be accurate, as it can only stop at a frame boundary.  
#         When used in conjunction  with -ss option, -endpos time will shift forward by seconds specified with -ss.
#        -endpos 56        # Stop at 56 seconds.
#        -endpos 01:10:00  # Stop at 1 hour 10 minutes.
# -ss 10 -endpos 56        # Stop at 1 minute 6 seconds.
#        -endpos 100mb     # Encode only 100 MB.
#
#                                                        -ss       0                -endpos       36000                                     
#              \1                              \2      \3        \4        \5     \6            \7            \8                 
 sed -i -e "s/^\(mplayer_additional_options.*\)\( \|=\)\(-ss \+\)\([^ ]\+\)\( .*\)\(-endpos \+\)\([0-9:mb]\+\)\(.*\)/\1\2\3${2}\5\6${3}\8/"  $HOME/.config/smplayer/smplayer.ini
(smplayer "$file" 
 sed -i -e "s/^\(mplayer_additional_options.*\)\( \|=\)\(-ss \+\)\([^ ]\+\)\( .*\)\(-endpos \+\)\([0-9:mb]\+\)\(.*\)/\1\2\3${a}\5\6${z}\8/"  $HOME/.config/smplayer/smplayer.ini
)
exit

Answer 3

I've added this second answer, because it works as a normal playlist in SMPlayer, and it's better here for clarity...

I've had it working flawlessly via the playlist...

This method requires a re-compilation of SMPlayer, and a specific file-naming method... Only one function in SMPlayer's source is modified, and 3 headers are added to the same single source file... I have compiled smplayer_0.6.8 for Lucid... Maveric and Meerkat use smplayer_0.6.9.. One line in the later version is different, but that doesn't upset anything... Here is the modified function and headers for smplayer_0.6.8

btw, the zenity dialog in my previous answer is still of use for capturing the start and end times...

REMINDER - The following source segments are for smplayer_0.6.8... The file to modify is: ../smplayer-0.6.9/src/findsubtitles/osparser.cpp... The new segments are the same for '0.6.8' and '0.6.9', but the originals differ by one line (very close to the end; just before the final return hexhash;)

---

Add this first block of lines immediately below the existing #include headers

// ====================
// fred mod begin block  
#include <QFileInfo>
#include <QRegExp>
#include <QSettings>
#include "paths.h"
// fred mod end block
// ==================

---

Here is the modified function

QString OSParser::calculateHash(QString filename) {
    QFile file(filename);

    if (!file.exists()) {
        qWarning("OSParser:calculateHash: error hashing file. File doesn't exist.");
        return QString();
    }

    file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly);
    QDataStream in(&file);
    in.setByteOrder(QDataStream::LittleEndian);
    quint64 size=file.size ();
    quint64 hash=size; 
    quint64 a;
    for(int i = 0; i < 8192; i++) {
        in >> a ; hash += a;
    };
    file.seek(size-65536);
    for(int i = 0; i < 8192; i++) {
        in >> a ; hash += a;
    };

  // =====================================================================
  // fred mod begin block
  //  
  // A mod to enable unique smplayer .ini files to be created for  
  //        content-identical media files whose file-names match
  //        a specific pattern based on two timestamps. 
  //        This is the naming pattern:

  //          
  //           name.[00:11:22].[33.44.55].mkv
  //              
  //        The two time stamps indicate the start and end  points of a 
  //         clip to be played according to  settings in the unique .ini
  //            
  //        The so named files can be, and typically will be, soft (or hard) links.   
  //        The "original" file can also named in this manner, if you like,    
  //        but that would make the "original" start playing as a clip,
  //          NOTE: soft links become invalid when you rename the original file.  
  //
  //  Note: For this system to work, you need to enable the following:
  //        In SMPlayer's GUI, open the Options dialog...
  //        In the  "General" tab... "Media settings"... 
  //          enable: 〼 "Remember settings for all files (audio track, subtitles...)" 
  //                     "Remember time position"   can be 'on' or 'off'; it is optional1
  //                                                but it is disabled for these clips.    
  //                     "Store setings in" must be: "multiple ini files" 
  //
  QFileInfo fi(filename);
  QString name = fi.fileName();
  //
  // ===================================================================
  // This RegExp expects a name-part, 
  //             followed by 2 .[timestamps]  (Begin-time and End-time)
  //             followed by a .extension
  //              
  //              .[ Begin  ].[  End   ]  
  //      eg. name.[00:11:22].[33.44.55].mkv
  //
  //    Note: The delimiter between each numeric value can be any non-numeric character.
  //          The leading dot '.' and square brackets '[]' must be as shown        
  //          HH, MM, and SS must each be 2 valid time-digits    
  //
  QRegExp rx("^.+"                      // NAME
             "\\.\\[([0-9][0-9])[^0-9]" // .[HH.
                   "([0-5][0-9])[^0-9]" //   mm.
                   "([0-5][0-9])\\]"    //   ss]
             "\\.\\[([0-9][0-9])[^0-9]" // .[HH.
                   "([0-5][0-9])[^0-9]" //   mm.
                   "([0-5][0-9])\\]"    //   ss]
             "\\.([^0-9]+)$");          // .EXTN
  //
  QString qstrIni;
  rx.setPatternSyntax(QRegExp::RegExp);
  if(rx.exactMatch(name)) {
      bool ok;
      QString qstrDlm(".");
      QString qstrBegEnd = rx.cap(1) + rx.cap(2) + rx.cap(3)
                         + rx.cap(4) + rx.cap(5) + rx.cap(6);
      hash += qstrBegEnd.toLongLong(&ok,10); // The UNIQUE-FIER
      //
      quint32 quiBegSec=(rx.cap(1).toULong(&ok,10)*3600)
                       +(rx.cap(2).toULong(&ok,10)*  60)
                       +(rx.cap(3).toULong(&ok,10));
      quint32 quiEndSec=(rx.cap(4).toULong(&ok,10)*3600)
                       +(rx.cap(5).toULong(&ok,10)*  60)
                       +(rx.cap(6).toULong(&ok,10));
      quint32 quiDifSec=(quiEndSec-quiBegSec);
      // 
      QString qstrBegIni = "-ss "     + QString::number(quiBegSec);
      QString qstrEndIni = "-endpos " + QString::number(quiDifSec);
              qstrIni    = qstrBegIni + " " + qstrEndIni;
  }
  // fred mod end block
  // =====================================================================
  // fred NOTE: the following 2 lines are a single line in smplayer-0.6.9

    QString hexhash("");
    hexhash.setNum(hash,16);

  // =====================================================================
  // fred mod begin block  
    if( !qstrIni.isEmpty() ) {
      // ** The next code line is not ideal, but should be okay so long 
      //    as SMPlayer's options are set to use Multiple .ini files.  
      //       The literal "file_settings" is HARDCODED, as It wasnt' straight
      //       forward to get the value, The rest of the path was easily available 
      //       without any significant mods, which "file_settings" would require.    
      // TODO: Check for Multiple .ini Option being enabled.
      //  
      QString  dir_settings = Paths::configPath() + "/file_settings";
      QString fqfn_settings = dir_settings + "/" + hexhash[0] + "/" + hexhash + ".ini";

      QSettings set(fqfn_settings, QSettings::IniFormat);
      set.beginGroup("file_settings");
      set.setValue(  "starting_time", "0" );
      set.setValue(  "mplayer_additional_options", qstrIni );
    }
  // fred mod end block
  // =====================================================================

    return hexhash;
}

Answer 4

I failed to find whether these can really be applied to playlists but you may look into Edit Decision Lists (EDLs). Here are some links to get you started:

1. MPlayer manual about EDL support

2. MPlayer EDL tutorial

3. Video editing from the command line LinuxGazette article

4. The sensible cinema project

If you don't mind the small pauses between the videos you could just run mplayer several times from a script with different EDL files each time. If pauses are a no-no then maybe you should create a new video just like varrtto suggested.