LiVES

LiVES is a Video Editing System. It is designed to be simple to use, yet powerful. It is small in size, yet has many advanced features.

LiVES mixes realtime video performance and non-linear editing in one application. It lest you start editing and making video right away, without having to worry about formats, frame sizes, or framerates. It is a very flexible tool which can be used by both VJ’s and video editors – mix and switch clips from the keyboard, trim and edit your clips, and bring them together using the multitrack timeline.

Platform

  • Stable and well tested core
  • Runs on at least x86, amd64, ppc and xbox/x86
  • The LiVES audio/video platform is now custom extendable through RFX plugins
  • Allows quick and easy prototyping of new tools, utilities, effects, transitions and more, using the included RFX builder window
  • Plugins can be written in Perl
  • Will scale for high/low end hardware. Can be split into client/server components
  • Control every function in LiVES remotely using OSC protocol.
  • 100% original, non-proprietary code

Video

  • Loading and editing of most video formats (via mplayer decoder)
  • Smooth playback at variable frame rates, forward and in reverse. Display framerate can be controlled independantly of playback framerate
  • Cut and paste of frames within and between clips
  • Saving/re-encoding of clips, selections, and individual frames
  • Lossless backup/restore
  • Streaming input and output
  • Real time blending of clips (chroma and luma blends)
  • Can handle in/out streams in yuv4mpeg format. Streams can be piped from stdout into other applications
  • Supports fixed and variable framerates. Playback rate can be smoothly adjusted independant of display rate
  • Ability to ‘scratch’ with video – that is to move smoothly backwards and forwards through it, and to record yourself doing so
  • Playback can use LiVES’ own internal player, there is also a high performance fullscreen SDL playback plugin
  • Internal support for RGB24, RGBA32, YUV420 (TV), and UYVY palettes; horizontal chroma subsampling is implemented
  • Ability to edit many filetypes and sources including remotely located files (with mplayer/ffmpeg libraries), and directories of images
  • Real time capture/recording of interactive (via mouseclicks) external windows
  • Encode to any of the 50+ output formats which are now supported (e.g. mjpeg, mpeg4, mpeg1/2, VCD, SVCD, DVD, ogg/mp4 ogm, Matroska mkv, dv, swf, Ogg Theora, Dirac, MNG, Snow, xvid, and animated GIF and PDF)
  • Encoder formats can be extended through the encoder plugin API
  • LiVES will suggest the best settings for saving to each format
  • Resampling of video (time stretching) to any frame rate (1 to 200 fps – accurate to 8 decimal places); option to auto-resample or speed up/slow down between clips
  • Ability to instantly alter the playback speed of video and audio independently.
  • Rotation, resizing and trimming of video clips
  • Deinterlacing, subtitle removal
  • Instant saving/loading of clips for performances/presentations

Audio

  • Can load mp3, ogg, mod, xm and wav files
  • LiVES can also load tracks directly off CD to use with your video (using cdda2wav)
  • Ability to save audio selections, and append audio
  • Sound can be trimmed to fit video selections
  • Cutting and pasting of audio within and between clips
  • Resampling of audio (rate, channels, sample size, signedness and endianness); audio is auto-resampled between clips
  • Supports (auto)inserting of silence and deletion of audio sections
  • Able to record from any external audio source
  • Fade in/fade out feature for clips
  • Audio speed and direction can be smoothly adjusted; both in real time and when rendering

Effects/Transitions

  • Many effects, including random/targeted zooming, panning of video, colour cycling and colorisation/colour filtering
  • Merging/compositing of frames is possible: e.g. frame-in-frame, fade in/out and transparency
  • Real time previews as the effect is processing
  • Support for the LiViDO effect plugin architecture which will allow sharing of realtime effects with other applications. Experimental support for this framework is already included
  • Use real time effects to blend clips together, regardless of frame size or fps. Luma and chroma blending are currently supported
  • Multiple real time effects are now possible during playback (VJ mode), these can also be rendered to frames
  • Effects and transitions are now fully customisable using the RFX builder window
  • Effects/blends can also be applied to incoming streams in real time
  • Dynamic loading of effects

Multitrack

  • Multitrack window with drag and drop
  • Intelligent screen organisation – shows you only the information which is relevant, no more and no less
  • Support for an almost limitless number of tracks and effects
  • Rapid rendering – resize/resample and effects apply done in a single pass
  • Tracks can be laid out entirely with keyboard, or with mouse, or a combination of both
  • Multitrack settings can be targetted for a specific encoder, or generic
  • Layouts can be saved and reloaded
  • Audio blocks can be timestretched and even reversed
  • Non-destructive editing, with multiple levels of undo/redo

Extras

  • Full crash recovery
  • Simple and intuitive menu layout
  • I18N text support. Translations into French, Czech, German, Japanese and Portuguese are included
  • Support for audio output through jack
  • Jack transport support (master or client
  • RFX builder allows rapid prototyping of new effects, transitions utilities and tools
  • Midi sequence synchronisation (start/stop)
  • Can load single images or directories of images in numerical order and assemble them into videos or slideshows
  • Ability to play music through xmms (including random selection of tracks)
  • Shuttle controls for firewire cameras/recorders. Can grab from DV and HDV formats
  • Can stream out (on stdout) using yuv4mpeg format
  • Project files (clips and layouts) can be exported and imported
  • Toys

Website: lives-video.com
Support: Documentation
Developer: DuraSpace
License: GNU GPL v2

LiVES

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