ffe

logo for ffe - FFmpeg front-end for windows. it's converting some raw video from my camera - the logo is a simple large text of the three letters, coloured from top to bottom, green, yellow, red, in a smooth gradient.

FFmpeg is, by miles and miles, the best multimedia converter / streamer / recorder in existence. It is capable of handling a vast number of input and output (audio, video and other) formats, and depending on which binary you use; supports either a huge number of control parameters, or a really huge number of control parameters. In the time it took you to read this paragraph, a new format has been added.

FFmpeg, by Fabrice Bellard, et al., is truly incredible software. And free. With FFmpeg you can basically convert anything to anything, whilst doing crazy stuff like mixing MP3 audio tracks with H264 video, and adding ID3 tags to AVI files. Big fun. Of course, it allows you do do things the correct way, too. No limits.

It is also command-line-only. Because of this, accessing its magic is only possible in the shell, or else with some kind of interface between regular human beings and the wonders of FFmpeg..

Enter ffe; a simple, powerful Windows front-end for FFmpeg; designed for rapid testing of FFmpeg's many, many conversion options inside a (hopefully more) user-friendly interface. While FFmpeg can do many, many things, the focus here is on its media conversion capabilities.

ffe takes your ffmpeg operations to the next level; aiming to be powerful and flexible yet intuitive and intelligent. ffe turns complex processes into buttons and simplifies just about every aspect of FFmpeg's operation, whilst simultaneously catering for the most advanced FFmpeg processing needs.

If you are looking to transcode a collection of old AVI video files to HEVC/x265 or AV1 to save space, or convert a folder of WAV or FLAC files to MP3, or mux subtitles into a movie, or make a GIF from a video clip, or part of a video clip, or speed up or reverse a video, or toy with AV1 or, well, you get the idea; pretty much anything you can imagine; ffe+FFmpeg can do it.

Find a cute FFmpeg command online? Or get something finally working exactly the way you want? Save it to a button and it's there whenever you need it. Want to convert and join a folder-full of files? No problem. And then join them all together? Easy. Need to calculate the cropping to remove black bars? With ffe it's one click.

You can setup a complete FFmpeg work-flow, with pre- and post-batch commands, file post-processing and much more, and with a click; save it all to a preset, available for scripted or interactive use at any time. Or drop some files in and save the whole lot as a Windows batch script. Or tell ffe to start up the job in a couple of hours, when you're asleep, then shutdown when it's done. Or next Tuesday.

Out-of-the-box, ffe is ready to start work, with a selection of useful (and fun) built-in presets and custom buttons (which you can add-to/edit/delete). When you need more power, ffe can handle that, too.

ffe is completely free, as in beer. And completely open source, with ready-to-use binaries and ready-to-compile source packs that regular folks can get up and running in a jiffy. Have fun!

a star Screencaps a star

ffe, an FFmpeg front-end for Windows..

ffe provides a huge set of features designed to make working with FFmpeg painless, even joyful, such as..

* Okay, technically you can only make 500 buttons, but seriously, how are you fitting 500 buttons into a GUI?

ffe uniquely uses MATOF™ technology to automatically update the output file name (and extension) to match your encoding parameters; you can tweak-and-go, working at a rapid pace, without obliterating any of your previous tests. And then know exactly what parameters were used to encode each and every one of them, all without making notes.

ffe is FREE (though possibly not bug-free!), and can be download as a ready-built Windows program, or a full source pack, with AutoIt code, icons, includes, all that stuff, below. And that's all you need, right?

That and an FFmpeg binary, of course. It's also free, open-source software, and there are quite a few different versions kicking around. If you have some developer tools onboard, I recommend you checkout the source and build it yourself. Or else Google and take your pick..

This is generally reliable - all versions should work fine.

Installation..

Installation is simple. Here is the entire process. Also available in plain text, here.

  1. Go here: (note: this site has nothing to do with me)

    https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/

    Download the latest release (you will most likely want the static build, either 32 or 64 bit).

  2. Or here: (note: this site also has nothing to do with me)

    https://github.com/BtbN/FFmpeg-Builds/releases

  3. Unzip that file to somewhere, probably inside your program files, e.g..

    C:\Program Files\corz\ffe\

    If you don't have an unzipping utility that can handle the 7z (7-Zip) format, see here:

    http://www.7-zip.org/

    7-Zip is free. WinRAR (not free) can also handle the format.

    You should now have some files in that folder, including..

    ffmpeg.exe

  4. Drop ffe.exe into the same folder, next to ffmpeg.exe for instant operation. You can keep them in separate places, too - ffe will ask you where your FFmpeg binary is before you start work.

  5. Launch ffe.exe

ffe Usage..

ffe's operation is simple. Drop media files or folders onto ffe's input (or funky floating drop window), set your chosen parameters (or choose a preset) and click "do it". That's it.

As you work, ffe constructs a set of command-line arguments for FFmpeg and when you "do it", launches FFmpeg with those same arguments. Simple.

Creating an FFmpeg command-line is the main reason for ffe's existence. Most of the controls simply add or remove text to the FFmpeg command-line. ffe of course can do a lot more, like run that command and lots of other useful stuff, but that is essentially ffe's main task. You can see the command-line being constructed, live, as you work.

Some of the more common FFmpeg parameters and flags are available from drop-downs and logical inputs; things like codec selection, bitrates, sizes and cropping. Any settings and parameters you use often can be saved to custom buttons that you can click to insert that snippet into any command.

NOTE: Standard Operating Procedure is to drag your source file(s) into the "input", then setup any parameters, then drag the destination folder into the "output", then hit "Do It". Doing things this way let's ffe calculate any MATOF strings and such afresh, and saves frustration!

Once you have created a set of parameters and settings that work for a particular job, you can save the whole lot as a preset, for later use.

Keyboard shortcuts..

Most commonly-used ffe commands and settings have HotKeys..

  • F1 =>  "do it". Run the job/batch.
  • F2 =>  Change (global) default video output extension.
  • F3 =>  Search in console output.
  • F5 =>  Clear console output.
  • F6 =>  Toggle FFplay console output.
  • F7 =>  Automatic codec drop-downs.
  • F8 =>  Copy console output to clipboard.
  • F9 =>  Toggle drop window.
  • F11 =>  Perform FFmpeg Quick Task.
  • F12 =>  Perform FFplay Quick Task.
  • Ctrl+D =>  Delayed/Scheduled Start.
  • Alt+F4/Esc =>  Quit ffe.
  • Alt+F5 =>  Restart ffe.
  • While FFmpeg is running you can also use..

  • Pause/Break =>  Abort entire FFmpeg batch/job.
  • Ctrl+Q =>  Abort current FFmpeg job.
  • ScrollLock =>  Suspend/Resume FFmpeg.
  • Alt+C =>  Pause console output.
  • Ctrl+R =>  Toggle running time in title bar.
  • Alt+Space opens the app menu where you can navigate entirely by keyboard.

    Custom Button Accelerators..

    While I'm here, I should add that you can put keyboard accelerators in the names of your custom buttons and then Alt+ keyboard shortcuts to access them. To do this, simply add an ampersand (&) before the letter you wish to use as an accelerator, e.g.. To use the Alt+B accelerator, name your button for example; "&Blur"

    Most of the sample buttons have Alt+ accelerators. The button's title has the accelerator underlined, e.g..

    Blur  =>  Alt+B

    If you don't see the underlining, hit the Alt key one time!

    Active Labels..

    A few of ffe's labels are "active", that is, something happens if you click on them..

    Click the "crop w / h" and "crop x / y" buttons to perform "auto-crop", which uses FFmpeg's built-in cropdetect mechanism to interrogate your video file for the position of black bars and automatically inserts the values into your crop inputs.

    Click the source label (to the left of the source input) to open the source folder, with the source file selected (if it exists).

    Click the output label to disable output (for image sequences, etc.)

    Right-click the output label to delete the output file(s). By default this deletes to the Recycle Bin without warning, but you can set it to also delete directly with or without warning. Be careful!

    The text of the above labels will change to a light blue on mouse-over, to indicate their extra functionality.

    Many of ffe's control have extra functionality when you Shift+Click, Ctrl+Click or Right-Click the control. Hover your mouse over any control for details of its capabilities. Many controls have context menus, too. Right-click for details!

    The Console..

    ffe has its own console. While working, the output from FFmpeg can be viewed live inside the ffe console, and when complete, the entire process log is available for viewing and searching. ffe uses the console for many things..

    When you run pre-job, post-file and post-job commands, their output can be piped to the console, so ffe's job log contains every scrap of available information.

    ffe also uses the console to keep you informed of important events, updated information, settings, errors and more. Help files, media report, script output; everything is fed to the console. There is even a search feature.

    It should also be noted, the console output area is fully editable. You can copy from there, paste, type. In other words, if you are ever wondering, "where can I paste this groovy command I found on the web, so I can edit and try it?" No need to switch to your text editor, there's an edit area right there! You can drag files in, too; their paths get pasted in-place.

    The App Menu..

    ffe makes extensive use of the "App Menu". That's the one you get by clicking the icon in the top-left of the program window, or right-clicking the main window's title bar, or hitting Alt+Space. It's always handy.

    This is used for application global toggles and settings. The system tray menu is used for one-off commands, and the main GUI is for your regular FFmpeg fun and games, which makes sense to me. Basically, everything you can see, can be saved to a preset. Both app and tray menus contain the "about" options.

    If you activate the app menu using Alt+Space, you get to use keyboard accelerators, which if your hands are on the keyboard anyway, makes operation real quick. All ffe app menu options have keyboard accelerators attached. Enjoy!

    Command-line usage..

    As well as its beautifully thought-out graphics user interface, ffe can accept instructions on its command line. You can send it files and folders, and they will be loaded into the input upon launch (real handy in your SendTo menu). You can also process presets at launch time. Or both.

    You can instruct ffe to jump right to it, start conversion immediately, generate batch scripts and other stuff. You can use this facility in Windows batch scripts, Explorer context commands and other places. Examples..

    To load a file at launch..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe E:\path\to\video.flv

    To load a preset at launch (in this example, a preset named Reverse Video+Audio, which does just that)..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(Reverse Video+Audio)

    To load that same preset at launch, but override its input files (if any) with a different file..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(Reverse Video+Audio) E:\path\to\video.flv

    The same as above, but for a batch run of all files in the specified directory (Windows wildcards accepted)..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(Reverse Video+Audio) E:\path\to\*.*

    This more modern version of Windows "all files" wildcard also accepted..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(Reverse Video+Audio) E:\path\to\*

    Load a file (with a long path, including spaces, enclosed in "quotes"), and begin conversion immediately, using the SpeedUp x2 preset..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe go(SpeedUp x2) "E:\very\long path\to some\video.flv"

    Load a file and begin conversion immediately, using your ffe default parameters..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe go(ffe) E:\path\to\video.flv

    Load a file and begin conversion immediately, using your ffe default parameters then quit..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe run(ffe) E:\path\to\video.flv

    or..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe quit(ffe) E:\path\to\video.flv

    Load a group of avi files and generate an FFmpeg Windows batch script, using settings from the x265 Simple preset, then quit..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe generate(x265 Simple) E:\path\to\*.avi

    Load multiple presets on the command-line, process a folder of videos with the layered settings and quit..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe quit(setup|anim filters|tweaks) "E:\path\to some\video\*"

    Note: When you layer presets, settings from later presets override settings from earlier presets. This facility has many uses. See below for more details.

    If you supply an input file path on the command-line, your output will be automatically filled with its converted counterpart, and if MATOF™ is enabled, the preset's parameters inserted into its name, ready-to-go.

    And by files, I also mean URLs. http and ftp and both fine. You can grab the first 100 frames of a movie online (or any number of frames from any part, though near the start makes sense), check it out, and then if it's what you want, download it. Or not.

    FFmpeg can handle lots of other internet protocols, too. Want to grab a chunk from a RTMP stream? (do any still exist?) Or grab a nice cool Icecast or pluck some Apple HTTP Live Stream? No problem! More details here.

    URLs also work for output files; you could grab part of a movie stream and save it directly to a remote FTP server (ftp username and password in the usual format is supported). Quite why one would want to do this is uncertain, but there you have it; flexibility! Just like ffe..

    Pre-Job, Post-File and Post-Job Commands..

    ffe has the facility to run tasks before (pre-job) and after (post-job) your ffmpeg job. It can also run tasks after each file processed (post-file), aka. "post-processing".

    The pre- and post-job tasks execute actual Windows batch files, which ffe will create automatically for you in your chosen location if you activate this feature. Their locations are stored inside your preset. These batch (.bat) files can be run internally, line-by-line, by ffe (where you can use @tokens and other goodies) or externally, through the Windows command interpreter (cmd.exe).

    These commands can be anything at all. You can move stuff around, delete, zip, unzip, run input and output files through other programs, whatever you need to do before and after a multimedia conversion job. To reduce time wasting and head scratching, enclose all paths and path @tokens in "quotes" inside your commands.

    If you are running lots of tests, a great pre-job command is..

    del /f /q "@outdir\*.*"

    Which would delete all your previous tests before you begin the next batch.

    note: you can also right-click the output label to delete the most recently-created file(s).

    The Post-File (post-processing) command is one single command which is stored inside your preset. ffe executes this command (internally or externally, tracking or not, hidden or not) after each completed file (in a batch, this command will run multiple times).

    Generally you would want to use the @outputfile token in this command, to work on the file just created. But you don't need to. This command can be any valid command.

    NOTE: Pre-Job, Post-Job and Post-File settings can all be saved inside presets, even the default preset. However, if you have any of these set (enabled or disabled; they have three states; enabled, disabled and unset) and you then load a preset with them unset, their state will remain unchanged. This is by design..

    You can load a preset with some commands setup, then another preset without any commands, then (perhaps after some tweaks) re-save the second preset, except now it has commands ini it. All the job buttons work this way, remaining in their current state (the default) unless mindfully changed, either manually or via preset.

    You could conceivably create presets solely for loading pre- and post- commands, leaving that stuff completely out of your regular presets and loading only when required. Or, ignore all those buttons completely and they will never get in your way!

    The [reset] button resets all job buttons to unset.

    @Tokens..

    ffe accepts @tokens for most settings, parameters and inputs, even the extra parameters input, so you can do stuff like..

    -frames:v 50 -r 0.1 "@parent\@item_%04d.png"

    Or set your FFplay quick task button to something simple and useful, like..

    "@outputfile"

    @Tokens are dynamically transformed at runtime. Here's what they transform into..

    Input/Output File @tokens.. @inputfile Full path of current input file. @item Basename of current input file, minus extension. @ext File extension of current input file. @outputfile Full path of current output file. @ofilename Basename of current output file. @oext File extension of current output file. Date & Time @tokens.. @sec Seconds value of clock. Range is 00 to 59 @min Minutes value of clock. Range is 00 to 59 @hour Hours value of clock in 24-hour format. Range is 00 to 23 @mday Current day of month. Range is 01 to 31 @mon Current month. Range is 01 to 12 @year Current four-digit year @wday Numeric day of week. Range is 1 to 7 which corresponds to Sunday through Saturday. @yday Current day of year. Range is 001 to 365 (366 in a leap year) Dynamic Path @tokens.. @parent Parent directory of current input file @outdir Output Directory (wherever ffe is currently outputting files) @tempdir System Temp directory @datadir ffe data directory (in portable mode, it is the program folder) @desktop Current user's desktop folder @programfiles Your Program Files directory @appdir ffe program directory @homedir Current user's user directory, e.g. "C:\User\Fandango" @mydocuments Current user's "My Documents" directory. Special @tokens.. @arguments The current arguments to be fed to FFmpeg.

    Portable Install..

    If ffe finds an ini file next to itself, it switches to portable mode. In other words, if you want a portable installation, simply copy an ffe.ini file next to ffe.exe. You're done. Your ffe.ini is probably (Vista, Windows 7, 8, 10, etc.) here..

    C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Roaming\corz\ffe

    On older Windows most likely here..

    C:\Documents and Settings\<Username>\Application Data\corz\ffe

    If you are new to ffe, and want to start with a fresh portable install, do your first run using the special portable switch..

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe portable

    Which will create a fresh ini file right next to ffe, for instant portable operation. Or you can drag a fresh ini file next to ffe.exe yourself; there should be one inside the "Info" folder in the distribution.

    Drop your FFmpeg binary (ffmpeg.exe) in the same folder and you are good to go.

    FAQ..

    Q: I've changed a bunch of settings. I want to save this to my default "ffe" preset. How do I do this without first loading the default preset and obliterating the settings I just made?

    A: Type or choose "ffe" (no quotes) into the presets drop-down and hit "Save".

    Q: When I choose MPEG4 for the video codec I get an .mp4 file, but when I use libx264 or libx265 I get .mkv. What gives?

    A: .mkv is set as your default fall-back extension and MATOF is enabled. If you want an mp4 container, set mp4 as your default extension. You can set it globally with the {F2} HotKey. You can also set this inside presets, if required (right-click the presets drop-down control for the menu option).

    Note: THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED! ffe handles extension mapping internally. If it doesn't recognise some format, let me know and I will add it. And maybe one day, create some kind of user preference for these mappings!

    ffe uses your chosen video codec to select the correct extension. Here is what they are currently..

    xvid,mjpeg => avi mpeg4 => mp4 mpeg,mpeg2 => mpg gif => gif flv,flash => flv msvideo,wmv => wmv vp,webp => webm

    All other video output will fall-back to your current default extension (normally mkv).

    Audio extension mapping is currently..

    dca,dts => dts flac => flac gsm => gsm mp3 => mp3 mp2 => mp2 ac3 => ac3 aac => aac opus => opus real => ra tta => tta cook,Gecko,Real => ra vorbis => ogg wma => wma pcm => wav

    All other audio output will fall-back to your current default extension (normally aac).

    When simply extracting (plain copying) audio out of a video file, ffe will automatically interrogate the file for the existing codec before applying the extension mapping.

    By the way, if you see any errors or obvious omissions in the above lists, please let me know about it!

    Q: Custom Buttons & Presets.. What's the difference?

    A: Think of the custom buttons as a place to keep "snippets". The sort of things you regularly add to ffmpeg commands, perhaps setting a CRF value or a favourite blur filter. Any small string that you might want to add to the output (or input) parameters.

    Custom buttons are designed to be quick. Click once to add the string, a second time to remove it. Ctrl+Click to add to input parameters. Shift-Click to edit or add buttons.

    Presets contain everything. All the settings and switches and parameters, pre- and post-job commands, (optionally) input and output file paths; an entire work-flow. The entire ffe interface is setup from a preset, named "ffe". The default preset. Your retained exit settings are another preset, named "EXIT-SETTINGS". Make your own!

    ffe is pretty flexible. You can load multiple presets on top of each other to combine layers of settings / parameters / pre- & post- commands. Then tweak input and output parameters with snippets from your custom buttons.

    Then save the whole lot as a second preset for later access, via the command-line or from batch scripts or in the GUI; running jobs manually, or on a delay or even generating a Windows batch script for some other program or user or time. Flexibility underpins most of ffe's design decisions. It aims to be part of the solution.

    Q: I edited my help button and now when I press it nothing happens. Help!

    A: It sounds like you have entered an invalid command and ffe, by design, does not display error output for help button comands (which would interfere with the help output).

    You can do a quick check of your command with the FFmpeg Quick Task button, which does show error output. Simply right-click on your FFmpeg quick task button [ffmpeg task], enter your experimental help command, then click [ffmpeg task]. All output will be displayed in your console.

    Upgrading..

    Replace your old ffe.exe with the new one. That's it.

    Itstory..

    ffe's itstory is too lengthy to include here. If you want to know what's been changed, fixed, updated, broken, and so on, check out the itstory

    Quick Start..

    There's a short, quick-start type guide, here. I'll include it in the next release.

    More info added continually..

    Meanwhile, you can get details of all the new features, as well as lots of tricks, tips and hints, from the latest ffe itstory. These days it's a big read but well worth it.

    Or check out some screencaps, here.

    Want some funky transparent images for your drop window? Access my stash of ffe goodies here.

    You may notice ffe is comprehensively self-documented - there are ToolTips for everything. Hover your mouse anywhere in ffe for useful (often dynamically updated) information.

    ffe download..

    Like FFmpeg, ffe is free to download, and free to use, though all donations are warmly accepted. If you discover a bug, please let me know about it!

    Note: You will need a Unicode capable, 64-bit Windows system to run ffe, that is; Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 x64 Windows operating systems. ffe will not run on Windows 9x, ME, 2000 or 2003. And I've stopped building 32 bit binaries. If you need that, you can grab the source pack and build it yourself! It's easier than you may think.

    download

    ffe v2.5.4.5

    click to see zip archive contents

    LIVE MD5+SHA1 Multi-Hashes..
    # made with checksum.. point-and-click hashing for windows (64-bit edition). # from corz.org.. http://corz.org/windows/software/checksum/ # #md5#ffe v2.5.4.5.zip#2022.02.19@23.16:46 ee618b055a2caf86fce60b98e36c626d *ffe v2.5.4.5.zip #sha1#ffe v2.5.4.5.zip#2022.02.19@23.16:46 8556946e152214c6cdd5be3575a9c905ef40dcfb *ffe v2.5.4.5.zip

    Download ffe source pack..

    The beta source pack contains everything you need (at least from me) to build ffe for yourself; AutoIt code, icons, includes, documentation, all that.

    download

    ffe source pack v2.5.4.5

    click to see zip archive contents

    LIVE MD5+SHA1 Multi-Hashes..
    # made with checksum.. point-and-click hashing for windows (64-bit edition). # from corz.org.. http://corz.org/windows/software/checksum/ # #md5#ffe source pack v2.5.4.5.zip#2022.02.19@23.16:47 7739561c4c7210a630480e49d7f47970 *ffe source pack v2.5.4.5.zip #sha1#ffe source pack v2.5.4.5.zip#2022.02.19@23.16:47 0a750edd495e14de71916394eaf0896f5beba13a *ffe source pack v2.5.4.5.zip

    If you find a bug, please, please let me know about it!

    Note, you will want to use AutoItWrapper to add the icons for the buttons (and for so many other reasons). You can get a copy of the AutoItWrapper binary I use (source included), right here..

    download

    AutoIt3Wrapper

    click to see zip archive contents

    LIVE MD5+SHA1 Multi-Hashes..
    # made with checksum.. point-and-click hashing for windows (64-bit edition). # from corz.org.. http://corz.org/windows/software/checksum/ # #md5#AutoIt3Wrapper.zip#2021.03.15@01.09:45 fbdf5d0bc8735e034e2f732e19bc635b *AutoIt3Wrapper.zip

    Have fun!

    ;o) corz.org

    ps. If you have any problems, questions and what-not, leave a comment, below..

    Known bugs, foibles and limitations..

    If you place the OK button of some dialog you created with a Right-Now-Click™ action directly over another control that has Right-Now-Click™ action, you may, when you okay the first dialog, activate the Right-Now-Click™ event on the second control. I think it's a small price to pay for Right-Now-Click™ functionality!

    If you set double_check_rclicks=false in your ini it will prevent this occasional phenomena, at the expensive of occasionally not registering your first right-click on a control. Your call.

    The best option is leave it enabled and don't place dialogs where their OK button is over another Right-Now-Click™ enabled control!

    FIVE times I managed to squeeze that in. Five! lol

    By the way; in case you missed it; Right-Now-Click™ is my fun description for the alternative to a control that under normal program-writing circumstances would have a context menu. The thing is; if that menu were to have only one item, it becomes instantly redundant, forcing the user to perform two clicks for a single action. I think that's barmy.

    So new-and-improved Right-Now-Click™ steps in and takes you straight to the only action there is. Believe me; once you try Right-Now-Click™, you won't go back.

    Eight.


    Welcome to the comments facility!


    return to paged comments
    RobG - 10.11.07 4:34 am

    Awesome! That MATOF is WILD! hahahah
    Good work.

    :RG


    corz - 15.11.07 1:10 pm

    Heh, I'm glad you like it! It saves a lot of messing about, that's for sure.

    Btw, I'd have replied earlier, but I've recently introduced a bug into my comment script, more like a "personality". When it feels like it, it mails me new comments. It must have been in a mood!

    ;o)
    (or


    fetto - 01.12.07 4:10 pm

    I really love this tool, makes working with ffmpeg so much easier!
    Thank you for your time making it!


    ser - 12.01.08 10:44 pm

    https://corz.org/engine?download=menu§ion=windows
    FFE zip no download!!! help


    Somnath - 16.02.08 4:30 pm

    Hi


    corz - 26.02.08 9:28 am

    ser, that's a not a real link!
    Just head to the /engine, and you'll have no troubles downloading.

    ;o)
    (or


    Zahoor - 24.05.08 10:19 pm

    Cool Thanks smiley for :roll:


    Milardo - 16.06.08 12:54 pm

    Very interesting program. Do you know how to build a gui for FFplay by any chance?


    corz - 16.06.08 3:53 pm

    Yes.

    But I have no need for such a thing. There are certainly MPlayer front-ends out there, though for actual playing movies, I prefer Media Player Classic.

    You obviously prefer a GUI, too, so why not just go all the way and use a fully-featured media player? There are dozens of good ones.

    ;o)
    (or


    BOB - 02.08.08 7:40 pm

    THE BEST


    john - 05.08.08 4:07 pm

    nice software


    ztpeek - 30.08.08 2:28 pm

    sweet



    dan - 07.09.08 1:21 pm

    Well, the binary downloads link shows 11 files and there's no explanation as to what files are what. Then there's a link to download ffmpeg saying "this is a good, stable version" but the link lists like 20 versions. I'm a windows guy, still, regretfully; and I'm looking for some way of making a movie out of a bunch of jpg's; but after half a day of googling already can't seem to find one piece of open source software clearly documented and stating that it can do the job. Am I in the right place?; and if so, could I have some directions how to install this?



    corz - 07.09.08 6:10 pm

    Well, the download link leads to a folder in my downloads archive, and each download comes with full documentation, where applicable. "What file is what" is obvious, isn't it? If you want Batch Runner, download Batch Runner.zip, if you want ffe, download ffe.zip, and so on.

    The ffmpeg page, which has nothing to do with me, has many versions of the ffmpeg software, and is always growing. Either grab the latest version, or grab the one I recommend here on this page (because I'm 100% certain it works 100% with ffe - ffmpeg is continuously evolving, whereas I have no immediate plans to revisit the ffe source, which is open, so feel free to do that yourself).

    What perhaps isn't clear to you, is that ffe is no more than a "front-end" for ffmpeg. It provides a convenient way to get to ffmpeg's features without having to use the command-line; as well as add some features of its own, things designed to make multiple tests quick and painless. ffe does no video processing itself; it simply passes your commands to ffmpeg, and displays the ffmpeg console output, live in the ffe GUI.

    There is no installation for ffe; you simply drop it into wherever you have already installed ffmpeg. And the installation of ffmpeg is simply dropping it (and its dll, basically the contents of the ffmpeg archive) into a folder somewhere; you're done.

    As to your task of converting jpeg images to video, I didn't realize that ffmpeg could do that, at least, I've not used it this way; but after a couple of minutes Googling, I see that it can. Though there's nothing in the ffmpeg documentation (being a volunteer project, I'm sure they would welcome any help improving that), with but the following two caveats, the process is fairly straightforward..

    Firstly, you will need to ensure that all the jpeg files are named correctly, that is; a numerical sequence, all using the same number of digits. In other words, if you have 200 jpegs, begin with "001.jpg", not "1.jpg".

    To feed an entire sequence of images to ffmpeg, you need to use C printf syntax (the ffmpeg documentation section about converting avi to jpeg has more details - we are simply reversing the process). Sticking with our imaginary series of jpegs, the input would be %03d.jpg, the first part basically means, "three digits padded with zeros". If your images are named "pic001.jpeg" -> "pic200.jpeg", for the input format, you would use pic%03d.jpeg. If none of this makes any sense, check out the documentation for printf.

    That's all there is to it. You will likely want to add other parameters, frame rate, output format, etc, and do some experimentation; but so long as you get those two things correct, it should all work beautifully. My own test just did.

    If you want to skip ffe, and interact directly with ffmpeg on the command-line, use something like this..

    ffmpeg -r 12 -i %03d.jpg -vcodec xvid -qmax 6 -y video.avi

    ;o)
    (or


    hupert bellingswood - 13.09.08 4:26 am

    FAantastic addition to the world o' convenience!!!


    saeed - 16.09.08 5:36 am

    Tanks


    Rich - 30.09.08 3:28 pm

    ffe is an excellent solution to using FFmpeg with a GUI, and is easy to use. It is a good compromise between the overly-simplified and the insanely-complex. The source code includes ffe-default.ini with instructions on altering/augmenting the settings.
    BUT - where does ffe.exe look for the .ini file? It doesn't seem to want to read it.


    corz - 30.09.08 4:37 pm

    ffe was coded prior to my "Drop-in and make portable" convention, which means ffe's ini file is always in your user data folder. Assuming you are using XP, and your system drive is drive C, that would be..

    C:\Documents and Settings\<your-user-name>\Application Data\corz\ffe

    On Vista, it would be..

    C:\Users\<your-user-name>\AppData\Roaming\corz\ffe

    If you are playing with the source, its location is the variable $ini_path, which is set very near the top of the code - you can set it to whatever you like. For example; to run in a portable state, with the ini file right next to ffe.exe, you could change that line to something like..

    $ini_path = @ScriptDir & "\ffe.ini"

    These days, my apps generally first look for the ini right next to the app itself, and then, if there's not one there; fall-back to the user's data folder. If I ever go back to "do stuff" to ffe, I'll likely add in this capability.

    Thanks for your comments.

    ;o)
    (or


    Rich - 30.09.08 11:40 pm

    Thanks for the reply. Your approach to .ini files is quite useful.


    Mohammad - 02.10.08 9:51 am

    Thanks.


    Bogie - 03.10.08 9:58 am

    I have to agree with Rich: other frontends I've tried have been either too complicated, or too simple. ffe seems to strike a perfect balance, simple and easy-to-use, yet with the ability to get complex if you need to. Being able to see what ffmpeg is actually doing all the while is also a great feature.

    I've been using it to convert a pile of FLV videos (from utube), and particularly in finding the ideal settings, ffe is perfect for the task. The auto-rename-on-settings feature is especially useful and saved me a lot of time messing around. Good work, and thank you for making it free!


    roger K - 13.02.09 7:36 am


    wow, I hope this stuff works....


    BOB! (what about) - 26.02.09 8:31 am

    Much better then WinFF; thank you.
    Would love to see some more presets that are built into the executable. My use for such programs is to quickly shrink several MB off a video for various reasons. So it'd be nice to see some options like xvid --> x264 with low, medium & high settings etc.
    Other then that... keep the project alive. :-)


    corz - 26.02.09 4:59 pm

    Thanks for the feedback, BOB!

    As for the presets; it's all in the ini. When you create a group of settings that works well, simply save as a new preset. Tada!

    My own presets list has dozens of entries, though I've not sat down and really figured out which ones might be useful to others, to include them in the release.

    [everyone] If you have some presets you think should be included as standard, mail me a copy of those ini sections (or your entire ini file), I'll test them, and very likely include in the next release.

    And worry not, ffe won't die. I use regularly it myself, that's why. Also, it has this very day become my most popular download, so we are by no means alone in caring!

    Cheers!

    ;o)
    (or


    Salamander - 28.02.09 1:18 pm

    Hi.
    This looks nice, but does it support the "copy" codecs for audio and video?


    corz - 01.03.09 1:39 pm

    Yes, the copy parameters are built-in to ffe. But ffe could also support "foobar", or whatever else you want to throw into your ini. Of course, you would need a binary that supported the "foobar" codec setting, if such a thing even existed.

    That was a yes.

    ;o)
    (or


    Stuart Strahl - 05.03.09 10:06 pm

    Okay, I downloaded ffe. I unpacked the zip, I clicked on the .exe, and I got a window saying "please locate the ffe binary (.exe), which was not in the ffe file. So I clicked "Cancel" and a window opened labeled "ffe-front end" which let me enter the information about the files I wanted to convert, but didn't include any button to start it.

    So how does this thing work? Do I need the "ffe binary" and if so, where is it?


    corz - 05.03.09 10:56 pm

    All the answers are here.

    You might also want to investigate the "quick start" guide I created; link at the very top of this page.

    ;o)
    (or


    keith - 12.03.09 4:46 am

    Hmm, McAfee flags the .exe file as a trojan virus...

    I read the good comments here but am still hesitant to install.

    cor, any comments?
    smiley for :ehh:



    corz - 12.03.09 9:54 am

    I don't use anti-virus, so I can't comment on which is least likely to throw up false positives. As to whether or not to trust the integrity of my downloads, that's up to you. After all, you don't actually know me.

    Feel free to browse around the site, read my blogs and what-not. Maybe start at the front page. If, after that, somehow you still don't feel secure, you could always run ffe inside a sandboxie, until you were really really sure that possibly McAfee is messing with ya, again.

    ;o)
    (or


    Stew - 12.03.09 9:41 pm

    Having trouble getting the subtitles on the converted file.

    I'm converting an .mkv to mpeg2, for authoring to DVD. The original shows subtitles, but they're lost in conversion. I tried using the "-newsubtitle" toggle, but that made the conversion fail.

    Any hints?


    Alexander Krasilnikov - 14.04.09 12:39 pm

    Great interface!
    Thank you for a source code, either!

    Would you mind if I create a small application for usage within an academic society with a very limited number of functions based on ffe? They just need a very simple application on a native language (russian) and big button START, so It cannot be just a ffe :(

    Thank you.


    corz - 14.04.09 6:49 pm

    Stew, I have no experience of using ffmpeg with subtitles. I'd need to search the man page for a clue. And on a similar topic..

    Thanks for your kind words, Alexander.

    No, I don't mind what you do with the code. It's all yours. I'd love to see the finished program, though, even if it is in Russian.

    One of these days, I may get around to writing some kind of translation plug-in module for my apps, it often crosses my mind. I think I've avoided this so far because I know it will instantly render my source code ugly and unreadable. But there must be a way around that… Also, everyone understand English! Just thinking out loud!

    Have fun with the source!

    ;o)
    (or


    Terry - 29.04.09 11:27 am

    Hello!

    I just wanted to say how much I loved ffe and the source and wondered if it would be okay to use parts of it for my own AutoIt program? Pretty Please! smiley for :D


    corz - 01.05.09 3:21 pm

    READ MY LIPS! (or my previous post!) YES! DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH IT!

    Feel free to recompile it, call it "Terry's Magic FLV Converter" and sell it for Fifty bucks on Amazon! smiley for :lol:

    ;o)
    (or


    knizz - 06.05.09 8:27 pm

    My Virus-scanner always detects a Generic.StartPage in ffe. Why? :(


    Mike - 10.05.09 1:28 am

    I love FFE, and came back for a newer version.

    But AVG Free v8.5 is now claiming it found an infection of worm/autoit.wgy. Virus database 270.12.23/2106, AVG version 8.5.325.

    <report - snipped>


    corz - 10.05.09 3:13 am

    Please see the FAQ page.

    ;o)
    (or



    Qriist - 25.05.09 10:00 am

    "One of these days, I may get around to writing some kind of translation plug-in module for my apps, it often crosses my mind. I think I've avoided this so far because I know it will instantly render my source code ugly and unreadable."

    While it isn't the most elegant solution, but one that WILL allow for readability, you could always make the translations distributable as a .ini. Though I use AutoHotKey as a language for scripting things (that will never be released!), I do know that AutoIt and AHK are quite similar, so you should be able to use the following example with only minor changes, if any.

    <snipped, ta! -ed>


    This creates a program with an at least fairly manageable source code, though much larger for sure. (Truthfully, roughly 300%.)


    For the first time, I have looked at AutoIt, the iniread command is identical. Variables seem to be a bit different, though mostly in syntax and not so much in function. (It appears %LANGBu0001% would be called as $LANGBu0001, etc) Please point out any mistakes I have made!


    corz - 25.05.09 11:40 am

    I could have sworn I mentioned that an ini file was exactly how I would do it! smiley for :lol: Perhaps that was elsewhere. I use them for all the user stuff, luv 'em!

    Thanks for your AutoHotKey code example! (which I will snip). You are right in that AutoHotKey and AutoIt share similar functionality, and again, that the syntax is very different. Looking at your example, I remember why I prefer AutoIt by a mile!

    The code itself will be trivial. The real problem is that as soon as I do it, I create a layer of complexity for myself, and it's this problem that I would like to overcome. The nearest I have to a solution is to simply leave the English version of everything in the source, as comments, so I can still see what's-what. That's actually not a bad solution.

    The real bottom line is that I haven't been motivated to do get around to it, perhaps realizing that when I do, I'll have to do it to everything. Maybe one day!

    ;o)
    (or


    Qriist - 25.05.09 1:53 pm

    I'm not entirely sure what the snipping implies, but you are very welcome for the code example. ^^;

    Please note that variables can be defined as just about anything, as I suspect au3's can; I simply used LANGbu0001 etc as a reference for you, for readability. If it will motivate you to tackle my issue with checksum (soon to be posted, rather discovered in the middle of this post...!) I would be willing to collaborate on some of the 'grunt work' of reformatting your source code for ffe. (That is, if it isn't offensive to you....some people are MY WORK purists, but the offer is there.)



    Cheers!
    ---Qriist


    PS
    I mean reformatting in AutoIt, not AHK. Wouldn't do to swipe your entire code base from you! smiley for :)


    oifbaby - 15.06.09 3:17 am

    Heh, AVG says this is a worm smiley for :)


    In fact several scanners are suspcious

    http://www.virustotal.com/analisis/9ba0d2545316e5c1c72cb303f1bd8b732ce4b38d3f75778677011fce32e880a3-1245032192

    ( http://tinyurl.com/lxfvb4 )

    Of course that's not preventing me from trying it smiley for ;)

    seems to work fine, though it doesn't take into account that a user might have changed the DPI setting of windows (like me) so some of the text is a bit overlapping.


    Also, even with the portable setting, it creates a "corz" directory in %appdata%

    But keep it up, much appreciated smiley for :)


    corz - 15.06.09 9:10 am

    Yeah oifbaby, I don't guarantee bug-free-ness, but being open source, you can tweak anything you don't like (Qriist - swipe it if you like! re-brand it and sell it as "ffmpeg interface" and make a million!).

    Creates a user folder in portable mode, eh? That's one I'll definitely add myself, cheers!

    As for DPI settings, DUDE! Every time I create a GUI, I think to myself, "I wonder if anyone out there uses unusual DPI settings, cuz I bet this is gonna look like shit", but no one's ever complained along these lines, and so I've not considered a solution at all. Darn! I guess I'll have to look into it!

    Virii smiley for :roll: yeah, see up the comments a bit, and the faq page. On the bright side, it lets you know, at a glance, which AVs are brain-dead; relying on generic pattern recognition and similar old-school technologies.

    Having said that, I quite like this for ffe's new logo..

    ffe.. Medium Risk Malware    smiley for :lol:

    Have fun with ffe!

    ;o)
    (or


    Kerry - 29.06.09 9:42 pm

    the-FFE covert tool is great.
    I found your site looking for a different type of FFE but turns out I used your FFEtool once before- its super fast and free-- thanks cor .. great work







    oifbaby - 03.07.09 1:26 am

    Hey!
    Something is going wrong now - I just selected a preset and get this error from the output "unrecognized option '-flags'"


    I check the ffmpeg i got and its version "SVN-r15986"

    and I see you say ffe works with "rev12665" - so where do i find this older version?

    (or is there an upgrade coming?


    scarbies2 - 23.07.09 5:36 pm

    run ffe.exe "sandboxed". check the registry keys it adds and tell me its not a virus?


    virus? - 29.07.09 6:53 pm

    If you don't use any anti-virus software, how can you verify that your downloads aren't, in fact, infected? I verified the md5sum of the download, but unless you can show that the file was clean at the time that you calculated that checksum, all I know is I have the exact same infected file that you uploaded.

    Sorry, but that's not really a good thing.


    Paul Dufresne - 13.08.09 6:01 am

    About virus...
    When I build the executable from source with http://www.autoitscript.com/cgi-bin/getfile.pl?autoit3/autoit-v3-setup.exe (a freeware Basic like programming language) I don't get a virulent file (well, almost not), like the executable inside https://corz.org/engine?section=windows&download=ffe.zip
    Edit3: It is easy to generate the ffe.exe from the ffe.au3 file in the source archive... Start Menu/Auto It v3/Compile script to .exe... then simply browse to the ffe.au3 file in the uncompressed directory.

    The file I get is a 424 Ko (435 099 octets) file.
    Perhaps I could send it to corz.

    I had to remove URL tags because they were not showing in the message.

    BTW: I noted that AutoIt uses upx compression...
    maybe this is linked to recognizing it as a virus ... with previous version.

    Edit2: Well, in fact, once decompress with upx, only the
    Trojan/StartPage.cco seems to stay:
    http://www.virustotal.com/fr/analisis/0165eaea7198d1920af8f33e109711584ecbfdf322499dfb4f92e38b9a347e6d-1250142335

    The ffe.exe generated by autoit3 does give 2 (1 if you don't count suspicious file) virus:
    http://www.virustotal.com/fr/analisis/03f2d54998d5ee152334cdb22d809990801323038757cd26a9ef13c3b4daf6a9-1250142619

    And if I 'upx -d ffe.exe' before resubmiting:
    http://www.virustotal.com/fr/analisis/ffc22e72561dd1b10f05d69fd5f950887b85e8a209d69ef1d4c78594181f515a-1250143016
    Then all virus (and suspicions) disappears.

    Edit3: I have send a message to virus@avg.com with the file that generate Worm/Autoit.WGY following the guidelines in http://forums.avg.com/ww.avg-free-forum?sec=thread&act=show&id=395 telling them that I believe it is a false-positive because once decompress with UPX it is not recognized as a worm anymore.


    Paul Dufresne - 13.08.09 4:47 pm

    Seems that I cannot edit my post anymore... let's start a new one.

    Finally, it is probably better to generate an .exe from ffe.au3 file that is not UPX compressed, rather than to use 'upx -d ffe.exe' to decompress it after. Anyway... Cor distribute it in a .zip file, so it does not seems very much usefull to compress it before compressing it.
    When you use the gui interface of Aut2Exe (Start Menu/Auto It v3/Compile script to .exe...) you have a 'compression' (I think) menu, in it, simply uncheck 'UPX compression' to make the .exe.

    Then, the result is only a malware according to chinese Jiangmin antivirus. (when using latest AutoIt (v.3)).




    Paul Dufresne - 13.08.09 8:22 pm

    AVG did not took long to confirm the false positive by email to me, and the program is not listed anymore by AVG as a malware by latest updates, as you can see on TotalVirus

    Now about the program itself...

    I don't know where you guys get your ffmpeg, but I like this place., moreover this place which have almost always the latest version.

    I seems to have a bug with 'Magic Auto-Tranforming Output Filename' technology. I think it is when there is too much parameters... then it seems to work but the output files stays at 0 bytes. And no, this is not because my hard disk is full!

    Probably the 'dvd' target should be replaced by 'ntsc-dvd' and 'pal-dvd'. For now I just let it empty and add '-target ntsc-dvd' to extra parameters.

    I wished the 352x240 size would be made in the preset sizes, although it does not have a special names... since this is a predefined size for DVD players... as described in: http://www.mplayerhq.hu/DOCS/HTML/en/menc-feat-vcd-dvd.html

    A 'Play the result' button would be nice... and could call ffplay that is made with recent version of ffmpeg (don't know for how long it exists). Read the ffplay doc. Finally I begin to understand how to add links. ;-)

    I tend to use extra-parameter '-t 60' to test the cropping parameters.
    Don't know if it would be a good idea to have a check box 'Test only the' Combo Box 'seconds'. Maybe it would make too much parameters.


    corz - 22.09.09 2:57 am

    oifbaby, you can make your own presets - see the ini. I designed them this way because they vary with each version of ffmpeg, and I have no control over that. But YOU do.

    Thanks for your input, Paul. I do know how to disable UPX (I don't use the GUI, anyway), but I choose not to. The size of the final exe is what I'm looking to reduce - how it's transported is not relevant.

    As for your MATOF issue, yes, it's possible that there are so many parameters that the path length has become illegally long. Perhaps use less parameters, or do your encoding in the root of your hard drive "C:\x", for shortness. I'ts not something I plan to look into, but if you want to code in some kind of concatenation or UNC path handling; I'd certainly consider adding it to the next release.

    The presets in ffe are completely customizable. Check the ini. ffmpeg's switches are another matter, but I know that if you bug the developers or use the right binary, you can usually get what you want.

    A "Play the result" button is a good idea, maybe even an option to automatically send all output to another program (I coded up a nice routine to handle this sort of thing for another program, so it should be easy enough to implement). Perhaps ffmpeg even has a switch for this we could simply tap into.

    I must rtfm again!

    ;o)
    Cor

    ps. All issues related to supposed virii or imaginary registry keys will be ignored - I've no more time left to correct AV Vendor's incompetence, or anyone else's. The source is right there - build your own effin copy!

    If you can't be bothered to research me or my software, and consequently don't trust my downloads, then don't download them; simple as that. Further whining and "reporting" along these lines will be deleted. If you want my full opinion, see the comments on the checksum page - link above. smiley for ;)


    Dan - 24.09.09 2:04 am

    Hi,
    i'm trying to convert a video file to mp4 and when i choose the audio to be convert to aac it says it is not installed. How do i add the aac codec to ffe? I am using a standalone install.

    Thanks for the great software!
    Regards,
    Dan


    corz - 24.09.09 5:54 pm

    Dan, the "trick" is to get the right binary. ffmpeg is open source, and which codecs are present depends entirely on the compile switches used to create that particular binary. Some are fairly minimal, some have *everything*; which is why ffe enables you to edit the presets yourself, add whatever you need/is available. Many links above.

    I'm assuming you downloaded some ffmpeg binary, and placed it next to ffe, as per instructions, right?

    ;o)
    Cor

    ps. You don't have a little sister, do you? smiley for :D


    Neel Chauhan - 28.02.10 6:04 pm

    Thanks for the ffe download. It helped me convert videos to Xvid from Quicktime MOV and then to Flash.


    HBear - 02.03.10 3:56 pm

    Looks interesting.


    Milardo - 10.06.10 9:42 pm

    Hi,

    I am looking for a gui for ffplay. Do you happen to know any or do you know how to build one? Thanks


    Noob - 30.06.10 10:35 am

    Hi!

    This might be a stupid quiestion. I downloaded the ffe and I've given it the information needed for the "conversion", now I just can't find out how to make it convert my file?



    corz - 30.06.10 11:48 am

    Noob, you simply click the "Do It!" button at the bottom-right of the GUI - it should always be visible. Alt+D, also works.

    ;o)


    Group Convert - 08.08.10 11:00 am

    Is there some way to load a number of files to be converted one after the other? It seems that I can only load / convert one file at a time.

    Thanks for your help and for taking the time to develop this utility.

    Not currently. You might want to take a look at Batch Runner. ;o)



    Covington - 20.08.10 9:58 pm

    Strange. I came across your checksum a few weeks ago. Am trying it out. Today - brainrotted - I couldn't remember whether to use the command line to set a static IP address for a windows box. Googled the problem and here I am. (You have an interesting edgy tone of voice.) Stick around.


    SB - 17.10.10 8:51 pm

    Very interesting GUI. My need is to convert an MPG to a SWF.

    ffe fails with the following message:
    Stream #0.0 -> #0.0
    Stream #0.1 -> #0.1
    Could not write header for output file #0 (incorrect codec parameters ?)

    I do not see an output codec for SWF in ffe.

    Can you help?

    As a not very good workaround, I found that if I first converted the MPG to FLV, I could then use ffe to convert the FLV to SWF without specifying any other information.

    However, the video quality takes a big hit from the two sequential compressions.

    Can you advise how to get better results for the SWF output?

    Thanks a bunch.


    Paul - 25.10.10 12:53 am

    Foo eh bro. I don't have the three files you talked about in your quick start.

    ffplay.exe
    pthreadGC2.dll
    ffmpeg.exe

    i've got like more than 20 files in the root of my ffmpeg. Anyway, I dropped in the ffe.exe file like you said and hoped like hell it would work, but I got the popup saying "Please locate the ffmpeg binary". Shall I just ignore this and hope for the best? :-)

    You need to download those files from elsewhere, or build your own versions; they don't come with FFE. See Step 1 of the Quickstart guide. ;o)



    digiday - 24.12.10 11:00 pm

    To "corz"

    I'm using Windows 7 ULT on a 32 bit machine.

    I downloaded ffe from the link on your page... https://corz.org/windows/software/ffe

    I got a zipped file "ffe.zip"... inside of that there is folder named ffe... inside of that there is "ffe.exe" and a folder named "info" inside of which are 3 files "formats.nfo, help.nfo, license.nfo".

    When I right-click the "ffe.exe" file and select "Run as administrator" I get the system UAC panel that says,"Do you want to allow the following program from an unknown publisher to make changes on this computer?", to which I select "Yes".

    Then it brings up a window to select a file that says, "please locate the ffmpeg binary file", but there is NO ffmpeg binary file to be located.

    As explained in Step 1 of the Quickstart guide, you need to download this separately. It does not come with FFE.


    So I say cancel...

    Well, I can't help you from this point; with no ffmpeg binary, ffe will not work. Have fun! ;o)


    then it brings up a window with the little green, yellow and orange "ffe" logo in the top left corner and the title, "ffe.. ffmeg front-end" and in that window I see how I can use "input parameter override" and "output parameter override" and how I can select the path to the file that I want to convert from WMV to MPEG, and how I can select where the converted file will be located when it is done converting.

    In this "ffe.. ffmpeg front-end" interface window, in the "command-line" field, there are default commands, -i"" -y"" ... but in this interface there is no "Do It!" button as described in the first paragraph on your home page, nor is there any way to activate the process of converting this file... no "save" or "convert" or any "go" button of any kind.

    So I figure, maybe it needs this mysterious "ffmpeg binary file" that it wanted me to locate.

    So I looked at you "Quick Start" webpage that, at the beginning, disclaims that this website that "corz" is recommending to download a different file from has anything to do with him.

    So I copy the URL from the line, "Go here: http://ffdshow.faireal.net/mirror/ffmpeg/" and the big line at the top of the page says, "Index of /mirror/ffmpeg"... so I select the most recent link for download that says "ffmpeg.rev12665.7z 02-Apr-2008 04:36 2.5M"

    On that "Index of /mirror/ffmpeg" webpage, "corz" says, "You should now have three files in that folder..

    ffplay.exe
    pthreadGC2.dll
    ffmpeg.exe

    3. Drop ffe.exe into the same folder, next to these three files, so now you have four.

    4. Launch ffe.exe"


    But when I downloaded the file from the link ""ffmpeg.rev12665.7z 02-Apr-2008 04:36 2.5M" I get a file with a blank white icon titled "ffmpeg.rev12665.7z" that is NOT a zipped folder as described by "corz"... this file will do nothing and Windows does not recognize it.

    So I think maybe this is the mysterious "ffmpeg binary file" that the original "ffe" was asking for before it got to the interface without the famed "Do It!" button that "corz" talks about... but when I navigate to this "ffmpeg.rev12665.7z" file from the 2nd download, "ffe" does not see the "ffmpeg.rev12665.7z" file.

    This is the silly odyssey that I have been taken through for the last two hours while trying to use "ffe" that was recommended to me on email from an industry programmer... he is not available for comment at this time.

    This was all after trying the also recommended "VLC" to convert WMV to MPEG files... with "VLC" I wasted 8 hours trying various methods of conversion only to end up with 7 useless files that play something that looks like terrible digital modern art by the grandson of Jackson Pollock... but at least "VLC" produced some kind of useless video file, which is more than I can say for the silly "ffe" acid trip that I just went through.

    What's the deal here?

    digiday






    digiday - 25.12.10 4:25 am

    I've been wading through more of your instructions that are incognito, masquerading as programmers' secret code... apparently the installation or function of ffe depends upon a file called "ffe.ini" that is supposed to be in the "AppData" folder inside "Roaming", inside of a folder called, of all irritating names, "corz"... but if the application hasn't yet been able to install, why then would there already be a folder named "corz" and a file within it called "ffe.ini" waiting on my hard drive to be used to install ffe or make it functional?

    It's like the chicken or the egg... catch 22... can't have one before the other kind of thing, right?

    And then according to your rambling secret code "instructions" you say, "Tada! Remember to drop your FFmpeg binary (ffmpeg.exe) in there, too"... like I should already know that from when?... so where is this "ffmpeg.exe" supposed to be coming from... it's 17 simple steps, and then "Tada" your software doesn't work! "Tada!"

    Corz, you are apparently living in a programmers code world where you believe that we all already have a mysterious set of files that you are referring to that simply doesn't exist yet on our computers.

    Or we are supposed to know something that isn't published on your webpage... where is the installer that makes all of this work?

    Wait, I'd like to donate first... in my next life.

    digiday


    digiday - 25.12.10 7:46 am

    Update...

    Within five minutes of downloading “WinFF”, it’s installed, working and converting video... within 15 minutes it turned a 310 MB, 3:51 minute WMV format video file in to the highest possible quality MP4 file, 66 MBs in size that plays flawlessly in the iTunes app... this is the way your software should work.

    I’m just sorry I didn’t try WinFF before wasting a day with “VLC” and “ffe" (which would never even install).

    by-by ffe

    digiday



    digiday - 25.12.10 7:49 am

    Also, you're message that says...

    "Please don't hammer corz.org!
    You must wait three seconds before trying again.
    If you believe this is in error, please mail cor about it!
    <bugs at corz dot org>"


    comes up after just one click every time I click "publish" on this comments interface... this works as well as ffe.






    johnny - 11.01.11 12:52 am

    Hello,

    HELP!!

    I installed the ffe.exe but I don't show a do it button any where!!
    Do you know why this is???

    Resize the window; making it bigger. ;o)



    Chris - 05.02.11 2:49 pm

    Hi Guys,

    Have been trying to download FFE from a public workstation at the library, but McAfee identifies it as being malware, and "cleans" it. Is it possible to make the file available as an encrypted 7z file with a simple password (123) so that McAfee can't identify its signature?
    ------------
    Best regards,
    Chris

    Alternatively, install an AV that works. ;o)



    dE - 16.02.11 4:56 am

    What is this? Another rubbish pieace crap made for Bill Gates by his fanboys?


    Matt - 20.06.11 4:38 am

    For starters thanks a bunch for this. It's nice having a gui way to run ffmpeg on Windows.

    Next, I'm taking your advice on batch processing files. smiley for :) However when I queue up commands in Batch Runner and run them, it seems that I must close ffe before it starts the next command. I'm just using a command like your example, and I have two of them in my queue like this:

    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(FLV to AVI) E:\path\to\video.flv
    C:\path\to\ffe.exe load(FLV to AVI) E:\path\to\video.flv

    So the first one runs, then it just stops until I close ffe and the second one runs. Is there any way to trigger ffe to close on completion from the command line, or some other way to approach the problem? Thanks!

    It would be simple enough to hack in a switch to get ffe to shutdown at the end of the convertion process. Source is available, feel free. I'll add it to my 2do list for the next version. ;o)



    Bob Morrison - 26.06.11 12:35 am

    Thanks for the free download.


    paulr - 03.07.11 7:33 am

    Nice little program.

    Have given it a try (MOV to XVID) and it works but i can not get the bit rate i want. Manually set it to 8000 kbits/s and all i get is around 2600 and the output is really pixelated. No where near the quality i want or need.

    What's going on here?

    Also, is it possible to get a double pass to improve quality?

    Has potential but not as it is working for me

    cheers

    These are ffmpeg issues, not ffe issues. Check the ffmpeg manual. I'm pretty sure the two-pass instructions are there. ;o)



    Gilbert Bani - 15.11.12 10:42 pm

    Great Idea I just can't use it.

    What I'm looking for is a drop folder where audio files are dropped.

    The program picks up any files and converts to new setting automatically. Which I'm sure you will do next.

    Thanks

    Oh yes! That's right at the top of my 2do list! ;o)



    freddyzdead - 22.06.14 6:37 pm

    So did you publish Digiday's comments just so we can all see how stupid he is? Well, it worked.
    Now, what I would like to know, is how do you pick what container you want your output file to
    be in? I can find nothing of the sort. Nobody uses AVIs anymore, didn't you know. There are a
    lot of other missing features as well that it seems could easily been included. Otherwise, Digiday
    might be right, I might as well try to use VLC for all my transcoding.

    By the way, what is "Itstory" ? My best guess is "History", and that you are not a native English
    speaker.



    I don't publish the comments, that's you guys!

    Similarly, I didn't write ffmpeg. ffe is a front-end only. I can't add or remove features to ffmpeg, simply enable you to access them in a graphic user interface. If you want to add features to ffe, feel free to download the free source code and go for it. It will be easy, right?

    As for Matroska format, have you tried -f matroska (or just using .mkv as your output extension)?

    And you guess wrong. It's fairly clear from the text here that the .org that not only am I a native English speaker and writer, but a bloody good one!

    It's a piece of software, an "it", not a person, ergo; "itstory". I've had dozens of comments and mails complimenting me on how clever that is. You are the first to see it negatively. No comment.

    But thanks for the input!

    ;o)



    Vorlon - 23.06.14 12:43 pm

    I do find it quite amusing that freddyzdead guesses that you are not a native English
    speaker Cor, simply because he/she has missed a "play" on words.

    freddyzdead,

    By having just a quick look around on this site you'd find the authors comments, writings and grammar to be of a very high standard. Even his replies to comments left in this message area are concise and informative.

    You could call me a bit of a fan of this site now, where I've purchased Checksum, simply because the software is reliable and for me very useful.


    Hey Vorlon! Great to see you dropping into a non-checksum page!

    These comments sure can be a source of amusement. I especially enjoy how much complaining folk do about something they are getting for free!

    ;o)



    me=one - 29.10.14 6:22 pm

    congratulations ffe is the only ffmpeg frontend that takes input as a url

    That seems surprising, but thanks anyway! ;o)



    anyone - 04.05.15 4:17 pm

    ---------------------------
    AutoIt Error
    ---------------------------
    Line 1968 (File "D:\Desktop\ffe\ffe.exe"):
    Error: Subscript used with non-Array variable.


    How can I deal with this?


    =====
    follow up


    If i remove ffe.ini, it works fine, but when I put ffe.ini back in the folder, this problem shows. Seems it's portable version bug with ini file?


    Yes, empty ini files will do this. I'll fix that! ;o)



    Tim - 26.10.15 10:37 pm

    Sounds very nice, but so far I have failed to find a download link... ;(
    (clicking on 'download' just seems to take you to that part of the page, but no actual download link)


    Yeah, I just pulled it. ffe2 will be with us in a few days. Watch this space. See the itstory for all the juicy details. ;o)



    dom - 02.11.15 6:00 pm

    "Yeah, I just pulled it. ffe2 will be with us in a few days."
    WTF ? just announce ffe2 and leave the old ffe link alone !!
    besides, people always end up needing previous versions.
    now I have no idea if ffe/ffe2 would cover my needs.
    whatever, keep up the good work (I gather it is), I'll just be moving on...


    In over fifteen years of putting out software, no one has ever asked me for an old version. Bye! ;o)



    Amix - 20.02.16 7:20 pm

    Thank you very much for that handy little tool!
    @Batch: I just entered "*.MOV" in input line and all .MOV-files in current directory are processed without bothering about renaming! How nice and easy is that!? smiley for :eek: JUST GREAT!


    mikee - 24.03.16 9:46 pm

    Hi,

    How do I get rid or set to smaller the ffe logo on the top left screen side. It's too large, almost 1/4 of the screen and overlays the boxes in your program.

    thanks


    I guess you mean the drop window. If you right-click it, you will see many options and hotkeys. Everything you need is there. Note: You can use any image you like. ;o)



    Mervyn - 12.05.16 11:02 pm

    Hi Cor,

    I create animated videos for businesses, including screencasts. Would love to create either an quick introductory video, basic usage or 30 second tutorials.

    No cost involved obviously... just offering to do my bit...

    You make it, I'll post it! ;o)



    Chris - 29.06.16 7:12 pm

    Is there a help file? I'm trying to add in the '-report' to generate a report file after each file has been processed. I thought it might be a post-file-command or a post-job-command, but I have played around with both with no success and can't find a help file on how to add it in to the ffe interface anywhere?

    Thanks


    Right-click the post-job commands control. Enter a full path in there (with parameters). The input suggests using a batch script (.bat file) - handy if you need to process lots of commands.

    The best help file for the new version, currently, is the itstory (link at the top of the page). It is jam-packed with tips and tricks.

    ;o)



    CayceP - 30.06.16 11:33 pm

    Hi -

    Great program.

    How do I concatenate multiple files together?

    Tx!


    Check the "join" checkbox under the output control. ;o)



    Chris - 13.07.16 6:44 pm

    Hi Cor

    Great program, really useful, but could I possibly request that a button be added on the GUI for ffplay?

    I looked in the notes and there doesn't appear to be that function. Would be really useful. Maybe it's already there, but I couldn't work out how to activate it, if it is.

    Would also need to allow the addition of parameters such as force (-f) etc

    Just a thought smiley for :)

    Cheers


    You will have noticed this is now done. Thanks! ;o)



    freesbee - 23.09.16 2:30 pm

    "Drop ffe.exe into the same folder, next to ffmpeg.exe for instant operation."

    This appears not to be working: I dropped ffe.exe and its subfolders (images, info, stuff) in the bin folder of the static ffmpeg build (exaclty where the ffmpeg.exe is located), but if I start ffe.exe I will be asked for ffmpeg binary.

    I also tried editing the .\stuff\ffe.ini but this file seems to be ignored.

    The only strategy that appears to be working at the moment is to use the generated .ini file (the one generated in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\corz\ffe) to switch ffe.exe to portable mode (saving it aside of ffe.exe).

    Am I missing anything?

    (platform is Win7 x64)

    It sounds like you are saying the initial "portable" switch is broken, but it works if you copy the ini file over manually.

    It sounds like a permissions issue, ffe not being able to create the ini file in the chosen location. Try the same thing somewhere outside your program files tree.

    I'll add an error message in a future version. Thanks.

    ;o)



    Midas - 28.09.16 12:27 am

    Hi and thanks for your excellent program.

    But where did the @tokens list vanished to? The documented URL produces nothing... smiley for :erm:


    I don't know which URL you refer to but you can get a list in the itstory. here. ;o)



    Goss4444 - 03.11.16 2:19 pm

    Wow. Creative engineering at its finest! I am left speechless...


    CayceP - 05.02.17 7:38 am

    Hi!

    Back for more!

    Is it possible to do a batch process with two inputs?

    I want to take a folder of video clips and blend them together.

    Here are the extra parameters I am using:

    Input override:

     -i "C:\*.mp4" -i "C:\*.mp4" 


    Extra Parameters:

     -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v] blend=burn" -c:v libx264 


    It works when I put in a single file for each input, but I can't get it to work with the ffe wildcards.

    Thoughts?

    Thanks!


    Wildcards are only accepted in the regular input control, but by the looks of your command, you don't need the input override anyway. ;o)



    Joe - 23.05.18 2:52 pm

    Hello

    How to unwipe a preset ? Clicked on wipe by accident but don't find a way to restore that preset. Thanks

    edit: go to appdata\roaming\coarz\ffe and restore ffe.ini


    Cor - 23.05.18 4:01 pm

    If you look in your current ffe.ini, there will be a backup section named..

    [--backup--<Your-old-preset>]


    Also note: there is an "Edit ffe.ini" option in the tray menu - no need to raking about!

    ;o)


    Mozz - 05.06.21 5:56 pm

    Can you provide a link for the last 32 bit version of the program? I did consider compiling a 32 bit version of ffe using the source code provided, but instructions for doing so are not provided, and figuring out how to compile with Autoit would be challenging for someone who is not a programmer.


    I no longer supply 32 bit versions. If you want to compile ffe yourself, mostly-complete instructions are included/posted, though they are probably more scattered-around than I'd like. At least a passing familiarity with AutoIt is assumed.

    Inside the distro are file to help you set up a develop+build environment in Notepad++. Once you've edited in your own program locations (where AutoIt is installed) you can basically hit a Hotkey to run, build, and so-on. Program output is piped back to Notepad++ so you can edit some code and run it immediately to check the changes, with debug output there in your console.

    Download the ffe source pack, see inside Resources \ Notepad++ Goodies for more details.

    The process is the same for most decent editors, if you don't use Notepad++; essentially assigning some HotKeys to run AutoIt and AutoIt wrapper commands, piping output back into the editor. The actual commands you would want to port over are in a file called "npes_saved" in the source pack distro.

    If you need any help with setting this up, feel free to ask.

    ;o)



    BH - 05.02.22 9:31 pm

    I installed the latest version of FFE 2.5.2 on my Windows 10 / Lenovo W541. I can do file conversions and use the app just fine. However, if I manually minimize or close the FFE window, I can not get back to the FFE window. I have to stop the FFE service, reboot my PC, delete the FFE files and then reinstall FFE in order to use it again. If I exit out of the app using the FFE menu, it's not a problem. It's only after I minimize the window that
    it becomes a problem

    I am installing FFE into a separate windows directory (not c:\Program Files\)

    I have tried run as Administrator.
    I have tried alt-tab to get back to the FFE window.
    Even if I just stop the FFE service, and tried to restart it, does not work.

    What am I missing ?

    Thank you


    Left-click on the tray icon. Also note: ffe is/has NO service, so I'm unsure what you are referring to. ;o)



    BBanger - 09.02.22 6:46 pm

    I have a folder of videos I want to convert. They all have srt subtitles files. Can I mix them together when I convert them so the subtitles are inside the video?

    Sure. In your input parameter override, do..

    -i "@parent\@item.srt"

    In your extra parameters, you might want something like..
    -c:s srt -metadata:s:s:0 language=eng

    ;o)

    ps. it's "mux".



    John Q User - 19.02.22 3:48 am

    One thing to add to this manual of sorts, is just some of the text at this changelog.


    https://corz.org/devblog/2015-nov/ffe2-ffe-Re-EnCoded


    From the shorter manual text here, it actually didn't describe exactly how batch processing works. I mistakenly assumed you would drop all the files in the batch on the program, which obvs didn't work at all smiley for :geek:

    From that doc it's much clearer; that you'd just insert a wild card in the file name box...

    --dohh--


    rage - 19.04.22 7:50 pm

    Hello,

    ffe.exe file seems to be infected by W32.FamVTAppLQNE.Trojan regarding Virustotal.com. Any clue?
    False positive?
    My McAffee tools chains (on Win10Enterprise) is frozen the thread.

    Thx.
    Rage

    Of course it's a false-positive. Feel free to let them know!



    lasered - 08.03.23 7:12 pm

    Critique: why is your download link 3/4 of the way down the page? Scroll all the way to the bottom -- no link; scroll to the top -- no link; in directions where you download ffmpeg there is no link. It took me 2 minutes to figure out where it was. You should fix this.

    Thanks for developing this amazing software!

    If you click the big icon at the top it takes you straight to the downloads. There's also a "Download" item in the navigation menu at the top of the page.



    Steven Stoddart - 12.03.23 12:40 am

    Love the idea of a GUI to simplify the use of FFMPEG... Unfortunately, the app is not possible to use with UHD displays... The dialogue widows are too small and the font is to big for the available space..

    I have tried using a lower resolution (1920 x 1080) but this seem to make no difference...

    Can you provide some pointers?

    Cheers

    Steve

    This isn't a thing I can test, but if you want to get together while I try a few things, I'm up for it - mail me.



    Claus Schneider - 13.03.23 10:34 pm

    I have trouble installing using choco


    PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> choco install ffe -y --force
    Chocolatey v1.2.1
    Installing the following packages:
    ffe
    By installing, you accept licenses for the packages.
    Progress: Downloading ffe 1.1... 100%

    ffe v1.1 (forced) [Approved]
    ffe package files install completed. Performing other installation steps.
    WARNING: Url has SSL/TLS available, switching to HTTPS for download
    Downloading ffe 64 bit
    from 'https://corz.org/engine?section=windows&download=ffe_x64.zip'
    WARNING: C:\Users\yyyy\AppData\Local\Temp\chocolatey\ffe\1.1\ffeInstall.zip is of content type text/html; charset=utf-8

    The file is unfortunately a text file saying: "please inform the webmaster that ffe_x64.zip is missing"


    That is, of course, the wrong URL ;o)



    toronto - 09.09.23 5:33 am

    Hi. Thanks for the cool tools.

    I want to convert audio files from FLAC to ALAC. In the Audio drop-down menu, I see AAC and AC3, but no entry for ALAC.

    The entries are a user preference. See the ini file. Add whatever you need (and is available in your build of ffmpeg).



    Blobb75 - 28.10.23 1:17 am

    This might be the tool I was looking for. What is the best preset to use for combining a still image with a mp3 audio, i.e. to merge it into one avi or whatever video format? Thanks bro!


    First, confirm that you are human by entering the code you see..

    (if you find the code difficult to decipher, click it for a new one!)


    Enter the 5-digit code this text sounds like :

    lower-case dee, Upper-Case Dbl-U, ate, lower-case aye, Upper-Case Bee


     

    Welcome to corz.org!

    I'm always messing around with the back-end.. See a bug? Wait a minute and try again. Still see a bug? Mail Me!