[Bf-committers] Adding image format in the VSE

[Campbell Barton]

On Fri, Jan 25, 2013 at 3:18 PM, Jehan Pagès <jehan.marmottard at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a question about adding a format for creating VSE sequence.

Just a note that adding image formats for sequencer is really no
different to adding image format support for image loading or
rendering.

> I had a small look at the API, and see a way of doing, which I see is done
> for similar plugins: converting to an intermediate format which is known to
> Blender (png for instance, or whatever).

This seems an unnecessary step, if you can load the data - why not
just read the pixels directly? - especially for sequencer where you
want to playback faster if you can.

> But is there a cleaner way to add format support to Blender? Hence making
> Blender be able to understand directly the format, and not rely on
> intermediate files that the user may not know about and which would clutter
> the user directories?

You would need to add ImBuf format - see:
./source/blender/imbuf/intern/*.c png, jpeg are good references for
basic 8 bits per channel format support. hdr is a good reference for
float image support.

> For information, I have 2 separate projects for which I search this
> information:
>
> 1/ I want to add support for GIMP XCF files. I know there is already a
> plugin to import XCF files as 3D planes, but I want to add them as image
> sequence directly in the VSE (1 layer, 1 image). And I wonder how I can do
> this without converting my XCF into an intermediate sequence of png files
> (I see the intermediate png method is what does the XCF import plugin for
> instance).
> Real XCF support in other words.

Not sure about this, XCF is meant as gimps native image editing
format, not an interchange format. Though having support for XCF or
PSD would have some nice possibilities - to have layer groups for
spec, normal, diffuse, alpha... for eg.

> 2/ I want to add some raw file support (like DNG), with demosaicing, and
> all this (of course I know this one is a long shot, and good raw support
> requires much more than just this, but you have to start somewhere).
>
> In other words, is there an API to add new format support in Blender?
> Thanks.

support for raw formats could be fine just to load the data in. but Im
not sure about demosaicing, if its just some automatic calculation on
load - ok. but if you want to configure it though blenders UI and
there are many settings to tune, Im not sure this would be accepted.
Maybe users should just use an external batch tool to convert the data
into a common format.

Best check with module owners of Imbuf...
http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Template:ModulesOwners#Render.2C_Video.2C_Audio

When proposing new features it would be good if you could explain the
work-flow you'd like to support - who would find this useful, is this
specific to certain hardware for eg.

Ton & Kent - any comments?

> Jehan
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-- 
- Campbell