Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I've created a simple to use tool which creates thumbnails from video files, AND stamps the file date/time and a caption onto those thumbnails. I find this helps immensely in cataloging and locating specific clips. The tool (Movie Thumbnailer Express) primarily uses the commandline tool "movie thumbnailer" to create the base thumbnail, then I added my own algorithm to automatically stamp the file's date/time and add an optional caption. I can't say it will work for every video codec, but I've tested it with MOV, MP4 and MTS files containing H.264/AVC from various still cameras and it works well.

To be clear, the tool does not require the user to use the commandline, as it is fully automated. The tool works via Windows "Send To" menu. Just select multiple video files or an entire folder of video files and "Send To > Movie Thumbnailer Express". A "duo-thumb" is created, with two thumbnails from 1/3 and 2/3 into the clip. I find this much better defines the clip contents than just one thumbnail (at the start of the clip).

A sample thumbnail: http://www.freeimagehosting.net/d1c68

If there is any interest in it, I'd surely make it available, free of course, no strings. Photo tool development is my avocation. Some beta testers could maybe help me with suggestions to tweak it for its initial release. It would be available for Windows OS only.

Thanks for any interest,

Mike
Photo Tools by Michael Lee

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I would like to try it.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

David,

Sorry for the brief delay. Here is the download link:
Movie Thumbnailer Express setup.zip - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

May I suggest you review the short readme file during installation, then to see how (if?) it works for your files, send one video file to Movie Thumbnailer Express from Explorer. After you CREATE a thumbnail, you can then send that thumbnail to MODIFY if you wish to add a date/time or caption. If you have (exclusively) video files in folders by date then it makes things very easy to send an entire folder to CREATE, then MODIFY. Currently the only caveat is that if you send an entire (day) folder for modification and wish to add a date/time stamp, the time stamp would be the same for all files. Personally, I delete the time stamp, keep the date and add a caption, as I did in the example I posted.

Be sure to let me know how things go, or if you have any questions. I can easily modify the program to stamp your name/company, in lieu of mine, as it is in the demo.

Mike
Photo Tools by Michael Lee

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

That's pretty slick. I created a few jpeg thumbnails of some M2T video files. I then added about a half dozen M2t files to a folder, and sent the folder to the Thumbnail Tool as a batch file and it created jpegs thumbnails for all of the video files in the folder. Nice!

Which is good, since I have over 3,000 M2T files!

Question:

When I open a folder of video files and thumbnails, the thumbnails remain closed. I have to click on each one individually to view them. Is there a way to open a folder with video files and jpeg thumbnails and have all the thumbnails open at the same time?

and can you tweak the tool to create like 10-20 thumbnails for a very long 30-60 min clip?

If you can do the above, I think your really on to something.

In properties I am opening the thumbnails with Windows Photo and Microsoft Picture Manager.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

I'm glad you like it. First, yes, I'll make you a version which creates 15 thumbs equally spaced throughout the clip. Second, I'm not entirely certain what you mean by "the thumbnails remain closed". I am presuming you are working on Windows 7, am I correct? Are you referring to your view in Windows Explorer, where you can see (the default) thumbnails of your M2T files, but see only file names for JPEG files? A screenshot would go a long way here to show me what you see. The files created by Movie Thumbnailer Express are standard JPEG files, so they should appear just as any other camera JPEG you may have. If you could give me a little more information in this regard.

I'll let you know when I have the revised version ready, later today.

Mike
(Chugiak, AK resident 1969-1989)

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

The Thumbnail Tool jpeg's are not open in Explorer like my typical photo jpeg's are. The Thumbnail Tool files only have icons of the program that I choose to open them.

I'm using Vista 64-professional edition. I have never been able to view thumbnails of M2T files.

I'll play around a little more, and report back.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

I got the thumbnails to open. Deep in properties of my folder I had choose icon selected.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

That explains it, but I would ask why (and how) you would associate the JPEG thumbnails from Movie Thumbnailer Express (MTE) to something other than your default JPEG viewer? By this I mean how can you associate some JPEG files with one program, and other JPEG files with another, unless they have different extensions, such as JPG and JPEG? Just to be clear, are you saying that thumbnails for files created by MTE are not displayed in Windows Explorer, but for other JPEG files created by your camera are?

Most curious,
Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Our messages crossed. I'm glad you got that figured out. I was a bit confused.

Regarding the 15 image "multi-thumb" (I'm having to invent terms here), what if you only had a short clip to thumbnail? How about an option to select a 2 image or a 15 image thumbnail. That way the user could could decide how detailed a thumbnail he wanted. I could also afford more caption space to a 15 image thumbnail to permit a longer description of a long clip. Follow me?

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

I wouldn't mind a basic 15 thumbnails for any or all size clips. I have a folder with 100's of 24P M2t clips from 10 seconds to 60 minutes in length. I would love to throw the whole folder into the Thumbnail Tool at once.

Don't worry, I have a backup folder. Let's go for it.

also, I have over 80 hours of HD and DV footage on 3 hard drives that I could catalog and thumbnail if I could. Need to be able to thumbnail HD and dv too???

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

I used this tool Homepage of CassetteDV to catalog my many dozens of DV tapes. Works well, but its going to take you a long time (as you might have guessed). Paul Glagla, its author, is an old friend of mine.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

All my old VHS, DV, and HD is stored on terabyte hard drives with backup. I think your thumbnail tool will do it for me.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

I've just uploaded your custom version. Same download link as before. You can install over the existing installation. It is a 4x4 array (big, but shows a lot about a clip). I hope it works for you. Please let me know.

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Mike,

All I can say is WOW.

I sent a 11.6 gig Folder with almost 60 full minutes of HDV 24p video to the Thumbnail Tool. It created 27 thumbnails in less than ten seconds!!!!

The thumbnails were created in a "double wide long vertical group". Which is OK. If you want to further tweak, I think it would be nicer to group the thumbnails in a 5 by 5 wall.

Anyway, I'm looking at thumbnails of a video I shot over 4 years ago, and had forgotten what was in the file. Your tool is amazing and super fast.

I presume that the tool will work for AVI files. I have a lot of old dv that needs examining.

Thank you!

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I can't believe this. I just sent 20 folders as a batch file to thumbnail tool. Over 165 Gigs of M2t video files all at one time. It create thumbnails for all the video's in all the folders in about 4 minutes....

Amazing,

I'm sending a whole hard drive filled with 436 Gigs of video at it now.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Hey, that even surprises me! I've never attempted to process so many files at one time. Strange though, I had set it up to create a 4x4 array, not two columns as you describe. That kind of thing can happen if I don't have a sample video file to experiment with. But as long as you're happy...

Might I know what kind of camera(s) these files originated from, so that I can put them on the "supported" list? Thought maybe I should be documenting that kind of thing.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I just finished the 436 Gig hard drive. About 60 hours of HDV 1080 60i. video. Thumbnail Tool created all the thumbnails for all the video in 33 minutes!

Camera's:

Canon Hv10
Canon Hv20
Canon Hv40
Canon Xh-a1
Canon EOS 60D .mov

Video 1080 60i, 24p and 30p and .mov

Are you sure you want to give Thumbnail Tool way?????

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I'll say it too, WOW. The job is done. I bet you never expected to do that so easily. I know who to use as a reference should anyone else want to know how well, or how fast, it works.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

OK, I finally made it choke. Sony XDCAM MXF will not work. I had a few MXF files from a XDCAM I borrowed once.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I expected that eventually you'ld hit upon a codec it couldn't handle. You sure have used a number of different cameras over the years. Is there anything else I could possibly do for you, or are you satisfied with what you have?

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I have done all my HD which was shoot over the last six years. I have a hard drive somewhere if I can find it, that has all my old VHS,super vhs, and dv digitized in avi files. When I find it, I'll let you know how it did.

With batch processing of large folders of video at one time. It doesn't take long to create thumbnails. It's so much easier now to find video clips, it's unreal.

Could I offer your Thumbnail Tool from my Alaska Video Blog at alaskavideo.blogspot.com?

Thanks!

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

This is a real success story. Certainly, feel free to make it available on your blog. I need to first come up with a generic version (without an artist name in the metadata area). I suppose that if a user date/caption stamps his thumbnails he could always enter his name at that time. I'll give you a download link when the generic is available.

It sounded as if you REALLY needed this tool!

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I'll wait for the generic.

Dave

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Thanks for doing this, Mike! Man's a genius!

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Dave,

The generic version, like the original demo, but without my name stamped in the metadata area.
Updated the help file, minor tweaks.

Movie Thumbnailer Express setup.zip - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

An actual sample: 3740d.jpg at Free Image Hosting

Battle,

Thanks a lot for the compliment. That means something to me.

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Question: if you want to create a file of jpegs from finished work stored on dvd's, where would the files go? I tried it, program said the thumbnails were done, but (because it is a closed disk) they couldn't be written back to the disk they came from....where did they go? If into limbo, would you consider adding an output-file-designation feature?

I can see making a synopsis disk of just thumbnails, which could serve as a directory for a larger filing system....

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Battle,

You surmised correctly, they went into limbo. Actually I hadn't considered that scenario, although I should have. I will work on offering an output directory option, or at the very least, a dedicated folder in the My Pictures folder. Thanks for the suggestion. That's exactly why I need feedback, I can't think of everything myself!

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Ahh, you did the heavy thinking, we're just complicating your life.....!

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Battle,

I've created a new version which does allow you to save thumbnails in "My Videos\Thumbnails" It will create this folder automatically if you choose to save to that location, versus the source folder. Also, there are now two versions, one for XP and one for Vista/7. This was necessary with this new version, to keep user input to an absolute minimum. The Vista/7 version is available from the previously posted download link. The XP version will be available soon.

I like it, hope you do too. If only Dave's success can be mirrored by other users...

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Hi Mike, This is an aewsome tool you've created! I've been looking for something very similar to this for a verrrry long time! :)

I just have a couple of questions for you....

1) how do you access the help file?

2) in the generic version (as per your quoted post), can I change it to more than just the two thumbnails created? I'd personally like to select say 4 thumbnails... perhaps 1 at 1/4th, 1/3, 1/2 and then 2/3 into the clip? As a suggestion though I'm not sure how much effort it would be to produce... perhaps a setting to allow the user to modify how many clips are taken and at what percentage into each file the thumbnails should be taken from.

Again, this is an awesome tool... thanks so much for sharing it!

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Thanks, Mike, you're GOOD!

BTW, +1 on Ralph's suggestion re selectable number of thumbs --- the original version ROCKS as a synopsis tool for archiving, love the updates but the original with more thumbs is my favorite flavor! Thanks again for all you do!

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Ralph,

I'm glad you found Movie Thumbnailer Express. Now to make it more usable, for you, Battle, and others.

The help file and an uninstall option are located under "Start > All Programs > Movie Thumbnailer Express".

I am finding that no two users would probably want the same appearance, i.e. number, size and arrangement of thumbnails. Some would also want the thumbnail to be as small in KB as possible, others wouldn't care about the file size, they would just want the highest quality.

So... I'd like to make a generic version which hopefully be suitable for most. From the current feedback I'm finding it would need to have more than two thumbnail images. I'll try 4 for now. What I've always been available to do is customize any of my tools upon request, like having the thumbnails include the artist name, in lieu of "Movie Thumbnailer Express".

It wouldn't be difficult for me to offer menus for the user to select options from, I just think that the user would be selecting the same options every time he used Movie Thumbnailer Express, so the one-click simplicity of use would be lost. Better to have a simple to use, customized tool. Also, different video codecs behave differently with Movie Thumbnailer Express, and customization is usually based upon a submitted clip for me to test on.

I'm now developing a newer version with more thumbs, that will work with most codecs.

I have to say I'm very pleased with the positive feedback. Thanks!

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Hmmm.... an easy way to keep the one-click simplicity may be to simply save the last settings selected by the user. ie.. if you select 4 thumbs, it "remembers" that and offers up 4 the next time you use it. But if you change it to 2, then that becomes the new setting, etc....

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Ralph,

Good idea. I will work on this.

Do you think just offering a choice of array dimensions, e.g. 2x1, 2x2, 4x4, etc. would be satisfactory?

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

I think offering the choice of array dimensions would be most excellent...

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

For all of you interested - I've updated this tool to offer 3 different array (grid) sizes: 2x1, 2x2 and 2x4. You can't save your preference (for now), but I'll work on that. The new version can be installed over the old. Any troubles (which there shouldn't be), please let me know. I'd sure like to know which cameras you use this tool with, so that I can add them to the "supported cameras" list.

Movie Thumbnailer Express - Folder Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage
(two versions: XP and Vista/7)

Again, many thanks for your encouragement.

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Hi Mike
Boy this is handy as I shoot nature footage and don't always look at it for awhile. I tried it on footage shot on a Panasonic GH1 (720p60) and it works great.
Thank you.

Gordon

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Gordon,

Thank you for trying and using Movie Thumbnailer Express. I will consider it another success story. Thanks also for letting me know the camera.

To let you and other users know, I am always happy to customize the tool so that it would imprint your name in lieu of "Movie Thumbnailer Express - www.phototools.co.nr".

Mike

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Hey Mike... It's been a while since I've been able to check back in on this thread. Finally had a bit of free time tonight to download the new version and I must say that the changes you made are some fantastic improvements!

Thanks again for this very useful tool to help manage our media files.

Ralph

Re: Digital Video Thumbnails Tool
 

Oh, by the way...
footage was tested from the following cams:

Sony SR42
Sony SR200
Sony SR300
Motorola Droid Phone .3GPP files

As for the caption..... is it possible to have the program check for say, a specific ini file at c:\ or something and get the name caption from that file (if it exists), if not then have it default to the name imprint of "Movie Thumbnailer Express - www.phototools.co.nr"? What do you think?