fire
commented
1 year ago 👍 I like this.
This proposal suggests using FFmpeg to auto-convert MP4 to Ogg Theora during import, like FBX files.
Provide FFmpeg binary path in editor settings
- Adding quality settings would be beneficial
Implementing as an editor plugin is an option
- Having it built into Godot is more accessible and convenient
In summary:
- Using FFmpeg for automatic conversion of MP4 files to Ogg Theora during the import process in Godot
- Practical solution that could benefit many users working with video content in their projects
References
- In https://github.com/godotengine/godot-proposals/issues/4710 I wrote some possible ffmpeg commands.
- Godot VideoDecoder
This comment was ai assisted.
Calinou
frankhuurman
Eon-Able
Describe the project you are working on
An educational animation project that plays video content from a file as part of a visual example.
Describe the problem or limitation you are having in your project
Because the codecs used in the MP4 format cannot be used in Godot due to licensing issues, Ogg Theora is the only format supported for video playback in the engine. This is already well documented (https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/animation/playing_videos.html), and there is now the possibility for a third-party plugin implementing MP4 to be created, but no one has done so yet. Because most video programs work with the MP4 format, this makes it cumbersome to use most video files in Godot, as they first need to be converted to Ogg Theora.
Describe the feature / enhancement and how it helps to overcome the problem or limitation
It would make it considerably simpler to use MP4 files in Godot by using an import process similar to that of the FBX format. MP4 files would not be directly used by the engine, but rather be converted behind the scenes using FFMPEG into an Ogg Theora file, and that is what would be imported and used for video playback. I believe this would not lead to any MP4 patent issues, as this would simply streamline the existing conversion workflow by making the engine convert the MP4 file, rather than the user.
Describe how your proposal will work, with code, pseudo-code, mock-ups, and/or diagrams
In the editor settings, users wishing to use this feature would provide a path to an FFMPEG binary, which could then be called by the editor to convert the video file. Using FFMPEG to convert MP4 files is already documented in the aforementioned "Playing Videos" section of the documentation, so that would likely be the command used. Extra quality settings could potentially be added to provide finer-grained control.
If this enhancement will not be used often, can it be worked around with a few lines of script?
It could be worked around with an editor plugin, either one implementing MP4 playback directly, or one performing this "conversion import".
Is there a reason why this should be core and not an add-on in the asset library?
An add-on needs to be installed for every project, and it would be nice if the most ubiquitous video format just worked out of the box in every Godot project. This would also not be a large change to the engine, as all the heavy lifting is done by FFMPEG, and this would just be a wrapper.