ffmpeg - convert image sequence to video with reversed order

Question

Looking at the docs, it is not apparent to me whether ffmpeg would allow me to convert an image sequence to a video in reverse order, for example using this sequence:

frame-1000.jpg
frame-999.jpg
frame-998.jpg
...
frame-1.jpg

Is it possible to give a "step direction" for the frame indices?

score 12 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 08 '16 at 04:55

12

Due to happenstance of your naming scheme, you're in luck.

FFmpeg's image sequence demuxer has a start number option and I've confirmed that it accepts negative values.

So,

ffmpeg -start_number -1000 -i frame%d.jpg reversed.mp4

Here the '-' has to be interpreted as part of the number series, so it's frame%d and not frame-%d.

answered Nov 08 '16 at 04:55

Gyan

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I'm looking for this terribly, but this is not working with my Entangled files: capture000447.jpg to capture000000.jpg :( – Henrique de Sousa Mar 17 '20 at 21:18
Share full log. – Gyan Mar 18 '20 at 05:28
If your frames have the format `frame0001.jpg, frame0002.jpg, ...` and you have ubuntu, you can simple rename the files in a batch by replacing `frame` with `frame-`. – Nagabhushan S N Jul 04 '23 at 08:25

DJ Quardaboff · Answer 2 · 2018-03-28T18:17:36.593

10

There is a reverse video filter, so something like

ffmpeg -i frame-%d.jpg -vf reverse reversed.mp4

would work also.

edited Mar 28 '18 at 18:17

answered Apr 08 '17 at 23:35

DJ Quardaboff

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Be aware that the reverse filter buffers the entire decoded image sequence in memory. – Gyan Apr 26 '18 at 13:28
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This results in corrupted video file for me. – Lewy Blue Oct 01 '19 at 03:31
Seems to work well, at least for short videos – Anselan Feb 23 '22 at 08:09

ffmpeg - convert image sequence to video with reversed order

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