David Esp Video Technical Blog

Context & Problem:

• I want a way to serve an AviSynth media stream into NLEs etc., e.g. Sony Vegas.  I have done this for years under Windows XP-SP3 (32-bit).
  • Partly just for the flexibility of having this option.
  • Partly (as explained at http://blog.davidesp.com/archives/388), as a workaround to another problem with old software under Windows 7.
• However an attempt at installation in Windows 7 failed – because (I now know) the installer is obsolete (and hence incompatible) with respect to Windows 7.
  • VFAPI requires to be installed, via .bat/.inf files, so that for example it appears in the Registry.
  • But the installer fails under Windows 7.  It is compatible with XP but not Windows 7 (or Vista).
  • It is possible to manually “hack-install” VFAPI into Windows 7, but that causes me anxiety…

Possible Solutions:

• Possibly the tricks reported at  http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=750967 (which in any case is a great article about motion-estimation-based slow-motion in AviSynth) might get VFAPI working on my W7 system.
• Or there may be a better way…AVSP
  • Instead, use AVFS – AviSynth Virtual File System: http://avf.sourceforge.net/
  • To simplify life, there is a single download (zip file) of a suite of apps & plugins associated with AViSynth at http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech3/amvapp.html.  This suite used to include VFAPI and now instead includes AVFS.

Searching for a Solution:

• VFAPI is obsolete.
  • http://doom10.org/index.php?topic=1115.0;wap2
    • poisondeathray: avfs works for me with vegas.
    • other frameservers:
      • vfapi (depreciated , but some people still use it for vegas)
      • makeavis (in ffdshow)
  • http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=98995
    • (Seems I’m not the only one to have the installation problem)
    • I’m using Windows 7. I just started using it. It’s actually weird I just tried vfapi and I can’t even get it to install.
    • (This posting also points to the solution, “AVFS”, covered more fully further below)
• VFAPI can be manually-installed (registry hacks etc.) – Google: [vfapi “windows 7”]
  • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=151320
    • “Redguy” (Nov 2010)  got it working under Windows Vista, through a combination of modified [.inf] files (plural) and some manual Registry-hacking.
    • Sounds good, but how well would this transfer to Windows 7?  Don’t want to harm my system!
      • I asked Redguy (by private message on Doom9) whether he had tried it on Windows 7.
      • I also posted a question on Sony Vegas Forum
        • http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=775838
          • One (immediate) reply: “Windows 7 is very very close to Vista”
          • Nick Hope: There may be some clues starting with goodrichm’s post of 12/10/2010 2:47:40 AM in this thread: http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=750967.
            • I note that goodrichm’s system spec includes “Win7 64bit”.
• A workaround – open it in VirtualDub – had to reinstall AviSynth first:
  • Tried opening a avisynth script file (.avs) in VirtualDub 1.9.11 (32-bit).
    • But it refused the file, with error: “AVI Import Filter error: (Unknown) (80040154)”
    • Googled that error message [AVI Import Filter error: (Unknown) (80040154)]:
      • http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/302249-VirtualDub-AVI-Import-Filter-error-(Unknown)-80040154
      • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=149764
      • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=148405
      • But some of the advice at these links are just wild guesses and in some cases refer to ancient beta versions of Windows 7.
    • I am running AviSynth version 2.5.8
    • Uninstalled it and reinstalled, this time version 2.5.7.
  • Tried again, following fresh install (of 2.5.7 this time):
    • Now it opens fine in VirtualDub.
    • (Maybe other versions of AviSynth also?  Maybe just needed a clean reinstall?)
• Is there an alternative frameserving virtual-AVI to VFAPI ?
  • Several
    • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=94776
      • JoeH:
        • Link2 – Works most of the time, but you have to just guess what settings will work. For different files encoded similarly, one will work only with RGB32, another only with YV12, etc.
        • AVFS – Works, but with LOTS of overhead in memory and processing
        • VirtualDub
        • VFAPI
      • poisondeathray (Jan 2010):
        • In my experience, AVFS is the only reliable way.
  • AVFS
    • http://www.animemusicvideos.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=98995
      • Zarxrax (Sun Mar 14, 2010):
        • “VFAPI didn’t work all that well. AVFS works pretty much perfectly.”
        • “It does not convert to RGB, it passes your avs scripts exactly as they are.” (unlike VFAPI, which always converted to RGB)
    • http://www.turtlewar.org/avfs/
    • http://avf.sourceforge.net/
    • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=133313
      • Makes use of Pismo File Mount
        • http://www.pismotechnic.com/pfm/
    • http://www.animemusicvideos.org/guides/avtech3/amvapp.html
      • A suite (zip file) of AviSynth and useful associated plugins and apps etc., as used in the guides for which this site is a repository.
      • Includes an Adobe Premiere AVS Plugin, presumably enabling Premiere to directly read AviSynth scripts (as .avs files).
    • http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=162006
      • AviSynth Virtual File System is way slower on my system than the other two tools. But it also is much more compatible with other applications.
      • I will probably stick to VFAPI…

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 3rd, 2011 at 12:21 and is filed under AviSynth, Premiere, VFAPI, VirtualDub, Windows 7. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.