ffmpeg-transitions-effects

What this skill does

## CRITICAL GUIDELINES

### Windows File Path Requirements

**MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths**

When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes (`\`) in file paths, NOT forward slashes (`/`).

### Documentation Guidelines

**NEVER create new documentation files unless explicitly requested by the user.**

---

## Quick Reference

| Transition | Command |
|------------|---------|
| Crossfade | `[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=fade:duration=1:offset=4[v]` |
| Dissolve | `xfade=transition=dissolve:duration=1:offset=4` |
| Wipe left | `xfade=transition=wipeleft:duration=1:offset=4` |
| Circle open | `xfade=transition=circleopen:duration=1.5:offset=4` |
| Slide left | `xfade=transition=slideleft:duration=1:offset=4` |
| Fade in/out | `-vf "fade=t=in:d=1,fade=t=out:st=9:d=1"` |
| Audio crossfade | `[0:a][1:a]acrossfade=d=1[a]` |

| Offset Formula | For N clips with transition T |
|----------------|-------------------------------|
| offset1 | `clip1_duration - T` |
| offset2 | `2*duration - 2*T` |
| offsetN | `N*duration - N*T` |

## When to Use This Skill

Use for **video transition workflows**:
- Joining clips with professional transitions
- Creating slideshows from images
- Adding fade in/out effects
- Multi-clip sequence editing
- Custom transition expressions

---

# FFmpeg Transitions and Effects (2025)

Complete guide to video transitions, crossfades, and creative effects using FFmpeg.

## Transition Overview

### Available Methods

| Method | Use Case | Complexity |
|--------|----------|------------|
| xfade filter | Between two clips | Medium |
| fade filter | Single clip in/out | Simple |
| blend filter | Frame blending | Simple |
| overlay + alpha | Custom transitions | Advanced |

### xfade Transition Types

FFmpeg's xfade filter supports 40+ built-in transitions:

| Category | Transitions |
|----------|-------------|
| Fades | fade, fadeblack, fadewhite, fadegrays |
| Wipes | wipeleft, wiperight, wipeup, wipedown, wipetl, wipetr, wipebl, wipebr |
| Slides | slideleft, slideright, slideup, slidedown |
| Reveals | revealright, revealleft, revealup, revealdown |
| Pushes | horzopen, horzclose, vertopen, vertclose |
| Circles | circleopen, circleclose, circlecrop |
| Rectangles | rectcrop, hblur, radial |
| Diagonals | diagtl, diagtr, diagbl, diagbr |
| Pixel Effects | dissolve, pixelize, hlslice, hrslice, vuslice, vdslice |
| Other | zoomin, squeezeh, squeezev, hlwind, hrwind, vuwind, vdwind, coverleft, coverright, coverup, coverdown |

## Basic Fade Effects

### Fade In/Out (Single Clip)

```bash
# Fade in from black (first 2 seconds)
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 \
  -vf "fade=t=in:st=0:d=2" \
  -c:a copy \
  fade_in.mp4

# Fade out to black (last 2 seconds)
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 \
  -vf "fade=t=out:st=8:d=2" \
  -c:a copy \
  fade_out.mp4

# Both fade in and fade out
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 \
  -vf "fade=t=in:st=0:d=1,fade=t=out:st=9:d=1" \
  -c:a copy \
  fade_both.mp4

# Fade to white instead of black
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 \
  -vf "fade=t=out:st=8:d=2:color=white" \
  -c:a copy \
  fade_white.mp4
```

### Fade with Audio

```bash
# Video and audio fade in/out together
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 \
  -vf "fade=t=in:st=0:d=2,fade=t=out:st=8:d=2" \
  -af "afade=t=in:st=0:d=2,afade=t=out:st=8:d=2" \
  fade_complete.mp4

# Audio crossfade between two files
ffmpeg -i audio1.mp3 -i audio2.mp3 \
  -filter_complex "[0][1]acrossfade=d=3:c1=tri:c2=tri" \
  crossfade.mp3
```

## xfade Transitions (Between Clips)

### Basic xfade Usage

```bash
# Simple crossfade between two clips
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=fade:duration=1:offset=4[v];\
                   [0:a][1:a]acrossfade=d=1[a]" \
  -map "[v]" -map "[a]" \
  output.mp4
```

**Parameters:**
- `transition`: Type of transition effect
- `duration`: Transition duration in seconds
- `offset`: When to start transition (from first clip)

### Common Transition Effects

```bash
# Dissolve (pixel-based crossfade)
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=dissolve:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" dissolve.mp4

# Wipe left to right
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=wipeleft:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" wipe_left.mp4

# Wipe right to left
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=wiperight:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" wipe_right.mp4

# Slide left
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=slideleft:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" slide_left.mp4

# Circle open (iris)
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=circleopen:duration=1.5:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" circle_open.mp4

# Circle close
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=circleclose:duration=1.5:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" circle_close.mp4

# Radial wipe
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=radial:duration=1.5:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" radial.mp4

# Zoom in
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=zoomin:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" zoom_in.mp4

# Pixelize transition
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=pixelize:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" pixelize.mp4

# Diagonal wipe (top-left to bottom-right)
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=diagtl:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" diag_tl.mp4

# Horizontal blur
ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 \
  -filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]xfade=transition=hblur:duration=1:offset=4[v]" \
  -map "[v]" hblur.mp4
```

### All xfade Transition Types

```bash
# Fades
fade        # Standard crossfade
fadeblack   # Fade through black
fadewhite   # Fade through white
fadegrays   # Fade through gray

# Wipes
wipeleft    # Left to right wipe
wiperight   # Right to left wipe
wipeup      # Bottom to top wipe
wipedown    # Top to bottom wipe
wipetl      # Wipe from top-left corner
wipetr      # Wipe from top-right corner
wipebl      # Wipe from bottom-left corner
wipebr      # Wipe from bottom-right corner

# Slides
slideleft   # Slide new clip from right
slideright  # Slide new clip from left
slideup     # Slide new clip from bottom
slidedown   # Slide new clip from top

# Reveals
revealleft  # Reveal from right edge
revealright # Reveal from left edge
revealup    # Reveal from bottom edge
revealdown  # Reveal from top edge

# Open/Close
horzopen    # Horizontal opening (curtain)
horzclose   # Horizontal closing
vertopen    # Vertical opening
vertclose   # Vertical closing
circleopen  # Circle iris open
circleclose # Circle iris close

# Shapes
circlecrop  # Circle crop transition
rectcrop    # Rectangle crop transition
radial      # Radial/clock wipe

# Diagonals
diagtl      # Diagonal from top-left
diagtr      # Diagonal from top-right
diagbl      # Diagonal from bottom-left
diagbr      # Diagonal from bottom-right

# Pixel Effects
dissolve    # Random pixel dissolve
pixelize    # Pixelization effect
hlslice     # Horizontal left slice
hrslice     # Horizontal right slice
vuslice     # Vertical up slice
vdslice     # Vertical down slice

# Other
zoomin      # Zoom into new clip
squeezeh    # Horizontal squeeze
squeezev    # Vertical squeeze
hlwind      # Horizontal left wind
hrwind      # Horizontal right wind
vuwind      # Vertical up wind
vdwind      # Vertical down wind
coverleft   # Cover from right
coverright  # Cover from left
coverup     # Cover from bottom
coverdown   # Cover from top
```

## Multiple Clip Transitions

### Three Clips with Transitions

```bash
# Calculate offsets: clip1=5s, clip2=5s, clip3=5s, transition=1s
# offset1 = clip1_duration - transition = 5-1 = 4
# offset2 = clip1_duration + clip2_duration - 2*transition = 5+5-2 = 8

ffmpeg -i clip1.mp4 -i clip2.mp4 -i clip3.mp4 \