Python scripts to generate tooltip thumbnail images for videos (e.g. mp4,m4v) & associated WebVTT files for use with JWPlayer. Written for MacOSX 10.9, Python 2.7, JWPlayer 6 but should be portable to all major OS's.

Python script to generate thumbnail images for a video, put them into an grid-style sprite, and create a Web VTT file that maps the sprite images to the video segments.

Required dependencies (expected in PATH):

• ffmpeg download here
• imagemagick download here or here or on Mac, use Macports:

  sudo port install ImageMagick

Optional dependencies for better image compression:

• sips (part of MAC OSX)

Reference Articles:

• http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/jw-player/31804/basic-tooltip-thumbs
• http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/jw-player/31778/adding-tooltip-thumbnails/

Sample Usage:

python makesprites.py /path/to/myvideofile.mp4

You may want to customize the the following variables in makesprites.py:

USE_SIPS = True         # True if using MacOSX (creates slightly smaller sprites), else set to False to use ImageMagick resizing
THUMB_RATE_SECONDS=45   # every Nth second take a snapshot of the video (tested with 30,45,60)
THUMB_WIDTH=100         # 100-150 is width recommended by JWPlayer, smaller size = smaller sprite for user to download

And just for reference, here's a simplified version of my JWPlayer javascript that links the VTT file to my videos (which are listed in an external SMIL file).

<script>
jwplayer('player1').setup({
    width: '100%',
    aspectratio: "711:400",
    primary: "flash",
    playlist: [{
        sources: [{
            file: "/video/smil/153/",
            type: "rtmp",
        }],
        tracks:[{
            file: "http://www.myserver.com/static/inc/th/myvideofile_thumbs.vtt",
            kind: "thumbnails"
        }]
    }]
});
</script>

And a sample of a generated WebVTT file.

WEBVTT

Img 1
00:00:22.000 --> 00:01:07.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=0,0,100,56

Img 2
00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:52.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=100,0,100,56

Img 3
00:01:52.000 --> 00:02:37.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=200,0,100,56

Img 4
00:02:37.000 --> 00:03:22.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=300,0,100,56

Img 5
00:03:22.000 --> 00:04:07.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=400,0,100,56

Img 6
00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:52.000
myvideofile_sprite.jpg#xywh=500,0,100,56

Sample wrapper script for batch processing a bunch of videos, to make sprites & VTT files for each one, then copy them to a target folder, where they will be web-accessible by JWPlayer track URL. Note - this URL must use same domain as your webserver (per JWPlayer). (In development, you can modify your /etc/hosts file to point localhost.yourdomain.com to 127.0.0.1 to see sprites in action, assuming your local web server is configured to serve static files from this directory.)

Expects a file name as input. File should be simple text file containing a list of video files (with fully qualified paths or relative paths from script directory). It generates thumbnails/sprites for each video, then copies the sprite & vtt file to a destination folder defined in the OUTPUT_FOLDER variable.

Usage:

python batchsprites.py filelist.txt
python batchsprites.py filelist.txt 20  #override default THUMB_RATE_SECONDS to take snapshot every 20 seconds

Sample filelist.txt contents:

/Users/vlanard/biz/video/video1_circ5.mp4
../../archive/an/video1_circ1n2_wc_1500.m4v
../../archive/an/video1_circ1n4_wc_1500.m4v
../../archive/an/video1_circ2n3_wc_1500.m4v
../../archive/an/video1_circ3n4_wc_1500.m4v