'What exactly is AviSynth?' - Good question!...This description is from the Avisynth Wiki:
"AviSynth is a powerful tool for video post-production. It provides ways of editing and processing videos... AviSynth works as a frameserver, providing instant editing without the need for temporary files...
AviSynth itself does not provide a graphical user interface (GUI), but instead relies on a script system that allows advanced non-linear editing."
In short, it's a video editor that uses simple text files to carry out a wide variety of video editing tasks. Once installed, it runs in the background, and instructs associated editing software - like Virtualdub2 - to treat these text scripts as actual video files!
OK, it's a bit 'geeky' - and definitely different - but AviSynth is very good at what it does - and it's essential for this project....
We need Avisynth for this project simply because most of the 'slo-mo' processing is to be carried out by 'MVTools' - which is an Avisynth 'plugin'... (..You can read more about MV Tools
HERE ..)
Fortunately we don't need to worry too much about most of the technical details described in that document ... we're simply going to copy and use an existing 'script', where all the hard work has already been done!
First things first..... you need to download and install Avisynth...
You can find a copy of the latest stable version of AviSynth by RIGHT clicking on the box below... choose 'save link as' or 'save target as' - (whichever option your browser offers) - and save the file into your new 'slomo' project folder.
Open the 'slomo' folder and locate the downloaded 'Avisynth_260.exe' file.. DOUBLE LEFT click and follow the installation instructions.
(Select the 'standard' installation option. The default installation will be in 'C: drive - Program Files')....
Now comes a slightly geeky bit.... sorry about that....
To enable AviSynth to be used for this project, we need to add two extra small utility files...
You can download them by RIGHT clicking on both boxes below, and then choosing 'save link as' or 'save target as' - whichever option your browser offers. Ignore any security warnings (these are not commonly downloaded files, but are quite safe) and save them in your 'slomo' folder. ....
These two '.dll' files need to be added into the installed AviSynth 'plugins' folder...
RIGHT click on the 'mvtools2.dll' file in your 'slomo' folder and select 'Copy' from the drop down menu...
To locate the installed Avisynth 'plugins' folder - which will be in your 'Program Files' - carry out the following sequence:
1) - Click on the Windows 'Start' button, then click on - 'Computer' from the right hand drop down menu.
2) - DOUBLE LEFT click - 'Local Disk (C:) - Program Files - AviSynth - plugins'
3) - Then RIGHT click and select 'Paste'..... The 'mvtools2.dll' file should now appear in your AviSynth 'plugins' folder.
Repeat the above sequence for the 'G-Script.dll' file.
Right - that's the worst 'geeky' bit over....Just one more thing to download...
AvsPmod -
Although Avisynth doesn't have a GUI itself, AvsPmod is a free tool that can act as a simple but effective GUI for AviSynth.
It lets you check your scripts, so you can see exactly what will happen when you run them...
Create another new folder, and call it 'AvsPmod'... Then RIGHT click on the box below and 'save link as' or 'save target as', and save the AvsPmod_v2.5.1.zip folder into your new AvsPmod folder...
As with Virtualdub2, this program is not actually installed. You just need to open the program from its unzipped folder location.
Just RIGHT click on the 'AvsPmod v2.5.1.zip' folder and 'extract all'...Untick the 'show extracted files when complete' box...
DOUBLE LEFT click on the 'AvsPmod_v2.5.1' folder...then DOUBLE LEFT click again on the 'AvsPmod' folder.
Locate the 'AvsPmod.exe' file (the one with the 'mouse' icon) - RIGHT click - and select 'Send to Desktop (create shortcut)'....
DOUBLE LEFT click on this new 'AvsPmod.exe' desktop shortcut icon to open the program window..
..From the menu bar along the top, select 'Options' and then 'Associate .avs files with AvsP'.... Accept the registry warning...close the program window. ( That last step will make editing and checking your AviSnyth scripts much easier )...
Right... that's the downloads completed!.... Time to select the 'Using AviSynth' header from below - or at the top of the page ...