JosiahSiegel/ffmpeg-stabilization-360

CRITICAL GUIDELINES

Windows File Path Requirements

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

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Quick Reference

| Task | Filter | Command Pattern | |------|--------|-----------------| | Basic stabilization | deshake | -vf deshake | | VidStab (2-pass) | vidstab | See two-pass workflow | | OpenCL stabilization | deshake_opencl | -vf deshake_opencl | | 360 projection | v360 | -vf v360=e:c3x2 | | Ken Burns effect | zoompan | -vf zoompan=z='...' | | Lens correction | lenscorrection | -vf lenscorrection=k1=... |

When to Use This Skill

Use for motion correction and VR workflows:

• Stabilizing shaky handheld footage
• Action camera (GoPro, DJI) processing
• Drone video smoothing
• 360/VR video format conversion
• Creating zoom/pan effects
• Correcting lens distortion

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FFmpeg Stabilization & 360 Video (2025)

Comprehensive guide to video stabilization, VR processing, and motion effects.

Video Stabilization

deshake - Basic Stabilization

Built-in single-pass stabilization filter.

# Basic stabilization
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 -vf "deshake" stable.mp4

# With custom parameters
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 -vf "deshake=x=-1:y=-1:w=-1:h=-1:rx=16:ry=16" stable.mp4

# Strong stabilization
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 -vf "deshake=rx=64:ry=64:edge=mirror" stable.mp4

Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Default | Range | |-----------|-------------|---------|-------| | x, y | Motion search start | -1 (auto) | 0-width/height | | w, h | Motion search size | -1 (auto) | 0-width/height | | rx, ry | Maximum shift | 16 | 0-64 | | edge | Edge handling | mirror | blank, original, clamp, mirror | | blocksize | Block size for motion search | 8 | 4-128 | | contrast | Contrast threshold | 125 | 1-255 | | search | Search method | exhaustive | exhaustive, less |

Edge modes:

• blank - Fill edges with black
• original - Keep original edge pixels
• clamp - Clamp to edge values
• mirror - Mirror edge pixels (usually best)

deshake_opencl - GPU-Accelerated Stabilization

Faster stabilization using OpenCL.

# OpenCL stabilization
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 \
  -vf "hwupload,deshake_opencl,hwdownload,format=yuv420p" \
  stable.mp4

# With custom parameters
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 \
  -vf "hwupload,deshake_opencl=tripod=0:smooth=9:adaptive_crop=1,hwdownload,format=yuv420p" \
  stable.mp4

VidStab - Professional Two-Pass Stabilization

VidStab provides the highest quality stabilization using a two-pass approach.

Pass 1: Analyze motion

# Analyze video and save transform data
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 \
  -vf "vidstabdetect=stepsize=6:shakiness=8:accuracy=9:result=transforms.trf" \
  -f null -

Pass 2: Apply transforms

# Apply stabilization with transforms
ffmpeg -i shaky.mp4 \
  -vf "vidstabtransform=input=transforms.trf:zoom=1:smoothing=30" \
  stable.mp4

vidstabdetect Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Default | Range | |-----------|-------------|---------|-------| | stepsize | Step size for motion estimation | 6 | 1-32 | | shakiness | Shakiness amount (higher = more analysis) | 5 | 1-10 | | accuracy | Detection accuracy | 15 | 1-15 | | result | Output transform file | transforms.trf | filename | | show | Visualize detection | 0 | 0-2 |

vidstabtransform Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Default | Range | |-----------|-------------|---------|-------| | input | Transform file | transforms.trf | filename | | smoothing | Smoothing frames (higher = smoother) | 10 | 0-100 | | zoom | Zoom percentage | 0 | -100 to 100 | | optzoom | Optimal zoom calculation | 1 | 0-2 | | zoomspeed | Max zoom change per frame | 0.25 | 0-5 | | crop | Cropping mode | keep | keep, black | | relative | Transform type | 1 | 0-1 | | tripod | Tripod mode (fixed position) | 0 | 0-1 |

Complete VidStab workflow:

#!/bin/bash
# Professional stabilization workflow

INPUT="$1"
OUTPUT="${1%.*}_stabilized.mp4"

echo "Pass 1: Analyzing motion..."
ffmpeg -i "$INPUT" \
  -vf "vidstabdetect=stepsize=6:shakiness=8:accuracy=15:result=transforms.trf" \
  -f null -

echo "Pass 2: Applying stabilization..."
ffmpeg -i "$INPUT" \
  -vf "vidstabtransform=input=transforms.trf:smoothing=30:zoom=2:optzoom=1" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow \
  -c:a copy \
  "$OUTPUT"

rm transforms.trf
echo "Stabilized: $OUTPUT"

Stabilization Comparison

| Method | Quality | Speed | GPU | Use Case | |--------|---------|-------|-----|----------| | deshake | Good | Fast | No | Quick fixes | | deshake_opencl | Good | Very Fast | Yes | Quick fixes with GPU | | vidstab (2-pass) | Best | Slow | No | Professional work |

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360/VR Video Processing

v360 - 360 Video Projection Conversion

Converts between various 360 video projections.

# Equirectangular to Cubemap 3x2
ffmpeg -i equirect.mp4 -vf "v360=e:c3x2" cubemap.mp4

# Equirectangular to Cubemap 6x1
ffmpeg -i equirect.mp4 -vf "v360=e:c6x1" cubemap_6x1.mp4

# Cubemap to Equirectangular
ffmpeg -i cubemap.mp4 -vf "v360=c3x2:e" equirect.mp4

# Equirectangular to EAC (YouTube format)
ffmpeg -i equirect.mp4 -vf "v360=e:eac" youtube_360.mp4

# Dual fisheye to Equirectangular
ffmpeg -i dual_fisheye.mp4 -vf "v360=dfisheye:e:ih_fov=190:iv_fov=190" equirect.mp4

Input/Output Projections: | Code | Projection | Description | |------|------------|-------------| | e | Equirectangular | Standard 360 format (2:1 ratio) | | c3x2 | Cubemap 3x2 | 3 faces wide, 2 high | | c6x1 | Cubemap 6x1 | 6 faces in a row | | c1x6 | Cubemap 1x6 | 6 faces in a column | | eac | Equi-Angular Cubemap | YouTube 360 format | | dfisheye | Dual Fisheye | Two circular fisheye images | | sg | Stereographic | Low distortion projection | | flat | Flat/Rectilinear | Normal perspective view | | barrel | Barrel | Barrel split | | fb | Facebook | Facebook 360 format |

Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Example | |-----------|-------------|---------| | id_fov | Input diagonal FOV | id_fov=195 | | ih_fov, iv_fov | Input H/V FOV | ih_fov=190:iv_fov=190 | | yaw, pitch, roll | Rotation angles | yaw=90:pitch=0 | | w, h | Output size | w=4096:h=2048 | | interp | Interpolation | nearest, linear, cubic, lanczos |

360 Video Rotation and Reframing

# Rotate 360 video 90 degrees
ffmpeg -i input_360.mp4 -vf "v360=e:e:yaw=90" rotated.mp4

# Tilt view up
ffmpeg -i input_360.mp4 -vf "v360=e:e:pitch=-30" tilted.mp4

# Extract flat view from 360
ffmpeg -i 360_video.mp4 \
  -vf "v360=e:flat:h_fov=120:v_fov=90:yaw=45:pitch=-10:w=1920:h=1080" \
  flat_extract.mp4

Stereoscopic 360 Processing

# Split top-bottom stereo to left eye only
ffmpeg -i stereo_tb.mp4 -vf "v360=e:e:in_stereo=tb:out_stereo=2d" left_eye.mp4

# Convert side-by-side to top-bottom
ffmpeg -i stereo_sbs.mp4 -vf "v360=e:e:in_stereo=sbs:out_stereo=tb" stereo_tb.mp4

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Ken Burns and Zoom Effects

zoompan - Pan and Zoom Animation

Creates Ken Burns style effects on still images or video.

# Basic zoom in on center
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.jpg -t 5 \
  -vf "zoompan=z='min(zoom+0.001,1.5)':d=125" \
  -c:v libx264 zoom_in.mp4

# Zoom in from top-left to center
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.jpg -t 5 \
  -vf "zoompan=z='min(zoom+0.001,1.5)':x='iw/2-(iw/zoom/2)':y='ih/2-(ih/zoom/2)':d=125:s=1920x1080" \
  ken_burns.mp4

# Pan across image
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.jpg -t 10 \
  -vf "zoompan=z=1.3:x='if(gte(x,iw-iw/zoom),0,x+1)':y='ih/2-(ih/zoom/2)':d=1:s=1920x1080" \
  pan.mp4

# Zoom out
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i image.jpg -t 5 \
  -vf "zoompan=z='if(lte(zoom,1.0),1.5,max(1.001,zoom-0.002))':d=125:s=1920x1080" \
  zoom_out.mp4

Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Example | |-----------|-------------|---------| | z | Zoom factor expression | z='min(zoom+0.001,1.5)' | | x, y | Pan position expression | x='iw/2' | | d | Duration per image (frames) | d=125 | | s | Output size | s=1920x1080 | | fps | Output frame rate | fps=30 |

Useful expressions:

• zoom - Current zoom value
• pzoom - Previous zoom value
• iw, ih - Input width/height
• on - Output frame number

Animated Slideshow Example

# Create slideshow with Ken Burns
ffmpeg -loop 1 -t 5 -i img1.jpg \
       -loop 1 -t 5 -i img2.jpg \
       -loop 1 -t 5 -i img3.jpg \
  -filter_complex "\
    [0:v]zoompan=z='min(zoom+0.001,1.3)':x='iw/2-(iw/zoom/2)':y='ih/2-(ih/zoom/2)':d=150:s=1920x1080:fps=30[v0];\
    [1:v]zoompan=z=1.3:x='if(gte(x,iw-iw/zoom),0,x+2)':y='ih/2-(ih/zoom/2)':d=150:s=1920x1080:fps=30[v1];\
    [2:v]zoompan=z='1.3-0.002*on':d=150:s=1920x1080:fps=30[v2];\
    [v0][v1]xfade=transition=fade:duration=1:offset=4[x1];\
    [x1][v2]xfade=transition=fade:duration=1:offset=8[out]" \
  -map "[out]" slideshow.mp4

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Lens Correction

lenscorrection - Barrel/Pincushion Correction

Corrects lens distortion mathematically.

# Correct barrel distortion
ffmpeg -i distorted.mp4 -vf "lenscorrection=k1=-0.2:k2=-0.05" corrected.mp4

# Correct pincushion distortion
ffmpeg -i distorted.mp4 -vf "lenscorrection=k1=0.2:k2=0.05" corrected.mp4

# With center offset
ffmpeg -i distorted.mp4 -vf "lenscorrection=cx=0.5:cy=0.5:k1=-0.2:k2=-0.05" corrected.mp4

Parameters: | Parameter | Description | Default | Range | |-----------|-------------|---------|-------| | cx, cy | Center position | 0.5 | 0-1 | | k1 | Primary coefficient | 0 | -1 to 1 | | k2 | Secondary coefficient | 0 | -1 to 1 | | i | Interpolation | bilinear | nearest, bilinear |

Tips for finding coefficients:

• Barrel distortion (fisheye): negative k1 (-0.1 to -0.5)
• Pincushion distortion: positive k1 (0.1 to 0.5)
• Start with k2=0, adjust k1 first

lensfun - Database-Driven Lens Correction

Uses the lensfun database for automatic lens correction.

# Auto-detect lens from metadata
ffmpeg -i photo.jpg -vf "lensfun=make=Canon:model=EOS 5D Mark II:lens_model=Canon EF 24-70mm" corrected.jpg

# With specific parameters
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -vf "lensfun=make=GoPro:model=HERO10:mode=geometry" corrected.mp4

Requires: lensfun library and database installed

perspective - Perspective Correction

Corrects keystone/perspective distortion.

# Correct perspective with four corner points
# Map corners: (x0,y0)-(x1,y1)-(x2,y2)-(x3,y3) to rectangle
ffmpeg -i skewed.mp4 \
  -vf "perspective=x0=100:y0=50:x1=1820:y1=80:x2=0:y2=1030:x3=1920:y3=1000:interpolation=linear" \
  corrected.mp4

# Interactive: find coordinates with test overlay first
ffmpeg -i skewed.mp4 -vf "drawgrid=w=100:h=100:c=red" grid_overlay.mp4

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Common Workflows

Action Camera Processing

# GoPro footage: stabilize + lens correct + encode
ffmpeg -i GOPR0001.MP4 \
  -vf "lenscorrection=k1=-0.2:k2=-0.05,vidstabdetect=shakiness=8:result=gopro.trf" \
  -f null -

ffmpeg -i GOPR0001.MP4 \
  -vf "lenscorrection=k1=-0.2:k2=-0.05,vidstabtransform=input=gopro.trf:smoothing=20:zoom=5" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 \
  gopro_processed.mp4

Drone Footage Processing

# DJI footage: stabilize and enhance
ffmpeg -i DJI_0001.MP4 \
  -vf "vidstabdetect=shakiness=5:stepsize=6:result=drone.trf" -f null -

ffmpeg -i DJI_0001.MP4 \
  -vf "vidstabtransform=input=drone.trf:smoothing=40:zoom=2,eq=contrast=1.1:saturation=1.2" \
  -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset slow \
  drone_processed.mp4

360 Camera to Flat Video

# Extract interesting view from 360 footage
ffmpeg -i insta360.mp4 \
  -vf "v360=e:flat:h_fov=110:v_fov=70:yaw=45:pitch=-15:w=1920:h=1080,deshake" \
  flat_view.mp4

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Best Practices

1. VidStab for quality - Two-pass is slower but much better than deshake
2. Allow zoom headroom - Stabilization needs room to crop
3. Match frame rates - Ensure consistent fps before and after
4. GPU when available - Use deshake_opencl for speed
5. Test coefficients - Lens correction needs experimentation
6. Preserve 360 metadata - Use -map_metadata 0 for VR videos

This guide covers stabilization and 360 processing for 2025. For hardware acceleration, see ffmpeg-hardware-acceleration. For filters and effects, see ffmpeg-filter-complex-patterns.