Automate GIF Creation with Charm VHS

Summary

Welcome to the charm YouTube channel, where we introduce VHS, a tool for programmatically generating GIFs from terminal sessions. VHS utilizes ffmpeg and allows customization of output formats, font size, and themes. The tutorial covers installation, basic commands, and creating GIFs with examples like 'glow'. It showcases advanced usage with 'hide' for setup and teardown, and complex cutscenes. Explore more examples on our GitHub and join our Discord for updates.

Takeaways

• 📼 VHS is a tool for programmatically generating GIFs from terminal sessions.
• 🎞 It utilizes a 'tape' file to define what should be shown in the GIF.
• 💻 VHS is built on top of ffmpeg, supporting various output formats like GIF, MP4, and ASCII.
• 🛠️ Installation requires ttyd and ffmpeg, with potential updates to package managers like brew or apt.
• 📝 Basic VHS commands include specifying output file names, required programs, recording settings, and the ability to hide and show commands.
• 🔧 The 'hide' command is useful for setting up and tearing down processes that should not be visible in the final GIF.
• 🌟 The script provides examples of creating GIFs with VHS, including a simple 'glow' example and a more complex one with multiple 'cutscenes'.
• 🖼️ The 'glow' example demonstrates how to generate a GIF showing the usage of the 'glow' markdown viewer.
• 📑 The complex example features jump cuts and precise control over typing speeds to create a polished GIF.
• 🔗 The video provides links to GitHub, examples, and the Discord community for further engagement and support.

Q & A

What is VHS and what does it do?

VHS is a tool that allows users to programmatically generate GIFs. It works by creating a tape file that dictates what to show and what not to show, enabling the creation of GIFs or other formats from terminal sessions or CLI projects.

What are the different outputs supported by VHS?

VHS supports various outputs including GIF, MP4, and ASCII, among others. This is possible because it utilizes ffmpeg under the hood for its functionalities.

How can one install VHS?

To install VHS, you need to install ttyd and ffmpeg first. If there are version issues with ttyd, updating the package manager might be necessary. The specific installation steps are detailed in the VHS README on GitHub.

What is a tape file in the context of VHS?

A tape file in VHS is a configuration file that tells the tool when to type and what to display or hide in the generated GIF or other output formats.

What recording settings can be adjusted in VHS?

In VHS, you can adjust various recording settings such as font size and theme to customize the appearance of the generated GIF or other output files.

What is the purpose of the 'hide' directive in VHS?

The 'hide' directive in VHS is used to run commands that should not be shown in the final output, such as setup and teardown processes during recording.

Can you provide an example of using the 'hide' directive in VHS?

Yes, an example given is building a Go program first and then deleting the binary after demonstrating it. The build process can be hidden using the 'hide' directive, showing only the running of the binary in the output.

What does the 'show' directive do in VHS?

The 'show' directive in VHS is used to resume showing all commands and outputs to the recording after a 'hide' directive has been used.

How can VHS be used to create a GIF of the glow text editor?

VHS can be used to create a GIF of the glow text editor by scripting the actions within the tape file, such as opening a markdown file, navigating the menu, and exiting glow. The script can also include 'sleep' commands to control the pace of the recording.

What is a complex example of VHS usage mentioned in the script?

A complex example mentioned is creating a GIF for the glow text editor with multiple cutscenes, which involves using the 'hide' directive to create these scenes and meticulously controlling the timing and actions shown in the final GIF.

How can I find more examples of VHS in action?

More examples of VHS can be found in the charmbracelet VHS GitHub repository, particularly in the README file, and also by checking out the bubble tea repo where GIFs were generated using VHS.