Tutorial using Frameserver for encoding with GPU/x264/x265/VP9

[Nowinskit]

So this will demonstrate how to configure frameserver through Vegas Movie Studio 13 to use it to export video project and do final encoding with external encoder instead of Movie Studio Templates. You can use software which have GPU encoding or even x264/x265 ones to produce higher quality if that is a concern. Mainconcept Template has around same quality than x264 veryfast preset, so if Mainconcept quality is not good enough for your taste you can go through x264 slower preset which will give you a much better quality per bitrate ratio against Mainconcept.

In this sample i used A's video converter(encoder software) to demonstrate encoding with Frameserver, but you can use Megui/Ffmpeg for x264/x265 or even VP9 in Ffmpeg.

https://youtu.be/gOdVNsr_Ssk

[😎Macula😎]

I am kinda new to some of these things so these questions might sound stupid.

What exactly Frameserver does? It copy without encoding?

I noticed I can choose choose which codec to use in Video for Windows options but is it that bad in comparison to this way of encoding?

Like the A's video converter I am suprised I haven't heard of it earlier.

[Nowinskit]

Yes frameserver dont compress it, just export lossless file.

There has some limitations in Video for Windows template, like encoding x264 over .avi whic is not the best choice since x264 is better suited for mp4/mkv containers. Yet Frameserver is only way to encode with GPU ASIC's in 3rd party encoders like A's.

A's video converter is for GPU encoding NVENC,VCE,Quicksync.. For CPU encoding you should use some other software for x264/x265/VP9.

[😎Macula😎]

Originally posted by Nowinskit:

Yes frameserver dont compress it, just export lossless file.

There has some limitations in Video for Windows template, like encoding x264 over .avi whic is not the best choice since x264 is better suited for mp4/mkv containers. Yet Frameserver is only way to encode with GPU ASIC's in 3rd party encoders like A's.

A's video converter is for GPU encoding NVENC,VCE,Quicksync.. For CPU encoding you should use some other software for x264/x265/VP9.

Hmm I guess I gonna look into frameserver then... I already have some stuff like avisynth installed so it shouldn't be difficult for me.

As for A's yea that is why I like it, many people want to do encoding through GPU simply because its faster so its nice incentive for others as well to try this.

Ever since I got myself Vegas Movie Studio I been bombarded by all kinds of stuff I even came across frameserver to even look its description let alone get it not to even mention having that question mark above my head about if vegas even supports it.

[😎Macula😎]

Well I finally came around to check this out for specific project but it doesn't give me option for frameserver in save part.

Does it have to be specific type of video file or did I do something wrong?

Also I noticed you didn't go in more detail when it asks where to save plugin (while installing frameserver) you kinda skiped that step.

EDIT:
Nevermind I found out what I was doing wrong.

My mistake was when I edited that config file I wrote "fsplug-" "instead of fsplug=" which resulted in frameserver not show up on list. I don't know how I goof that one up.

[Nowinskit]

Frameserver is designed to install automatically for Vegas Pro only, and the plugin destination during installation do anyhting for Movie Studio, you can select MS main folder for plugin destination. Thats why i showing how to install manually the plugin inside Movie Studio folder and editing it to make Frameserver works with MS.

Good to know you find out the problem and make it work.

[😎Macula😎]

Well note to self always turn on GPU acceleration in movie studio preferences otherwise it won't matter how fast A's Video Converter is lol.

Also I would like to add that you can use 64 bit converter despite the fact Frameserver works on 32 bit only.

Trick is AVFS (Avisynth Virtual File System) http://turtlewar.org/avfs/

You need to install Pismo File Mount and then download AVFS and unzip and place it under any folder name in C: I called folder AVFS myself.

Then you can right click on (note you already need to have frameserving up as well as avisynth script ready before this) already made Avisynth script (.avs)>open with>choose program
then uncheck "Always use selected program to open this kind of file" and then click on browse navigate to folder where you unziped AVFS and click on open AVFS.exe.

After that cmd window will open just minimize it for now after that you can open video converter of your choice and then click to open source video file only this time navigate to C: and find folder called Volumes and in there you will find files generated by AVFS just for this case choose AVI file and then you know the rest process video and after you finished you can bring back that cmd that you minimized earlier and press CTRL+C (it will even have it written on cmd) or just close cmd window it shouldn't matter.

After you did this next time you want to use AVFS you only need to do right click on .avs script>open with>Avisynth Virtual File System and cmd window will open again.

Like I said this allows you to work with 64 bit converters (even handbrake 64 bit if you only use intel quicksync only) and etc. however you will need 32 bit avisynth of course.

[Nowinskit]

Nice information about 64 bit compatibility for frameserver.

If using some type of video FX or transitions which need GPU acceleration then you will need GPU on in Vegas preferences. Without GPU acceleration CPU alone take many time more to process GPU accelerated features. If doing some rendering which dont take effects which use GPU acceleration then even with GPU off in preference performance will be ok.

[😎Macula😎]

That explains the need for GPU acceleration from MSP13 side I was testing some color corrections and side by side split image to show diffrences between original and modified so no wonder I had problems.

I bumped into AVFS while I was researching possibility to use handbrake and then I realised on the way that I can use 64bit with this from some forum posts.

Too bad handbrake doesn't support AMD acceleration.

[Nowinskit]

Rendering in simple explanation has 2 process stages instead of only one from a common encoding for example. In rendering the first stage build the frame in a raw(lossless) way, it will do any image modification you make.

If you apply effects or create split screen with many videos or add text or anything which modify the single original frame with new information on it. So for that stage editors use GPU acceleration to help implement some of these modifications which use GPU accceleration like applying effects, composition.

After the final creation of the frame then its send to second and final stage which is the encoder for output video. In frameserver we just changing the built in encoder templates and sending these frames outside in lossless to be encoded in different encoder.

For old GPU's beyond the GPU acceleration for "first stage" rendering mainconcept use GPU CUDA and OpenCL to make encode too, so GPU is used for both stage process. With new GPU's only way to do GPU encoding is doing it outside Vegas.