概述

MP4 to GIF Conversion

Overview

Convert MP4 videos to high-quality GIFs using ffmpeg's two-pass palette method. The two-pass approach produces significantly better color quality than direct conversion.

When to Use

User wants to convert MP4 (or other video) to GIF
User needs to create GIFs from video for documentation, demos, or sharing
User asks about reducing GIF file size or improving GIF quality

Prerequisites

ffmpeg must be installed and available in PATH

Core Method

Two-pass palette-based conversion (always use this over single-pass):

# Pass 1: Generate optimized palette
ffmpeg -y -i <input> -vf "fps=15,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos,palettegen=stats_mode=diff" /tmp/palette.png

# Pass 2: Convert using palette
ffmpeg -y -i <input> -i /tmp/palette.png -lavfi "fps=15,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos [x]; [x][1:v] paletteuse=dither=bayer:bayer_scale=5:diff_mode=rectangle" <output>

Quick Reference

Parameter	Default	Effect
-----------	---------	--------
`fps`	15	Frame rate — lower = smaller file, choppier motion
`scale` width	480	Output width in px — height auto-calculated (`-1`)
`lanczos`	—	High-quality downscaling filter
`stats_mode=diff`	—	Palette optimized for frame differences (better for motion)
`dither=bayer`	—	Ordered dithering, good balance of quality/size
`bayer_scale`	5	Dither strength (0-5), higher = more dithering
`diff_mode=rectangle`	—	Only update changed regions (smaller file)

Size vs Quality Tradeoffs

Goal	Adjust
------	--------
Smaller file	Lower fps (10), smaller width (320), or trim duration
Smoother motion	Higher fps (24-30), but file size increases significantly
Better colors	Use `stats_mode=full` for static/slow content
Sharper	Increase width (640-800), costs more file size

Bundled Scripts

Two scripts are bundled alongside this SKILL.md. Use the one matching the current platform.

Windows (PowerShell) — mp4_to_gif.ps1:

& "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.ps1" -InputFile <input>                    # Defaults: 480px, 15fps
& "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.ps1" -InputFile <input> -Width 640 -Fps 20 # Custom settings
& "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.ps1" -InputFile <input> -OutputFile <output> # Custom output name

Linux / macOS (Bash) — mp4_to_gif.sh:

bash "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.sh" -i <input>                    # Defaults: 480px, 15fps
bash "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.sh" -i <input> -w 640 -f 20      # Custom settings
bash "<this-skill-dir>/mp4_to_gif.sh" -i <input> -o <output>        # Custom output name

When Claude invokes this skill, resolve to the absolute path of the directory containing this SKILL.md.

Common Mistakes

Single-pass conversion (ffmpeg -i in.mp4 out.gif) — produces terrible banding and color artifacts. Always use the two-pass palette method.
Too high fps — 30fps GIFs are massive. 15fps is usually sufficient for demos.
Too wide — 480px is good for most uses. Full 1080p GIFs are impractically large.
Forgetting to clean up palette — Delete the temporary palette.png after conversion.

版本历史

共 1 个版本

v1.0.0 当前

2026-05-21 15:11 安全安全

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