tinyblast/README.md

Tinyblast v1.0.0

Important!

FFmpeg is no longer bundled with Tinyblast directly in the source. In order to download the plugin with FFmpeg please go to the release page on this repo and download tinyblast_v1.0.0.zip or download it here. If you only download the source, the plugin will not work.

Overview

Tinyblast is a lightweight plugin designed to enhance Maya’s playblast workflow by converting uncompressed .avi files to compressed .mp4 files using the efficient H.264 codec. It adds a custom button to Maya's Playblast Options window, enabling users to save playblasts in the more storage-friendly .mp4 format, significantly reducing file sizes without sacrificing quality.

Features

• Playblast to MP4 Conversion: Automatically converts uncompressed .avi playblast files generated by Maya to .mp4 format using the H.264 (libx264) codec.
• Seamless Integration: Adds a custom button to Maya's Playblast Options window for quick access to conversion options.
• Improved File Size Efficiency: Compresses uncompressed .avi files, which Maya creates by default, into .mp4 files with minimal quality loss, freeing up disk space and improving workflow efficiency.

Known Limitations

• Windows Only: This release is optimized for Maya’s .avi file output on Windows. Future versions may extend support to other platforms and formats.
• Uncompressed AVI Temporary File: Tinyblast relies on Maya’s built-in playblast function, which still generates an uncompressed .avi file before converting it to .mp4. This .avi file is temporary and will be deleted by Maya after a few minutes.

Installation

1. Download and install Tinyblast.
2. Load the Plugin in Maya:
   • Navigate to Windows > Settings/Preferences > Plug-in Manager.
   • If Tinyblast.py is not listed, click Browse and locate the Tinyblast.py file.
   • Check the Loaded box to enable the plugin.
   • (Optional) Check Auto-load to automatically load the plugin every time Maya starts.
3. Access the Playblast Options window in Maya. A new "Tinyblast" button will now be available to convert playblasts to .mp4.

License

This project is licensed under the GPLv3 license.

Acknowledgments

This project uses the following third-party libraries:

• FFmpeg: Licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). FFmpeg is a powerful multimedia framework used in this project for video conversion.
• Qt6: Licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) v3. Qt is used for building the user interface of this project.
• PySide6: Licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) v3. PySide6 provides Python bindings for the Qt framework.
• Shiboken6: Licensed under the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) v3. Shiboken6 is used for generating Python bindings for Qt.

Please refer to the respective licenses for each library for more information.