Sharp Frames Python

Extract and select the sharpest frames from videos or directories of images using advanced sharpness scoring algorithms. Features a modern text-based interface for easy configuration and powerful command-line options for automation.

Installation

pip install sharp-frames

Or with pipx for isolated installation:

pipx install sharp-frames

IMPORTANT: Video Processing Requirement: Install an FFmpeg distribution that includes both ffmpeg and ffprobe. Both executables must be on PATH; image-directory processing does not require them.

• Windows: Download from FFmpeg website and add to PATH
• macOS: brew install ffmpeg
• Linux: sudo apt install ffmpeg

HDR-to-SDR extraction additionally requires an FFmpeg build with the zscale filter (libzimg). You can verify support with ffmpeg -filters | grep zscale. Non-HDR video processing does not require zscale.

Quick Start

Modern Interface (Default)

sharp-frames

Launches an intuitive step-by-step wizard for configuring your processing options.

Direct Processing

sharp-frames input_video.mp4 output_folder
sharp-frames image_directory output_folder

Usage Modes

Interactive Configuration

• Fancy UI: sharp-frames (default) - Step-by-step with validation
• Legacy: sharp-frames --interactive - Terminal prompts for all options

Direct Processing

sharp-frames <input> <output> [options]

Input Types:

• Video files: .mp4, .avi, .mov, .mkv, .wmv, .flv, .webm, .m4v, .3gp, .3g2, .ogv, .ts, .mts, .m2ts, .mpg, .mpeg, .vob
• Video directories: Processes all videos in a folder
• Image directories: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .bmp, .tif, .tiff, .webp, .ppm, .pgm, .pbm

Selection Methods

Best-N (Default)

Selects a target number of the sharpest frames while maintaining distribution across the source.

--selection-method best-n --num-frames 300 --min-buffer 3

Batched

Divides content into batches and selects the sharpest frame from each batch.

--selection-method batched --batch-size 5 --batch-buffer 2

Outlier Detection

Removes unusually blurry frames by comparing each frame to its neighbors.

--selection-method outlier-removal --outlier-window-size 15 --outlier-sensitivity 60

Command Line Options

Basic Options

• --fps <int>: Frame extraction rate for videos (default: 10)
• --format <jpg|png>: Output image format (default: jpg)
• --width <int>: Resize width in pixels, maintains aspect ratio (default: 0, no resize)
• --force-overwrite: Overwrite existing output files without confirmation

Selection Method Parameters

• --num-frames <int>: Number of frames to select (best-n, default: 300)
• --min-buffer <int>: Minimum number of intervening frames between selected frames (best-n, default: 3)
• --batch-size <int>: Frames per batch (batched, default: 5)
• --batch-buffer <int>: Frames to skip between batches (batched, default: 2)
• --outlier-window-size <int>: Local comparison window, minimum 5 (outlier-removal, default: 15)
• --outlier-sensitivity <int>: Detection sensitivity 0-100 (outlier-removal, default: 60)

Examples

Video Processing

# Default settings
sharp-frames video.mp4 output_frames

# Custom frame rate and selection
sharp-frames video.mp4 output --fps 15 --num-frames 500

# Batch selection with resizing
sharp-frames video.mp4 output --selection-method batched --width 1920

# Process all videos in a directory
sharp-frames video_folder output_frames --fps 5

Image Processing

# Select best images from directory
sharp-frames image_folder selected_images --num-frames 100

# Remove blurry images
sharp-frames photos selected --selection-method outlier-removal --outlier-sensitivity 75

Features

• Smart File Validation: Automatic format detection with helpful error messages
• Textual Interface: Step-by-step wizard with real-time validation and help system
• Flexible Input: Process single videos, video directories, or image directories
• Multiple Algorithms: Three selection methods optimized for different use cases
• Real-time Progress: Live progress tracking for all processing stages
• Parallel Processing: Multi-core sharpness calculation for faster processing
• Image Resizing: Optional width-based resizing with aspect ratio preservation
• Safe Operation: Validates paths, permissions, and file formats before processing
• Comprehensive Output: Selected files plus detailed metadata JSON

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or higher
• Dependencies installed automatically: opencv-python, numpy, tqdm, textual, textual-image
• FFmpeg and FFprobe (for video processing only)
• FFmpeg zscale/libzimg support (for HDR-to-SDR processing only)

How It Works

1. Validation: Checks input paths, file formats, and system dependencies
2. Extraction: Videos are extracted to frames at specified FPS using FFmpeg
3. Analysis: Normalizes analysis resolution, lightly denoises each image, and combines Laplacian variance with Tenengrad focus scoring in parallel. Unreadable inputs are excluded and reported.
4. Selection: Applies the chosen source-aware algorithm to select the best naturally ordered frames/images.
5. Output: Saves selected content with metadata including scores and parameters

Output

• Selected frames/images with descriptive filenames
• selected_metadata.json with processing details, parameters, and sharpness scores
• Transcodes selected images to the configured output format (jpg by default)
• Automatic output directory creation with permission validation

Help & Support

• Press F1 in the textual interface for context-sensitive help
• Use Ctrl+C to safely cancel processing at any time
• All validation errors include specific guidance for resolution
• Visit Sharp Frames for the full desktop application