Error finding watermark path using ffmpeg in asp.net application

Question

I am using .net ffmpeg wrapper to post watermark on videos. Posting watermark works fine if i execute ffmpeg command directly but failed to find suitable watermark png file location if command executed via asp.net application.

here is sample ffmpeg command

string RootPath = HttpContext.Current.Server.MapPath(HttpContext.Current.Request.ApplicationPath);
_mhandler.FFMPEGPath = RootPath + "/ffmpeg_aug_2013/bin/ffmpeg.exe";
_mhandler.InputPath = RootPath + "/contents/original";
_mhandler.OutputPath = RootPath + "/contents/mp4";
_mhandler.BackgroundProcessing = false;
_mhandler.FileName = "wildlife.wmv";
_mhandler.OutputFileName = "wildlife_ddd";
string presetpath = RootPath + "/ffmpeg_aug_2013/presets/libx264-ipod640.ffpreset";
_mhandler.OutputExtension = ".mp4";
_mhandler.Parameters = "-s 640x380 -b:v 500k -bufsize 500k -b:a 128k -ar 44100 -c:v libx264 -vf \"movie = watermark.png [watermark]; [in][watermark] overlay=main_w-overlay_w-10:main_h-overlay_h-10 [out]\"";
_mhandler.Parameters = _mhandler.Parameters + " -fpre \"" + presetpath + "\"";
VideoInfo info =  _mhandler.Process();

i tried direct code too

string _out = "";
Process _process = new Process();
_process.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
_process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardInput = true;
//_process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardOutput = true;
_process.StartInfo.RedirectStandardError = true;
_process.StartInfo.CreateNoWindow = true;
_process.StartInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
_process.StartInfo.FileName = _ffmpegpath;
_process.StartInfo.Arguments = cmd;
if (_process.Start())
{             
    _process.WaitForExit(ExitProcess);
    _out = _process.StandardError.ReadToEnd();
    if (!_process.HasExited)
      _process.Kill();

    return _out;
 }

ffmpeg error output as

FFMPEG Output:ffmpeg version N-55753-g88909be Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers built on Aug 24 2013 21:40:51 with gcc 4.7.3 (GCC) configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfig --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetype --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopencore-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libspeex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-libvpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-zlib libavutil 52. 42.100 / 52. 42.100 libavcodec 55. 29.100 / 55. 29.100 libavformat 55. 14.102 / 55. 14.102 libavdevice 55. 3.100 / 55. 3.100 libavfilter 3. 82.102 / 3. 82.102 libswscale 2. 5.100 / 2. 5.100 libswresample 0. 17.103 / 0. 17.103 libpostproc 52. 3.100 / 52. 3.100 [asf @ 024c9960] Stream #0: not enough frames to estimate rate; consider increasing probesize Guessed Channel Layout for Input Stream

0.0 : stereo Input #0, asf, from 'F:\own\mhp_new/contents/original\wildlife.wmv': Metadata:

SfOriginalFPS : 299700 WMFSDKVersion : 11.0.6001.7000 WMFSDKNeeded : 0.0.0.0000 comment : Footage: Small World Productions, Inc; Tourism New Zealand | Producer: Gary F. Spradling | Music: Steve Ball title : Wildlife in HD copyright : © 2008 Microsoft Corporation IsVBR : 0 DeviceConformanceTemplate: AP@L3 Duration: 00:00:30.09, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 6977 kb/s Stream #0:0(eng): Audio: wmav2 (a1[0][0] / 0x0161), 44100 Hz, stereo, fltp, 192 kb/s Stream

0:1(eng): Video: vc1 (Advanced) (WVC1 / 0x31435657), yuv420p, 1280x720, 5942 kb/s, 29.97 tbr, 1k tbn, 1k tbc [image2 @ 024c76e0]

Could find no file with path 'watermark.png' and index in the range 0-4 [Parsed_movie_0 @ 024c0540] Failed to avformat_open_input 'watermark.png' [AVFilterGraph @ 024ca100] Error initializing filter 'movie' with args 'watermark.png' Error opening filters! Error Code= 0

Error on point ( Could find no file with path 'watermark.png' ) shows watermark.png file not found. I place watermark.png file in the following locations but still can't found

i: application root

ii: root where actual aspx page located

iii: ffmpeg root

iv: ffmpeg/bin/

I also used complete path but still can't detected.

Note: if i use same ffmpeg command in php and place watermark.png on location where actual php page exist watermark properly detected and command executed properly, but same approach not working in asp.net

Can any one help me where should i place watermark.png file so that script can access it.

Answer 1

For your question I have no clue how you execute ffmpeg exactly, as you didn't post the corresponding code, so I will answer more generally speaking.

When you refer to some file by a relative path (watermark.png) it must be located in the current working directory, of course.

Normal subprocesses inherit the current working directory from the process creating the subprocess (aka. your asp.net app and/or webserver) or the implementation may choose some default path unless set explicitly. However most APIs let you specify an initial working directory for the process to be created, e.g. ProcessStartInfo.

• Either make your code set the correct working directory for the subprocess.
• Or refer to the file by the absolute path. Note however, that you may need to escape the path, and the rest of your commandline, probably even multiple times (stuff like `\' or spaces).

E.g. Here is a complete example that works for me:

using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;

namespace ffmpeg_test
{
  class Program
  {
    static readonly string exe = @"E:\ffmpeg-zeranoe\bin\ffmpeg.exe";
    static readonly string invid = @"E:\in.avi";
    static readonly string outvid = @"E:\out.avi";

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      using (var proc = new Process()) {
        Console.WriteLine("Current Directory: {0}", Directory.GetCurrentDirectory());
        proc.StartInfo.UseShellExecute = false;
        proc.StartInfo.FileName = exe;
        proc.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory = new FileInfo(invid).Directory.FullName;
        Console.WriteLine("Working Directory: {0}", proc.StartInfo.WorkingDirectory);
        proc.StartInfo.Arguments = string.Format(
          "-y -i \"{0}\" -vf \"movie=watermark.png [watermark]; [in][watermark] overlay=10:10 [out]\" {1}",
          invid, outvid);
        Console.WriteLine("Arguments: {0}", proc.StartInfo.Arguments);
        proc.StartInfo.LoadUserProfile = false;
        proc.Start();
        proc.WaitForExit();
        Console.WriteLine("Result: {0}", proc.ExitCode);
      }
    }
  }
}

And the output:

E:\MSVC\ffmpeg_test\bin\Debug>dir e:\watermark.png e:\in.avi /B
watermark.png
in.avi

E:\MSVC\ffmpeg_test\bin\Debug>ffmpeg_test.exe
Current Directory: E:\MSVC\ffmpeg_test\bin\Debug
Working Directory: E:\
Arguments: -y -i "E:\in.avi" -vf "movie=watermark.png [watermark]; [in][watermark] overlay=10:10 [out]" E:\out.avi
ffmpeg version N-55796-gb74213d Copyright (c) 2000-2013 the FFmpeg developers
  built on Aug 26 2013 19:43:51 with gcc 4.7.3 (GCC)
  configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --disable-w32threads --enable-avisynth --enable-bzlib --enable-fontconfi
g --enable-frei0r --enable-gnutls --enable-iconv --enable-libass --enable-libbluray --enable-libcaca --enable-libfreetyp
e --enable-libgsm --enable-libilbc --enable-libmodplug --enable-libmp3lame --enable-libopencore-amrnb --enable-libopenco
re-amrwb --enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libopus --enable-librtmp --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libsoxr --enable-libsp
eex --enable-libtheora --enable-libtwolame --enable-libvo-aacenc --enable-libvo-amrwbenc --enable-libvorbis --enable-lib
vpx --enable-libx264 --enable-libxavs --enable-libxvid --enable-zlib
  libavutil      52. 42.100 / 52. 42.100
  libavcodec     55. 29.100 / 55. 29.100
  libavformat    55. 14.102 / 55. 14.102
  libavdevice    55.  3.100 / 55.  3.100
  libavfilter     3. 82.102 /  3. 82.102
  libswscale      2.  5.100 /  2.  5.100
  libswresample   0. 17.103 /  0. 17.103
  libpostproc    52.  3.100 / 52.  3.100
Input #0, avi, from 'E:\in.avi':
  Metadata:
    encoder         : Lavf55.13.103
  Duration: 00:00:25.46, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 2944 kb/s
    Stream #0:0: Video: h264 (High) (H264 / 0x34363248), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], 47.95 fps, 23.98 tbr, 47.
95 tbn, 47.95 tbc
    Stream #0:1: Audio: mp3 (U[0][0][0] / 0x0055), 48000 Hz, stereo, s16p, 192 kb/s
Output #0, avi, to 'E:\out.avi':
  Metadata:
    ISFT            : Lavf55.14.102
    Stream #0:0: Video: mpeg4 (FMP4 / 0x34504D46), yuv420p, 1280x720 [SAR 1:1 DAR 16:9], q=2-31, 200 kb/s, 23.98 tbn, 23
.98 tbc
    Stream #0:1: Audio: mp3 (libmp3lame) (U[0][0][0] / 0x0055), 48000 Hz, stereo, s16p
Stream mapping:
  Stream #0:0 -> #0:0 (h264 -> mpeg4)
  Stream #0:1 -> #0:1 (mp3 -> libmp3lame)
Press [q] to stop, [?] for help
frame=  609 fps=146 q=31.0 Lsize=    3614kB time=00:00:25.56 bitrate=1158.0kbits/s
video:3169kB audio:396kB subtitle:0 global headers:0kB muxing overhead 1.379961%
Result: 0

Oh, and out.avi of course contains the watermark. ;)