Image Sequence to ProRes Converter

A Windows drag-and-drop tool for converting image sequences to ProRes video files using FFmpeg.

Overview

This tool provides a simple drag-and-drop workflow for converting image sequences (EXR, PNG, JPG, etc.) into ProRes video files. Designed for VFX and animation pipelines, it automates the conversion process with industry-standard settings.

Features

• Drag-and-Drop Interface: Simply drag the first image of your sequence onto the script
• Automatic Pattern Detection: Intelligently parses filenames following the {name}.{padding}.{extension} convention
• ProRes Proxy Output: Generates lightweight ProRes Proxy files (profile 0) perfect for editorial review
• BT.709 Color Space: Applies industry-standard color space settings
• Error Handling: Comprehensive error checking with detailed logging
• Clean Output: Automatically deletes logs on success, preserves them on failure

Requirements

FFmpeg

This script requires FFmpeg to be installed and accessible in your system PATH.

Download FFmpeg:

• Official site: https://ffmpeg.org/download.html
• Windows builds: https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/ (recommended)

Installation Steps:

1. Download the FFmpeg executable (essentials build is sufficient)
2. Extract the archive to a location like C:\ffmpeg
3. Add the bin folder to your PATH:
   • Open System Properties → Environment Variables
   • Edit the Path variable under System variables
   • Add C:\ffmpeg\bin (or your installation path)
   • Click OK to save
4. Verify installation by opening Command Prompt and typing: ffmpeg -version

Usage

Filename Convention

Your image sequence must follow this naming convention:

{base_name}.{frame_number}.{extension}

Examples:

• shot_01.0001.exr
• render_v002.0001.png
• scene_final.00001.jpg
• comp.001.dpx

The padding (frame number) must consist only of digits and can be any length.

Drag-and-Drop Workflow

1. Prepare your sequence: Ensure all images follow the naming convention
2. Drop the first frame: Drag and drop ONLY the first image (e.g., shot_01.0001.exr) onto seq2prores.bat
3. Wait for conversion: The script will:
   • Parse the filename
   • Detect the padding length
   • Convert the entire sequence to ProRes
4. Get your output: A .mov file will be created in the same directory

Example:

If you drop shot_01.0001.exr, the script will:

• Detect the pattern: shot_01.%04d.exr
• Process all frames: shot_01.0001.exr, shot_01.0002.exr, etc.
• Create output: shot_01.mov

Encoding Settings

The script uses the following FFmpeg parameters:

• Frame Rate: 24 FPS
• Codec: ProRes (prores)
• Profile: 0 (ProRes Proxy)
• Color Settings:
  • Transfer Characteristics: BT.709
  • Color Primaries: BT.709
  • Color Space: BT.709
• Overwrite: Automatically overwrites existing files (-y flag)

Output

• Location: Same directory as the input sequence
• Filename: Uses the base name with .mov extension
• Format: QuickTime MOV container with ProRes codec

Error Handling

FFmpeg Not Found

If you see "ffmpeg.exe is not found in the system PATH":

• Ensure FFmpeg is installed
• Verify the bin folder is in your PATH
• Restart Command Prompt/Explorer after modifying PATH

Parsing Errors

If you see "Unable to parse padding from filename":

• Check that your filename follows the {name}.{padding}.{extension} format
• Ensure the padding consists only of digits
• Verify the first frame exists

Conversion Failures

If the conversion fails:

• Check conversion_log.txt in the same directory for detailed error messages
• Verify all frames in the sequence exist
• Ensure frame numbers are sequential
• Check file permissions

Troubleshooting

The output file is not created

• Verify FFmpeg is working: Run ffmpeg -version in Command Prompt
• Check the log file for errors
• Ensure you have write permissions in the directory

The script closes immediately

• You may have dropped multiple files instead of one
• The file path might contain special characters
• Try running from Command Prompt to see error messages

Frame rate is wrong

• Edit the script and change the -framerate 24 parameter
• Common values: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 60

Different ProRes profile needed

Edit the script and change the -profile:v parameter:

• 0 = ProRes Proxy (smallest file size)
• 1 = ProRes LT (low throughput)
• 2 = ProRes 422 (standard quality)
• 3 = ProRes 422 HQ (high quality)

Technical Details

Filename Parsing Logic

The script uses the following logic to parse filenames:

1. Extracts the extension (e.g., .exr)
2. Splits the remaining name by dots
3. Treats the last segment as padding (must be all digits)
4. Joins all previous segments as the base name

FFmpeg Pattern Construction

The script constructs an FFmpeg-compatible pattern:

• Original: shot_01.0001.exr
• Padding length: 4
• FFmpeg pattern: shot_01.%04d.exr

The %04d tells FFmpeg to look for 4-digit zero-padded frame numbers.

Log File Management

• Success: conversion_log.txt is automatically deleted
• Failure: Log file is preserved for debugging
• Location: Same directory as the input sequence

Customization

To modify the script for your pipeline:

1. Frame Rate: Change -framerate 24 to your desired rate
2. ProRes Profile: Change -profile:v 0 to 1, 2, or 3 for higher quality
3. Color Space: Modify the -color_trc, -color_primaries, and -colorspace parameters
4. Output Location: Change set "OUTPUT_FILE=%BASE_NAME%.mov" to include a different path

License

This is free and unencumbered software released into the public domain.

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

Credits

Created for VFX and animation pipelines requiring quick ProRes conversions from image sequences.