GNU Emacs Video Editing | Hacker News Reader

GNU Emacs Video Editing

1010.co.uk

73 pointsrlm15 comments

Simply amazing. Do similar plugins for any of the more modern, popular IDEs currently exist that can do this? Just curious but I highly doubt it.

Not to make generalizations, but it does demonstrate the difference between the user base of Emacs versus the users for most other popular IDEs in that they have both the determination and the skills to make this possible.

well, the eclipse and netbeans platforms have been used to create all kinds of applications that have nothing to do with software development.

examples?

Does Azureus count? It uses SWT...

And this is why I use emacs. The fact that it is even possible to write a video editor that runs in it means that I will be able to edit files as I please, as efficiently as I please.

I find it painful to be smart enough to come up with ideas like this independently but not enough smart/knowledgeable to implement it without being preempted by a few or several years by another project.

Will I ever reach a level of proficiency where I'm content with my skillset, and would that even be desirable?

I don't think that being content with your skillset is desirable.

Being competent with your skillset is, being content with what you are able to accomplish with your skillset is, but not being content with it - at least not in the areas of software for the foreseeable future.

did you look at the source? it's like 200 lines. basically key shortcuts to mplayer operations. you could have done it in a couple of days (less if you know elisp). but my point is that everything starts small. so just start ;)

incidentally for truly impressive emacs packages check out: gnus, erc, slime, org-mode, tramp, magit, ido, paredit, nxhtml, yasnippet.

Agreed. I'd probably reverse Hexstream's comment in that I find it much harder to think up good ideas than actually implementing them.

It just never would have occurred to me to use Emacs as a video editor (my brain has been conditioned to think of it strictly as a text editor). If that idea had popped in my head then implementing it, relatively speaking, would probably have been less of a challenge than coming up with the actual idea in the first place which requires overcoming my preconceived notions.

In this instance, the idea is far more impressive than the actual code. This demonstrates innovation beyond technical prowess because it added a new way of doing something to a familiar software tool that most people would never have thought of.

Oh wow. I just looked at the source. It's incredible what you can do sometimes with just a bit of integration!

I daresay this may be one of the big e/vi war points.

“Great application for emacs! Emacs rules!”

Vim user: Why the hell would you want to use an /editor/ to edit video? Use iMovie or something. If you want to edit TEXT then lets talk emacs v. vi.

Oh I agree with you. Use the best tool for the job I say. But man I'm blown away by the OP's example.

The real question is, is it any good as a video editor? (I don't do video editing, so I'm not qualified to compare it to professional video tools. My fiance does, but doesn't use Emacs.)

All of this "an x, written in (drumroll) [Emacs|Haskell||etc]" should probably be judged on its own merits as a useful program, you know?

(Don't get me wrong - I think putting stuff like rcirc in Emacs makes a lot of sense.)

A bit excessive IMO, but very, very cool.

This is so awesome. I want one for VIM.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com