How to use the frameaccess code to convert video frames to jpeg files

Question

Hello everyone. I am working on a project on video processing, and i need to be able to do image processing on individual video frames. However, to do this, I need to convert the frames to an appropriate format, namely jpeg. It is actually the conversion from buffer frame to BufferedImage that is important, as i already have an approximate knowledge of filewriter for the saving of already rendered file.
The original frameaccess code can be found here: http://java.sun.com/products/java-media/jmf/2.1.1/solutions/FrameAccess.html
there are several other threads tied to this topic, some of which do not work for me, or simply do not suit my needs, so please do not link me to them unless you are sure its the real solution.
if any one could help me by showing me the way of doing it correctly, and maybe give a nice short explanation, i would be very grateful.
Thanks you.
P.s: i am only a beginner to intermediate student in java and programming in general so...

Answer 1

Here is the code i am currently using.
package Test;
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.awt.*;
import javax.media.*;
import javax.media.control.TrackControl;
import javax.media.Format;
import javax.media.format.*;
import javax.media.bean.playerbean.MediaPlayer;
import javax.media.util.*;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;
import java.awt.image.RenderedImage;
import java.awt.image.*;
import javax.imageio.ImageWriter;
import javax.imageio.ImageIO;
import javax.media.control.FrameGrabbingControl;
* Sample program to access individual video frames by using a
* "pass-thru" codec. The codec is inserted into the data flow
* path. As data pass through this codec, a callback is invoked
* for each frame of video data.
public class FrameAccess extends Frame implements ControllerListener {
Processor p;
Object waitSync = new Object();
boolean stateTransitionOK = true;
* Given a media locator, create a processor and use that processor
* as a player to playback the media.
* During the processor's Configured state, two "pass-thru" codecs,
* PreAccessCodec and PostAccessCodec, are set on the video track.
* These codecs are used to get access to individual video frames
* of the media.
* Much of the code is just standard code to present media in JMF.
public boolean open(MediaLocator ml) {
     try {
     p = Manager.createProcessor(ml);
     } catch (Exception e) {
     System.err.println("Failed to create a processor from the given url: " + e);
     return false;
     p.addControllerListener(this);
     // Put the Processor into configured state.
     p.configure();
     if (!waitForState(p.Configured)) {
     System.err.println("Failed to configure the processor.");
     return false;
     // So I can use it as a player.
     p.setContentDescriptor(null);
     // Obtain the track controls.
     TrackControl tc[] = p.getTrackControls();
     if (tc == null) {
     System.err.println("Failed to obtain track controls from the processor.");
     return false;
     // Search for the track control for the video track.
     TrackControl videoTrack = null;
     for (int i = 0; i < tc.length; i++) {
     if (tc.getFormat() instanceof VideoFormat) {
          videoTrack = tc[i];
          break;
     if (videoTrack == null) {
     System.err.println("The input media does not contain a video track.");
     return false;
     System.err.println("Video format: " + videoTrack.getFormat());
     // Instantiate and set the frame access codec to the data flow path.
     try {
     Codec codec[] = { new PreAccessCodec(),
                    new PostAccessCodec()};
     videoTrack.setCodecChain(codec);
     } catch (UnsupportedPlugInException e) {
     System.err.println("The process does not support effects.");
     // Realize the processor.
     p.prefetch();
     if (!waitForState(p.Prefetched)) {
     System.err.println("Failed to realize the processor.");
     return false;
     // Display the visual & control component if there's one.
     setLayout(new BorderLayout());
     Component cc;
     Component vc;
     if ((vc = p.getVisualComponent()) != null) {
     add("Center", vc);
     if ((cc = p.getControlPanelComponent()) != null) {
     add("South", cc);
     // Start the processor.
     p.start();
     setVisible(true);
     return true;
public void addNotify() {
     super.addNotify();
     pack();
* Block until the processor has transitioned to the given state.
* Return false if the transition failed.
boolean waitForState(int state) {
     synchronized (waitSync) {
     try {
          while (p.getState() != state && stateTransitionOK)
          waitSync.wait();
     } catch (Exception e) {}
     return stateTransitionOK;
* Controller Listener.
public void controllerUpdate(ControllerEvent evt) {
     if (evt instanceof ConfigureCompleteEvent ||
     evt instanceof RealizeCompleteEvent ||
     evt instanceof PrefetchCompleteEvent) {
     synchronized (waitSync) {
          stateTransitionOK = true;
          waitSync.notifyAll();
     } else if (evt instanceof ResourceUnavailableEvent) {
     synchronized (waitSync) {
          stateTransitionOK = false;
          waitSync.notifyAll();
     } else if (evt instanceof EndOfMediaEvent) {
     p.close();
     System.exit(0);
* Main program
public static void main(String [] args) throws IOException {
     /*if (args.length == 0) {
     prUsage();
     System.exit(0);
     //String url = args[0];
     String url = new String ("file:D:FiMs/avpr.avi");
     if (url.indexOf(":") < 0) {
     prUsage();
     System.exit(0);
     MediaLocator ml;
     //MediaPlayer mp1 = new javax.media.bean.playerbean.MediaPlayer();
     //mp1.setMediaLocation(new java.lang.String("file:D:/FiMs/299_01_hi.mpg"));
     //mp1.start();
     if ((ml = new MediaLocator(url)) == null) {
     System.err.println("Cannot build media locator from: " + url);
     System.exit(0);
     FrameAccess fa = new FrameAccess();
     if (!fa.open(ml))
     System.exit(0);
static void prUsage() {
     System.err.println("Usage: java FrameAccess <url>");
* Inner class.
* A pass-through codec to access to individual frames.
public class PreAccessCodec implements Codec {
* Callback to access individual video frames.
     void accessFrame(Buffer frame) {
     // For demo, we'll just print out the frame #, time &
     // data length.
     long t = (long)(frame.getTimeStamp()/10000000f);
     System.err.println("Pre: frame #: " + frame.getSequenceNumber() +
               ", time: " + ((float)t)/100f +
               ", len: " + frame.getLength());
     * The code for a pass through codec.
     // We'll advertize as supporting all video formats.
     protected Format supportedIns[] = new Format [] {
     new VideoFormat(null)
     // We'll advertize as supporting all video formats.
     protected Format supportedOuts[] = new Format [] {
     new VideoFormat(null)
     Format input = null, output = null;
     public String getName() {
     return "Pre-Access Codec";
     // No op.
public void open() {
     // No op.
     public void close() {
     // No op.
     public void reset() {
     public Format [] getSupportedInputFormats() {
     return supportedIns;
     public Format [] getSupportedOutputFormats(Format in) {
     if (in == null)
          return supportedOuts;
     else {
          // If an input format is given, we use that input format
          // as the output since we are not modifying the bit stream
          // at all.
          Format outs[] = new Format[1];
          outs[0] = in;
          return outs;
     public Format setInputFormat(Format format) {
     input = format;
     return input;
     public Format setOutputFormat(Format format) {
     output = format;
     return output;
     public int process(Buffer in, Buffer out) {
     // This is the "Callback" to access individual frames.
     accessFrame(in);
     // Swap the data between the input & output.
     Object data = in.getData();
     in.setData(out.getData());
     out.setData(data);
     // Copy the input attributes to the output
     out.setFormat(in.getFormat());
     out.setLength(in.getLength());
     out.setOffset(in.getOffset());
     return BUFFER_PROCESSED_OK;
     public Object[] getControls() {
     return new Object[0];
     public Object getControl(String type) {
     return null;
public class PostAccessCodec extends PreAccessCodec {
     // We'll advertize as supporting all video formats.
     public PostAccessCodec() {
     supportedIns = new Format [] {
          new RGBFormat()
* Callback to access individual video frames.
     void accessFrame(Buffer frame) {
     // For demo, we'll just print out the frame #, time &
     // data length.
     long t = (long)(frame.getTimeStamp()/10000000f);
     System.err.println("Post: frame #: " + frame.getSequenceNumber() +
               ", time: " + ((float)t)/100f +
               ", len: " + frame.getLength());
     public String getName() {
     return "Post-Access Codec";
and here is what itprabhu5 proposed to use to convert and save the frames as .png(or .jpeg in the same way)
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.image.*;
import javax.imageio.*;
import javax.media.*;
import javax.media.control.*;
import javax.media.format.*;
import javax.media.util.*;
* Grabs a frame from a Webcam, overlays the current date and time, and saves the frame as a PNG to c:\webcam.png
* @author David
* @version 1.0, 16/01/2004
public class FrameGrab
     public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception
          // Create capture device
          CaptureDeviceInfo deviceInfo = CaptureDeviceManager.getDevice("vfw:Microsoft WDM Image Capture (Win32):0");
          Player player = Manager.createRealizedPlayer(deviceInfo.getLocator());
          player.start();
          // Wait a few seconds for camera to initialise (otherwise img==null)
          Thread.sleep(2500);
          // Grab a frame from the capture device
          FrameGrabbingControl frameGrabber = (FrameGrabbingControl)player.getControl("javax.media.control.FrameGrabbingControl");
          Buffer buf = frameGrabber.grabFrame();
          // Convert frame to an buffered image so it can be processed and saved
          Image img = (new BufferToImage((VideoFormat)buf.getFormat()).createImage(buf));
          BufferedImage buffImg = new BufferedImage(img.getWidth(null), img.getHeight(null), BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
          Graphics2D g = buffImg.createGraphics();          
          g.drawImage(img, null, null);
          // Overlay curent time on image
          g.setColor(Color.RED);
          g.setFont(new Font("Verdana", Font.BOLD, 16));
          g.drawString((new Date()).toString(), 10, 25);
          // Save image to disk as PNG
          ImageIO.write(buffImg, "png", new File("c:\\webcam.png"));
          // Stop using webcam
          player.close();
          player.deallocate();
          System.exit(0);                    
however, i am unable to use it together with my code... i m not even sure if im using it at the right place.. (note that u will have to discard some lines from the second code, because it is actually grabbing frames from a webcam in that example)
if any1 can make it happen please help me. thx.