webm-contributor-guide.txt - webm/contributor-guide - Git at Google


 Contributing Source Code to libvpx
 ==================================

 _Revised 2011-01-05_

 This document will help guide you through contributing code to the WebM
 Project and libvpx.

 * * *

 **Contents**

 * TOC placeholder
 {:toc}

 * * *

 In general, most of the on-going work on libvpx concerns speed and
 quality improvement. A developer typically follows this workflow:

   1. Work on the source code.
   2. Recompile the `vpxenc` encoder binary.
   3. Perform a video encode job with the new binary.
   4. Evaluate the results, comparing to an identical encode done with a
      prior version of `vpxenc`.

 Once meaningful improvement is achieved, the developer submits his code
 revisions to `libvpx`.

 Below we describe in more detail how the core libvpx developers
 evaluate their own work, so that new contributors can replicate the
 process and have their code contributions approved and merged more
 easily.


 Required Packages
 -----------------

   * A Bash shell
   * Python
   * A modern web browser (like Google Chrome)


 Become a Contributor
 --------------------

 All contributors are welcome. The WebM Project website has details on
 configuring your machine and creating an account in our code review
 system, so review the information at
 **<http://www.webmproject.org/code/>** to get started.


 Subscribe to codec-devel
 ------------------------

 **_codec-devel_** is the mailing list (and Google Group) for developers
 working on the libvpx library or researching next generation codecs.
 While anyone may post to codec-devel, subscribing gives you unmoderated
 access.

   * Archive: <https://groups.google.com/a/webmproject.org/group/codec-devel>
   * Subscribe: <codec-devel+subscribe@webmproject.org>
   * Post: <codec-devel@webmproject.org>

 Though _codec-devel_ offers a web interface, many subscribers treat it
 as a simple mailing list and interact solely through their mail clients.


 Download Test Clips
 -------------------

   1. Create a directory to hold the clips (e.g., `~/derf_cif` on Linux
      or `c:/derf_cif` on Windows).
   2. Visit <http://media.xiph.org/video/derf/> with your web browser.
   3. Download each of the the CIF clips found there, in YUV4MPEG (y4m)
      format, to the directory you created.

 <div class="admon tip" markdown="1">
 Encoding Only a Few Test Clips

 Normally, you won't want to encode the entire set of test clips, which
 can be very time-consuming. Instead, consider symlinking only the clips
 you want to use from their storage directory (e.g. `~/derf_cif`) to a
 working directory (e.g. `~/derf_working`), and running your tests there.
 </div>


 Download Test Scripts
 ---------------------

 Test scripts (and this document) are available in the
 `contributor-guide` Git project:

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 $ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/contributor-guide.git
 $ cd contributor-guide
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Symlink or physically copy the following scripts to somewhere in your
 $PATH:

   * `be`
   * `run_tests`
   * `visual_metrics.py`


 Download, Build and Test libvpx
 -------------------------------

   1. To get started, ensure that your system satisfies the **[build
      prerequisites](http://www.webmproject.org/code/build-prerequisites/)**.

   2. Next, **clone the libvpx repository**. After cloning, you'll be
      working in the master branch by default.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/libvpx.git
      $ cd libvpx
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      <div class="admon important" markdown="1">
      **Important:**  Although its not the common case, if your idea
      would necessitate a change to the VP8 format itself, you'll want
      to work in the libvpx experimental branch instead:

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/libvpx.git
      $ cd libvpx
      $ git checkout -b experimental origin/experimental
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      </div>

   3. **Configure and build libvpx.** Be sure to run the configure
      script with `--enable-internal-stats`, which causes the encoder
      (`vpxenc`) to output statistical data as well as a video file. For
      example:

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ ./configure --disable-codecs --enable-vp8 --enable-internal-stats --enable-debug --disable-install-docs --log=yes
      $ make
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      To learn more about configuration options, do:

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ ./configure --help
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      There are several ways to "install" (`make install`, etc.), so
      we'll leave that up to you.  Just ensure that the VP8 encoder
      (`vpxenc`) is executable and in your $PATH.

   4. **Run some encodes** using the provided scripts.  Example:

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ cd <test clip directory>
      $ run_tests 200 500 50 baseline
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      In this example, `run_tests` will encode each `y4m` file in the
      current directory at bitrates of 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and
      500 kbps (start at 200, end at 500, 50 kbps increments). It will
      create a directory `baseline` and write its output there.

      Output consists of `webm` video files and `stt` files containing
      statistics for each encode. If the test encodes are 2-pass
      (default), an `fpf` file (first-pass data file) is also written
      for each input file, and will be reused on subsequent 2-pass
      encodes if not deleted.

   5. **Make your changes to libvpx**, rebuild, and re-run the tests
      using a different output directory name. Example:

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ run_tests 200 500 50 mytweak
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Alternatively, change the parameters in the batch encoder script
      (`be`) that's called by `run_tests`. `be` in turn calls `vpxenc`.

   6. When the tests are finished, run `visual_metrics.py` to generate
      an **HTML-format report** that compares `mytweak` with `baseline`.

      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      $ visual_metrics.py "*stt" baseline mytweak > mytweak.html
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

   7. **View the report** by opening `mytweak.html` in a web browser.


 Submit Your Patches
 -------------------

 See the detailed information at **<http://www.webmproject.org/code/contribute/submitting-patches/>**.

 <!--
 Icon artwork courtesy of the Tango Desktop Project,
 http://tango.freedesktop.org/
 -->

	Contributing Source Code to libvpx
	==================================

	_Revised 2011-01-05_

	This document will help guide you through contributing code to the WebM
	Project and libvpx.

	* * *

	Contents

	* TOC placeholder
	{:toc}

	* * *

	In general, most of the on-going work on libvpx concerns speed and
	quality improvement. A developer typically follows this workflow:

	1. Work on the source code.
	2. Recompile the `vpxenc` encoder binary.
	3. Perform a video encode job with the new binary.
	4. Evaluate the results, comparing to an identical encode done with a
	prior version of `vpxenc`.

	Once meaningful improvement is achieved, the developer submits his code
	revisions to `libvpx`.

	Below we describe in more detail how the core libvpx developers
	evaluate their own work, so that new contributors can replicate the
	process and have their code contributions approved and merged more
	easily.


	Required Packages
	-----------------

	* A Bash shell
	* Python
	* A modern web browser (like Google Chrome)


	Become a Contributor
	--------------------

	All contributors are welcome. The WebM Project website has details on
	configuring your machine and creating an account in our code review
	system, so review the information at
	<http://www.webmproject.org/code/> to get started.


	Subscribe to codec-devel
	------------------------

	_codec-devel_ is the mailing list (and Google Group) for developers
	working on the libvpx library or researching next generation codecs.
	While anyone may post to codec-devel, subscribing gives you unmoderated
	access.

	* Archive: <https://groups.google.com/a/webmproject.org/group/codec-devel>
	* Subscribe: <codec-devel+subscribe@webmproject.org>
	* Post: <codec-devel@webmproject.org>

	Though _codec-devel_ offers a web interface, many subscribers treat it
	as a simple mailing list and interact solely through their mail clients.


	Download Test Clips
	-------------------

	1. Create a directory to hold the clips (e.g., `~/derf_cif` on Linux
	or `c:/derf_cif` on Windows).
	2. Visit <http://media.xiph.org/video/derf/> with your web browser.
	3. Download each of the the CIF clips found there, in YUV4MPEG (y4m)
	format, to the directory you created.

	<div class="admon tip" markdown="1">
	Encoding Only a Few Test Clips

	Normally, you won't want to encode the entire set of test clips, which
	can be very time-consuming. Instead, consider symlinking only the clips
	you want to use from their storage directory (e.g. `~/derf_cif`) to a
	working directory (e.g. `~/derf_working`), and running your tests there.
	</div>


	Download Test Scripts
	---------------------

	Test scripts (and this document) are available in the
	`contributor-guide` Git project:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/contributor-guide.git
	$ cd contributor-guide
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Symlink or physically copy the following scripts to somewhere in your
	$PATH:

	* `be`
	* `run_tests`
	* `visual_metrics.py`


	Download, Build and Test libvpx
	-------------------------------

	1. To get started, ensure that your system satisfies the **[build
	prerequisites](http://www.webmproject.org/code/build-prerequisites/)**.

	2. Next, clone the libvpx repository. After cloning, you'll be
	working in the master branch by default.

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/libvpx.git
	$ cd libvpx
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	<div class="admon important" markdown="1">
	Important: Although its not the common case, if your idea
	would necessitate a change to the VP8 format itself, you'll want
	to work in the libvpx experimental branch instead:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ git clone http://git.chromium.org/webm/libvpx.git
	$ cd libvpx
	$ git checkout -b experimental origin/experimental
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	</div>

	3. Configure and build libvpx. Be sure to run the configure
	script with `--enable-internal-stats`, which causes the encoder
	(`vpxenc`) to output statistical data as well as a video file. For
	example:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ ./configure --disable-codecs --enable-vp8 --enable-internal-stats --enable-debug --disable-install-docs --log=yes
	$ make
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	To learn more about configuration options, do:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ ./configure --help
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	There are several ways to "install" (`make install`, etc.), so
	we'll leave that up to you. Just ensure that the VP8 encoder
	(`vpxenc`) is executable and in your $PATH.

	4. Run some encodes using the provided scripts. Example:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ cd <test clip directory>
	$ run_tests 200 500 50 baseline
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	In this example, `run_tests` will encode each `y4m` file in the
	current directory at bitrates of 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450 and
	500 kbps (start at 200, end at 500, 50 kbps increments). It will
	create a directory `baseline` and write its output there.

	Output consists of `webm` video files and `stt` files containing
	statistics for each encode. If the test encodes are 2-pass
	(default), an `fpf` file (first-pass data file) is also written
	for each input file, and will be reused on subsequent 2-pass
	encodes if not deleted.

	5. Make your changes to libvpx, rebuild, and re-run the tests
	using a different output directory name. Example:

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ run_tests 200 500 50 mytweak
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Alternatively, change the parameters in the batch encoder script
	(`be`) that's called by `run_tests`. `be` in turn calls `vpxenc`.

	6. When the tests are finished, run `visual_metrics.py` to generate
	an HTML-format report that compares `mytweak` with `baseline`.

	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
	$ visual_metrics.py "*stt" baseline mytweak > mytweak.html
	~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	7. View the report by opening `mytweak.html` in a web browser.


	Submit Your Patches
	-------------------

	See the detailed information at <http://www.webmproject.org/code/contribute/submitting-patches/>.

	<!--
	Icon artwork courtesy of the Tango Desktop Project,
	http://tango.freedesktop.org/
	-->