name	gif-generation
description	Post-process video files and generate optimized GIFs. Converts webm/mp4 to GIF with configurable quality settings. Triggers: gif conversion, video to gif, optimize gif, webm to gif Use when: converting browser recordings to GIF format, optimizing GIF file size
category	media-generation
tags	gif, ffmpeg, video, conversion, optimization
tools	Bash
complexity	low
estimated_tokens	400
progressive_loading	false

GIF Generation Skill

Post-process video files (webm/mp4) and generate optimized GIF output with configurable quality settings.

Overview

This skill handles the conversion of video recordings (typically from browser automation) to GIF format. It provides multiple quality presets and optimization options to balance file size with visual quality.

Required TodoWrite Items

- Validate input video file exists
- Check ffmpeg installation
- Execute GIF conversion
- Verify output and report results

Process

Step 1: Validate Input File

Confirm the source video file exists and is a supported format:

# Check file exists and get info
if [[ -f "$INPUT_FILE" ]]; then
    file "$INPUT_FILE"
    ffprobe -v quiet -show_format -show_streams "$INPUT_FILE" 2>/dev/null | head -20
else
    echo "Error: Input file not found: $INPUT_FILE"
    exit 1
fi

Supported input formats: .webm, .mp4, .mov, .avi

Step 2: Check ffmpeg Installation

Verify ffmpeg is available:

if ! command -v ffmpeg &> /dev/null; then
    echo "Error: ffmpeg is not installed"
    echo "Install with: sudo apt install ffmpeg (Linux) or brew install ffmpeg (macOS)"
    exit 1
fi
ffmpeg -version | head -1

Step 3: Execute Conversion

Choose the appropriate conversion command based on quality requirements:

Basic Conversion (Fast, Larger File)

ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=10,scale=800:-1" output.gif

High Quality with Palette Generation (Recommended)

ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=10,scale=800:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" output.gif

Maximum Quality with Dithering

ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=15,scale=1024:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen=max_colors=256:stats_mode=single[p];[s1][p]paletteuse=dither=bayer:bayer_scale=5" output.gif

Optimization Options

Option	Description	Recommended Value
`fps`	Frames per second	10-15 for smooth, 5-8 for smaller files
`scale`	Width in pixels (-1 maintains aspect ratio)	800 for web, 480 for thumbnails
`flags=lanczos`	High-quality scaling algorithm	Always use for best quality
`palettegen`	Generate optimized color palette	Use for quality-critical output
`dither`	Dithering algorithm	`bayer` for patterns, `floyd_steinberg` for smooth

Common Presets

# Thumbnail (small, fast loading)
ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=8,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" thumbnail.gif

# Documentation (balanced)
ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=10,scale=800:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" docs.gif

# High-fidelity demo
ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=15,scale=1024:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen=max_colors=256[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" demo.gif

Step 4: Verify Output

Confirm successful conversion and report metrics:

if [[ -f "$OUTPUT_FILE" ]]; then
    echo "GIF generated successfully: $OUTPUT_FILE"

    # Report file size
    SIZE=$(du -h "$OUTPUT_FILE" | cut -f1)
    echo "File size: $SIZE"

    # Get dimensions and frame count
    ffprobe -v quiet -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=width,height,nb_frames -of csv=p=0 "$OUTPUT_FILE"
else
    echo "Error: GIF generation failed"
    exit 1
fi

Exit Criteria

Input file validated as existing video format
ffmpeg confirmed available
GIF file created at specified output path
Output file size reported to user
No ffmpeg errors during conversion

Troubleshooting

Large Output File

Reduce quality settings:

# Lower fps and resolution
ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=8,scale=640:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" smaller.gif

Color Banding

Use dithering:

ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=10,scale=800:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse=dither=floyd_steinberg" smooth.gif

Slow Conversion

Use basic conversion without palette generation for speed:

ffmpeg -i input.webm -vf "fps=10,scale=800:-1" quick.gif

gif-generation

Install Skill

SKILL.md