UpFrameG

UpFrameG is a powerful, portable, and fully asynchronous AI Post-Processing addon for Blender. It integrates state-of-the-art AI upscaling (Real-ESRGAN) and frame interpolation (RIFE) with high-efficiency video encoding (FFmpeg) directly inside Blender's interface.

With UpFrameG, you can upscale low-resolution render sequences, increase frame rates (or create ultra-smooth slow-motion), apply advanced temporal filters, and compile final videos without leaving Blender.

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Key Features

🌟 AI Processing & Acceleration

• AI Upscaling (Real-ESRGAN): Scale up your render sequences by 2x, 3x, or 4x using NCNN Vulkan models. Custom tile-size controls help manage VRAM footprints.
  • Models included: Highly optimized Anime Video (realesr-animevideov3).
• AI Frame Interpolation (RIFE): Double (2x), quadruple (4x), or octuple (8x) your framerate using Real-Time Intermediate Flow Estimation.
• Vulkan GPU Selection: Choose specific GPUs for processing or run on CPU in low-spec environments.

🎬 Production-Grade Video Packaging

• FFmpeg Video Encoding: Compile upscaled/interpolated frames into final videos using H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or Apple ProRes codecs.
• Hardware Acceleration: Support for NVENC (Nvidia), AMF (AMD), and QSV (Intel) for blazingly fast video encoding.
• Audio Muxing: Automatically extract scene audio strips from Blender's Video Sequence Editor (VSE) or mux external audio files directly into your video.
• Auto VSE Import: Auto-import final video files back to the Sequencer at the active cursor position.

🎭 Transparency & Advanced Filters

• Preserve Transparency: Automated split-and-merge pipelines process RGB and Alpha channels separately to keep transparency intact.
• Temporal Deflicker: Smooth out brightness fluctuations and exposure variations across frames.
• Temporal Denoise (hqdn3d): Filter high-frequency noise dynamically while preserving edge details.
• Cinematic Film Grain: Mux dynamic noise to mask upscaling artifacts and provide organic cinematic texture.

🛠️ Professional Workflow Utilities

• Batch Processing Queue: Queue up multiple folders, set individual presets, and run batch processing sequentially in the background.
• Interactive Side-by-Side Comparison: Automatically splits Blender's screen to open original vs. processed frames side-by-side in the Image Editor.
• Sequence Diagnostics: Scan input sequences to verify frame sizes, image formats, and detect missing frames or gaps before processing.
• Custom Presets: Save, reload, and delete custom processing configurations.
• Portable Architecture: Zero manual installation required for AI backends. The addon automatically detects binaries downloaded to Blender's standard configuration directory.

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Installation

1. Download the Addon:
   • Download the latest upframeg.zip from the Releases page.
2. Install in Blender:
   • Open Blender.
   • Go to Edit > Preferences > Addons.
   • Click Install... in the top right, select upframeg.zip, and click Install Addon.
   • Enable the addon by checking the box next to Render: UpFrameG.
3. Auto-Setup AI Backends:
   • Open the addon preferences foldout.
   • Click Download next to Real-ESRGAN, RIFE, and FFmpeg. The addon will automatically download, extract, and map the dependencies to Blender's user configuration folder (CONFIG/upframeg_binaries).
   • If you already have these executables on your system, you can manually point the paths to them, or click Auto-detect Downloaded Binaries to let the addon scan.

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How to Use

Sidebar Panel Location

Once installed, open the 3D Viewport sidebar (N key) and look for the UpFrameG tab.

Typical Workflow

1. Set Directories: Select your Input Directory (where your raw Blender render frames are) and Output Directory (where processed frames will be saved). Or click Auto-Detect Render Folders to automatically populate them based on your current project's render settings.
2. Run Diagnostics: Click Scan Sequence Diagnostics to check for gaps or image size mismatches.
3. Choose a Preset or Mode:
   • Select a pre-configured profile (e.g., YOUTUBE_4K or MOTION_GRAPHICS), or select Custom mode to adjust each stage manually.
4. Configure Settings:
   • Enable/disable Upscaling, Interpolation, and Encoding as needed.
   • Toggle Preserve Transparency if you rendered with a transparent background.
   • Enable Temporal Deflicker or Temporal Denoise under the video filters to polish the output.
5. Process:
   • Click Process Sequence to start background processing.
   • You can monitor real-time progress, ETA, and console logs directly in the panel.
   • Click Compare Frames Side-by-Side when done to view a split comparison of the results.

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Developer Guide

Directory Structure

upframeg/
├── __init__.py         # Addon registration & initialization
├── preferences.py      # Portable preferences & backend auto-detection
├── operators.py        # Pipeline runner, presets, queue, and helper operators
├── ui.py               # Panel layout and template list interfaces
├── upscale.py          # Real-ESRGAN execution and tiling wrapper
├── interpolate.py      # RIFE execution and alpha-channel splitting wrapper
└── encode.py           # FFmpeg command builder and temporal filtering chain

Packaging from Source

To bundle the addon into a installable zip, run the python packaging script from the root directory:

python package_addon.py

This script generates upframeg.zip, excluding caching files, temporary blend files, and local binaries.

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License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPL v3) - see the LICENSE file for details.