How to Generate Multiple Output Formats

Overview

Generate several output files from a single recording. VCR# renders the recorded terminal grid once and then writes each declared Output in its own format — animated raster/video (GIF, MP4, WebM), vector SVG, a single-frame PNG, or a directory of raw PNG frames.

Note

SVG, PNG, and the frame directory need no external tools — they are written entirely in-process. FFmpeg (on your PATH) is required only for .gif, .mp4, and .webm output. See the FFmpeg options reference for details.

Choosing a Format

Format	Best For	Trade-offs
SVG	Docs, READMEs, embedding	Lightweight, scalable, searchable text; no FFmpeg needed
GIF	GitHub READMEs, email	Maximum compatibility, but larger files and 256 colors max
MP4	Social media, presentations	Smaller files with better quality, requires a video player
WebM	Web embedding	Smallest files, supports transparency, but limited support in some apps
PNG	A single still frame	One image, no animation
Frames dir	Custom post-processing	Raw PNG sequence plus a manifest; you encode it yourself

Generate Multiple Formats

Add multiple Output commands to your tape file. Put every Set before the first action command:

tape

Set Cols 100
Set Rows 30
  
Output demo.svg
Output demo.gif
Output demo.mp4
Output demo.webm
  
Type "echo 'Hello, World!'"
Enter
Wait

VCR# records once and writes all four files. The .svg is produced with no external tools; the .gif, .mp4, and .webm are encoded with FFmpeg. Here is the .svg from one such tape:

Add Outputs from the CLI

Use the --output (-o) flag to add outputs without editing the tape file:

bash

vcr demo.tape -o extra.mp4 -o extra.webm

CLI outputs are appended to the tape file's outputs.

Other Output Formats

Beyond the video formats, the Output command also accepts:

.svg — an animated, text-based SVG. Lightweight, scalable, and rendered without FFmpeg.
.png — a single-frame PNG of the terminal.
A directory or extension-less path (e.g. Output frames/) — writes the raw PNG frames plus a frames.txt manifest into that directory. No FFmpeg is involved.

tape

Output demo.svg     # Animated SVG (no FFmpeg required)
Output final.png    # Single-frame PNG (no FFmpeg required)
Output frames/      # Raw PNG frames + manifest (no FFmpeg required)

Tip

If you want output that works with zero extra installs, reach for SVG first — it needs neither FFmpeg nor a monospace font.

Optimize File Sizes

To reduce GIF size

tape

Set MaxColors 128       # Reduce color palette, 1-256 (default: 256)
Set Cols 100            # Smaller dimensions = smaller file
Set Rows 30
  
Output demo.gif

Lower MaxColors values (64, 128) produce smaller GIFs but may reduce color fidelity.

To control video quality

tape

Set Framerate 30        # Lower framerate = smaller file (default: 50)
Set PlaybackSpeed 1.5   # Faster playback = shorter video = smaller file
  
Output demo.mp4

Example: Multiple Distribution Channels

Generate several formats for different uses from one tape:

tape

Set Cols 100
Set Rows 30
Set Theme "Dracula"
  
Output docs.svg             # For documentation embeds (no FFmpeg)
Output readme.gif           # For a GitHub README
Output social.mp4           # For social media
Output web.webm             # For website embedding
  
Type "npm install vcr"
Enter
Wait

Format-Specific Settings

GIF-only setting:

MaxColors — color palette size, 1–256 (default: 256).

Timing settings (all animated formats — GIF, MP4, WebM, and SVG):

Framerate — recording frame rate, 1–120 (default: 50).
PlaybackSpeed — playback speed multiplier (default: 1.0).

All other settings apply to every format unless noted otherwise. For the full list, see the configuration options reference.