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Ask Slashdot: What's The Best Place To Suggest New Open Source Software?

Posted by EditorDavid on from the suggestions-from-the-sidelines dept.

dryriver writes: Somebody I know has been searching up and down the internet for an open source software that can apply GPU pixel shaders (HLSL/GLSL/Cg/SweetFX) to a video and save the result out to a video file. He came up with nothing, so I said "Why not petition the open source community to create such a tool?" His reply was "Where exactly does one go to ask for a new open source software?"

So that is my question: Where on the internet can one best go to request that a new open source software tool that does not exist yet be developed? Or do open source tools only come into existence when someone -- a coder -- starts to build a software, opens the source, and invites other coders to join the fray?
This is a good place to discuss the general logistics of new open source projects -- so leave your best answers in the comments. What's the best place to suggest new open source software?

4 of 225 comments (clear)

  1. Uhh... by ckatko · · Score: 5, Informative

    There have got to be tools out there already...

      - MPC-HC supports running custom shaders. (Supposedly KMPlayer does too, but I'm not familiar with it.)

    I'm not sure if it supports file output. But that's already 99% of the battle already done for you. It supports pixel shaders, loading files through codecs. So even if it doesn't, why not just fork the github, and patch on some super-ugly-yet-functional file output?

    But backing up further. What... exactly do you need the shaders for? Does it have to be a shader running on a GPU, or do you simply need filters? Is the task you're attempting really going to take advantage of a GPU?

    As for "doing it for you", you can suck my balls. If you're capable of writing shader code, you're capable of dumping frames to a file.

    1. Re:Uhh... by MatthiasF · · Score: 4, Informative

      Pretty sure VLC and other video players can do this as well. I know VLC can apply filters and save out videos, and have seen demonstrations of people applying OpenGL shaders to videos.

  2. Use Blender? by greggman · · Score: 4, Informative

    Blender has video editing built in I've heard. It probably also supports shaders. note: I'm only guessing as I have barely used Blender

    video editing in blender

    1. Re:Use Blender? by mysticgoat · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, Blender. It is cross platform and on an adequate platform (multicore CPU, certain GPUs) it could possibly do what is wanted. It can also be extended using Python plug-ins, so it could be further developed if necessary. Blender can also use render farm technology so it can probably scale to meet any reasonably large job, its limitation being only the number of computers you can afford to use.

      Since the person(s) inquiring about this had not mentioned Blender, I can only assume that they are either too lazy or too lacking in basic Google skills to do any work themselves. Learning to use enough of Blender's interface to manage its video editing tools is not something one can do in a weekend. Learning enough Python to create any necessary plug-ins is also non-trivial. The inquirers seem to want someone to make a one-button application to do what they want. I think they have a basic misunderstanding of what Free Open Source Software is all about.