Timeframe

A javascript library for parsing and manipulation of SMPTE/EBU/Generic timecodes, framerates and framecounts.

Install

npm install @wfoxall/timeframe

Usage

Timecode Class

Import the Timecode class and create an instance.

import {Timecode} from '@wfoxall/timeframe';

const tc = new Timecode('00:01:02:03',"29.97DF");

console.log(tc.toString());
// 00;01;02;03

A TimecodeError is thrown if the supplied string or framerate are invalid or incompatible. And the toString() class will take care of formatting the timecode correctly (e.g. semicolons for drop timecode).

Timecodes can be instantiated from a string or framecount, and the framerate can be expressed in any of several ways too (see Framerate class):

const tc1 = new Timecode('00:01:01:00',"29.97DF");
console.log(tc1.toString());
// 00;01;01;00

const tc2 = new Timecode('00:01:02:15',{denom:1001,numer:30000,drop:true});
console.log(tc2.toString());
// 00;01;02;15

const tc3 = new Timecode(12345,29.97); // 29.97 and 59.94 numbers are interpretted as drop-frame by default
console.log(tc3.toString());
// 00;06;51;27

You can add and subtract timecodes (with matching framerates) using the static method on the Timecode class, or with the method on an existing timecode object:

let sum = Timecode.add(tc1,tc2); // Immutable - tc1 and tc2 remain unchanged.
console.log(sum.toString());
// 00;02;03;15

tc1.addTimecode(tc3); // Mutable - tc1 is changed
console.log(tc1.toString());
// 00;07;52;27

Framerate Class

Framerate objects can be instantiated by passing a FramerateLike value. This can be a string, number or object as follows:

let fr1 = "59.94DF"
let fr2 = 59.94
let fr3 = {numer:60000,denom:1001,drop:true}

This is particularly useful when marshalling framerates from various formats. For example, some video APIs like to express framerates as a fraction (eg. 29.97 is expressed as 30000/1001).

The resulting Framerate instance can then be used to initialize a Timecode instance.

import {Framerate} from '@wfoxall/timeframe';

let fr1 = new Framerate(29.97);
console.log(fr1.toString());
// 29.97DF

const tc = new Timecode("01:59:59:28",fr1);
console.log(tc.toString());
// 01;59;59;28

As framerates can be expressed in multiple formats, this is useful for marshelling the same framerate into the same uniform type. For example, the following are the same framerate:

let fr1 = "59.94DF"
let fr2 = 59.94
let fr3 = {numer:60000,denom:1001,drop:true}

Credit

The logic in the framesToTimecode function is based on a Stack Overflow answer by Ichthyo.