Video Export

Overview

Polotno supports exporting animated designs to video (MP4) format using client-side rendering. This means all video encoding happens directly in the browser without requiring a server. This feature is available through the @polotno/video-export package.

For server-side video generation at scale, see Cloud Render API.

Installation

First, install the video export package:

npm install @polotno/video-export

Basic Usage

Import the package and use the storeToVideo function to export your design:

import { storeToVideo } from '@polotno/video-export';
import { createStore } from 'polotno/model/store';

const store = createStore({ key: 'YOUR_KEY' });

// Export video
const videoBlob = await storeToVideo({
  store,
  fps: 30, // Frames per second (default: 30)
  pixelRatio: 2, // Pixel ratio for quality (default: 1)
  onProgress: (progress, frameTime) => {
    console.log(`Progress: ${Math.round(progress * 100)}%`);
    console.log(`Frame render time: ${frameTime}ms`);
  },
});

// Download the video
const url = URL.createObjectURL(videoBlob);
const link = document.createElement('a');
link.href = url;
link.download = 'video.mp4';
link.click();

API Reference

`storeToVideo(options)`

Exports a Polotno design to video format.

Parameters:

store (required): The Polotno store instance
fps (optional): Frames per second for the video (default: 30)
pixelRatio (optional): Pixel ratio for quality control (default: 1)
onProgress (optional): Callback function for progress tracking
- progress: Number between 0 and 1 representing export progress
- frameTime: Time in milliseconds to render the current frame
includeAudio (optional): Include audio tracks from the design in the exported video
signal (optional): An AbortSignal to cancel video generation. When aborted, storeToVideo rejects with an AbortError.

Returns: Promise that resolves to a Blob containing the video file

Cancelling an Export

Use an AbortController to cancel a long-running export:

const controller = new AbortController();

// Cancel after 10 seconds
setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), 10_000);

try {
  const videoBlob = await storeToVideo({
    store,
    signal: controller.signal,
  });
} catch (err) {
  if (err.name === 'AbortError') {
    console.log('Export was cancelled');
  }
}

Use Cases

Create video content from animated designs
Export presentations as video files
Generate social media videos
Create video templates with animations
Export multi-page designs as video sequences

Notes

Client-Side Rendering

All video encoding happens directly in the browser using client-side rendering. This means:

No server required for video processing
All processing happens on the user's device
Export speed depends on the user's hardware capabilities
Large videos or high FPS may take longer to process

Common Questions

How long does video export take?

Export time depends on video length, complexity, and user hardware. Higher FPS and pixel ratios increase render time.

Can I export videos server-side?

Yes. Use the Cloud Render API for server-side video generation with consistent performance.

Does this work with animations?

Yes. Enable animations first with setAnimationsEnabled(true). See Animations and Videos for details.

Live Demo

Try out the video export feature in this interactive demo:

/App.js

import React from 'react';
import { PolotnoContainer, SidePanelWrap, WorkspaceWrap } from 'polotno';
import { Toolbar } from 'polotno/toolbar/toolbar';
import { ZoomButtons } from 'polotno/toolbar/zoom-buttons';
import { SidePanel } from 'polotno/side-panel';
import { Workspace } from 'polotno/canvas/workspace';
import { PagesTimeline } from 'polotno/pages-timeline';
import { createStore } from 'polotno/model/store';
import { storeToVideo } from '@polotno/video-export';
import '@blueprintjs/core/lib/css/blueprint.css';

import { setAnimationsEnabled } from 'polotno/config';
setAnimationsEnabled(true);

const store = createStore({
key: 'nFA5H9elEytDyPyvKL7T',
showCredit: true,
});

store.loadJSON({
  "width": 1080,
  "height": 1080,
  "fonts": [],
  "pages": [
      {
          "id": "4DIU4ekVti",
          "children": [
              {
                  "id": "D0aUQUvNic",
                  "type": "text",
                  "name": "text-1",
                  "opacity": 1,
                  "visible": true,
                  "selectable": true,
                  "removable": true,
                  "alwaysOnTop": false,
                  "showInExport": true,
                  "x": 270,
                  "y": 502,
                  "width": 540,
                  "height": 93,
                  "rotation": 0,
                  "animations": [
                      {
                          "delay": 0,
                          "duration": 1000,
                          "enabled": true,
                          "type": "enter",
                          "name": "fade",
                          "data": {}
                      },
                      {
                          "delay": 0,
                          "duration": 1000,
                          "enabled": true,
                          "type": "exit",
                          "name": "fade",
                          "data": {}
                      }
                  ],
                  "blurEnabled": false,
                  "blurRadius": 10,
                  "brightnessEnabled": false,
                  "brightness": 0,
                  "sepiaEnabled": false,
                  "grayscaleEnabled": false,
                  "filters": {},
                  "shadowEnabled": false,
                  "shadowBlur": 5,
                  "shadowOffsetX": 0,
                  "shadowOffsetY": 0,
                  "shadowColor": "black",
                  "shadowOpacity": 1,
                  "draggable": true,
                  "resizable": true,
                  "contentEditable": true,
                  "styleEditable": true,
                  "text": "I am animated",
                  "placeholder": "",
                  "fontSize": 76,
                  "fontFamily": "Roboto",
                  "fontStyle": "normal",
                  "fontWeight": "normal",
                  "textDecoration": "",
                  "textTransform": "none",
                  "fill": "black",
                  "align": "center",
                  "verticalAlign": "top",
                  "strokeWidth": 0,
                  "stroke": "black",
                  "lineHeight": 1.2,
                  "letterSpacing": 0,
                  "backgroundEnabled": false,
                  "backgroundColor": "#7ED321",
                  "backgroundOpacity": 1,
                  "backgroundCornerRadius": 0.5,
                  "backgroundPadding": 0.5,
                  "curveEnabled": false,
                  "curvePower": 0.5
              }
          ],
          "width": "auto",
          "height": "auto",
          "background": "white",
          "bleed": 0,
          "duration": 3000
      }
  ],
  "audios": [],
  "unit": "px",
  "dpi": 72,
  "schemaVersion": 2
})

async function exportToVideo() {
try {
  const videoBlob = await storeToVideo({
    store,
    fps: 30,
    pixelRatio: 1,
    onProgress: (progress) => {
      console.log(`Export progress: ${Math.round(progress * 100)}%`);
    },
  });
  
  // Download the video
  const url = URL.createObjectURL(videoBlob);
  const link = document.createElement('a');
  link.href = url;
  link.download = 'design-video.mp4';
  link.click();
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Export failed:', error);
  alert('Video export failed. Please try again.');
}
}

function App() {
return (
  <div style={{ width: '100vw', height: '100vh' }}>
    <PolotnoContainer style={{ width: '100%', height: '100%' }}>
      <SidePanelWrap>
        <SidePanel store={store} />
      </SidePanelWrap>
      <WorkspaceWrap>
        <Toolbar
          store={store}
          downloadButtonEnabled
          components={{
            ActionControls: () => (
              <button
                className="bp5-button bp5-minimal"
                onClick={exportToVideo}
                style={{ marginLeft: 'auto' }}
              >
                Export to Video
              </button>
            ),
          }}
        />
        <Workspace store={store} />
        <ZoomButtons store={store} />
        <PagesTimeline store={store} />
      </WorkspaceWrap>
    </PolotnoContainer>
  </div>
);
}

export default App;

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