Synfig Transparent MOV Exporter (qtrle + Alpha)

Export Synfig animations to QuickTime (.mov) with alpha transparency using qtrle + argb, via FFmpeg.

Features

• Renders your Synfig canvas to a PNG sequence with transparency (alpha).
• Reads the canvas’s native FPS from the .sif / .sifz file and passes it to FFmpeg automatically.
• Encodes a .mov using QuickTime Animation codec (qtrle) with alpha (argb), compatible with editors like CapCut.
• Prefers FFmpeg from your system PATH (recommended).
  • ⚠️ Synfig bundles a minimal ffmpeg.exe, but it is incomplete and not ideal for this operation.
  • For reliable results, install a recent, stable version of FFmpeg and ensure it’s available in your PATH.
• Streams logs to ~/Videos/synfig_export_logs/ and also generates FFmpeg's own ffmpeg-*.log.
• On success, Synfig shows a clean popup confirming export location and FPS.

Installation

1. Clone or download the plugin repository.
2. Copy the entire plugin folder (containing plugin.xml and export_transparent_mov.py) into:
   • Windows: C:\Users\<YOU>\Synfig\plugins\
   • Linux: ~/.config/synfig/plugins/
   • macOS: /Users/<YOU>/Library/Synfig/plugins/
3. Restart Synfig Studio.

Usage

1. Open your animation in Synfig.
2. Go to File → Export….
3. Choose “QuickTime Animation (qtrle) with alpha (*.mov)”.
4. Specify an output filename (e.g., MyAnimation.mov).
5. Click OK — a log will be generated under ~/Videos/synfig_export_logs/.
6. On success, a message box confirms where the .mov was saved and its FPS.

Limitations

• Only supports qtrle (QuickTime Animation) with alpha. Some editors may not support this codec.
• On Linux/macOS, FFmpeg must already be installed (no bundled fallback).
• Synfig’s bundled FFmpeg (Windows) is incomplete and should be avoided for this export. Always prefer a recent system FFmpeg.
• No custom options for ProRes, output resolution control, or variable frame ranges — though some can be tweaked manually in the script.

Future Improvements

• ProRes 4444 exporter for wider editing compatibility.
• GUI for exporter settings like codec, output resolution, or file paths.
• Auto-detection of canvas duration to support partial exports.
• Plugin manager integration (e.g., one-click install) as discussed in the Synfig forums. (forums.synfig.org, github.com, forums.synfig.org)

Credits & License

This plugin is open-source and released under the MIT License.