ascii-video

Convert video, audio, images, and timed text into colored ASCII animated MP4/GIF outputs.

Updated May 5, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/Z43L/zeus-agent --skill ascii-video-z43l
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: ascii-video
Source: https://github.com/Z43L/zeus-agent/tree/main/skills/creative/ascii-video
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/Z43L/zeus-agent --skill ascii-video-z43l

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

💡 This Skill includes references (resource) components.

What problem does it solve?

Users need a fast way to convert videos, audio-reactive inputs, or text/lyrics into engaging, non-trivial animated ASCII output without writing the whole renderer and rendering pipeline from scratch.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • What it renders: Converts video/audio/images/text into colored ASCII animation, producing MP4/GIF/image-sequence style output.
  • Audio-reactive modes: Drives visuals from FFT bands, beat detection, and energy features for music visualizers and hybrid overlays.
  • Generative and hybrid production: Supports fully procedural ASCII animation and video+audio blended scenes, including lyrics/text timing and optional TTS narration.
  • Full creative pipeline: Builds the end-to-end pipeline including grid/font rendering, effect/shader composition, tonemapping for ASCII-on-black brightness, and ffmpeg encoding.

Quick Start

Use the ascii-video skill to render an MP4 from an input video by asking: "Convert 'my_clip.mp4' into a colored ASCII video at 1080p, 24fps."

Frequently Asked Questions about ascii-video

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I convert an MP4 video into a colored ASCII animation?

To convert an MP4 video into a colored ASCII animation, this skill builds a grid/font character rendering pipeline with value/hue effects, adaptive tonemapping, and shader/feedback post-processing to encode the output as an MP4 or GIF.

What is an audio-reactive ASCII music visualizer and how does it work?

An audio-reactive ASCII music visualizer drives visual output from audio features like FFT bands, beat detection, and energy features. This skill maps those audio inputs to value/hue effects and post-processing within a shader pipeline to generate animated ASCII video.

Can I generate ASCII video with timed lyrics and TTS narration?

Yes, you can generate ASCII video with timed lyrics and TTS narration. The skill supports fully procedural ASCII animation and hybrid scenes, timing text overlays and optional TTS narration alongside audio-reactive or video inputs to produce a final MP4.

Does this ASCII video pipeline require ffmpeg for encoding?

Yes, the ASCII video pipeline requires ffmpeg for encoding. It uses ffmpeg-based encoding to output the final rendered ASCII animation into standard formats like MP4, GIF, or image sequences after the shader and tonemapping post-processing completes.

What is the best way to fix brightness issues when rendering ASCII on black backgrounds?

The best way to fix brightness issues when rendering ASCII on black backgrounds is to apply adaptive tonemapping. This skill integrates adaptive tonemapping within its rendering pipeline to correctly balance brightness and value/hue effects for ASCII characters.