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Python module for manipulating SMPTE timecode. Supports any arbitrary integer frame rates and some default str values of 23.976, 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30, 50, 59.94, 60 frame rates and milliseconds (1000 fps) and fractional frame rates like "30001/1001".

This library is a fork of the original PyTimeCode python library. You should not use the two library together (PyTimeCode is not maintained and has known bugs).

The math behind the drop frame calculation is based on the blog post of David Heidelberger.

Simple math operations like, addition, subtraction, multiplication or division with an integer value or with a timecode is possible. Math operations between timecodes with different frame rates are supported. So:

from timecode import Timecode

tc1 = Timecode('29.97', '00:00:00;00')
tc2 = Timecode(24, '00:00:00:10')
tc3 = tc1 + tc2
assert tc3.framerate == '29.97'
assert tc3.frames == 12
assert tc3 == '00:00:00:11'

Creating a Timecode instance with a start timecode of '00:00:00:00' will result a timecode object where the total number of frames is 1. So:

tc4 = Timecode('24', '00:00:00:00')
assert tc4.frames == 1

Use the frame_number attribute if you want to get a 0 based frame number:

assert tc4.frame_number == 0

Frame rates 29.97 and 59.94 are always drop frame, and all the others are non drop frame.

The timecode library supports fractional frame rates passed as a string:

tc5 = Timecode('30000/1001', '00:00:00;00')
assert tc5.framerate == '29.97'

You may also pass a big "Binary Coded Decimal" integer as start timecode:

tc6 = Timecode('24', 421729315)
assert repr(tc6) == '19:23:14:23'

This is useful for parsing timecodes stored in OpenEXR's and extracted through OpenImageIO for instance.

Timecode also supports passing start timecodes formatted like HH:MM:SS.sss where SS.sss is seconds and fractions of seconds:

tc8 = Timecode(25, '00:00:00.040')
assert tc8.frame_number == 1

You may set any timecode to be represented as fractions of seconds:

tc9 = Timecode(24, '19:23:14:23')
assert repr(tc9) == '19:23:14:23'

tc9.set_fractional(True)
assert repr(tc9) == '19:23:14.958'

Fraction of seconds is useful when working with tools like FFmpeg.

The SMPTE standard limits the timecode with 24 hours. Even though, Timecode instance will show the current timecode inline with the SMPTE standard, it will keep counting the total frames without clipping it.

Please report any bugs to the GitHub page.