Reconstructing a Mixbook movie from its data API with FFmpeg
The article discusses the process of reconstructing a Mixbook movie using FFmpeg. It highlights the challenges faced due to the absence of a direct download option for the animated project. The author details the reverse-engineering steps taken to extract the movie's data from the Mixbook API.
- ▪Mixbook does not provide a download button for animated projects, requiring users to find alternative methods to access their files.
- ▪The movie is constructed frame by frame in the browser, with no actual video file available for download.
- ▪The author successfully retrieves the movie's definition from the Mixbook API, which includes details about segments, transitions, and music tracks.
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Reconstructing a Mixbook Movie with ffmpeg May 23, 2026 Reconstructing a Mixbook Movie with ffmpeg Mixbook emailed me to say my animated project was ready: a short movie built from my photos and set to music. I could watch it in the browser or order a printed copy. I could not download it. There is no download button, and Mixbook's help docs say one does not exist. I wanted the file. Getting it became a small reverse-engineering exercise, because the reason there's no download button is more interesting than a missing feature. There is no video file to download. Your browser builds the movie frame by frame every time you press play. One caveat up front: this was my own project, reached through my own shareable view link.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hacker News (Newest).
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