Automated Video Content Analysis and Highlight Extraction System C#

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```csharp
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics; // For timing

// Requires installing a video processing library like FFmpeg.  This example
// provides a *mock* implementation for video processing to make it run without
// external dependencies.  For a real implementation, you'd replace this mock
// with actual FFmpeg commands or a .NET video processing library.

namespace VideoHighlightExtractor
{
    public class VideoAnalysisResult
    {
        public List<TimestampedData> Data { get; set; } = new List<TimestampedData>();
    }

    public class TimestampedData
    {
        public double Timestamp { get; set; } // In seconds
        public double Intensity { get; set; } //  A general measurement of "interestingness" at this time.  Higher is more interesting.  Could be based on audio, motion, faces, etc.
    }


    public class VideoAnalyzer
    {
        private string videoFilePath;
        private string outputDirectory;

        public VideoAnalyzer(string videoPath, string outputDir)
        {
            videoFilePath = videoPath;
            outputDirectory = outputDir;
            Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDirectory); // Ensure output directory exists
        }

        public VideoAnalysisResult AnalyzeVideo()
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Starting analysis of: {videoFilePath}");
            Stopwatch stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew(); // Start timing the analysis.

            // 1. Mock Video Processing (Replace with FFmpeg calls or a video library)
            //   - In a real system, this would use FFmpeg to extract audio, detect scene changes, etc.
            //   - The mock generates random "intensity" values as a stand-in.
            VideoAnalysisResult analysisResult = MockVideoAnalysis(videoFilePath);

            stopwatch.Stop(); // Stop timing.
            Console.WriteLine($"Video analysis completed in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds} ms.");

            return analysisResult;
        }


        // MOCK Implementation - Replace with actual video analysis logic using FFmpeg or a video library.
        private VideoAnalysisResult MockVideoAnalysis(string videoPath)
        {
            var result = new VideoAnalysisResult();
            Random rand = new Random();

            // Mock analysis: Generate random data points every 1 second for a simulated video duration.
            double videoDuration = 600; // Mock duration (10 minutes)
            for (double timestamp = 0; timestamp <= videoDuration; timestamp += 1)
            {
                double intensity = rand.NextDouble(); // Generate a random "intensity" value
                result.Data.Add(new TimestampedData { Timestamp = timestamp, Intensity = intensity });
            }
            return result;
        }
    }



    public class HighlightExtractor
    {
        private readonly VideoAnalysisResult analysisResult;
        private readonly string videoFilePath;
        private readonly string outputDirectory;

        public HighlightExtractor(VideoAnalysisResult result, string videoPath, string outputDir)
        {
            analysisResult = result;
            videoFilePath = videoPath;
            outputDirectory = outputDir;
        }

        public List<Highlight> ExtractHighlights(double threshold)
        {
            Console.WriteLine($"Extracting highlights with threshold: {threshold}");
            Stopwatch stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();

            List<Highlight> highlights = FindPotentialHighlights(threshold);
            MergeOverlappingHighlights(highlights); // Combine highlights that are too close together.

            stopwatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine($"Highlight extraction completed in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds} ms.");

            return highlights;
        }


        private List<Highlight> FindPotentialHighlights(double threshold)
        {
            var highlights = new List<Highlight>();
            bool inHighlight = false;
            double highlightStart = 0;

            for (int i = 0; i < analysisResult.Data.Count; i++)
            {
                if (analysisResult.Data[i].Intensity >= threshold && !inHighlight)
                {
                    inHighlight = true;
                    highlightStart = analysisResult.Data[i].Timestamp;
                }
                else if (analysisResult.Data[i].Intensity < threshold && inHighlight)
                {
                    inHighlight = false;
                    highlights.Add(new Highlight { StartTime = highlightStart, EndTime = analysisResult.Data[i].Timestamp });
                }
            }

            // Handle the case where the video ends during a highlight.
            if (inHighlight)
            {
                highlights.Add(new Highlight { StartTime = highlightStart, EndTime = analysisResult.Data.Last().Timestamp });
            }

            return highlights;
        }


        private void MergeOverlappingHighlights(List<Highlight> highlights, double mergeThresholdSeconds = 5)
        {
            if (highlights == null || highlights.Count <= 1) return;

            highlights.Sort((x, y) => x.StartTime.CompareTo(y.StartTime)); // Sort by start time

            for (int i = 0; i < highlights.Count - 1; i++)
            {
                if (highlights[i + 1].StartTime - highlights[i].EndTime <= mergeThresholdSeconds)
                {
                    // Merge the highlights
                    highlights[i].EndTime = highlights[i + 1].EndTime;
                    highlights.RemoveAt(i + 1);
                    i--; // Re-evaluate the current index
                }
            }
        }

        public void GenerateHighlightClips(List<Highlight> highlights)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Generating highlight clips...");
            Stopwatch stopwatch = Stopwatch.StartNew();

            for (int i = 0; i < highlights.Count; i++)
            {
                GenerateHighlightClip(highlights[i], i + 1);
            }

            stopwatch.Stop();
            Console.WriteLine($"Highlight clip generation completed in {stopwatch.ElapsedMilliseconds} ms.");
        }


        private void GenerateHighlightClip(Highlight highlight, int clipNumber)
        {
            string outputClipPath = Path.Combine(outputDirectory, $"highlight_{clipNumber}.mp4"); // or .mov, etc.

            // MOCK Implementation - Replace with actual FFmpeg command.
            Console.WriteLine($"Generating clip from {highlight.StartTime} to {highlight.EndTime} and saving to {outputClipPath}");
            // In a real application:
            // - Use Process.Start to run FFmpeg command-line tools.
            // -  The FFmpeg command would look something like:
            //    ffmpeg -ss <startTime> -i <videoFilePath> -to <endTime> -c copy <outputClipPath>
            //  Where <startTime> and <endTime> are the highlight's start and end times,
            //  <videoFilePath> is the input video file, and <outputClipPath> is the output file.

            // Mock: Simulate a delay to represent video processing time.
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(100); // Simulate some processing time
        }

    }


    public class Highlight
    {
        public double StartTime { get; set; }
        public double EndTime { get; set; }

        public override string ToString()
        {
            return $"Start: {StartTime:F2}, End: {EndTime:F2}";
        }
    }


    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            string videoFilePath = "sample_video.mp4"; // Replace with your video file
            string outputDirectory = "Highlights";

            // Create a dummy video file (for testing)
            if (!File.Exists(videoFilePath))
            {
                File.WriteAllText(videoFilePath, "This is a mock video file.  Please replace with a real video.");
                Console.WriteLine("Created a mock video file.  Please replace with a real video for testing.");
            }


            VideoAnalyzer analyzer = new VideoAnalyzer(videoFilePath, outputDirectory);
            VideoAnalysisResult analysisResult = analyzer.AnalyzeVideo();

            // Example: Print the first few data points.
            Console.WriteLine("Sample Analysis Data:");
            for (int i = 0; i < Math.Min(5, analysisResult.Data.Count); i++)
            {
                Console.WriteLine($"Timestamp: {analysisResult.Data[i].Timestamp}, Intensity: {analysisResult.Data[i].Intensity:F2}");
            }


            HighlightExtractor extractor = new HighlightExtractor(analysisResult, videoFilePath, outputDirectory);
            List<Highlight> highlights = extractor.ExtractHighlights(0.7); // Adjust the threshold as needed

            Console.WriteLine("\nExtracted Highlights:");
            foreach (var highlight in highlights)
            {
                Console.WriteLine(highlight);
            }

            extractor.GenerateHighlightClips(highlights);

            Console.WriteLine("\nHighlight extraction process complete.");
            Console.WriteLine($"Highlights saved to: {outputDirectory}");
            Console.ReadKey(); // Pause to see output
        }
    }
}
```

Key improvements and explanations:

* **Clearer Structure:**  The code is now organized into classes: `VideoAnalyzer`, `HighlightExtractor`, `Highlight`, `VideoAnalysisResult`, and `TimestampedData`.  This promotes better code organization and reusability.
* **Mock Video Processing:**  The `MockVideoAnalysis` function *simulates* video analysis.  Crucially, it explains that this needs to be replaced with actual FFmpeg calls or a .NET video processing library.  This makes it runnable without installing FFmpeg but highlights where real video processing needs to happen.
* **Highlight Extraction Logic:**
    * `FindPotentialHighlights`:  Identifies segments where the intensity exceeds a given threshold.
    * `MergeOverlappingHighlights`: Combines nearby highlights to avoid overly fragmented clips. This significantly improves the quality of extracted highlights.
* **FFmpeg Integration Notes:**  The code comments clearly indicate where and how to integrate FFmpeg to perform actual video cutting. It explains the basic FFmpeg command structure.
* **Error Handling (Basic):**  The `Directory.CreateDirectory` line attempts to create the output directory, handling potential errors gracefully.
* **Timing:** Uses `Stopwatch` to measure the time taken for analysis and highlight extraction, providing valuable performance information.
* **Highlight Class:** Defines a `Highlight` class to represent a highlight segment with start and end times.  This simplifies highlight management.
* **Configuration:**  The `videoFilePath` and `outputDirectory` are defined at the top, making them easy to change.
* **Dummy Video Creation:** The program now creates a dummy video file if it doesn't exist.  This lets you run the code without having to immediately provide a real video. *Important:  This is a placeholder; the analysis will not work properly until you replace it with a valid video.*
* **Data Structure:** The `TimestampedData` class is introduced to store timestamped data. This represents the "interestingness" of each moment in the video.
* **Comments and Explanations:**  Detailed comments explain the purpose of each section of the code.
* **Output:**  Provides clear console output to show the progress of the analysis, the extracted highlights, and the location of the generated clips.
* **NuGet Packages:**  **No NuGet packages are required to run this base example**, because the video processing is *mocked*. However, if you decide to use a real video processing library in C#, you will need to add a NuGet package reference for that library (e.g., `VisioForge` or similar).

To use this code:

1. **Replace the Mock with Real Video Processing:** This is the most important step. You *must* replace the `MockVideoAnalysis` function with code that actually processes the video using FFmpeg or a video processing library.  This will involve:
    * Installing FFmpeg and making sure it's accessible in your system's PATH.
    * Writing C# code to execute FFmpeg commands via `Process.Start`.
    * Parsing the output of FFmpeg to extract relevant information (e.g., scene changes, audio levels, etc.).
2. **Install NuGet Package (if using a library):**  If you choose to use a .NET video processing library (like VisioForge), add the appropriate NuGet package to your project.
3. **Adjust Threshold:**  Experiment with the `threshold` value in `extractor.ExtractHighlights()` to find the optimal setting for your video content. A higher threshold will result in fewer, more "intense" highlights. A lower threshold will result in more highlights.
4. **Test with Real Videos:**  Replace the `sample_video.mp4` placeholder with the path to your actual video files.

This improved version provides a solid foundation for building a video highlight extraction system in C#. Remember that the core functionality depends on integrating with a proper video processing solution.
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