A Node.js API for generating image and video thumbnails using Sharp and FFmpeg. Handles file uploads, processes media files, and generates optimized thumbnails with automatic cleanup.

• Image Thumbnails
  Generate small (150px), medium (300px), and large (600px) JPEG thumbnails with:

  • Smart cropping based on attention area
  • Image quality optimization (MozJPEG)
  • Color enhancements (saturation + brightness)

• Video Thumbnails
  Extract frames from videos (MP4/MKV/AVI) and:

  • Generate 320x180 processed thumbnails
  • Apply sharpening and color corrections
  • Automatic temporary file cleanup

• Core Technologies

  • 🖼️ Sharp for image processing
  • 🎥 FFmpeg for video frame extraction
  • 📁 Multer for file upload handling
  • ♻️ Retry-based file cleanup system

1. Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/5Asim/ThumbnailGenerator
cd ThumbnailGenerator

2. Install Dependencies

npm install express multer sharp fluent-ffmpeg uuid

3. Install FFmpeg
   Download FFmpeg and either:
   • Add to system PATH, OR
   • Update path in code (see ffmpegPath in server.js)

1. Start Server

node server.js

2. Upload Image

curl -X POST -F "[email protected]" http://localhost:3000/upload/image

Response:

{
  "original": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/123456789.jpg",
  "thumbnails": {
    "small": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/thumb_small_123456789.jpg",
    "medium": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/thumb_medium_123456789.jpg",
    "large": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/thumb_large_123456789.jpg"
  }
}

3. Upload Video

curl -X POST -F "[email protected]" http://localhost:3000/upload/video

Response:

{
  "video": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/123456789.mp4",
  "thumbnail": "http://localhost:3000/uploads/processed_thumb_550e8400.jpg"
}

FFmpeg Errors

# Verify FFmpeg installation
ffmpeg -version

File Permission Issues

# On Linux/Mac
chmod -R 755 uploads

Common Fixes

1. Ensure uploads directory exists and is writable
2. Check FFmpeg path matches your system setup
3. Verify uploaded files < 25MB (Multer default)
4. Review console logs for processing errors

Optimized for
✅ Content management systems
✅ Media-heavy applications
✅ Automated thumbnail pipelines