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Free Timelapse Video Settings Calculator — Export FPS & NLE Import Settings From Your Frame Count
You’ve got a folder of timelapse frames and no idea what FPS to import at — or an empty card and no idea how many frames you’ll need. Enter your frame count and shooting interval, or your event duration and target clip length, and this calculator returns your exact clip duration, speed multiplier, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and After Effects import steps, slow-motion potential, and ready-to-run FFMPEG commands, covering both sides of the workflow no other free timelapse tool handles in one place.
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Timelapse Video Settings Calculator Free Tool
You've got a folder of frames and no idea what FPS to import at. This tool turns your sequence into exact export settings, NLE import steps, and a clip-length target — both before and after the shoot.
| FPS | Clip length | Speed multiplier |
|---|
Convert your image sequence to video without any NLE.
Adjust the -i pattern to match your actual filename format.
Smooth slow-motion without interpolation requires 50% speed minimum. Below that, enable Optical Flow / Speed Warp in your NLE.
Your sequence:
3-2-1 rule: keep your raw sequence until final delivery is confirmed.
Export sizes are estimated from published bitrate references — YouTube's recommended 4K upload bitrates for the delivery file, and Apple/Atomos's ProRes 422 HQ target data rates for the master file — not measured from your actual encode.
The Fundamentals
What Does the Timelapse Video Settings Calculator Compute?
The Timelapse Video Settings Calculator is a free browser-based tool that solves the one part of a timelapse workflow most calculators ignore: what happens after you’ve already shot the sequence. Post-Shoot mode takes your total frame count and shooting interval and works out the real time you captured, your exact clip duration and speed multiplier at four standard export frame rates, your raw and exported file sizes, and a complete set of import instructions for DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, and After Effects. Pre-Shoot mode covers the planning side: enter your event duration and target clip length, and the calculator works out the interval you need to shoot at and flags it against the minimum safe write speed for your file type.
Every output updates live as you change an input — there’s no calculate button to press. The FPS comparison table shows your clip length and speed multiplier at 24, 25, 30 and 60fps simultaneously, and clicking any row switches your selected frame rate across the entire page, including the NLE steps and FFMPEG command below it. The slow-motion analyzer tells you which playback speeds you can apply in your NLE without needing optical flow interpolation. The speed multiplier scale places your sequence on a visual reference range, from slow smoke drift at 10× through a full day compressed to 24 seconds at 3600×, so you have language for what your footage actually looks like before you open an editor.
The target duration reverse-solver answers the question every timelapse editor eventually asks: “how do I make this exactly 30 seconds?” It gives you three independent options — change your import FPS, trim your frame count, or apply a speed ramp — each with the exact numbers for your sequence, so you’re choosing a method rather than guessing one. A Copy NLE Settings button and a Copy FFMPEG Command button put the full text on your clipboard, and a Share Link button encodes every input into the URL so you can send your exact settings to a collaborator or an editor.
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Why Speed Multiplier Is the Number That Actually Determines Your Export Settings
Most timelapse guidance talks about frame rate and shooting interval as separate decisions. They aren’t. The relationship between them — your speed multiplier — is the single number that determines how your finished clip will look and play back, and it’s fixed the moment you choose your interval and export FPS, regardless of what camera or software you use.
The maths is simple but easy to get backwards in your head. Clip duration equals your total frame count divided by your export frame rate: a 847-frame sequence exported at 24fps runs for 35.3 seconds. Speed multiplier equals your shooting interval multiplied by your export frame rate: an 8-second interval exported at 24fps plays back 192 times faster than real time. Change the export FPS and both numbers move together — the same 847 frames at 60fps produce a 14.1-second clip running 480 times faster than real time. Neither value is “more correct” than the other; they’re two views of the same captured sequence, and the calculator’s FPS comparison table exists specifically so you can see all four standard options side by side before committing to one in your NLE’s project settings.
Export file size follows a similar logic but depends on a different variable: your delivery codec’s target bitrate, not your frame count. A common mistake is assuming export size scales with how many source frames you have — it doesn’t. It scales with your clip’s final duration in seconds and the bitrate of whatever codec you’re encoding to. A 35-second clip exported as a 4K H.265 delivery file at the upload bitrate YouTube recommends for that resolution and frame rate runs to roughly 20 megabytes per second of footage at typical settings; the same clip mastered in ProRes 422 HQ — the format prores_ks -profile:v 3 produces in FFmpeg — runs over ten times larger, because ProRes is a much higher-bitrate intermediate codec built for editing headroom rather than delivery efficiency. The calculator’s storage estimates use published reference bitrates for both, scaled to your actual clip duration at your selected FPS, not a flat guess applied across every sequence.
The minimum safe shooting interval follows the same logic in reverse, for Pre-Shoot mode. Every camera needs time to write a frame to the card before the next exposure can begin, and RAW files take meaningfully longer to write than JPEGs. Shoot at an interval shorter than your card and processor can clear, and the camera silently drops frames rather than erroring out — which is far worse than a slow interval, because you don’t discover the gap until you’re looking at a stuttering sequence in post. The calculator flags this against typical write-speed thresholds by file type, with a clear note that it’s a rule of thumb rather than a spec for your specific camera body.
Step-by-Step Guide
How to Use the Timelapse Video Settings Calculator
Step 1 — Choose Pre-Shoot or Post-Shoot mode
Use the two mode cards at the top of the tool. Post-Shoot is for sequences you've already captured and is the default — it's the unique part of this tool's workflow. Pre-Shoot is for planning a sequence you haven't shot yet. Switching modes swaps the entire input and output section and resets your calculations, so pick the mode that matches what you're actually trying to solve before entering any numbers.
Step 2 — Enter your frame count and interval, or your event duration and target length
In Post-Shoot mode, enter your total frame count, your shooting interval, your file type, and your file size per frame. The live summary line below the inputs confirms the real time you captured in plain language — "847 frames × 8s interval = 1h 52m 56s of real time captured." In Pre-Shoot mode, enter your event duration in hours and minutes and your target clip length in seconds; the summary line shows the frame count and interval that combination requires.
Step 3 — Pick your target export FPS and compare the table
Select 24, 25, 30 or 60fps using the toggle, or click directly on any row of the FPS comparison table to switch instantly. The table shows clip length and speed multiplier for all four rates at once, so you can see the trade-off between a faster, punchier edit and a longer, more contemplative one without re-entering any numbers. Your selection here drives every section below it — the NLE steps, the FFMPEG command, and the storage estimate all update to match.
Step 4 — Select your NLE and follow the import steps
Choose DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, or After Effects from the tab row. The instructions are written for your exact frame count and FPS — not generic steps — covering project frame rate, sequence import, clip attributes, and export settings in order. If you're working outside an NLE entirely, open the collapsible FFMPEG section for ready-to-run commands at your selected frame rate, for both a standard H.264 delivery file and a ProRes master.
Step 5 — Check slow-motion potential and speed multiplier context
The slow-motion card shows what happens if you apply a speed ramp in your NLE at 75%, 50%, 25%, and 10% of normal playback, with a clear smooth-or-needs-interpolation flag at each speed — 50% is the threshold below which you'll need optical flow. The speed multiplier scale places your exact sequence on a labelled reference range, from slow smoke drift through a full compressed day, so you have a frame of reference for how fast your footage will actually feel to a viewer.
Step 6 — Hit a target clip length, then copy your settings or share your link
If you need a specific duration — 30 seconds for a reel, a fixed length for a broadcast slot — enter it in the target duration card. The solver returns three independent ways to hit it: changing your import FPS, trimming your frame count, or applying a speed ramp, with exact numbers for each. Use Copy NLE Settings or Copy FFMPEG Command to put the relevant text on your clipboard, or Copy Share Link to send your exact configuration to a collaborator — the link restores every input on the other end.
FAQ — Timelapse Video Settings Calculator
What frame rate should I export my timelapse at?
There’s no single correct frame rate — it’s a trade-off between clip length and motion feel, and it depends on what you’re delivering for. 24fps is the standard cinematic frame rate and gives the longest clip from a given frame count, which matters if you’re working with a small sequence. 30fps is the common web and social delivery standard and matches most platforms’ native playback. 60fps gives the shortest, punchiest clip and is worth considering only if your sequence has enough frames to still produce a usable duration at that rate — a 200-frame sequence at 60fps is only 3.3 seconds long. Use the FPS comparison table to see your exact clip length at all four rates before deciding.
How do I import an image sequence into DaVinci Resolve?
Set your project’s Timeline Frame Rate in Project Settings before importing anything — DaVinci Resolve locks the frame rate after the first clip is added to a timeline, and changing it later requires a new project or a workaround. Then right-click in the Media Pool and choose Import Media, selecting the first frame in your sequence; Resolve auto-detects sequentially numbered files and imports them as a single clip. Confirm the clip’s frame rate in Clip Attributes before dragging it to the timeline. The calculator’s NLE tab generates these exact steps pre-filled with your frame count and selected FPS.
How long will my timelapse clip be?
Clip duration equals your total frame count divided by your export frame rate. 847 frames exported at 24fps produce a 35.3-second clip; the same 847 frames at 60fps produce a 14.1-second clip. The relationship is inverse — a higher export frame rate always produces a shorter clip from the same source frames, because each frame occupies a smaller fraction of a second. Enter your frame count into the calculator and the FPS comparison table shows your exact duration at all four standard export rates simultaneously.
What is the speed multiplier in a timelapse?
Speed multiplier is how many times faster than real life your finished clip plays back, and it’s calculated as your shooting interval multiplied by your export frame rate. An 8-second interval exported at 24fps gives a 192× speed multiplier — every second of finished footage represents 192 seconds of real time. It’s a different number from clip duration and depends on different inputs: clip duration depends on frame count and FPS, while speed multiplier depends on interval and FPS. Both matter, and the calculator shows both for every export rate you’re considering.
How many frames do I need for a 30 second timelapse?
Multiply your target clip length in seconds by your export frame rate. A 30-second clip at 24fps needs 720 frames; the same clip at 30fps needs 900 frames; at 60fps it needs 1,800 frames. This is the calculation Pre-Shoot mode runs automatically — enter your event duration and target clip length, and it returns both the frame count you need and the shooting interval that delivers it across your available shoot time, with a check that the resulting interval is fast enough to actually fit.
Can I slow down a timelapse without it looking choppy?
Yes, down to 50% playback speed in your NLE without any special handling — your existing frames provide enough coverage for smooth motion at that rate. Below 50%, you’ll need optical flow interpolation (Speed Warp in DaVinci Resolve, Optical Flow in Premiere Pro) to generate the additional in-between frames the slower playback requires, and motion can start to look artificial on complex or fast-moving content even with interpolation enabled. The calculator’s slow-motion analyzer checks 75%, 50%, 25% and 10% speed against your specific frame count and flags exactly which ones need interpolation.
What is the FFMPEG command to convert an image sequence to video?
A standard H.264 delivery export uses ffmpeg -framerate [fps] -i frame_%04d.jpg -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -pix_fmt yuv420p output.mp4, where -framerate matches your shooting or target export rate and %04d matches a four-digit zero-padded filename sequence. For a higher-bitrate ProRes master file, swap the codec flags for -c:v prores_ks -profile:v 3 -pix_fmt yuv422p10le and export to a .mov container. Adjust the -i filename pattern to match however your camera or software actually named the frames — not every sequence uses four-digit padding. The calculator generates both commands pre-filled with your selected frame rate.
How much storage does a timelapse sequence use?
Raw storage is simply your frame count multiplied by your file size per frame — 847 RAW frames at 25MB each is roughly 21 gigabytes. Exported file size works differently: it scales with your clip’s final duration in seconds and your chosen codec’s bitrate, not your original frame count. A 35-second 4K H.265 delivery file runs to a few hundred megabytes at typical streaming bitrates, while the same clip mastered in ProRes 422 HQ is many times larger because ProRes targets editing headroom rather than delivery efficiency. Keep the raw sequence backed up until final delivery is confirmed — it’s the only copy that can’t be re-derived from anything else.
How do I import an image sequence into Premiere Pro or After Effects?
In Premiere Pro, use File → Import, select the first frame, and check the “Image Sequence” box in the import dialog before confirming — this is the step people most often miss, and skipping it imports each frame as a separate still rather than a single clip. Set the frame rate in the same dialog. In After Effects, use File → Import → File, select “Footage” rather than “Composition,” and check “Sequence,” then set the interpreted frame rate afterward in Interpret Footage. Both workflows are generated with your exact frame count and FPS pre-filled in the calculator’s NLE tab.
Also From AeroTimelapse
Complete Your Workflow
The Video Settings Calculator handles your export FPS, NLE import, and clip-length decisions. These AeroTimelapse tools complete the rest of the pipeline:
You Shot the Frames. Now Get the Settings Right.
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Need help capturing professional hyperlapse for your next project but not ready to invest in the gear yet? Check out our Timelapse Video Production service to see how Aero Timelapse Studio can help elevate your production.