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videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/mirror_delay.md
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# mirror_delay
## Description
Applies a mirrored frame-delay effect, blending temporal echoes with reflective symmetry.
The result combines soft motion trailing with a mirrored duplication of the frame, creating hypnotic, kaleidoscopic, or hall-of-mirrorsstyle distortion.
## Purpose
`mirror_delay` is ideal for artists who want:
- reflective, symmetrical echo patterns,
- hypnotic mirrored smearing,
- abstract duplication of movement,
- dreamy motion persistence combined with geometric balance,
- a lightweight but visually striking temporal effect.
## How It Works
1. **Frame Delay**
Internal buffering creates a trailing echo that blends previous frames into the current one.
2. **Geometric Mirroring**
The image is mirrored horizontally, vertically, or both (depending on implementation), creating:
- bilateral symmetry,
- twin-image structures,
- kaleidoscopic reflections.
3. **Temporal + Spatial Fusion**
The mirrored image and the delayed frame blend together, producing surreal flowing reflections.
4. **Encoding**
The final composite is encoded with global Videobeaux settings (CRF, codec, pixel format).
## Program Template
```bash
videobeaux -P mirror_delay \
-i input.mp4 \
-o output.mp4
```
## Arguments
- *(No additional program-specific arguments; uses global videobeaux options only.)*
## Real World Example
```bash
videobeaux -P mirror_delay \
-i myvideo.mp4 \
-o mirror_delay_styled.mp4
```
## Program Output
<video controls preload="metadata" style="max-width:100%; border-radius:8px; margin:1em 0;">
<source src="https://github.com/schwwaaa/videobeaux/assets/7625379/a3dea5c6-03a6-4f65-951d-211f50457b63" type="video/mp4">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
## Technical Notes
- Works well with centered subjects or footage containing strong motion vectors.
- Mirroring combined with delay often creates geometric rhythm or pulse-like visual structure.
- Compression artifacts can become symmetrical as well, adding to the aesthetic.
- Bright edges and neon lights produce the most pronounced mirror-delay trails.
## Recommended Usage
- Music videos with mirrored choreography or symmetrical staging.
- Psychedelic pieces needing a dreamlike reflective effect.
- Ambient loops and visualizations requiring geometric repetition.
- Projection-mapping and VJ sets where mirrored imagery reacts well to space.
- Combining with `frame_delay_pro1` or `lsd_feedback` for layered temporal abstraction.
## Quality Tips
- For smoother trails, lower CRF (higher quality).
- For glitchier mirrored buildup, render with a higher CRF.
- Pair with `convert_dims` to square or portrait layouts for perfect symmetry.
- Combine with `ghostee` for soft spectral reflection trails.
- Run *before* a LUT (`lut_apply`) if you want the color grade to affect both halves identically.