#a-shell mini

[goodgifswithfreetoolschallenge]

TOOL TUTORIAL 6

How to download high quality videos onto iOS devices using Shortcuts

MOBILE GIF-MAKING SERIES

So you want to make GIFs or a fun little video edit for your fandom. The problem is, you don't have access to a standard desktop computer—just an iOS device that is not jailbroken (i.e., you're limited to apps in the Apple App store). You can always just screen record. But if you want something that gives you a clean file at its highest resolution, there's a pre-made shortcut for the Shortcuts app will allow you to download video files from hundreds of different websites at their highest available quality with a few clicks.

Operating systems: iOS (iPhones, iPads)

Difficulty: Easy

Required apps/tools: Shortcuts SW-DLT shortcut; A-Shell Mini (recommended) or A-Shell

Optional apps: VLC Media Player and Video Converter and Compressor.

Input: video links (compatible with links from hundreds of websites)

NOTE: If you have a desktop computer or an Android device, there are ready-made apps that will do this for you which you can download freely—for example, 4kVideoDownloader.

If you're unfamiliar, Shortcuts is an pre-installed Apple app that lets users make "shortcuts" that execute a series of operations across one or more apps on their device with the click of a button. You just need to add a community-made shortcut that does all the downloading for you to your Shortcuts app, and give it the free terminal app that it needs in order to do its thing.

NOTE: Shortcuts are, by nature, open source. This shortcut in particular is a "wrapper" for yt-dlp and gallery-dl which are also open source and hosted on GitHub.

1. Required materials

A-Shell Mini

You can download this terminal app for free in the app store. Don't worry—you don't have to type a single thing into it. All you need to do is download it.

NOTE: The full version, just called A-Shell will also work, but it's over 1 gb in size while A-Shell is a few hundred MB, so save yourself the bloat.

Shortcuts SW-DLT shortcut app.

The SW-DLT shortcut can be shared to your Shortcut app via this link on RoutineHub.

Select "Get Shortcut" to open the shortcut in your Shortcuts app. Then tap "Set Up Shortcut"

The following panel will open:

All you need to be mindful of here is the "isMini" line. If you downloaded A-Shell Mini, this line should read "True".

If everything looks how it should, select "Add Shortcut" and it'll be added to your shortcut library in the Shortcuts app.

2. Copy the video link you want

I'm going to copy a youtube video as an example, but you can download links from hundreds of sites. When you've copied your link, open your Shortcuts app, go to the "Shortcuts" view and select "SW-DLT".

A prompt like this should open (it'll automatically grab your link from your clipboard).

NOTE: Throughout this process, Shortcuts is going to ask you for a lot of different permissions. If you just click "Always Allow" for each one, going forward you shouldn't get those prompts a bunch).

Select "Download Video" and two more panels will open. The first asks you to select your desired video quality/resolution and next asks you to select frame rate (choose 30FPS if it's a TV Show or a Movie).

After selecting your FPS, the shortcut will automatically open A-Shell Mini and begin running a script that downloads your file.

NOTE: The first time you ever use SW-DLT, A-Shell-Mini won't download the video—it's instead going to set up everything it needs to get videos downloaded from here on out then it's going to send you back to the Shortcuts app. Just go back through the process of clicking the SW-DLT shortcut and choosing the quality and FPS again. You won't have to do it twice anymore after the first time.

When your file is finished downloading, a share sheet will open.

Select the drop down arrow at the top of the screen to select how you'd like to save your file.

DO NOT click "Save Video".

Hit "Save to Files" instead.

Selecting "Save Video" will result in your device trying to save the file to the Photos App, which can't load or save some video files because of their codec. A video's codec is different from it's container (file extension type). In other words, the MP4 file format of this trailer I downloaded isn't the issue. The way it was transcoded results in its codec being incompatible with the Photos app.

If I just want to play the video locally as is, I can download VLC Media Player and play the video there. But if I want to use it do edits on my phone... it'd be a hell of a lot better if it was in my Photos app, since a lot of apps only access media from there, right? So I need to re-transcode it.

3. Transcode the video so it can be moved to the Photos app.

Transcoding a video allows you to change its codec and its extension. I've come up with two free ways to do this on iOS so far.

Video-Converter.com

This is what I recommend you use. It's an online tool that converts videos up to 4GB in size to different video and audio codecs and file formats and can give them back to you at their original quality in just a few clicks. I was able to upload my 4K video in this tool on iOS and have it transcoded to the (default) H.264 codec, playing on my device still in 4K in a few minutes.

Hit "Open File" and select the video from your Files app. After it loads, you can choose your video and audio output options. However, I left everything at default and it worked.

If you open "settings", you can see the video codec that Video-Converter plans to use. If those codecs are H.264 and AAC for video and audio respectively (which should be the defaults), you'll get a file that plays back on your iOS device. Click "Convert" and it'll begin making the new video for you and will give you a download when it's done. You can save that new download to your Files app, and then share it to the Photos app by finding it in your Files app, holding down on it to open options, and selecting Share > Save video.

Video Converter and Compressor

I would only use this if you need something offline. It's slower, it has annoying ads, and it bugs you about a paid version you don't need. It will work though and it's the only one I found in the app store that doesn't paywall what you need or limit you to some kind of free trial. Select "Video Converter">Files/iCloud and select your video. The following panel will open:

This is again—a lot of options. But if you toggle "Advanced" you should again see the H.264 and AAC video and audio codecs are the defaults, and those will play in Photos. Select "Convert" and it'll serve you an ad, but once its done, your video will begin downloading.

NOTE: While there is a 4K (2160p) resolution option, I had to stick with 1080p because the app crashed every time I tried to set the resolution that high. ymmv.

[natsumipocket]

˙✧˖°⋆｡˚

[arcadebroke]

[onejellyfishplease]

Just did some art for chapter 1 of my rottmnt fic: Open Your Shell to Find Your Wings!

Poor Donnie gets stung by an oozesquito and gets some interesting new mutations…

And heres the link:

Check it out if you want!

[annatish]

Human or robot | Real story from working in customer support

[katarinanavane]

Did this mini salon wall curio collection inside an antique frame!

[aradiyatoys]

Something very interesting was blinking far away 💡 so Crab 🦀 climbed the highest seashell 🐚 to get a better view 👀 He couldn’t believe his eyes – it looked like an island 🏝 one he’d never seen before! 😲 What could it possibly be? 🤔 He had to ask the other Mini Kingdom villagers, but no one seemed to know. Maybe you do? 😊

Crochet pattern for amigurumi Kawaii Ocean Minis 🪸 is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch and Italian here -> https://etsy.me/48UxJSg 🤗

[kollectorsrus]

[heckyeahponyscans]

G5 Marestream with the larger figures (than Mini World Magic) available in China. Really cute, I just wish they'd made a mini pony of Misty, my favorite G5 pony.

[eggman-1]

Every NPC talking about pirates in Lurien village and stuff got my hopes up abt actual pirates. but of course it was just bokoblins

[clankhead]

Kobold Dragonshield

Wizkids

[natsumipocket]

Pokémon mini (2001)

[blackcherryvelvet0909]

Seashell Seashore (Ortho & GN!Reader)

Note: This one-shot with Ortho is strictly platonic

You sighed as you stretched out on your towel. Your sunglasses protected your eyes from the bright rays of sunlight that shone down on the beach. They would certainly get you bone dry before long; you could already feel the sea moisture evaporating from your hair. It’d been a nice swim, exactly what you needed on a hot day like this. The fact the beach was less crowded today was just the syrup on the snow cone. As you rested your arms above your head you closed your eyes, determined to spend the rest of your time relaxing in the sun. 

The sound of splashing took you out of the haze your mind was slowly fading into. Whether out of curiosity or the disturbance of your impending slumber, you opened your eyes and craned your neck forward to look out at the shoreline. Through the shade of your sunglasses you saw Ortho standing ankle-deep in the water, hands reached out in search of…something. Did he drop something into the sea by accident? You worried it might be something vital to his waterproof body. Though your body screamed in protest, you got up from your spot on the towel and trotted over to Ortho. 

“Do you need any help?” you asked as you looked down at the robotic boy. 

Ortho looked up to meet your eye and smiled. “Oh, hello [Y/n]! If you would like to help, I would be very grateful.” 

“What’re you looking for?” Your eyes scanned the shallow water, now cloudy from your footsteps and Ortho’s searching. “Did you drop something?” 

“Oh, no, I did not drop anything.” You sighed in relief - no crisis to be concerned about. “I am looking for seashells.” 

“Seashells?” When you took a closer look at the boy, you realized he had a fanny pack across his chest. The bottom was slightly damp - that must be where he kept them. 

“Mhm!” Ortho nodded. He took one of his hands out of the water and held up a pink one for you to see. “Yesterday, Vil taught me how to make jewelry with them.” He unzipped his pouch, put the little shell inside, then zipped it back up again before he went back to his search. “I want to make one for my brother! He hasn’t come out much since Kingscholar dunked him into the pool the other day.” 

Oh yeah, you remembered that…poor guy. He looked like he almost had a heart attack, not that Leona was too remorseful. At least he got quite the reprimand from Trein for it. You smiled as you rolled up the sleeves of your kimono cover. “Let me help you out with that. I’ll help you make the jewelry once you have enough.” 

“Thank you!” Ortho was practically beaming now. While you could not see the smile under his mask, you could envision it by the way his eyes crinkled with joy. “I believe I have collected enough to make a bracelet. I want to make myself one, too; maybe I can make even more if we gather enough.”

“Well, let’s get to it then!” You knelt down in the water so you could dig further into the sand. “We can look tomorrow, too, if we don’t get enough for a few.”

Ortho seemed excited by the prospect for the way he quickly set to work beside you. The two chatted idly about nothing in particular as you went along long into the day. Sometimes you talked of what either of you had been doing during the trip, while other times you spoke about what you looked forward to doing in the days to come. Before you knew it, the sun had begun to set behind the ways, which cast your surroundings in a light orange hue. You looked up from your current search spot, a few feet from where you’d first begun, to scan your surroundings. It seemed you both were the last two on the beach - everyone else had gone elsewhere. 

“It’s getting late,” you commented. Water dripped from your kimono and swimsuit as you stood. “We should head back to the resort to wash off - it’ll be dinner time soon.” 

“Yes, I think that is a good idea,” Ortho said as he zipped up his fanny back. “Brother will be wondering where I am; I do not want him to worry.” 

“Give me a minute to grab my stuff,” you said as you began to walk back to shore. “I’ll walk back with you.” 

“That is a good idea, too.” Ortho began to hover over the water as he followed after you. “It is best to travel in groups, just in case trouble should ari-”

“Ow!” Your painful cry stopped Ortho mid-sentence. Your foot had hit something hard beneath the sand. You didn’t think you were bleeding, but it sure did hurt! 

“Are you alright?!” Ortho asked, now at your side as his eyes searched you for injuries. “Do you need medical attention?” 

“N-No, I think I’m fine.” You grunted as you lifted your foot out of the water. You bent your leg up and across your other leg to get a better look at your foot. Nope, no cut in sight. It didn’t look like it would bruise, either. You smiled and showed Ortho to reassure him before you put your foot down. 

“See? Just bumped my foot against something.” Your forehead creased as your brows furrowed as you focused on where your foot had been. The water was murky from when you shifted your foot, but you could make out something poking out of the sand. You reached down to grab it, then carefully pulled it out. Both you and Ortho gazed in awe at the object in your hand: a conch shell! 

“Wow!” Ortho’s yellow orbs seemed to swirl with stars as he ogled the large shell. “It’s so pretty! That is a conch, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah!” You couldn’t help but beam yourself as you brought the shell up for a closer look. “These are really hard to find, especially in this condition. This would cost a ton at a gift shop!” 

“It seems to be fully intact as well,” Ortho observed as he circled you to get a full look at the shell. “That is a very good find, [Y/n]!” 

You nodded as you continued to stare at the shell. Its body was a soft pink color that faded to white at the lower and upper tips. You saw that the inside was white as well - smooth, too. You tipped the shell over and shook it gently to get any remaining sand out of it, then put it up to your ear. You smiled as you listened. 

“What are you doing?” Ortho asked as he curiously tilted his head. 

“I’m listening,” you replied as you removed the conch from your ear. “If you press your ear against the opening of a conch, you can hear the sea.”

Ortho raised an eyebrow in confusion. “That is impossible, even if you are on the beach. The sea is not inside the shell; how can you hear it if you are far away?”

You giggled, “It’s just a traditional fantasy, Ortho. You can’t really hear the sea - but the way the air circulates from your ear to the shell sounds like it.” You offered the conch to him. “Here, try it!”

Ortho showed no hesitance as he took the conch and pressed it to his ear. You watched as his eyes widened as he listened. Your smile grew into a grin as Ortho took the conch away from his ear and practically jumped up and down at the discovery. “It does sound like the sea! We must have my brother listen, too!”

“Yeah, we should!” You began to walk again, and Ortho followed close to your side. “I’m sure he’ll think it’s cool.” 

Idia, indeed, thought it was cool - at least that’s what he said for his brother’s sake. You spent a good time in Idia and Ortho’s condo that night as you helped Ortho make little shell necklaces and bracelets. Before you could leave when bedtime came, however, Ortho gave you the conch you’d found. While you protested at first, Ortho insisted that you keep it. 

“I can hear the sea whenever I want to - I just have to load up an audio file.” He gently pushed the conch into your arms. “But you may not be able to one day. When that day comes, you can listen to the conch and remember the time you spent here - the time we found it.” 

Ortho was right. In the future, whenever you grew lonely, you picked up that conch and placed your ear against its crevice to listen to the sea. To relive those memories at the beach with your friends, and the little boy you helped collect seashells for his brother.

[daftpatience]

we have been discussing the sexiness of machines and the unsexiness of modern stuff like iphones but i would like to posit that mini computer towers are creatures. small domesticated beasts

these are animals to me

[crimsonsunrise]

good kuronoon everyone!! it’s my birthday WAHOO 💗🩷💞🐉🪷☀️

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Boss Shell Creeper or Boss Koopa Species

A little short hypothesis, the Koopalings are members of the Turtle species that Bowser is a part of. I base this on the fact they share similar characteristics which includes their size in comparison to other species of Koopas, the fact they wear large spiked shells, the fact they can breathe fire, and of course their hair. The only difference between them and Bowser is that Bowser is much larger and has horns on his head.

So what do you think? Also, if the Blue Bodied Bowser is their own character, and Koopa Kid is their own character then they would be part of this species. I am nicknaming this species of Koopa the Boss Shell Creeper.

Follow up