CLI Reference

The Pellicule CLI is the primary way to render videos. It takes a Vue component and outputs an MP4 file.

Basic Usage

npx pellicule <input.vue> [options]

The .vue extension is optional — Pellicule will add it automatically if the file isn't found:

npx pellicule Video        # Looks for Video.vue
npx pellicule Video.vue    # Same result

Options

Option	Short	Default	Description
--output	-o	./output.mp4	Output file path
--duration	-d	90	Duration in frames
--fps	-f	30	Frames per second
--width	-w	1920	Video width in pixels
--height	-h	1080	Video height in pixels
--help			Show help message
--version			Show version number

Examples

Render with Defaults

npx pellicule Video

Renders Video.vue to output.mp4 at 1920×1080, 30fps, for 90 frames (3 seconds).

Custom Output Path

npx pellicule Video -o intro.mp4
npx pellicule Video --output ./renders/my-video.mp4

Duration

Duration is specified in frames, not seconds. To calculate frames:

frames = seconds × fps

# 5 seconds at 30fps = 150 frames
npx pellicule Video -d 150

# 10 seconds at 60fps = 600 frames
npx pellicule Video -d 600 -f 60

Quick Reference

Seconds	30fps	60fps
1s	30	60
3s	90	180
5s	150	300
10s	300	600
30s	900	1800
60s	1800	3600

Resolution

# 720p
npx pellicule Video -w 1280 -h 720

# 1080p (default)
npx pellicule Video -w 1920 -h 1080

# 4K
npx pellicule Video -w 3840 -h 2160

# Square (Instagram)
npx pellicule Video -w 1080 -h 1080

# Vertical (TikTok/Reels)
npx pellicule Video -w 1080 -h 1920

Frame Rate

# 24fps (cinematic)
npx pellicule Video -f 24

# 30fps (default, web standard)
npx pellicule Video -f 30

# 60fps (smooth motion)
npx pellicule Video -f 60

Combined Example

A 10-second 4K video at 60fps for YouTube:

npx pellicule Video \
  -o youtube-intro.mp4 \
  -w 3840 \
  -h 2160 \
  -f 60 \
  -d 600

Progress Output

While rendering, Pellicule shows a progress bar:

  PELLICULE  v0.0.0

  Input      Video.vue
  Output     output.mp4
  Resolution 1920x1080
  Duration   90 frames @ 30fps (3.0s)

  █████████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 57% (51/90 @ 28.3 fps)

Error Handling

File Not Found

$ npx pellicule NotAFile

Error: File not found: NotAFile

Make sure the .vue file exists in your current directory.

FFmpeg Not Installed

Error: ffmpeg exited with code 127

Hint: Make sure FFmpeg is installed and available in your PATH
Install: https://ffmpeg.org/download.html

Install FFmpeg before using Pellicule:

• macOS: brew install ffmpeg
• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install ffmpeg
• Windows: Download from ffmpeg.org

Invalid Vue Component

If your component has syntax errors or doesn't mount properly, you'll see the error in the output. Check your component renders correctly in a normal Vue app first.

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	Success
1	Error (file not found, render failed, etc.)

Environment

Pellicule uses Playwright with Chromium for rendering. The first run may download the browser binary automatically.