---
name: video-message
description: Generate and send video messages with a lip-syncing VRM avatar. Use when user asks for video message, avatar video, video reply, or when TTS should be delivered as video instead of audio.
metadata:
  {
    "openclaw":
      {
        "emoji": "🎥",
        "requires": { "bins": ["ffmpeg", "avatarcam"] },
        "install":
          [
            {
              "id": "npm",
              "kind": "npm",
              "package": "@thewulf7/openclaw-avatarcam",
              "global": true,
              "bins": ["avatarcam"],
              "label": "Install avatarcam (npm)",
            },
            {
              "id": "brew",
              "kind": "brew",
              "formula": "ffmpeg",
              "bins": ["ffmpeg"],
              "label": "Install ffmpeg (brew)",
            },
            {
              "id": "apt",
              "kind": "apt",
              "packages": ["xvfb", "xauth"],
              "label": "Install headless X dependencies (Linux only)",
            },
          ],
      },
  }
---

# Video Message

Generate avatar video messages from text or audio. Outputs as Telegram video notes (circular format).

## Installation

```bash
npm install -g openclaw-avatarcam
```

## Configuration

Configure in `TOOLS.md`:

```markdown
### Video Message (avatarcam)
- avatar: default.vrm
- background: #00FF00
```

### Settings Reference

| Setting | Default | Description |
|---------|---------|-------------|
| `avatar` | `default.vrm` | VRM avatar file path |
| `background` | `#00FF00` | Color (hex) or image path |

## Prerequisites

### System Dependencies

| Platform | Command |
|----------|---------|
| **macOS** | `brew install ffmpeg` |
| **Linux** | `sudo apt-get install -y xvfb xauth ffmpeg` |
| **Windows** | Install ffmpeg and add to PATH |
| **Docker** | See Docker section below |

> **Note:** macOS and Windows don't need xvfb — they have native display support.

### Docker Users
Add to `OPENCLAW_DOCKER_APT_PACKAGES`:
```
build-essential procps curl file git ca-certificates xvfb xauth libgbm1 libxss1 libatk1.0-0 libatk-bridge2.0-0 libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 libgtk-3-0 libasound2 libnss3 ffmpeg
```

## Usage

```bash
# With color background
avatarcam --audio voice.mp3 --output video.mp4 --background "#00FF00"

# With image background
avatarcam --audio voice.mp3 --output video.mp4 --background "./bg.png"

# With custom avatar
avatarcam --audio voice.mp3 --output video.mp4 --avatar "./custom.vrm"
```

## Sending as Video Note

Use OpenClaw's `message` tool with `asVideoNote`:

```
message action=send filePath=/tmp/video.mp4 asVideoNote=true
```

## Workflow

1. **Read config** from TOOLS.md (avatar, background)
2. **Generate TTS** if given text: `tts text="..."` → audio path
3. **Run avatarcam** with audio + settings → MP4 output
4. **Send as video note** via `message action=send filePath=... asVideoNote=true`
5. **Return NO_REPLY** after sending

## Example Flow

User: "Send me a video message saying hello"

```bash
# 1. TTS
tts text="Hello! How are you today?" → /tmp/voice.mp3

# 2. Generate video
avatarcam --audio /tmp/voice.mp3 --output /tmp/video.mp4 --background "#00FF00"

# 3. Send as video note
message action=send filePath=/tmp/video.mp4 asVideoNote=true

# 4. Reply
NO_REPLY
```

## Technical Details

| Setting | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Resolution | 384x384 (square) |
| Frame rate | 30fps constant |
| Max duration | 60 seconds |
| Video codec | H.264 (libx264) |
| Audio codec | AAC |
| Quality | CRF 18 (high quality) |
| Container | MP4 |

### Processing Pipeline
1. Electron renders VRM avatar with lip sync at 1280x720
2. WebM captured via `canvas.captureStream(30)`
3. FFmpeg processes: crop → fps normalize → scale → encode
4. Message tool sends via Telegram `sendVideoNote` API

## Platform Support

| Platform | Display | Notes |
|----------|---------|-------|
| macOS | Native Quartz | No extra deps |
| Linux | xvfb (headless) | `apt install xvfb` |
| Windows | Native | No extra deps |

## Headless Rendering

Avatarcam auto-detects headless environments:
- Uses `xvfb-run` when `$DISPLAY` is not set (Linux only)
- macOS/Windows use native display
- GPU stall warnings are safe to ignore
- Generation time: ~1.5x realtime (20s audio ≈ 30s processing)

## Notes

- Config is read from TOOLS.md
- Clean up temp files after sending: `rm /tmp/video*.mp4`
- For regular video (not circular), omit `asVideoNote=true`


---
Source attribution: kbarbel640-del
Original project: https://github.com/kbarbel640-del/skills/blob/e7e336ac628c3e3bd771aff1aaa469c93778f94a/skills/thewulf7/avatar-video-messages/SKILL.md
License: MIT
License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.

## Upstream license notice

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2026 clawdbot

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
SOFTWARE.



# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: kbarbel640-del
Original project: https://github.com/kbarbel640-del/skills/blob/e7e336ac628c3e3bd771aff1aaa469c93778f94a/skills/thewulf7/avatar-video-messages/SKILL.md
Attribution basis: Source repository record

Fields of work: Content & Media, Marketing
Roles: Content Marketer, Social Media Manager, Video Producer
Specialties: Specialty not specified
Tools: Avatarcam, Ffmpeg, Telegram
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Source catalog labels
Instruction SHA-256: 7b6fab7dab55b603551b46827788d8a888598f10a1a4b2c0700c2d4520e387d8