🎬 SceneNavigator - VLC Scene Jump Plugin

SceneNavigator is a lightweight VLC plugin that lets you navigate through labeled scenes in a video, just like jumping through subtitle chapters. It uses a simple .scn file format to define named segments (e.g., Introduction, Flashback, Ending), which can be selected from a side panel to jump directly to that part of the video.

🌟 Why SceneNavigator?

• Breaks down lengthy videos: Easily create a “table of contents” for any video, making it quick to jump to specific scenes, presentations, lectures, or film segments.
• Efficient navigation: Instantly move between chapters or major sections without endless seeking.
• Ideal for learning and collaboration: Mark key moments, review important segments, and share scene files with others for meetings, education, or creative review.
• Improves accessibility: Helps users with disabilities or attention needs quickly reach relevant parts.

✨ Features

• 📖 Loads .scn scene catalog files (similar to .srt)
• ⏩ Jump to scenes by clicking on titles
• 🧠 Auto-loads .scn file matching the video name
• 🖥 Integrated with VLC via Extensions UI

📁 Scene File Format (.scn)

1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:02:30,000
Introduction

2
00:02:30,000 --> 00:05:00,000
Main Scene 1

3
00:05:00,000 --> 00:08:00,000
Flashback

4
00:08:00,000 --> 00:10:00,000
Ending

Each scene block:

• Begins with an index
• Contains a start/end timestamp
• Has a scene title

🧪 Installation Instructions

🔧 Option 1: Manual Installation (Recommended for Developers)

🪟 Windows

1. Press Windows + R, type:

   %APPDATA%\vlc\lua\extensions\

2. Create the folder if it doesn’t exist.
3. Copy scene_navigator.lua to this folder.
4. Restart VLC.

🍎 macOS

mkdir -p ~/Library/Application\ Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/extensions/
cp scene_navigator.lua ~/Library/Application\ Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/extensions/

🐧 Linux

mkdir -p ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/
cp scene_navigator.lua ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/

🔧 Option 2: Install via .vlcext Package (Easier for Users)

1. Download the file: SceneNavigator.vlcext

2. Change the file extension from .vlcext to .zip (if needed), then extract it.

3. Inside the extracted folder, you will find scene_navigator.lua.

4. Copy it to your VLC extensions folder:

   Platform	Extensions Folder
   Windows	%APPDATA%\vlc\lua\extensions\
   macOS	~/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/extensions/
   Linux	~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/

5. Restart VLC.

✅ Step 3: Use the Plugin

1. Open VLC and start any video.
2. Go to the top menu: View → SceneNavigator.
3. If a .scn file with the same name exists next to your video file, it will auto-load.
4. Or use the “Load .scn File” button to manually select one.

🧳 Packaging the Plugin as .vlcext

To create your own shareable .vlcext:

zip SceneNavigator.vlcext scene_navigator.lua

You can then rename it back to .zip to extract, or share directly.

⚠️ Platform Notes

• Windows & Linux: All features work as intended.
• macOS:
  • Only the first scene in the scene list is reliably selectable via mouse or keyboard. Highlighting other rows won’t trigger real selection due to limitations/bugs in VLC’s Qt interface and Lua dialog API on macOS. There’s no reliable Lua-only fix for this issue.
• Drag & Drop: Drag & drop of .scn files is supported on Linux and macOS only. Not supported on Windows.

🛠 Development Ideas

Want to contribute or extend it?

• Hotkeys for next/previous scene
• Export .scn based on current play position
• Highlight current scene while playing
• Multiple .scn tracks (like subtitles)

👤 Author

Developed by Ramees Sahlu. Built with VLC Lua scripting.

📜 License

MIT License — free to use, modify, and distribute.