Many people need to quickly generate 9-grid preview images for MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, and other videos when organizing course videos, material videos, training recordings, or short film resources, making it easier to browse content, manage archives, and display externally. Manually taking screenshots one by one is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. This article uses the actual interface of the office software " HeSoft Doc Batch Tool " to demonstrate how to batch import video files, set the number of horizontal and vertical images to 3×3, and generate video nine-grid preview images. After reading, you can quickly get started and complete the preview image production for a large number of video files in less time.
If you have a batch of video files in MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, etc., and need to quickly preview the general content of each video, or to archive, organize, transfer, or upload videos for display, batch generating video preview thumbnails is much more efficient than taking manual screenshots one by one. Especially when creating 9-grid preview thumbnails, manually pausing, screenshotting, and stitching images not only involves repetitive labor but also easily leads to frame omissions and naming chaos.
The problem this article aims to solve is clear: how to use an office software tool to batch generate 9-grid preview thumbnails for multiple video files. Below, using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example, the operation process is explained step by step based on the actual interface, so you can get started right after reading.
Applicable Scenarios
Batch generating 9-grid preview thumbnails for videos is common in the following scenarios:
- When organizing course videos, training recordings, and meeting screen recordings, quickly view the general content of each video;
- When managing a media library, generate thumbnail overviews for MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV, and other files to facilitate filtering;
- When delivering video resources to clients, colleagues, or teams, attaching preview images provides a more intuitive view;
- During video archiving, media asset management, and content review, improve retrieval and judgment efficiency;
- When batch processing a large number of files, reduce repetitive screenshotting and image stitching tasks.
From an office efficiency perspective, this type of work is very suitable for automation using office software, especially when the number of files is large, where the value of batch processing becomes very evident.
Result Preview (Before and After Processing)
Before processing: Your computer only has a batch of video files, for example, a list of videos in mp4 format. To know what each video is about and what the visuals generally look like, you usually have to open and view them one by one.
After processing: The software will extract multiple frames from each video according to the settings and combine them into a single 9-grid preview image. With 3 rows × 3 columns, for example, this is the common video 9-grid screenshot result. This way, you can quickly browse the general content without opening the video.
For users with a lot of video materials and high sorting frequency, this method is much more efficient than manually taking 9 screenshots and stitching them together.
Operation Steps
Step 1: Enter the "Generate Preview Thumbnail for Video" Function
From the screenshot, the software name is HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . After entering Video Tools in the left navigation bar, the main interface will list multiple video-related functions.
Among them, you can directly see the function item: Generate Preview Thumbnail for Video. Click this function to enter the processing interface for batch generating video preview thumbnails.
Purpose of this step: Enter the correct batch processing module, ready to uniformly generate preview thumbnails for multiple video files.
Expected result: Open the "Generate Preview Thumbnail for Video" operation page and enter the processing workflow.
Step 2: Batch Add the Video Files to be Processed
After entering the function page, the interface is currently at Step 1: Select records to process. Several obvious buttons can be seen at the top of the page, including:
- Add File
- Import Files from Folder
- Clear
- More
If you are only processing a small number of videos, you can click Add File; if you have a folder containing many videos, it is more suitable to use Import Files from Folder, which allows for batch importation at once.
After import, the table will display related information about the videos, such as:
- Name
- Path
- Extension
- Creation Date
- Modified Date
In the screenshot, 9 mp4 files have been imported, indicating that the function supports centralized management of pending records via a list.
Purpose of this step: Add the videos for which you want to generate 9-grid preview thumbnails to the task list all at once.
Expected result: The video files to be processed appear in the list, allowing you to check if the file names, paths, and formats are correct.
After confirmation, click Next at the bottom of the page.
Step 3: Configure the 9-Grid Preview Thumbnail Parameters
After entering Step 2, the interface title is Set Processing Options.
As seen in the screenshot, there are mainly three parameters here:
- Number of Vertical Images
- Number of Horizontal Images
- Size Percentage of Small Images in Cell
To generate a standard 9-grid preview thumbnail, the most critical settings are:
- Set Number of Vertical Images to 3
- Set Number of Horizontal Images to 3
This way, the software will output the 9-grid effect in a 3×3 format.
Additionally, there is a Size Percentage of Small Images in Cell slider. This parameter is typically used to control the display ratio of the small image within the cell. In actual use, if you want a fuller frame filling, you can adjust it appropriately; if you prefer more balanced white space, you can fine-tune it as needed.
Purpose of this step: Determine the layout structure and visual presentation of the preview thumbnail.
Expected result: The software generates a 9-grid screenshot preview thumbnail for each video in a 3 rows by 3 columns format.
After completing the settings, click Next at the bottom of the page to continue the subsequent workflow.
Step 4: Set the Save Location and Start Processing
As shown in the workflow navigation, the subsequent steps of the software include:
- Step 3: Set Save Location
- Step 4: Start Processing
Although the screenshots do not fully expand the specific interfaces for these two steps, it can be reasonably inferred from the process names that: next, you need to specify the output directory for the preview thumbnails, and then execute the batch processing task.
It is recommended to save the output results to a separate folder for easy subsequent viewing, sending, archiving, and secondary organization.
Purpose of this step: Centrally manage the batch-generated preview thumbnail files and formally execute the task.
Expected result: The software automatically generates the corresponding 9-grid preview thumbnail for each video in the list according to the configured parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions or Considerations
1. Which video formats are suitable for processing with this method?
From the list of video tools in the interface, it can be seen that the software is designed for various video format processing scenarios. Besides MP4, it usually involves video management needs for formats like AVI, MKV, MOV, FLV, WMV, WebM, MPEG, 3GP, OGV, TS, etc. In actual operation, it is recommended to import files first to check if they can be recognized normally.
2. Why is it recommended to use "Import Files from Folder"?
If you have a large number of videos, adding files one by one can be relatively slow. Importing directly from a folder is more suitable for batch processing in office scenarios and can significantly reduce repetitive operations.
3. Must a 9-grid be 3×3?
If your goal is a standard video 9-grid preview thumbnail, then setting Vertical to 3 and Horizontal to 3 is sufficient. If other layout methods are needed in actual work, you can also adjust according to the row and column parameters in the interface.
4. What should be checked before processing?
It is recommended to first check if the video file paths are valid, if the files can be played normally, and whether any files that do not need processing are mixed into the task list, to avoid generating useless results.
5. What subsequent tasks are the preview thumbnails suitable for?
They can be used for office workflows such as media screening, video archiving, content delivery, project summaries, internal reviews, and resource management, especially suitable for teams needing to quickly browse large volumes of video content.
Summary
Batch generating 9-grid preview thumbnails for video files like MP4 is essentially using office software to replace repetitive manual screenshotting and image stitching work. With the help of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can first enter the Generate Preview Thumbnail for Video function, then batch import videos, set both the number of vertical and horizontal images to 3, and finally specify the save location and start processing to quickly complete the creation of 9-grid preview thumbnails for a whole batch of videos.
For users who need to organize video materials, manage media libraries, and improve archiving efficiency daily, this batch processing method can significantly save time and is more suitable for standardized office workflows. It is recommended that you prepare a test folder and run the process with a few MP4 videos first, get familiar with it, and then batch process more video files. The efficiency improvement will be very intuitive.