With a large volume of MP4 video materials, playing them one by one to check the content is not only time-consuming but also prone to omissions. Using the "Generate Video Thumbnails" feature of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can batch-generate 3×3 grid JPG thumbnails for multiple videos at once. Starting from practical scenarios such as material management, video review, and office archiving, this article explains the effects before and after processing in detail, and follows the sequence of screenshots to walk through the workflow of selecting the function, importing files, setting the number of vertical and horizontal images, saving the output, and checking the results—helping users efficiently complete batch previews of video files.
If you often work with video files, you've likely encountered this situation: a folder is packed with MP4 videos, their filenames look similar, and finding a specific clip means opening and playing each one. Even if you only watch a dozen seconds of each, checking dozens of videos adds up to a lot of time. In an office setting, this kind of repetitive task is not only inefficient but also prone to misjudgment due to human fatigue.
A more practical solution is to generate a 9-grid thumbnail preview for each video. A 9-grid preview combines multiple frames from a video into a single JPG image, allowing you to get a rough idea of the video's content just by browsing the picture. This article, using the interface of HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , explains how to batch-generate 3×3 9-grid preview images for MP4 videos, making video filtering, archiving, and reviewing more time-efficient.
Applicable Scenarios: Which Office Tasks Benefit from Batch Video Previews?
Video 9-grid thumbnails are not just for aesthetics; their core value lies in improving file identification efficiency. When organizing materials, the same batch of videos might come from different filming devices or project stages, and the original filenames are often uninformative. After generating previews, you can tell whether a video contains a landscape, building, person, product display, or meeting footage from the image alone, without opening a player.
In tasks like short video operations, course creation, promotional clip editing, and project acceptance, batch-generating video previews is also very practical. Operators can quickly filter materials, editors can make preliminary judgments on usable segments, and archivists can build a more intuitive filing basis for video files. Especially when videos need to be handed over to colleagues or clients for confirmation, a set of JPG previews is much more convenient for quick browsing than a pile of MP4 files.
HeSoft Doc Batch Tool is office software whose focus is not on complex editing of single files, but on batch processing to reduce repetitive work. For tasks like "many MP4s need unified preview generation," using a batch tool is far more efficient than manual screenshotting and stitching.
Preview of Results: From Video List to JPG 9-Grid Image
Before processing, the folder contains a batch of MP4 videos. The screenshot shows multiple files listed, with names like Video test 2.mp4, Video test 4.mp4, Video test 5.mp4, Video test 11.mp4, etc. At this point, you can only see file size and time information, and cannot directly confirm the visual content of each video.
After processing, the same batch of videos has generated corresponding JPG images. Each JPG filename corresponds to the original video name, for example, Video test 2.jpg corresponds to Video test 2.mp4. The image thumbnail displays a stitched effect of 3 rows and 3 columns of frames, commonly known as a 9-grid preview. When browsing the folder, users can directly judge the video's theme from the image content without opening and playing each file.
Steps: Batch Creating 9-Grid Thumbnails for MP4 Videos
Step 1: Find the Preview Generation Feature in Video Tools
After launching HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , first select "Video Tools" in the left navigation bar. The software's main interface will display several batch video processing functions. According to the screenshot, the one needed currently is "Generate Video Preview," described as "Batch generate grid previews for video files."
The purpose of selecting this function is clear: let the software automatically extract multiple frames from the videos and stitch them into a single preview image. Compared to manually opening a video, taking screenshots, and then using an image tool for stitching, this method is much more suitable for processing multiple files at once. The software name displayed at the top of the interface is HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , which also reflects its positioning for office batch processing.
Step 2: Import the MP4 Video Files to Process
After entering the "Generate Video Preview" function, the page will come to Step 1, "Select records to process." On the upper right, you can see buttons like "Add Files," "Import Files from Folder," "Clear," and "More." For videos already organized in the same directory, it is recommended to use "Import Files from Folder," which allows importing multiple videos from the folder at once; if you only want to process a few specified files, you can use "Add Files."
After the import is complete, the list will show each video's name, path, extension, creation time, and modification time. The screenshot shows 9 records imported, all with the mp4 extension, indicating these files have been added to the pending task list. At this point, check two key things: first, whether the record count matches the number of videos to process; second, whether the paths are correct to avoid processing files in the wrong directory.
If a particular video does not need a preview, you can click the delete icon in the "Operations" column to remove it. If wrong files were imported, you can also use "Clear" to start over. Once confirmed, click "Next" at the bottom to proceed to parameter settings.
Step 3: Set Thumbnail Layout to 3 Rows and 3 Columns
In Step 2, "Set processing options," you need to configure the grid layout for the preview. The screenshot shows two input fields: "Number of vertical images" and "Number of horizontal images," both filled with 3. A combination of 3 vertical and 3 horizontal creates a 3×3 9-grid, meaning each video outputs a preview composed of 9 frames.
Additionally, the interface has a slider for "Small image size percentage in cell." This parameter controls the display scale of the small image within the cell. For routine office previews, extensive adjustment is generally unnecessary as long as the images are clear and the grid structure is intuitive. If the output image is needed for more detailed inspection, you can adjust it appropriately to make each small frame easier to recognize.
The advantage of a 3×3 layout lies in its balanced information density and readability. A single cover might not reflect the entire video content, whereas nine frames can cover more segments; meanwhile, 9 frames are not so dense as to appear overly cluttered, making them suitable for quick browsing in folder thumbnail mode.
Step 4: Choose Save Location and Start Batch Processing
After completing the parameter settings, click "Next." From the process flow at the top of the page, you can see that the following steps include "Set save location" and "Start processing." The save location can be chosen based on your file management habits: if you want videos and previews closely linked, output the JPGs to the original video directory; if you prefer to manage previews separately, save them to a new folder.
Enter the start processing step and execute the batch task. Upon completion, the software will generate a corresponding JPG preview for each video in the list. According to the processed screenshot, the generated results maintain a corresponding relationship with the original video filenames, which is very important for later verification. For example, seeing Video test 16.jpg tells you it comes from Video test 16.mp4.
Common Questions and Notes
Why generate JPGs instead of saving as video?
The purpose of a preview is not to replace the video but to help users quickly view its content. JPG images open quickly, and their file size is typically smaller than videos, making them more suitable for browsing, filtering, summarization, and archiving. The videos themselves are still preserved; JPGs are just an auxiliary file management tool.
Can 9-grid previews be used to check for duplicate videos?
They can serve as a preliminary judgment basis. If the 9-grid images generated for two videos are very similar, it suggests the content might be duplicated or highly similar. To fully confirm duplication, it is still recommended to combine filename, duration, and necessary playback checks. However, for large batches of material, 9-grid previews can significantly narrow down the scope of manual review.
How to improve efficiency when importing files?
It is recommended to first gather the MP4 videos that need processing into a single folder, then import them all at once using "Import Files from Folder." This is more suitable for batch processing than adding files one by one and makes it less likely to miss any. If processing only a few temporarily selected files, using "Add Files" is more direct.
Do the parameter settings need to be changed every time?
If your goal is a standard 9-grid preview, simply set both the number of vertical and horizontal images to 3. For different projects, you can adjust the layout according to actual needs, but in most office scenarios, 3×3 is a reliable and safe choice.
Summary: Transforming Video File Management from "Opening One by One" to "Batch Previewing"
Batch creating video 9-grid thumbnails solves the problems of video files being unintuitive and manually reviewing them being inefficient. With HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users can select "Generate Video Preview" in the Video Tools, import multiple MP4 files, set the grid parameters to 3 vertical and 3 horizontal, and then uniformly output JPG previews.
This method is especially suitable for organizing video material, managing course data, archiving project files, and reviewing short videos. It turns the work of repeatedly opening a player into a process of importing once, setting up uniformly, and batch-generating. Next time you encounter a large number of MP4, mov, or other common video materials that need quick content identification, prioritize generating 9-grid previews for them before subsequent filtering and organizing; your office efficiency will noticeably increase.