[Support]: Export through API does not generate thumbnails

[blounolito]

Describe the problem you are having

Hi,

When I create an export (realtime or timelapse) through UI, everything is generated (video & thumbnail), when I request this export through API, only video is generated, and I can't play the export through UI.

When I create en export through UI, everything is working fine, here is a capture of the AJAX request made to API ;
URL : https://frigate:30060/api/export/camera1/start/1731033571/end/1731037171
POST Payload :
{playback: "realtime", name: "From UI"}

When I use Postman, or any other REST client, with the exact same payload, cookies, URL, Frigate does not generate the thumbnail, and I can't click on the preview block.

I tried to turn DEBUG log level on, there's absolutely nothing related to an error. The thumbnail corresponding to the recording ID is created on filesystem, but its size is 8 bytes.

I'm not sure what to do.
Thanks,

Version

0.14.1-f4f3cfa

What browser(s) are you using?

Google Chrome 130.0.6723.92

Frigate config file

mqtt:
  enabled: false

go2rtc:
  streams:
    camera1:
      - rtsp://1.2.3.4:31021/camera1
      - rtsp://1.2.3.4:31021/camera1-sub

cameras:
  camera1:
    ffmpeg:
      inputs:
        - path: rtsp://localhost:8554/camera1?stream=main
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - record
        - path: rtsp://localhost:8554/camera1?stream=sub
          input_args: preset-rtsp-restream
          roles:
            - detect
    record:
      enabled: true
      retain:
        days: 21
        mode: all
    detect:
      enabled: false
      fps: 20

version: 0.14

Relevant Frigate log output

"POST /api/export/camera1/start/1731033546/end/1731037146 HTTP/1.1" 200
206... segments
... nothing else.

Relevant go2rtc log output

n/a

FFprobe output from your camera

n/a

Frigate stats

No response

Install method

Docker Compose

docker-compose file or Docker CLI command

version: "3.8"
services:
  frigate_nvr:
    container_name: frigate_nvr
    restart: unless-stopped
    image: ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable
    shm_size: 4096mb
    volumes:
      - /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro
      - /mnt/Nvr-Pool/nvr-config:/config
      - /mnt/Nvr-Pool/nvr-recordings:/media/frigate
    ports:
      - 30060:8971
      - 30058:8554 # RTSP feeds
      - 30059:8555/tcp # WebRTC over tcp
      - 30059:8555/udp # WebRTC over udp
    environment:
      FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD: ***
networks: {}

Object Detector

CPU (no coral)

Network connection

Wired

Camera make and model

Wize Cam 4

Screenshots of the Frigate UI's System metrics pages

Any other information that may be helpful

I am not using any detection.

[NickM-27]

we will need to see the postman API call

[blounolito]

Hi Nick,

Here you go ;
First call (login for auth token) :

curl --location 'https://frigate:30060/api/login' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data '{"user": "***", "password": "***"}'

Second call (export creation) :

curl --location 'https://frigate:30060/api/export/camera1/start/1730869200/end/1730872800' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Cookie: frigate_token=****' \
--data '{
  "playback": "realtime",
  "name": "From POSTMAN"
}'

Do you know what is the lifecycle of an export creation ? Where can I find the most relevant logs about this ?

[blounolito]

Both videos are the exact same size.
The only difference between UI export, and API call export, is that the thumbnail is not generating for the latter.
I'm not sure if I'm missing a final API call to generate it, or a value in parameters, or something else.
As I said, the resulting issue is that, once the export is done, because of the missing thumbnail I cannot open the export through the UI (see the above screenshot of an export names "From POSTMAN").

[NickM-27]

I'm not sure why the thumbnail existing or not would be an issue for playing it, that would be a bug. realistically there should be no difference creating it via postman because they are both just created using the same api call. I have also not seen this elsewhere.

[blounolito]

I strongly agree with you, I also don't understand why both of exports are leading to one missing the thumbnail.
I think that the clickable part of UI is ontop of the thumbnail, so when it's missing, there's no area to click on.

I'll do more tests to see if I can retrieve more meaningful logs.
Thanks for your insight.

[NickM-27]

the thumbnails are saved in the filesystem so you can also check if one is being created or not

[blounolito]

As I previously said, the thumbnail is being generated in both cases, through UI export or direct API call, but with direct API call, the thumbnail is only 8 bytes (corrupted), so it's unusable.