Exporting Annotations

Annotations can be exported in JSON format for data interchange and in PDF format for printable review reports. Both export options are available from the Export menu in the header bar.

JSON Export

Select Export Annotations (JSON) from the Export menu. A .json file downloads containing all annotations from the current session.

JSON Structure

The exported JSON includes:

Field	Description
version	Format version (currently 1)
exportedAt	ISO timestamp of export
source	Always "openrv-web"
effects	Ghost and hold mode settings
frameRange	Start frame, end frame, total frames
statistics	Counts of pen strokes, text annotations, shape annotations, and annotated frames
frames	Map of frame numbers to annotation arrays

Import and Merge

JSON annotation files can be imported back into OpenRV Web. The import process supports:

• Round-trip fidelity -- export and re-import preserves all annotation data
• Merge -- importing into a session that already has annotations merges the new annotations with existing ones
• Frame offset -- annotations can be offset by a specified number of frames during import, useful when the same annotations apply to a retimed version of the footage

Example JSON

{
  "version": 1,
  "exportedAt": "2026-03-07T10:30:00.000Z",
  "source": "openrv-web",
  "effects": {
    "hold": false,
    "ghost": false,
    "ghostBefore": 2,
    "ghostAfter": 2
  },
  "frameRange": {
    "start": 1,
    "end": 100,
    "totalFrames": 100
  },
  "statistics": {
    "totalAnnotations": 15,
    "penStrokes": 8,
    "textAnnotations": 4,
    "shapeAnnotations": 3,
    "annotatedFrames": 6
  },
  "frames": {
    "1": [ /* annotation objects */ ],
    "25": [ /* annotation objects */ ]
  }
}

PDF Export

Select Export Annotations (PDF) from the Export menu. The browser print dialog opens with a formatted annotation report.

PDF Contents

The PDF report includes:

• Frame thumbnails -- small previews of each annotated frame (configurable size)
• Timecode information -- frame number and timecode for each annotated frame
• Annotation summary -- table listing all annotations with type, position, and content
• Color swatches -- visual indicators of annotation colors

The PDF is generated using the browser's built-in print dialog, so it can be saved as a PDF file or sent directly to a printer.

Export with No Annotations

Exporting when no annotations exist produces a valid but empty JSON file (with zero statistics) or an empty PDF report. No error is shown.

Access from Export Menu

Both export options appear in the Export dropdown menu in the header bar when annotations exist in the session:

• Export Annotations (JSON) -- downloads JSON file
• Export Annotations (PDF) -- opens print dialog

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Related Pages

• Pen and Eraser -- create annotations
• Shape Tools -- geometric annotations
• Per-Frame Modes -- ghost and hold mode settings in export
• Sessions -- session save/load includes annotations
• Video Export -- export video with annotations baked in