Installation and Accessing the App

OpenRV Web is a browser-based VFX image and video review tool that requires no installation for end users. It runs entirely in the browser with no server-side processing. There are two ways to access it: via the hosted live demo or by self-hosting a local instance.

Live Demo

The fastest way to start using OpenRV Web is through the hosted version:

https://lifeart.github.io/openrv-web

Open this URL in a supported browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge) and begin reviewing media immediately. No account or installation is required. All processing happens locally in the browser -- files never leave the machine.

Self-Hosting

For studios, teams, or individuals who prefer to host their own instance, OpenRV Web can be built and deployed as a static website.

Prerequisites

Before building OpenRV Web, ensure the following tools are installed:

• Node.js 20.19+ or 22.12+ -- download from nodejs.org
• pnpm package manager -- install via npm install -g pnpm
• Git -- for cloning the repository

Clone and Install

Open a terminal and run the following commands:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/lifeart/openrv-web.git
cd openrv-web

# Install dependencies
pnpm install

Development Server

To start a local development server with hot module replacement:

pnpm dev

The server starts on http://localhost:5173 by default. Open this URL in a browser to use OpenRV Web locally. Changes to source files are reflected immediately without a full page reload.

Production Build

To create an optimized production build:

pnpm build

This generates static files in the dist/ directory. The build process minifies JavaScript, optimizes assets, and bundles WebAssembly modules for JPEG XL, JPEG 2000, HEIC, and OCIO decoding.

To preview the production build locally:

pnpm preview

Deploying to a Web Server

The production build output in dist/ is a collection of static files (HTML, JavaScript, CSS, WASM) that can be served by any web server. No server-side runtime is required for the core viewer features (file loading, playback, color management, annotations, export). Collaborative review sessions require additional signaling infrastructure -- see Collaboration and Signaling below.

Static File Hosting

Copy the contents of dist/ to any static file hosting service:

• GitHub Pages -- the official demo uses this approach via GitHub Actions
• Netlify, Vercel, or Cloudflare Pages -- drag and drop the dist/ folder
• nginx or Apache -- serve the dist/ directory as the document root
• Amazon S3 + CloudFront -- upload files to an S3 bucket with CloudFront distribution

MIME Type Configuration

Ensure the web server serves WebAssembly files with the correct MIME type. If .wasm files fail to load, add the following MIME type mapping to the server configuration:

application/wasm    wasm

HTTPS Recommendation

Some browser APIs used by OpenRV Web (such as WebCodecs for video decoding, clipboard access, and the Fullscreen API) require a secure context. Serve the application over HTTPS in production to ensure all features work correctly.

Cross-Origin Headers

If loading media from external origins (e.g., a CDN or separate media server), ensure those servers include appropriate CORS headers:

Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *

Without CORS headers, the browser blocks cross-origin media loading and audio extraction.

Environment Variables

OpenRV Web supports optional configuration through Vite environment variables:

Variable	Purpose
VITE_NETWORK_SIGNALING_SERVERS	WebSocket signaling server URL(s) for collaborative review sessions (e.g., wss://sync.example.com). Required for collaboration to function.
VITE_TURN_USERNAME	TURN server username for WebRTC NAT traversal (optional, improves connectivity behind restrictive firewalls)
VITE_TURN_CREDENTIAL	TURN server credential (optional, paired with VITE_TURN_USERNAME)

Set these in a .env file at the project root before building.

Collaboration and Signaling

The core viewer (file loading, playback, color grading, annotations, export) is fully static and works without any server-side infrastructure. Collaborative review sessions, however, require a WebSocket signaling server.

What the signaling server does

The signaling server handles:

• Room management -- creating and joining review rooms via room codes
• Message relay -- forwarding real-time sync messages (playback state, view transforms, cursor positions, annotations) between participants
• WebRTC session negotiation -- exchanging SDP offers/answers and ICE candidates so that peers can establish direct connections when possible

The signaling server does not process, decode, or store media files. It relays small JSON messages between connected clients.

Configuring signaling for self-hosted deployments

Set VITE_NETWORK_SIGNALING_SERVERS to the URL of your signaling server before building:

# .env
VITE_NETWORK_SIGNALING_SERVERS=wss://sync.yourstudio.com

The default configuration points to wss://sync.openrv.local, which is a placeholder. Without a reachable signaling server, collaboration features (create room, join room, sync) will not work. The rest of the application functions normally.

Serverless P2P fallback

When the signaling server is unreachable, OpenRV Web can fall back to a URL-based WebRTC signaling mode for two-person sessions. The host generates a share link containing an embedded WebRTC offer, and the guest responds with a URL-encoded answer. This mode is limited to two participants and requires manual link exchange.

Verifying the Installation

After deploying, verify that the application loads correctly:

1. Open the URL in a supported browser
2. Confirm the viewer interface appears with the header bar, timeline, and canvas area
3. Drag and drop an image or video file onto the viewer
4. Verify playback controls respond to keyboard shortcuts (Space to play/pause)

If any issues arise, consult the Troubleshooting guide.

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Related Pages

• Browser Requirements -- minimum browser versions and required APIs
• Quick Start -- load media and use basic controls
• Troubleshooting -- resolve common setup issues