Add "Render Selected" for video generation

backend/app/database.py

@@ -679,6 +679,12 @@ def _run_migrations():
                 conn.commit()
             except Exception:
                 pass
+        # Video render: selected content (render only selection instead of full note)
+        try:
+            conn.execute(text("ALTER TABLE video_render_job ADD COLUMN selected_content TEXT"))
+            conn.commit()
+        except Exception:
+            pass
 
 
 def _seed_after_migrations():

backend/app/models.py

@@ -292,6 +292,7 @@ class VideoRenderJob(SQLModel, table=True):
     detail: str = Field(default="")        # e.g. "shot 7 of 19"
     options: str = Field(default="{}")     # RenderOptions, JSON as text
     quality: str = Field(default="full")   # "preview" | "full"
+    selected_content: Optional[str] = None  # If set, render only this BlockNote content; otherwise render full note
     note_title: str = Field(default="")    # snapshot, for download filenames
     result_filename: Optional[str] = None      # rendered .mp4
     subtitle_filename: Optional[str] = None    # .srt sidecar

backend/app/routers/video.py

@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ def create_job(payload: VideoRenderRequest, request: Request, session: Session =
         stage="Queued",
         options=json.dumps(options.model_dump()),
         quality="preview" if payload.quality == "preview" else "full",
+        selected_content=payload.selected_content,
         created_at=now,
         updated_at=now,
     )
@@ -201,7 +202,7 @@ def estimate_render(payload: VideoRenderRequest, request: Request, session: Sess
     shots, chars, seconds, warnings = estimate(
         user_id=user_id,
         media_dir=MEDIA_DIR,
-        note_content=note.content or "[]",
+        note_content=payload.selected_content or note.content or "[]",
         note_title=note.title or "Untitled",
         author=(user.username if user else "") or "",
         options=options,

backend/app/schemas.py

@@ -712,6 +712,7 @@ class VideoRenderRequest(BaseModel):
     # option schema lives in one place next to the renderer that consumes it.
     options: Dict[str, Any] = {}
     quality: str = "full"  # "preview" renders small and fast, reusing cached narration
+    selected_content: Optional[str] = None  # If provided, render only this content instead of full note
 
 
 class VideoEstimateRead(BaseModel):

backend/app/video/worker.py

@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ def raise_cancelled() -> None:
                 job_id=job_id,
                 user_id=job.user_id,
                 media_dir=_media_dir(),
-                note_content=note.content or "[]",
+                note_content=job.selected_content or note.content or "[]",
                 note_title=note.title or "Untitled",
                 author=author,
                 options=options,

frontend/src/api/videoGen.ts

@@ -210,9 +210,10 @@ export const DEFAULT_RENDER_OPTIONS: RenderOptions = {
 
 export const videoGenApi = {
   /** Queue a render. `preview` renders small and fast; because narration is
-   *  cached by voice+text, a full render afterwards reuses it at no extra cost. */
-  createJob(noteId: string, options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full' = 'full'): Promise<{ data: VideoRenderJob }> {
-    return client.post('/video/jobs', { note_id: noteId, options, quality }).then((r) => r.data)
+   *  cached by voice+text, a full render afterwards reuses it at no extra cost.
+   *  `selectedContent` (if provided) renders only that portion instead of the full note. */
+  createJob(noteId: string, options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full' = 'full', selectedContent?: string): Promise<{ data: VideoRenderJob }> {
+    return client.post('/video/jobs', { note_id: noteId, options, quality, selected_content: selectedContent }).then((r) => r.data)
   },
 
   // Reading and cancelling a render go through `api/activity` now, which covers

frontend/src/components/VideoGenModal.tsx

@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@ interface Props {
   noteTitle: string
   /** blockId -> /media URL for rasterised diagram blocks, gathered by the caller. */
   diagramImages: Record<string, string>
-  onGenerate: (options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full') => Promise<void>
+  /** Selected text to render (if any); if undefined, full note is rendered. */
+  selectedContent?: string
+  onGenerate: (options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full', selected?: string) => Promise<void>
   onClose: () => void
 }
 
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ function formatDuration(seconds: number): string {
   return m > 0 ? `${m}m ${s}s` : `${s}s`
 }
 
-export default function VideoGenModal({ noteId, noteTitle, diagramImages, onGenerate, onClose }: Props) {
+export default function VideoGenModal({ noteId, noteTitle, diagramImages, selectedContent, onGenerate, onClose }: Props) {
   const [options, setOptions] = useState<RenderOptions>(loadStoredOptions)
   const [tab, setTab] = useState<TabId>('format')
   const [estimate, setEstimate] = useState<VideoEstimate | null>(null)
@@ -302,7 +304,7 @@ export default function VideoGenModal({ noteId, noteTitle, diagramImages, onGene
     setBusy(quality)
     setError(null)
     try {
-      await onGenerate(payload, quality)
+      await onGenerate(payload, quality, selectedContent)
       onClose()
     } catch (e) {
       setError(apiErrorMessage(e, 'Could not start the render'))

frontend/src/stores/activity.ts

@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ interface ActivityState {
     noteId: string,
     options: RenderOptions,
     quality?: 'preview' | 'full',
+    selectedContent?: string,
   ) => Promise<void>
   reset: () => void
 }
@@ -154,8 +155,8 @@ export const useActivityStore = create<ActivityState>((set, get) => {
       }
     },
 
-    async startVideo(noteId, options, quality = 'full') {
-      await videoGenApi.createJob(noteId, options, quality)
+    async startVideo(noteId, options, quality = 'full', selectedContent?: string) {
+      await videoGenApi.createJob(noteId, options, quality, selectedContent)
       // Read it straight back through the activity view rather than mapping the
       // richer render shape by hand, so there is one place that knows the wire form.
       await get().resume()

frontend/src/views/EditorView.tsx

@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ import { annotationsApi, type Annotation } from '@/api/annotations'
 import { useDictation } from '@/hooks/useDictation'
 import { insertDictationAtSelection, normalizeDictatedText } from '@/utils/dictationInsert'
 import { useTextToSpeech } from '@/hooks/useTextToSpeech'
-import { extractPlainText } from '@/utils/blocks'
+import { extractPlainText, getEditorSelectionMarkdown } from '@/utils/blocks'
 import { noteToMarkdownBody, svgToPngData } from '@/utils/export'
 import { ARCHIVE_SYSTEM_KEY } from '@/utils/folderTree'
 
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ export default function EditorView() {
   const [showImageGen, setShowImageGen] = useState(false)
   const [showVideoGen, setShowVideoGen] = useState(false)
   const [diagramImages, setDiagramImages] = useState<Record<string, string>>({})
+  const [selectedContent, setSelectedContent] = useState<string | undefined>(undefined)
   const [showHistory, setShowHistory] = useState(false)
   const [showStats, setShowStats] = useState(false)
   const [findOpen, setFindOpen] = useState(false)
@@ -957,9 +958,18 @@ export default function EditorView() {
     if (!id) return
     if (hasPendingChanges.current) await doSave(true)
 
+    // Detect selected content and get selected block IDs
+    const selected = getEditorSelectionMarkdown(editor)
+    const selectedBlockIds = new Set(editor?.getSelection?.()?.blocks?.map((b) => b.id) ?? [])
+    setSelectedContent(selected || undefined)
+
+    // Rasterize only diagrams within selected blocks (if selection exists) or all diagrams (if no selection)
     const rasterised: Record<string, string> = {}
     const blocks = (editor?.document ?? []) as { id?: string; type?: string; props?: { source?: string } }[]
     for (const block of blocks) {
+      // Skip if selection exists and this block is not in the selection
+      if (selected && !selectedBlockIds.has(block.id ?? '')) continue
+
       const source = block.type === 'diagram' ? block.props?.source : undefined
       if (!block.id || !source) continue
       try {
@@ -977,10 +987,10 @@ export default function EditorView() {
     setShowVideoGen(true)
   }
 
-  async function runVideoGen(options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full') {
+  async function runVideoGen(options: RenderOptions, quality: 'preview' | 'full', selected?: string) {
     const id = createdNoteId.current || latestNoteId.current
     if (!id) throw new Error('Save the note first')
-    await startVideoJob(id, options, quality)
+    await startVideoJob(id, options, quality, selected)
     showToast(quality === 'preview' ? 'Rendering a preview…' : 'Rendering your video…')
   }
 
@@ -2086,6 +2096,7 @@ export default function EditorView() {
           noteId={createdNoteId.current || latestNoteId.current || ''}
           noteTitle={title || 'Untitled'}
           diagramImages={diagramImages}
+          selectedContent={selectedContent}
           onGenerate={runVideoGen}
           onClose={() => setShowVideoGen(false)}
         />