Answers.Body: <p>Font paths have to be escaped:</p>
  
  <p><code>fontfile='c\:\\Windows\\Fonts\\simsun.ttc'</code></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-14T17:19:38.997Z
Answers.Text: I have tried this, but still went wrong with the same error.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Wayne Chen
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-14T17:31:23.953Z
Answers.Text: Quote the path.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gyan
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-14T17:00:23.847Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-11-14T17:31:14.637Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-11-14T17:31:14.637Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Gyan
Body: <p>I use ffmpeg like this:</p>
  
  <pre><code>ffmpeg -i MyOwnSwordsman01.avi -filter_complex "drawtext=fontfile=c:/Windows/Fonts/simsun.ttc: text='第01回 %{pts\:gmtime\:0\:%M：%S}/43：20': x=5: y=466: fontsize=16: fontcolor=yellow@0.9: box=1: boxcolor=blue@0.6" -c:a copy -c:v libx264 -map 0 stamped/MyOwnSwordsman01.avi
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>It went wrong:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[Parsed_drawtext_0 @ 00000000025fae80] Cannot find a valid font for the family Sans
  [AVFilterGraph @ 0000000000e3a160] Error initializing filter 'drawtext' with args 'fontfile=c:/Windows/Fonts/simsun.ttc: text=绗?1鍥?%{pts\:gmtime\:0\:%M\\:%S}/43锛?0: x=5: y=466: fontsize=16: fontcolor=yellow@0.9: box=1: boxcolor=blue@0.6'
  Error initializing complex filters.
  No such file or directory
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So what's the matter? I have confirmed there is a simsun.ttc in C\ disk.</p>
  
  <p>Thanks a lot!</p>
  
Tags: <ffmpeg><filter>
Title: ffmpeg error "Error initializing complex filters"
UserDisplayName: Wayne Chen
ThreadText: # ffmpeg error "Error initializing complex filters"
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-14)
  
  I use ffmpeg like this:
  
  ```
  ffmpeg -i MyOwnSwordsman01.avi -filter_complex "drawtext=fontfile=c:/Windows/Fonts/simsun.ttc: text='第01回 %{pts\:gmtime\:0\:%M：%S}/43：20': x=5: y=466: fontsize=16: fontcolor=yellow@0.9: box=1: boxcolor=blue@0.6" -c:a copy -c:v libx264 -map 0 stamped/MyOwnSwordsman01.avi
  
  ```
  
  It went wrong:
  
  ```
  [Parsed_drawtext_0 @ 00000000025fae80] Cannot find a valid font for the family Sans
  [AVFilterGraph @ 0000000000e3a160] Error initializing filter 'drawtext' with args 'fontfile=c:/Windows/Fonts/simsun.ttc: text=绗?1鍥?%{pts\:gmtime\:0\:%M\\:%S}/43锛?0: x=5: y=466: fontsize=16: fontcolor=yellow@0.9: box=1: boxcolor=blue@0.6'
  Error initializing complex filters.
  No such file or directory
  
  ```
  
  So what's the matter? I have confirmed there is a simsun.ttc in C\ disk.
  
  Thanks a lot!
  
  **Tags:** ffmpeg, filter
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-14. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  Font paths have to be escaped:
  
  `fontfile='c\:\\Windows\\Fonts\\simsun.ttc'`
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I have tried this, but still went wrong with the same error.  
  > **username_1**: Quote the path.  
  
  ---
  
  