ArtStation free 2K video cap: conform an AI clip with trim output

Yes, you can conform a clip to a free-account resolution with Sume video trim, and the safe choice is 1920 by 1080. ArtStation's help page says the maximum resolution for free members is 2K, and that premium subscribers can upload 4K videos that display at full resolution on 4K monitors. The page does not give pixel dimensions for 2K. Sume's trim output object accepts width and height from 256 to 2160 on exact precision.

This matters for AI video because generators often output at the sizes their own models prefer, and those are not always the size a portfolio site wants. A conform step keeps the file inside the free tier without opening an editor, and the probe tells you what you actually got.

What 2K means on the page

Because the page gives a name and not pixels, plan with a size that is under every common reading of 2K. A 1920 by 1080 frame is full HD, and it is below the wider sizes people call 2K. It also keeps the file small enough for the free 25 MB limit more easily than a larger frame.

If ArtStation publishes pixel dimensions for 2K later, replace the 1920 by 1080 plan with those. The trim limit of 2160 on each edge leaves room for that.

What Sume can conform

The trim output field is a conform on exact precision. If you ask for it with keyframe precision, the API refuses with video_trim_output_requires_exact. The fps field accepts 24, 25, 30 or 60. With no output field, the result keeps the width, height and frame rate of the source.

Size of the file is the next constraint. The free upload size is 25 MB, and a conform to a smaller frame usually helps, but the amount depends on the content. So measure after every change, and use the sibling post on the bitrate budget to set a target.

Frame rate is worth a decision as well. If the source is 24 fps, leaving fps unset keeps 24, and forcing 30 makes the encoder repeat frames, which adds judder on motion.

The 4K side

Notice a limit on the Sume side. The maximum edge of 2160 means trim cannot produce a 4K frame that is 3840 pixels wide, so premium 4K display is not reachable with this tool as documented. If your source is already larger than 2160 pixels, conform it down and the result stays inside the free tier.

The docs do not describe how a mismatched aspect ratio is handled in the conform, so send a width and height that keep the source ratio. For a 16:9 source, 1920 by 1080 does.

A conform request

Build the request, then probe the output. The sample below composes the payload and checks that the size is allowed before it prints.

Keep the pixel format in mind. Exact trim writes yuv420p, which every common player decodes. A ten-bit or HDR source will be converted, so if color accuracy matters to the portfolio piece, compare a still from the result with the original before you publish.

import json

payload = {
    "video_url": "https://media.sume.com/artifacts/artf_demo/render.mp4",
    "start": 0,
    "duration": 20,
    "precision": "exact",
    "output": {"width": 1920, "height": 1080, "fps": 30},
}
out = payload["output"]
assert 256 <= out["width"] <= 2160 and 256 <= out["height"] <= 2160
assert out["fps"] in (24, 25, 30, 60)
print(json.dumps(payload, indent=2))

Verify

After the job, run video inspect with frames false and compare width, height and size_bytes with the free limits. A conform changes the frame, not the file budget, so read the free upload size in the sibling post as well.

If a conform makes the frame look soft, the cause is usually the source and not the setting. Request a still at source size with video frames, compare it with a still from the result, and decide whether the loss is acceptable for a portfolio piece.