# Pipeline Architecture

> A deep dive into the four-stage Decodx rendering pipeline.

# Pipeline Architecture

Deep dive into the Decodx rendering pipeline.

## Pipeline Stages

### 1. Parse

Validate and parse the YAML specification:

- Project metadata
- Source definitions
- Scene compositions

### 2. Compile

Prepare all assets and resources:

- Download or locate source files
- Normalize formats
- Generate intermediate representations

### 3. Render

Generate the video frame-by-frame:

- Composite layers
- Apply effects
- Encode to target format

### 4. Post-Process

Add final touches:

- Generate captions
- Create chapters
- Embed metadata
- Generate thumbnail

## Engine

The Decodx engine is written in TypeScript and runs on Node.js/Bun:

```typescript
const engine = new DecodxEngine(config);
const result = await engine.render(spec);
```

## Adapters

Pluggable adapters handle:

- Video decoding/encoding
- Audio processing
- Text rendering
- Effect application

Learn about adapters in the [architecture overview](./overview).