Three Difficulties... Hopefully that's all.

Viridel · Post by **Viridel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:59 am

My DVD creation program automatically splits its output into 1Gb files... So when I Import the DVD into Workshop, it automatically creates multiple files... And of course, they are not split into the scenes that I would prefer. So, what I need to do is combine these files together in the software, and then I will be able break apart this combined file into the Scene / Chapters that I want.

Is this able to happen, and what is the process for doing so?

Also, according to Help, regarding having an animated image (such as in a Scene Selection menu):
Video- These are objects taken from a video file. Although these come from videos, only the first frame is displayed in the menu and is note animated. Video object can only be animated when they are used as buttons.

I would think that these frames, which do have a PlayList entry associated with them, would qualify as a "Button", and therefore would be video instead of still-image... However, at least in "Finish" mode, they are still images.

As above, is this able to happen, and what is the process for doing so?

Lastly, is there any way to make an ISO without requiring a DLT device? Help only has one listing for ISO, and it's intrinsically linked with DLT... It just seems awfully odd not to have an ISO-to-HD option.

Thanx!
- Jason

Devil · Post by **Devil** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 8:15 am

If I understand you correctly, you are creating a DVD in some other program then importing it into DVD WS. That is not recommended. It is better to import your video project, such as an AVI file, or, if you have a DVD-compliant MPEG file, you can use that. Let WS2 do the multiplexing and dividing into VOBs (and the encoding, if the input file is not DVD-compliant).

Of course you can save an ISO file to HDD.

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:16 pm

FYI - Both Video Studio and Movie Factory have an improved Import DVD feature. You might want to download the trial version(s).

There's also a FREE program called VOB 2 MPG. I've tried it twice. Once, it worked great and it was fast. The 2nd time I tried it, it totally failed. It does not recode the MPEG. (Ulead's Import feature won't re-code it either.) Most "DVD-to-MPEG" programs will recode the MPEG which degrades the quality (since MPEG is lossy compression).

So, what I need to do is combine these files together in the software, and then I will be able break apart this combined file into the Scene / Chapters that I want.

DVD Workshop can chop-out a scene and make it into a separate title, but it cannot combine separate clips together into one title. (DVD Workshop is a DVD authoring tool, it's not a video editor.)

A DVD is made-up of one or more (up to 99) titles, and each title can have up to 99 chapters. Most DVDs have only one title.

On a commercial DVD, the main movie could be one title, and the "making of" could be another title.

A chapter is just a marker or a pointer to a place in the movie (title). So, you don't have to split the movie into chapters. (If you choose a chapter from the menu, playback will continue through all of the remaining chapters to the end of the title.)

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I've only used animated buttons a couple of times so I don't know much about it... I do know there are some limitations.

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I usually choose Create DVD Folders instead of Create Disc Image. That way, I can test-play the "image" with my DVD-player software. For professional duplication, there are advantages to an ISO file, but for home use the only advantage (that I know of) is that it saves you the trouble of typing-in the Volume Name.

Viridel · Post by **Viridel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:57 pm

Video Studio's selection of Menu templates is pretty bad, and the Scene Selection was kind of sloppy (couldn't delete and re-add scenes without it screwing up the menus), and simply put, the menu customization I need just isn't there... Beyond that, it's XP+, meaning I have to use the laptop, which isn't fun - my desktop isn't going to downgrade from Win2K for as long as I can hold out... I did try Movie Factory, but something about it bugged me really quickly, and I dropped it really fast... WinXP+ as well... Or was that Movie Maker... Either way, I really like the menu system, and simplified chapter creation in DVD Workshop, plus it's Win2K compatible.

My software will export to HQ MPEG (same stats as DVD, 720x480 @ 29.97 frames/s), so that looks like it's working just fine... Although there may be a new glitch... When I go into the preview window to create a manual scene break, I can only select every 18/30th of a second... I want 3:33.13, but have to choose between 3:33.06 (which I can't use because of the picture), and 3:33.24, which is off the start of the song. Is this an MPEG limitation?

So, issue one has been resolved - to some degree.

The Video Button thing is something I do need further answers on though, so hopefully that will be posted shortly.

I would prefer to go ISO, because it is for duplication purpose, and I also use Daemon Tools as an ISO reader to ensure that the result of the burn will be precisely as I expect.
Devil - You say "Of course you can save an ISO file to HDD."... Care to explain how specifically? Tools -> Burn Disk Image or DVD Folder -> Disk Image Button -> Select Disk Image Path... Not difficult, I know... Issue is, that when I select the Disk Image Path, and select where I want to save it to......... I am such a tool. That's for LOADING an ISO.
Ok, so now that I've admitted I'm a twit, I still don't see the ability to burn an ISO. Usually in the Drive Drop-down menu, there are 3 listings (for me)... L: - DVD-RW, M: - CD-RW and ISO File... I do not have that 3rd listing... Therefore, could you please provide more specific details on where that option may be found?

I appreciate the help so far!
- Jason

DVDDoug · Post by **DVDDoug** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:36 pm

Video Studio's selection of Menu templates is pretty bad, and the Scene Selection was kind of sloppy (couldn't delete and re-add scenes without it screwing up the menus)

Sorry... I was suggesting that you use Video Studio's Import feature to combine the VOBs into one big MPG file. Then, you can bring that MPG file into Workshop for DVD authoring.

When I go into the preview window to create a manual scene break, I can only select every 18/30th of a second... I want 3:33.13, but have to choose between 3:33.06 (which I can't use because of the picture), and 3:33.24, which is off the start of the song. Is this an MPEG limitation?

Yes, that's related to the MPEG structure. A chapter has to start on an I-Frame. An MPEG GOP (Group Of Pictures) starts with an I-Frame (a complete image), and is followed by a series of B-Frames and/or P-Frames. Typically, a GOP consists of 15 - 18 frames. (If I remember correctly, 18 frames is the maximim GOP size allowed by the DVD spec.)

If you were to feed Workshop a DV file instead of an MPEG file, I believe you wouldn't have this limitation. I think the MPEG encoder will insert a new I-Frame wherever you want to start a new chapter.

(I can't help with the ISO issue right now... I'm at work and I don't have Workshop on this machine... I thought the option was right there on the "burn screen" along with Burn Disc and Create DVD Folders???)

Viridel · Post by **Viridel** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:52 pm

Happy accident when I played with the software the first time, in that I cut separate titles, instead of chapters... What this did in my Scene Selection menu was that once I assigned a title to the button, once the title was complete, it would automatically go back to the Scene Selection menu... Which I think is pretty cool - not for movies, but for songs it's great!

Now that I've re-imported the video "correctly" as MPEG, and split the file into chapters "correctly", I seem to have lost the ability to have the Scene Selection come back after my playlist selection has completed (just keeps continuing, even though it says in the playlist "Chapter 1" then "Menu_1". I also created a final chapter of 1 second in the hopes that it would go "Chapter 1" straight to "Chapter 9", which is the end of the show, then back to "Menu_1".

But alas, in the Preview window, it just keeps trucking along in order (1,2,3 / 3,4,5), regardless of what I have put in the playlist.

Therefore, in order to enable what I want it to do, do I have to hack the file up into multiple titles? And how will this effect the play & navigation of the master file?

Yeah, maybe not so easy in the end... But if I can force the player to precisely follow the PlayList (and not automatically go to the next chapter), then everything is all good. Make sense?

- J

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 10:52 pm

To get an idea of how the Playlist feature works in DVDWS, have a look at this explanation:

Link to explanation of Playlists in DVDWS 2.x

Regarding the creation of a disc image file (*.ISO), in the FINISH step, look for 3 output options (these are available in the DVD WS 2.x FULL version, not sure if it's in SE or Express versions)

1) Burn to disc
2) Create DVD Folders
3) Create Disc image file (this is the one you want)

Regards,
George

Viridel · Post by **Viridel** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 1:04 am

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent... Ok, that helps tremendously...

In my case, I will admit to using the trial version, since after wasting 2 days with Pinnacle, I want to give this a full-going-over first... I have to admit to never seeing the three "burn" icons on the Finish screen... Kinda' hidden into the control system, seemed much more intuitive to have them as part of the "tools" menu. But that will take care of that...

The link was perfect... Everything I wanted to know there.

I guess all that remains is how to get video playing in a Menu Button! The one topic nobody wants to touch, of course!!!

Thanx everyone for your help. I've always been very happy with the output this product could provide (especially with the custom menus)... It was just getting all the intricate details taken care of.

- J

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 1:18 am

Motion thumbnails in DVD workshop is surprisingly easy with various ways to do this.

1. Use a Menu wizard - sort of does almost everything for you!
or
2. from a blank menu, drag a video or a chapter onto the blank screen and you instantly have a thumbnail.

Then use the following guide to make it a motion button

there are several tutorials here including some video tutorials:
http://www.ulead.com/learning/dws.htm

DB83 · Post by **DB83** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 3:33 pm

A Chapter is just an entry point into a time-line item and will play to the end of the item. When you think of it in terms of a movie then that is as it should be.

But as you said, the 'fix' is not to create chapters in the ordinary sense but to cut the clip. That creates copies of the clip in the time-line with the mark-in and mark-out properties set for each part.

The preview window will just keep playing the title to the end whatever the mark-out is - don't know if that is a bug or not. But if you set up your menu/playlist correctly using the cut items then they will play just on their own in the final project.

The disadvantage with this method is the slight pause as the player has to re-seek the start of the next section. There is not a smooth play-back of 'play all titles'

Viridel · Post by **Viridel** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 8:18 am

*** I have move this to become a new topic, but am unable to delete this post...

Ok, last issue, and no logical reason for it that I can see...

I create the Main Menu (MENU), with just two buttons - Play & Scene Select. The starting default is Play, which plays the single-title version of the show (1 Title, 14 chapters). 12 second "loop" with 1 loop selected. After 12 seconds, it goes to Custom Button, which is selected as the Scene Selection menu (MENU-01). From here, it's a 1-loop, 20 second menu with 5 Title Buttons (a second copy of the main show, but broken into 5 parts, so it will play the Scene, then return to the same menu). 4 of the Scene Button images are still, with the last one as an animated button. There is also a Home button. Default is Scene 1, however at the end of 20 seconds, it will go Custom Button - Home... Which is ACTUALLY MENUa... A clone of MENU, except when this 12 seconds runs out, the whole show auto-plays (instead of going to Scene Select).

This all works flawlessly in the Preview (Finish) Window.

However, when I put it to ISO, MENU & MENUa both fail to proceed automatically when no button is pressed (after 12 seconds, and even for several minutes after that). But it's not a complete loss, as MENU-01 does EXACTLY what it's supposed to do in both preview & ISO (default to scene 1, go to MENUa after 20 seconds). So why two of the Menus fail to proceed, but one works perfectly, is greatly confusing me. I have tried this both with Daemon Tools for use on my PC DVD player, as well as a burned disk on my real DVD player. I have also re-ISO'd twice, with identical results.

Below is a link to several applicable screenshots (new-1.jpg ~ new-9.jpg). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

http://www3.telus.net/fhldevils/accra/

Thanx!
- Jason

Alludo USER to USER Web Board

Three Difficulties... Hopefully that's all.

Three Difficulties... Hopefully that's all.

One more (hopefully easy) one...

Ok, Last Issue, and No Logical Reason for it...