Creating Chapter Files On Menu

[KenD]

I am dragging and dropping 4 .MPEG files into VideoStudio 11 Plus from my hard disk drive. I want to assign each file as a chapter. Is tere a simple way to accomplish this?

Basically each file represents 1 quarter of a basketball game.

[sjj1805]

Firstly MPEG4 is a highly compressed format and although VideoStudio can convert it to MPEG2 so that it can create a VideoDVD it takes hours. My first suggestion is to convert the MPEG4 to MPEG2 using a third party converter. Use Google and you will find several, many are free.

Next point is - many users get confused between the terms
Titles - in other words an entire film/video
Chapters - these are bookmarks are places where you can quickly jump to, and are within a Title.

This chart may help explain>


For an in depth tutorial please view:
Create a Ulead VideoStudio 9 Training Video.

[GeorgeW]

Firstly MPEG4 is a highly compressed format and although VideoStudio can convert it to MPEG2 so that it can create a VideoDVD it takes hours. My first suggestion is to convert the MPEG4 to MPEG2 using a third party converter. Use Google and you will find several, many are free.

I don't think the OP means mpeg4 -- it sounds like there are four mpeg files (whether they are DVD Compliant is another story).

To OP, the tutorial link that Steve provided should get you moving in the right direction

Regards,
George

[Ken Berry]

Ken -- I agree that you are probably confusing terminology. I suspect that you want to have a DVD with a main menu with four different icons or entries on it, one for each of your four mpegs. If that is so, it would be useful if you could confirm it.

On the other hand, you might just want a main menu screen with only one icon/entry on it, but when you select that, it shows another screen with the 4 quarters of the basketball game.

If it is the first situation, then each of the mpegs is in fact, in video editing terms, a 'title' as Steve has pointed out. Think of it like a book. An individual book has one title, but it can be broken down into chapters.

So in the first example above, each of your mpegs is a 'title' in its own right, but each can be broken down into chapters based either on a fixed time period between chapters (e.g. 1 minute per chapter) or scene breaks.

In the second example above, you combine all four mpegs into one, and that becomes your one title (single icon on main menu) and when you go to the next page, there are 4 chapters only, each one representing what was in each original mpeg.

If you want the first, it is easy. Drag and drop only one mpeg to the VS timeline. Give the project a name File > Save or Save As (e.g. First Quarter). Do your editing and after editing is finished, go to Share > Create Video File > DVD. This will ensure you have a fully DVD compliant mpeg-2 which is what is required to burn a DVD. After that is done, start a new project, and do the same for the second mpeg ('Second Quarter'). And so on until you have 4 new mpeg-2s.

Then start yet another project -- don't worry about giving it a name, since the objective is only to clear the timeline. Then select Share > Create Disc > DVD, and the burning module will open. Use the Add Media in the top left to insert each of your new mpeg-2s in the burning timeline in the order you want.

Go to the middle of the three icons in the bottom left of screen (Project Settings) and make sure the little box beside 'do not convert compliant mpeg files' is ticked. This will ensure no further conversion of your files will take place during the burning process.

On that same page of the burning module, up towards the top left is a box with Create Menu in it. Make sure it is ticked (it is normally ticked by default). You will now have to decide whether you want each of your mpegs further broken down into chapters. If you don't, then don't tick the box above the Create Menu one which is Add/Edit Chapters.

If you do want to break each down into further chapters, then tick that box, and then create chapter points for each of the four mpegs -- as I said either by choosing the default chapter breaks by time periods, or if you move the slider beneath the preview screen on the chapter creation page, then by select the scene breaks and clicking on the Create Chapter button.

When you have done that and are back on the main burning page, click Next, and from there you select your menu template, backgrounds, background music etc. Then you can preview your menu and finally proceed to the burning page.

If, on the other hand, you want the second situation, then drag and drop all 4 of your icons into the main editing timeline in the order you want them. Do any editing you want. Then at the end, go to Share > Create Video File > DVD, but this time you will produce a single new mpeg-2 which contains all four quarters. When you go into the burning module (Share > Create Disc > DVD) you only have the one mpeg-2 to add. But you will want to divide it into four chapters. So use the Add/Edit Chapter button as described above. This time, though, you drag the slider under the preview screen to the beginning of the second quarter, then press the Add Chapter button, then repeat that for the third and fourth quarters. The beginning of the first quarter is automaticaly selected as the first chapter point.

[KenD]

Within 50 minutes of receiving your responses, I had burned a DVD with 4 separate chapters. You guys are the greatest. I spent countless time looking through the user manual and you gentlemen help me in minutes.

I've never used a forum before but I must say my experience with this one has been utterly fanttastic.

[Ken Berry]

Glad to be of service!!