Automatically run pulldown after CCE completes

[FamousPerson]

I usually run CCE overnight. I don't know about anyone else in NTSC country, but one thing I hate having to do the next day is run pulldown on the output and sit and wait another 20-30 mins.

So, I wrote a program called "WaitAndPull" which will run pulldown automatically when CCE completes.

If anyone uses CCE & pulldown and might find this program useful, feel free to download and use it.

Click here to download it (http://www.vanhouwelingen.com/marcvh/waitandpull/waitandpull.zip)


(requires VB runtimes (http://www.vanhouwelingen.com/marcvh/today/vbrun60sp3.exe))

Also, any bugs or improvement suggestions are welcome.

Note #1: This programs assumes your CCE MPEG output extension is .m2v

Note #2: This program determines CCE's completion by monitoring the .vaf and/or .m2v file. If you encode using MultiPass AND use 2 different output files, the pulldown will fire as soon as CCE completes it's first pass.

[ByronE]

This sounds awesome! I hate that morning wait as well, I'll try it out...thanks!

[REECYCUP]

does this work with wim98se?
i get the error about comdlg32.ocx or one of its components not correctly registered
already have vbruntime but installed it again any way

[FamousPerson]

REECY:

It should work on Win98.

Try going into c:\windows\system and typing:

regsvr32 comdlg32.ocx

[REECYCUP]

loadlibrary("comdlg.ocx")failed
getlasterror returns 0x00000485
now i get this error?
im totally lost!!

[FamousPerson]

you may want to try that same command with comdlg.ocx too.

I'm wondering if some 3rd party app replaced your Microsoft Common Dialog control...

If you rght-click it and click properties, you should be able to get vendor and version info.

[FamousPerson]

Actually, according to this (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;249873), that error means you are missing a file. Do you have the file "comdlg.ocx" in that folder? Or anywhere on your pc?

[REECYCUP]

i have 5 computers running 98se
its not on any?
what is it and why dont i have it?

[FamousPerson]

I'm not sure. Maybe that control doesn't come installed on Win98.

I've built a full install - setup.exe and everything.

You can download it here (http://www.vanhouwelingen.com/marcvh/waitandpull/full.zip)

Try extracting that and dbl-clicking "WaitAndPull.msi". if that does nothing, you need to install the Microsoft "installer" first - that would be the "InstMsiW.exe" or "InstMsiA.exe" file. I think Win98 is "InstMsiA.exe". In fact, just running "setup.exe" may automate the whole thing for you.

Let me know if it works.

[REECYCUP]

this is to funny
ran instmsia(because other said wrong os) cool
then ran setup.exe(finished ok)
ran wait and pull(now were laughing)
if u open icon in start menu its not a win32 application
if you open in explorer it comes up fine
thanks cant wait to see if it works
reecycup

[FamousPerson]

wow, what a mess!

well, glad it works.

[aftertaste]

Very interesting famous. I too hate the morning wait i'm gonna try your little solution for sure. I will post my results when I get around to trying it. Thx again its nice to see how much some people go out of their way to help others.

[Jafco]

Hi, neat little app... quick question, though. It appears that it has two options: do pulldown with drop_frame, and do pulldown with and without drop_frame.

I know it's kind of picky, but I never bother with subtitles, so rarely use drop_frame... is there any possibility you can make an option available for "just pulldown" with no switches, etc?

Thanks for your little apps... I use cceguesser all the time.

[slk001]

Waiting 20 - 30 minutes? I routinely run pulldown on .M2V files that are 4,275,000,000 bytes long and it never takes more than 5 minutes. On trick that you should know, is to have your destination on a drive (physical) different from the source. Otherwise, this could cost you this speed difference.

Your program, though, sounds like a good idea. Does it use script based input? I don't like having to wait the extra 35 minutes to convert a .WAV file to .AC3, and setting a "queue" to run after CCE sounds like an excellent idea (both processes use 100% of CPU availability).

Don't know any NTSC people? There are a lot of us here... in fact, I hail from the Sunshine State, myself!

[int 21h]

This program interests me also, I would like more configuration options (i.e. the exact commandline fed to Pulldown).

[FamousPerson]

Wow, lots of requests on this thread today! OK, I'll add a few more config options...

slk001: quoting above, "I don't know about anyone else in NTSC country..." What I meant was I wasn't sure if anyone else would be interested. I mentioned "NTSC country" because PAL users would not need pulldown. :)

[FamousPerson]

Oh, slk001, and to answer your other question:
Your program, though, sounds like a good idea. Does it use script based input? I don't like having to wait the extra 35 minutes to convert a .WAV file to .AC3, and setting a "queue" to run after CCE sounds like an excellent idea (both processes use 100% of CPU availability).
No, it's not script based. I suppose I might be able to make it execute an additional batch file or something though.

[FamousPerson]

OK, at least for now, I've changed it so you can choose to do drop frame, normal, or both.

Please let me know if you find any problems, and thanks for the suggestions!


Download Here (http://www.vanhouwelingen.com/marcvh/waitandpull/waitandpull.zip)

[quantum]

I often like to queue up 2 or 3 files and let CCE go at them :-)

[bex]

great little program

Being able to specify another Drive to pulldown to would be nice. I don't always have the room on the same drive for the pulldown and there is less strain on the harddrive then

Bex

[Mysta187]

Why are you all having such long pulldowns? Of all the times I have performed pulldown, I've never had to wait more than 10mins. Are you all referring to multiple encodes?

[Eyes`Only]

OK, I'm confused. I can't understand why I would want pulldown to fire after my first pass. Are you planning to modify this to make it run pulldown only after CCE has finished? I always run multipass on my extras and go to bed. What happens when pulldown kicks in and CCE is currently starting the 2nd pass and erases the .mpv?

Also, have you thought about converting this to C++? You'd eliminate lots off issues with runtimes and .dlls and stuff. I originally started my app in VB, but with many beta users complaining about .dlls and runtime errors, I switched to C++ and have never heard another complaint!

[FamousPerson]

Originally posted by Eyes`Only
OK, I'm confused. I can't understand why I would want pulldown to fire after my first pass. Are you planning to modify this to make it run pulldown only after CCE has finished? I always run multipass on my extras and go to bed. What happens when pulldown kicks in and CCE is currently starting the 2nd pass and erases the .mpv?

Also, have you thought about converting this to C++? You'd eliminate lots off issues with runtimes and .dlls and stuff. I originally started my app in VB, but with many beta users complaining about .dlls and runtime errors, I switched to C++ and have never heard another complaint!
It does wait until CCE is finished. It only does not work if you do multipass with two different m2v filenames. You have to do just "normal" multipass.

C? No, I hadn't thought of that. I wrote it for me, quick and dirty. I posted it here in case anyone else would like it. Plus, I don't have a C development tool, not to mention it would take me forever because I'm not very proficient. Actually, I've never developed anything in Visual C++ (only Unix C). Would be kind of cool to learn...

[Eyes`Only]

Oh OK, I misunderstood the behavior. My bad.

You'd be suprised how easy it is to convert something like this over to C++. All the standard APIs and MFC are available that you used in your VB already. Obviously you don't need it for speed (neither did I) but it really does eliminate installation issues. Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

Nice to see more NTSC'ers developing apps :)

[FamousPerson]

What do you use? MS Visual C 6?

[Eyes`Only]

Yes. MSVC6. I don't bother with .NET because many others, like myself, don't want to have to install the 100megs of .NET framework on our machines, just like many don't like to have to make sure they have runtime libraries. Every resource your app uses is put into your compiled app with MSVC6 if you set it to do so, leaving nothing to go wrong (well with installation anyway! hahaha).

[quantum]

MSVC6. I don't bother with .NET because many others, like myself, don't want to have to install the 100megs of .NET framework Where did you pick up this assumption? You don't need the .net framework for unmanaged VC++.net projects.

[Eyes`Only]

Never seen anyone program in .NET that didn't require framework to be installed in order to use their app. If this can be done, why don't ppl do it?

[quantum]

As to why the people you have seen created .net apps that require the runtime, any answer would be speculation. Maybe they used C# or vb.net, or maybe they used managed C++. Who knows.

Lots of people create native apps with vs.net. Some have said the improved linker in VC7 can create smaller exe's than VC6, although I haven't personally observed this. I suggest you get some hands on experience, especially if you're going to post conclusions about the capabilities of the tool.

[Eyes`Only]

Good point. I digress from further .net assumptions ;)