Add chapters to an existing VOBs(+)

[fmilovanov]

Hi folks,

I've got a set of VOBs (VTS_01_1.VOB, VTS_01_2.VOB, ... VTS_01_5.VOB). I can generate an IFO files for this VOBset using IFO Edit, but it does not set chapters. Is there any way I cat set a chapters manually?

[Dave82]

When you created your IFO, did you checked the option "Create a chapter for each cell"? If not, try it. If you've already done it and you got no chapters, then you'll have to reauthor. If you have DVD-lab (you can download a 30 day trial version) create a project, import your VOBs, look at the preview of the movie and set the chapter points. Then compile and you're done :)
You can also reauthor with IFOEdit, but you have to demux your vobs, import the elementary streams and create a celltimes.txt (which you can import during the authoring process). The syntax is:

1st cell's last frame
2nd cell's last frame
3rd cell's last frame
and so on.... (actually there isn't any syntax at all, just frame values ;) )

[emdiem]

Hello. I got a similary problem.

I got the same order ,5 VOB files.. I pressed Create Chapter for each Cell ... and Create 1 PGC only .... preocessing .. open up PowerDVD to check it.. Still one chapter ...

am i doing totally wrong?

[Dave82]

Originally posted by emdiem
am i doing totally wrong?
No, it simply means your VOBset is made by a long cell, so you'll have to reauthor in order to have chapters (or use DVD-lab as I explained)

[emdiem]

But i have Vts_01_1.vob to 01_5 .. Isnt those "cell files" ?

I was in the belief that i could just make new ifo files and the VOB files would act like TRACKS.

I inserted them into a Author program from Sonic Foundry, but it wanted to re-encode my vob files and thats just crazy.

So what I have to do is to re-author my vob's with Dvd-lab, will that re encode the vob files , or just create the files needed to this project to be playable?

[Dave82]

A cell is the basic unit in a DVD, defined by a change of VOB/cell ID. A VOB can contain a lot of them, or there can be a cell that lasts through different VOBs (it should be your case).
Since you want to use your VOBs as tracks I suppose they come from different sources (be careful: they must have the same A/V features to belong to the same titleset!), they have different size (not all 1 gb) and they all have (hopefully) a navigation pack at the beginning.
If I am right open each vob with MenuEdit (unregistered version) and change the cell ID so that it correspond to that vob's number.
Then create a new IFO with the option "create a chapter for each cell" and it should be OK.
If I didn't guess your situation :p do this for each vob separately before creating the IFO:
Add two zeros before the last number in the file name, open the vob in VOBEdit, click Edit ---> join cellvob files, set the name of the output vob so that it's the same as the original name. (this will create a nav-pack at the beginning). Then do the MenuEdit trick and create the IFOs.
Let me know if it works for you :)

[fmilovanov]

Dave82,

thanx for your reply. I understand I can add chapters during re-author process, but can I create chapters without re-authoring, which is a very long process? Do I understand it correct that the chapter labels (or marks, whatever) are in VOB files, not IFO files? And I cannot add chapters to an existing title just by editing IFOs?

[Dave82]

Chapters can only point to cells, that are "marked" in the VOB, and so you're right, editing the IFO it's not enough (unless you have a chapter made up of more than one cell: you can set chapters pointing to the other cells).

[emdiem]

oh, i open them up and all had 1 as cell ID ..
but VOB id shall i change that aswell ?

I noticed aswell that two vob files had wrong proportions so i have to re-render them both :devil:

but all other vob files had cellID 1, will change them now and see what will happen

[Dave82]

Originally posted by emdiem
oh, i open them up and all had 1 as cell ID ..
but VOB id shall i change that aswell ?
Leave VOB ID = 1 (VOB IDs are usually used for different PGCs, you don't need to change them.
I noticed aswell that two vob files had wrong proportions so i have to re-render them both :devil:
What do you mean? Different aspect ratio?

[emdiem]

well for some reason i had renderd them to svcd proportions ... 480*480 (doing the dvd in NTSC, sucky format i know ...)

[emdiem]

Hello again.Dave you know alot and i made as you said and each vob file got a new cellID .. 1,2,3,4,5 ... made new files with ifoedit.

- Create 1 PGC only
- Create Chapter for each cell

open up in PowerDVD ... moving to chapter 2 .. works.. chapter 3 and powerDVD shutsdown ... I dont have any DVDRW to try this on, okey its not a big deal if i testburn this and if it doesnt work i trach the DVDR disk .. but its a waste of material.

Newbie question, but im frustrating that this wont work =(

[emdiem]

adding:

I look into the VTS_01_0.IFO

and see that there is

[Ch 01] [Pg 01] [Cell 01] [V/C Id: 1/ 1] : time: 00:43:03.15 / 30 fps [Pos: 00:43:03.15] [Frames: 77505] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[ no/ no/yes/ no]
[Ch 02] [Pg 02] [Cell 02] [V/C Id: 1/ 2] : time: 00:00:00.00 / 30 fps [Pos: 00:43:03.15] [Frames: 77505] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 03] [Pg 03] [Cell 03] [V/C Id: 1/ 1] : time: 00:33:32.23 / 30 fps [Pos: 01:16:36.08] [Frames: 137888] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 04] [Pg 04] [Cell 04] [V/C Id: 1/ 3] : time: 00:00:00.15 / 30 fps [Pos: 01:16:36.23] [Frames: 137903] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 05] [Pg 05] [Cell 05] [V/C Id: 1/ 1] : time: 00:34:05.28 / 30 fps [Pos: 01:50:42.21] [Frames: 199281] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 06] [Pg 06] [Cell 06] [V/C Id: 1/ 4] : time: 00:00:00.15 / 30 fps [Pos: 01:50:43.06] [Frames: 199296] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 07] [Pg 07] [Cell 07] [V/C Id: 1/ 1] : time: 00:39:02.13 / 30 fps [Pos: 02:29:45.19] [Frames: 269569] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 08] [Pg 08] [Cell 08] [V/C Id: 1/ 5] : time: 00:00:00.15 / 30 fps [Pos: 02:29:46.04] [Frames: 269584] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]
[Ch 09] [Pg 09] [Cell 09] [V/C Id: 1/ 1] : time: 00:39:27.07 / 30 fps [Pos: 03:09:13.11] [Frames: 340601] SP/ILVU/DISC/SA:[yes/ no/ no/ no]


you see .. there are blank cells between them ... making 9 cell counts. might be whats making the problem, or those are just ment to be there.

[Dave82]

Originally posted by Dave82
Add two zeros before the last number in the file name, open the vob in VOBEdit, click Edit ---> join cellvob files, set the name of the output vob so that it's the same as the original name. (this will create a nav-pack at the beginning).
Sorry, I was wrong about this, the navigation pack at the beginning is created only if you join a set of files, not if you do join cell vob files on separate vobs...however from your last post it seems to me that this is not your case, you already have a nav-pack at the beginning of each vob, haven't you?
Maybe I understood what happened with your vobs, since it occured to me too. When you open a vob with MenuEdit and you change a VOB/cell ID, you have to wait until the new value appears on the screen (and it can take some time, since the vob can be big and there are a lot of values to replace). Some days ago I wanted to change a VOB ID in a vob and I did it with MenuEdit. It seemed to me that it was taking too much time, so I thought the program had frozen and I forced it to close. When I reopened it, it turned out that there was a 2nd new cell with V/C ID 1/1, and I understood it was because I hadn't let MenuEdit finish its work. So I repeated the process being more patient and then everything was OK :D
Is it the same for you?