The Big 3 & Big Problems with THX Optimizer

[wiki]

Hello, I've been using the big three recently and have started to get the hang of them. They are amazing programs AFAIC. But I've noticed there is an issue anytime I try to backup a movie that has a THX Optimizer in it. The one I'm trying to currently backup is Star Wars Episode 5. When I get to the scenarist step it tells me that "x vob" such and such doesn't have substream data. Of course, it's pointing to the THX optimizer clip and saying that it doesn't have subpicture data.

I tried to bypass this by just de-selecting all subs through doitfast4u for that particular PGC for the THX optimizer, but unfortunately, doitfast4u won't allow me to do this. I'm using version 1.3.0. I'm thinking the only thing I can do is just deselect the PGC with the THX optimizer in reauthorist and author without it, putting a blank PGC in its place. Then everything else i'd think would work perfectly, but I wouldn't have that TXH OPTIMIZER clip, which is fine. I was just wondering if there is another way to get past this issue "keeping" the thx optimizer clip.

I know deselecting all subs would work from my experience, and in most cases I don't even keep the subs. But in Star Wars there are a few scenes that have forced subs so I need those.

Any help with this is appreciated. TIA

[Trahald]

First.. you should get doitfast4u 1.4.0 .. its available at scenaid.com.. as for the subs.. if you dont mind playing in scenarist a bit.. just take a make a bmp with all pure blue background (take one of the subs that you have from one of the other subtitles and paint over the words) then drop that into an open spot in track editor for the thx track which will create a sub track.. create a sub track to match the amount of subs in the main track for that same vts. then change the language names and w/l/p settings to match as well.

are you using scenaid? i think it would be a big help in the process (it usually makes these dummies for you) if you have gotten used to the old big3 guide, the jump over from reauthorist should be pretty easy.

[wiki]

Thanks trahald for your reply. Yes, I am using the big three's original guide and am not using SCENAID. I downloaded 1.4.0 not too long ago just never installed it as I wasn't sure if there were bugs in it that weren't present in 1.3.0. As far as the .bmp image in Scenarist, i've never done that so matching the size i'm not sure exactly how i'd do it. To go through that probably woudln't be worth it as I can just eliminate the Thx Optimizer all together If I have to. I was just hoping this problem had been discussed before and there was a simple fix for it. I'm guessing even in 1.4.0 you probably can't deselect subtitles for a specific PGC, which would be nice if you could. Then you could simply deselect the subs for the thx PGC and scenarist wouldn't complain about subs not being present.

I've also encountered another issue now with this title and titles like it that have multiple angels. The subtitles are about a chapter or so off on this movie. I normally wouldn't use subs but with the Star Wars discs you need to as there are some important subtitles from alien language. So now I have two problems, I did a search for the angels issue and see someone else asked the question about how to get the subs to sync up and nobody answered, and I did a search for THX Optimizer and found nothing on this. So i'm 0-2. Oh well, that's life, I guess I'll have to maybe resort to using one of the one step programs for these for the time being unfortunately.

[D3s7]

Are you using Scenarist 3.0?

If you are and are in NTSC land then I can understand how subs are off... Scenarist 3.0 handles DropFrame differently from 2.7 which causes subs to be off... this issue is experienced anytime you import from a script.... which means RA would be effected as well as if you import subtitles before exporting to import chapters... Also, if you working with Angles, RA really doesn't handle Angles properly and they should be demuxed by Vob not PGC... this could be where your problem is

Also, i've never seen the THX Optimizer in the same title as the movie.. usually it's a menu item or seperate VTS set... I'm confused on what the exact problem is with subs... is it the demuxed assets have none to match up w/ the video?

[wiki]

hi d37s, thank you as well for your reply. As for Scenarist, Well i'm using Scenarist 2.7, not 3.0. Anytime i've had a multiple angle title i've had the subs way off. I just did some resarching earlier and found another post where I could use IFOEDIT to strip the angels, make an image of that output, mount that in Daemon Tools and see what happens. This is exactly what I just did and i'm ready to burn the resulting output files now. I don't see why it wouldn't work, but who knows.

The Thx Optimizer thing is actually pretty common believe it or not. I've come across at least 9 or 10 titles where the Optimizer is in the same exact VTS set ast the main movie. All FIVE Star Wars titles are five of them, From Hell is another one, and there are still another handful set up the same way.

I also earlier tried Trahalds suggestion for using SCENAID and it appeared as though scenaid was going to place dummy subs in where that optimizer is, but scenarist stopped compling at around 40% and gave me an error relating to the pgc where the THX optimizer was. So I went ahead and did what I mentioned above and now i'm gonna burn it and check it but I had to deselect the program chain for the THX Optimizer in reauthorist and it just inserted a dummy clip there. So I guess not having that clip isn't the end of the world, I was just hoping I could leave everything in tact the way it was.

It would be nice if reauthorist would support selection or deselection of subs per PGC as opposed to per VTS. This problem is common for any type of other extra that happens to be in the same VTS as the main movie and which does not have subtitle data. Each time i've had to deselect that PGC in reauthorist and replace it with a dummy clip in order to get Scenarist to compile the project.

It's been interesting trying all these methods though, I've gotta admit. But it's been interesting. Will be interesting to see if the subs line up perfectly now.

[MLS]

There probably won't be any more development of ReAuthorist, we'll have to wait for D3s7 to add the unchecking with bitrate calcs, and we will love him forever when he does. :)

/MLS