VobBlanker 1.6.0.6 is out

[blutach]

@jsoto

v 1.6.0.6 is very slow to respond after dragging the DVD folder onto it. It sits there thinking for as much as minute (so long that windows says not responding!), which is very different to earlier versions. Has this got to do with the menu shrinking as it pre-analyses the menu's cells?

Or is this just me?

I first noticed it with Men In Black and I thought, that there being so many buttons and cells in the menu that this was probably the problem. But I'm now backing up Butterfly Effect and its menus are not all that complex.

The rest of the program works just peachy.

Regards

[r0lZ]

Hi Jsoto,
I've had a problem with the ExtAll Mult function on a complex chapter menu: all the extracted files were empty (0 bytes)!
Extracting them manually one by one works well.
Note that I have used MenuShrink on the menu before using your program to extract the cells.
Any idea?

[jsoto]

@blutach
v 1.6.0.6 is very slow to respond after dragging the DVD folder onto it.. You're right. Scanning the menu buttons takes some time. BTW, there is a semi-bug in 1.6.0.6 (and previous versions) which wastes a lot of time exporing for audio streams in empty or small VOBs. Bug is fixed in next version and the status info is also refreshed when opening the DVD, to see what the prog is doing.
(Next version is VobBlanker 2.0, coming soon...)

@r0lZ
I'll look into it. If the cells are extracted fine one by one, seems a bug in VobBlanker.

jsoto

[blutach]

@jsoto

Thanks for that. (Both nwg and) I have also found a marked speed up in loading if you uncheck "remove VOB PUOs".

But these disks like MIB did have a large number of VTSs.

Regards

[jsoto]

Originally posted by blutach
I have also found a marked speed up in loading if you uncheck "remove VOB PUOs". Errr, I do not understand this. Please double check. Take in mind the second time you load a DVD (loaded recently) it takes much less time, because the O.S. (MS-Windows too :D ) has it in memory and the disk is not really accesed (at least for the whole DVD)
jsoto

[blutach]

You're right - I loaded MIB (25 VTSs) from a cold boot and it took almost 3 minutes to load, even with remove VOB PUOs unchecked.

Then tried it again (no restart), and still almost 3 minutes.

Will try with a DVD with just 1 VTS.

Will wait for v2 :)

Regards

[Sir Didymus]

Originally posted by jsoto
Next version is VobBlanker 2.0, coming soon...


Hem, taking this "opportunity", to ask for a minor request [it have a very little significance, to say the thruth, so afraid if it sounds irrelevant, or if there is some obvious ways to solve my troubles]...

Anyway, well, it is the "esc" key...

It happened to myself a couple of time, that after some more or less long work of inspection, preview, blanking [or leaving untouched] of the title content, the unwanted hit of the "esc" key at the topmost level of the application put the poor user (myself) in the horrible situation of loosing all of its work without any chance of recovering... :devil:

What about a little "confirmation" message box, before leaving ?

Cheers,
SD

[jsoto]

OK, I'll look into it (never did it before).

Esc is something I'm very used to... In k-shell (unix) double Esc is more than an habit. Also in "vi" esc is essential. I find myself many times hitting Esc in Visual C editor, MS-DOS windows, etc. (But never in VobBlanker)

jsoto

[lark]

Originally posted by blutach
You're right - I loaded MIB (25 VTSs) from a cold boot and it took almost 3 minutes to load, even with remove VOB PUOs unchecked.

Then tried it again (no restart), and still almost 3 minutes.

Will try with a DVD with just 1 VTS.

Will wait for v2 :)

i don't think it's just the # of VTSs, if jsoto's suspect is correct. i think the time to load depends on the size of the menu VOBs (and obviously the size of the OS's cache).

btw waiting for v2 as well ;-)

regards
t :)

[blutach]

@lark - jsoto was very kind to provide me an alpha of v2 to test this problem. I can report that it is fixed, for sure. Loads in 5 seconds.

Regards

[blutach]

Not really a bug, but really an interaction issue between PgcEdit and VobBlanker.

Scenario was this:

1. Had a DVD in parent folder with AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS sub-folders

2. VobBlanker processing to blank cells.

3. VobBlanker_backup is created as a 3rd sub-folder of parent folder.

4. PgcEdit's burning see this folder as DVD-ROM files to burn - must manually remove VobBlanker_backup to outside parent folder.

Remedy? Have VobBlanker_backup inside VIDEO_TS and have PgcEdit omit it from backup? Possible? Or is this intended operation of VobBlanker and I am doing something wrong.

If I don't have VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, VobBlanker_backup is created at same level as parent folder and when PgcEdit comes to create ISO, it makes VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS, so no problems.

I think VobBlanker_backup belongs IN the folder that is being worked on (whatever it is) and for PgcEdit to make this an "exception".

jsoto & r0lZ - Your thoughts?

Regards

[r0lZ]

Strange! I have excluded the VobBlanker_backup from the compilation, in VIDEO_TS and in the parent folder.
I though that was working fine. The routine that calculate the total space used do not include the backup, and it must be excluded as well when burning.
I will have a look.

BTW, maybe I will add an option to create the PgcEdit_backup in the parent, because WinDVD doesn't work if there are subfolders in VIDEO_TS.

[blutach]

Oh no! I love the PgcEdit_backup just where it is. Most of my work is done in the Parent and I only make VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS when burning. So if PgcEdit_backup is in the parent, there would be the possibility of another project overwriting the backup.

But an OPTION, I can live with. You will excuse me if I do not exercise that option :D

Regards

[r0lZ]

Originally posted by blutach
But an OPTION, I can live with. You will excuse me if I do not exercise that option :D Of course, it will be an option. Just for the WinDVD users.

I've found a problem with the VobBlanker_backup in the burn dialog of PgcEdit: indeed, the VobBlanker backup files were counted in the total size of the DVD. But it was not included in the ISO.
Bug fixed now. The total size of the DVD is now correctly computed, without the backups of VobBlanker, PgcEdit, MenuShrink and TitleSetBlanker.

[jsoto]

VobBlanker_backup was previously IN VIDEO_TS folder. But I mofified if, puting the folder at the root level, because Nero has a very bad behaviour when VobBlanker_backup is IN.

The problem is that in VobBlanker_backup there can be VOB files (not only IFOs and BUPs). In some cases, these VOB files (menus) can disappear from VIDEO_TS folder (unreferenced material or playback deletion). In this situation, dragging VIDEO_TS folder in Nero, it takes the VOB files from the backup folder and put them at the upper level in VIDEO_TS!!. Let's say, the Vobblanker_backup is excluded, but its VOB files not!!
Obviously, a warning about "reallocating files error" is issued, but you do not imagine why.

Well, I can add an option, for non-Nero users.

jsoto

[r0lZ]

For me, that's OK as it is now. I just forgot to modify one line of code when you moved the backup folder up one level. It's fixed now (in a version still not released, though.)

Like blutach, I like to put some different versions of the same DVD in the same parent folder. And, if the same backup folder is used, strange things may appear.
Using the parent is therefore not suitable for the PgcEdit backup, but generally, all the stuff that ndeeds to be done with VobBlanker is done on the same DVD, at the same time, so, in your case, it should not be a problem.

[blutach]

Originally posted by r0lZ
Like blutach, I like to put some different versions of the same DVD in the same parent folder. And, if the same backup folder is used, strange things may appear.
Using the parent is therefore not suitable for the PgcEdit backup, but generally, all the stuff that needs to be done with VobBlanker is done on the same DVD, at the same time, so, in your case, it should not be a problem. @jsoto - I do understand the Nero issue - another shortcoming of NBR! I have actually seen it happen, too, when it tries to burn multiple files of the same name, screwing up the burn.

@r0lZ and jsoto - My issue of overwriting if something is in a parent folder applies not just to different versions, but different projects, too.

For example:

1. Parent Folder = DVD

2. 2 child folders - A and B (separate DVDs)

3. Do some VobBlanker ops in A (using input folder). Creates VobBlanker_backup folder in DVD

4. Now do some VobBlanker ops in B (using input folder). Overwrites (with a warning) VobBlanker_backup in DVD! Need to manually move original VobBlanker_backup to somewhere (I use a sub folder of A) to "protect it".

Perhaps, instead of moving (and raising the "Nero issue"), VobBlanker_backup could be created with a different name each time. E.g. VobBlanker_backup_A and VobBlanker_backup_B. PgcEdit when burning could omit anything that is, or starts with, "VobBlanker_backup". What do you think?

Regards and thanks

[jsoto]

What I can do in the second run (in fact, at every run) is:

Warn if VobBlanker_Backup_9 exist
Rename Vobblanker_backup_8 to VobBlanker_Backup_9
Rename Vobblanker_backup_7 to VobBlanker_Backup_8
Rename Vobblanker_backup_6 to VobBlanker_Backup_7
.....
Rename Vobblanker_backup to VobBlanker_Backup_1
Create Vobblanker_backup
Run.

It will take a very few time (no copies at all, only renaming folders)

jsoto

[r0lZ]

Funny! I thought at an incremental backup feature for PgcEdit with exactly the same method.

I can probably exclude from the burn multiple backups like that using wildcards. But mkisofs do not handle wildcards verry well, so, it's a little bit complicated. Not a problen, anyway...

[blutach]

Gentlemen,

Thank you.

Regards

[jsoto]

Other option is to include the date/time in the name...

Create VobBlanker_backup_050401_1235

What do you want to be done?

jsoto

[r0lZ]

Will you use the date/time when the backup is renamed, or created? I think it is better to use the created date. You may probably retrieve it in the folder's attributes.

Anyway, to exclude the backup from the PgcEdit's burn, it doesn't matter. Everything is good, as long as the name begins with VobBlanker_backup.

[CoNS]

jsoto, I remember seeing this issue mentioned before by blutach, but just wanted to let you know that I'm also experiencing very long load times for some DVDs in VobBlanker 1.6.0.6.

There's nothing special about the disc I'm working on, except that it has a relatively large number of menu PGCs (how do I read the exact number?).

It's kinda like the program hangs for a while (couple of minutes) and then everything works fine. No error messages or anything. Also, afterwards I can process the disc as I want. The status line in VobBlanker is not showing anything while the program "hangs". PgcEdit loads the disc just fine without any hangtime.

EDIT: I can of course provide the .ifo files if you need them for analysis?

[jsoto]

Originally posted by CoNS
jsoto, I remember seeing this issue mentioned before by blutach, but just wanted to let you know that I'm also experiencing very long load times for some DVDs in VobBlanker 1.6.0.6.
There's nothing special about the disc I'm working on, except that it has a relatively large number of menu PGCs (how do I read the exact number?).
EDIT: I can of course provide the .ifo files if you need them for analysis?
I know, it is a "small-bug" (small, because it does not anything really dangerous) already fixed in VB 2.0.
It has to do with the number of VTSs/PGCs in the DVD, mainly if the VTSs are small in size.

VobBlanker 2.0 also shows in the status area what is it doing when loading the DVD.

jsoto

[nwg]

I am extremely impressed with VobBlanker.

I do have a small suggestion. Occasionally, I have been known to cancel the processing. When abort is pressed, the process button doesn't work as it is greyed out. I then have to use execute command in the drop down menu.

Is it possible to use process button after aborting?

[CoNS]

@jsoto: Thx, looking forward to v2.0!! :)

A small thing in Silencer v1.1.0.1: One of the main buttons is named "Cancel". It should probably be called "Quit" or "Exit" instead, as this button is also used to exit the program after succesful creation of an audio file. Thx for the program, btw... It came in very handy earlier today when I needed to mux a DVD where I wanted the first main audio stream to be placed as stream no. 0x81 and not 0x80!

[jsoto]

Originally posted by CoNS
A small thing in Silencer v1.1.0.1: One of the main buttons is named "Cancel". It should probably be called "Quit" or "Exit" instead, as this button is also used to exit the program after succesful creation of an audio file. Thx for the program, btw... It came in very handy earlier today when I needed to mux a DVD where I wanted the first main audio stream to be placed as stream no. 0x81 and not 0x80!
Yep, I also use it for this... BTW, I also have an empty.sup file accepted by IFOEdit for the same thing.

jsoto

[jsoto]

Originally posted by nwg
I am extremely impressed with VobBlanker.
Is it possible to use process button after aborting?
Thanks, and..
No, there are some internal variables modified (it will take me a lot of effort to recover them, may be in a future). But you can save your project (File--> save as...) and Load it again (File-->load project). Load project will open again the DVD, reload all then internal variables, and you will be able to run again. Just wait a little (sorry for the extra-delay in 1.6.0.6) when loading.

I then have to use execute command in the drop down menu.Ooops. That's a bug, it should be greyed-out. Don't do that, an unexpected result can follow...


jsoto

[nwg]

Originally posted by jsoto
No, there are some internal variables modified (it will take me a lot of effort to recover them, may be in a future). But you can save your project (File--> save as...) and Load it again (File-->load project). Load project will open again the DVD, reload all then internal variables, and you will be able to run again. Just wait a little (sorry for the extra-delay in 1.6.0.6) when loading.

Ooops. That's a bug, it should be greyed-out. Don't do that, an unexpected result can follow...

jsoto

OK, thanks. I have never had any problems pressing execute. Maybe, I have been lucky.

[blutach]

Originally posted by jsoto
Other option is to include the date/time in the name...

Create VobBlanker_backup_050401_1235

What do you want to be done?

jsoto For mine, I would actually like the see the DVD's name - so if PARENT 1 is "Shark Tale" and PARENT 2 is "Men In Black" then we would have VobBlanker_backup_Shark_Tale and VobBlanker_backup_Men_In_Black.

If too hard, number or date is fine - take your pick. I just want it differentiated :) It will be very obvious what is in the particular folder when you open it or just play any VOB in a SW player.

Regards

[Sir Didymus]

Originally posted by jsoto
OK, I'll look into it (never did it before).

Esc is something I'm very used to... In k-shell (unix) double Esc is more than an habit. Also in "vi" esc is essential. I find myself many times hitting Esc in Visual C editor, MS-DOS windows, etc. (But never in VobBlanker)

jsoto

What a nice message box I see in the new VobBlanker release... I will be much more relaxed now while hitting "esc" in your great application...

Thanks, thanks, thanks!!!
SD