How can I add a menu with PgcEdit?

[absinthe]

I have a DVD of TV episodes (with chapters) that has 1 VTS and no menu. I'd like to add a simple menu. Is there a tutorial about for that? Couldn't find one among 2COOL's.

-abs

[jeanl]

You could use TMPGenc DVD Author to create a simple menu with the existing VOBs. It won't re-encode, and that should be pretty straightforward. The free trial version lasts 30days...
Otherwise there's this guide:
http://www.dvdshrink.info/chetwood/PgcEdit_menuimport.php

jeanl

[absinthe]

Originally posted by jeanl
You could use TMPGenc DVD Author to create a simple menu with the existing VOBs. It won't re-encode, and that should be pretty straightforward. The free trial version lasts 30days...
Otherwise there's this guide:
http://www.dvdshrink.info/chetwood/PgcEdit_menuimport.php

jeanl Thanks jean. I'll have to try the long way as I've noticed my DVD is 99.6% full already, and I don't think the TMPGEnc-DVD-Author method will create a menu small enough. In fact, I don't know if I can fit one in at all ....

-abs

[jeanl]

Originally posted by absinthe
Thanks jean. I'll have to try the long way as I've noticed my DVD is 99.6% full already, and I don't think the TMPGEnc-DVD-Author method will create a menu small enough. In fact, I don't know if I can fit one in at all ....

-abs
A still menu can be less than 10MB...
jeanl

[2COOL]

You can give this a try, DVDStyler (http://dvdstyler.sourceforge.net/).

[blutach]

Or you could use DVD Shrink to get your DVD back to size - it won't harm the quality that much unless you are making huge motion menus.

Regards

[blutach]

There are other things you can do for a real simple menu that do involve PgcEdit and Muxman. I haven't tried this yet, but plan to.

1. Find a bitmap that you like (you might even make one from your title with PgcEdit's BMP feature in trace mode).

2. Make a tiny DVD out of this with muxman. Just add the BMP to the video, select an output folder and press start. When done exit muxman.

3. Open the newly created DVD in PgcEdit and adjust the still time to 255 and save it.

4. Open your main project in PgcEdit and for the titleset with no menu, go to utilities - import menu and browse to your little DVD's IFO.

5. Add your buttons with PgcEdit.

6. Save and test yatta yatta yatta.

As far as space is concerned, this will take up about 70k and so you will not have any worries about going over your 100%.

Give it a try.

Regards

[zacoz]

Only problem there blutach is that you get no button highlights (from my experience/experimenting), so on a standalone don't know where you are in the menu.

I'm trying out DVDAuthorGUI (http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl) and DVDStyler (http://dvdstyler.sourceforge.net/index.html) so that I can get a dummy DVD with still menu including highlights. So far neither is very easy to produce accurate button layouts, so I'm creating the background layout and only adding in one button. Replaces your steps 2 and 3.

Once imported into PgcEdit, the one button can be copied and as many created as necessary. It breaks the pattern & emphasis highlights, but you can still use the background highlight.

Size wise it quite possibly comes in larger - haven't looked.

[blutach]

Yeah, I forgot about that. You do need to define your colour scheme in PgcEdit, which can be a bit of a b*tch. But it still lets you do it and experiement.

Steps 2 and 3 take about 3 minutes to do btw mate. :)

Regards

[zacoz]

Yes, it's a good way to start out. Gives you the chance to make sure that you are comfortable with getting the menu into PgcEdit without wiping out everything else and working out what commands you need to add into the various PGC's. Not that it's hard mind you.

I've been working on adding in a new menu for "Easter Egg" clips in Swordfish. Had to make sure I didn't break the existing process flow as I'm replacing a dummy menu which for some unknown reason is passed through on way to the main movie (which is in a separate VTS). I can now see how it (commands) can get rather involved so quickly. I must admit I was getting a little pedantic though, trying to get the highlight to move onto the next clip each time through the menu. Think I've got that now - just need to burn and test on standalone.

Never used muxman before, although seen it mentioned at various times. Just downloaded it and tried it out - love it's simplicity and speed. I can't work out how to choose between NTSC/PAL, PS/LB. Will go search readme/help etc.

Looks like I'll be using DVDAuthorGUI (http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl) to get highlighted buttons onto new menu's for now as DVDStyler keeps crashing on me.

[absinthe]

Blutach, what you suggest is sort of what I had in mind: capturing a still and importing it to the project with PgcEdit. I have never used Muxman, but it seems like every other thread I read nowadays mentions it. Guess I'm going to have to check it out.

Right now I'm trying the guide jeanl suggested, though I have to work all weekend so it will take me some time. I see no reason, though, that one couldn't also import their own stills into DVD Lab Pro for use in that tutorial ('stead of using DVD Lab's supplied goofy backgrounds).

-abs

[blutach]

As zacoz says, it's a real breeze using muxman. I used to make little DVDs with BlankVob and DVD Shrink but now it's just a single step. Although I have found that muxman does have a little habit of closing on you as you are setting times for your stills so save your project regularly.

And yep, the hard part will definitely be the button highlights, but you can probably just import some colour schemes you like from another DVD with PgcEdit and modify accordingly.

Regards

[jeanl]

Originally posted by blutach
As zacoz says, it's a real breeze using muxman. I used to make little DVDs with BlankVob and DVD Shrink but now it's just a single step. Although I have found that muxman does have a little habit of closing on you as you are setting times for your stills so save your project regularly.

And yep, the hard part will definitely be the button highlights, but you can probably just import some colour schemes you like from another DVD with PgcEdit and modify accordingly.

Regards
you guys are forgetting about the subpic packs! You can't have highlights without the subpic packs. Importing the color table isn't going to do much if you don't have subpic packs. To create the button highlights, you do need to go to an authoring tool that can create the subpics for you...
jeanl

[r0lZ]

I agree. A subpic stream must exists in the VOB to have highlights. The BMP + muxman method is therefore not sufficient.

But if your menu is a single-frame still menu, and you're happy with some simple coloured rectangles as highlights, it should be possible to mux an empty subpic stream in muxman, and use PgcEdit to define the rectangles.

[absinthe]

Fantastic! The guide jeanl suggested (http://www.dvdshrink.info/chetwood/PgcEdit_menuimport.php) did the job. Of course, I'm fortunate enough to own a copy of DVD Lab Pro, so I was able to do it somewhat elegantly. Even used my own custom stills.

We oughtta be able to find a way to do it with free software. I'll have to look into DVD Styler/DVDAuthor when I get time.

-abs

[jeanl]

Originally posted by r0lZ
I agree. A subpic stream must exists in the VOB to have highlights. The BMP + muxman method is therefore not sufficient.

But if your menu is a single-frame still menu, and you're happy with some simple coloured rectangles as highlights, it should be possible to mux an empty subpic stream in muxman, and use PgcEdit to define the rectangles.
r0lZ, can you elaborate? YOu're saying that with an empty subpic stream, you can still get highlights? I didn't think that was possible?

Another idea I had was to define a subpic that covers the entire screen. This would highlight any rectangle defined anywhere on the screen (since the subpic area is cropped by the button rectangle). So you could use the same subpic stream for any menu!
jeanl

[r0lZ]

That's exactly my idea. If you make one subpic stream (with a verry small button in a corner) with any authoring software, you should be able to reuse this streram in any subsequent still frame menu to highlight some rectangles.

[zacoz]

Originally posted by jeanl
Another idea I had was to define a subpic that covers the entire screen. This would highlight any rectangle defined anywhere on the screen (since the subpic area is cropped by the button rectangle).This is esentially what I am now doing to get the background highlights.

butchering blutach's steps (for easier comparison):

1. Find a bitmap that you like (you might even make one from your title with PgcEdit's BMP feature in trace mode).

2a. Using DVDAuthorGUI (http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl) create an m2v still from your chosen bitmap.

2b. Make a blank VOB with, you guessed it, jsoto's BlankVOB (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/dvdtools.htm).

2c. Using DVDAuthorGUI (http://www.videohelp.com/~liquid217/dvdauthorgui.pl) add the blank VOB as the title and the m2v (from your bitmap) as the titleset menu. In the menu, add 1 or 2 buttons, making them as large as possible (700x300) and arranging them to cover the whole area where you will create your real buttons later. Choose a highlight and select colour for the buttons. Select 'Author DVD' to make your tiny DVD.

3. NOP

4. Open your main project in PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html) and for the titleset with no menu, go to utilities - import menu and browse to your little DVD's IFO.

5a. Add your buttons with PgcEdit (http://www.videohelp.com/~r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html).

5b. Within button editor, 'Edit Color Shemes' [sic] and set background contrast as desired (eg 8).

6. Save and test yatta yatta yatta.

At the time of my earlier post I'd accidentally ended up with a subpic stream area in almost the right place, so thought I had the process worked out. Unfortunately every attempt since failed as I was placing buttons outside the previously defined subpic area. When I realised what had happened I started thinking along same lines as you jeanl.

You should be able to expand on above, by importing a new subpic color lookup table - giving you more/different colours to choose from.

Personally, I'm redoing all of the steps above for each menu, however will have to see if it's possible to extract the subpic stream from the step 2c tiny DVD and simply mux it in with any bmp you like. This may allow you to revert to blutach's process using muxman. This is stepping outside my level of experience so who knows if it would work.

@absinthe: All free software (not counting the voluntary donations to those authors who will accept them).

Edit: I occasionally get an error "**ERROR: [???] MUX STATUS: Frame data under-runs detected!" in the log for DVDAuthor, however this doesn't appear to affect the usability of the menu for the above.

[jeanl]

zacoz I didn't realize that was what you were doing! Great!
Jeanl

[sweetness]

a little over a year ago i wanted to make a "skeleton DVD Structure". where i would have a menu with a intro, main menu, outro, some chapter and audio/sub menus and with just one title set(OK maybe two). then i can use VobBlanker to replace stuff i want.
i never found a already authored dvd that i liked it's natigation or had the time to author one myself.
then i thought, you really don't need a "skeleton DVD Structure" because you can just blank stuff you don't want and it's almost the same thing.

but now to add a menu back into a movie only backup or a dvd made of clips it can come in handy.

does anyone see any problems that can happen if i do this?

BTW 4 more days til the 19. has anyone started to line up yet.:D

[jeanl]

sweetness, you nerd!
jeanl

[mrslacker]

@zacoz

Sticking to free software, there are lots of fun things you can accomplish. DVDAuthorGUI has a function to generate a motion menu avs script from whatever titles you specify!
http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/1670/authorgui7yc.jpg
With some editing of the avs file you can end up with something like this (http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/9247/episodemenu0db.jpg), where you can watch the episodes in the menu to help you select. With an additional main menu (http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/1231/mainmenu9vy.jpg), and you have something for PgcEdit to work with. I added a play all PGC (for that play all button) in addition to all the single episode PGCs. Or you can let DVDAuthorGUI create the disc, but it will create the main VTS too. Any way you do it, you will need to prepare the episodes in individual vobs/mpegs for 'GUI to create the avs for encoding.

The background image can be added with something like:
loop(ImageReader("D:\AQUA_TEEN\wall_athf2_1600_dvd2.jpg",end=0,fps=29.97,use_DevIL=false),length) Just encode the avs. You can mux your own audio background.

I put this together from my own original discs so I could have my favorite episodes on a single disc, while keeping a backup at the same time. I hope this is considered fair use.

@sweetness

I'm buying my tickets online. ;)

EDIT: images moved to imageshack.us

[mrslacker]

Originally posted by zacoz Edit: I occasionally get an error "**ERROR: [???] MUX STATUS: Frame data under-runs detected!" in the log for DVDAuthor, however this doesn't appear to affect the usability of the menu for the above.
I used to get that too. mplex is complaining about poorly suited a/v sources that cause buffer under-runs when multiplexed. It seems to throw this error quite readily, however. I noticed it often gets mad if your audio is not the same length as your video. Also, encode with modest bitrate settings, and spec compliant parameters. The dvdauthor/mplex combo is rather touchy... Google that error. There were some other unlikely causes that I can't recall.

[zacoz]

@sweetness: I thought HHGttG was already screening ?

@mrslacker: I've just been using a still m2v and silent ac3 for the titles, as I was only interested in the menu, so that may explain the error.

Hmmm, avs scripting, better devote some time to the family before embarking down that track or I might have an ongoing excess of free time to devote to it...lol

@blutach: I realised that muxman GUI only creates dummy menus, thus there is nothing for PgcEdit to import. I gather muxman can create *real* menu's but needs to be done through scripting and cli. Had a go, but can't work it out. Have you created a menu and willing to share your script to help me nut it out ?

[mrslacker]

Originally posted by zacoz
I gather muxman can create *real* menu's but needs to be done through scripting and cli. Had a go, but can't work it out.
In this respect, DVDAuthorGUI is quite a bit more user friendly (no scripting, don't wory). The menu editor is easy to use.

[zacoz]

The one thing about DVDAuthorGUI is that buttons must be positioned using sliders at the side, makes it difficult to place buttons properly in relation to the background, especially if they are small and close together. There's no indication on the actual background where the button is sitting. Consequently, this is why I've been just settling for background highlight using above mentioned process.

[manono]

Hi-

Yeah, I've found DVDAuthorGUI pretty useless for setting the button positions with any accuracy. I'll open my BMPs in something like MS Paint to get the X/Y coordinates and the length and height in pixels, and write them all down. Then when creating them in DVDAuthorGUI, I'll check the Advanced box and fill in the figures I got from Paint. It works well.

[zacoz]

@Manono: Good Idea

[Surf]

TIA in explaining the error log generated by DVDauthorGui:

......
STAT: VOBU 1184 at 250MB, 3 PGCS (3 title clips)
STAT: VOBU 1200 at 253MB, 3 PGCS
ERR: SCR moves backwards, remultiplex input. <<<<<<<
erase "G:\TEMP4\DVD\DVD\DVD\*.mpg"
echo *process complete
*process complete

Something to do with nav pack, vob vid, cid, whatever? The same error with DVDstyler. Resorted to cheating with Nero's Recode which has "merge titles" function and then using un-related titles which do not generate the above error.

[mrslacker]

Originally posted by manomoYeah, I've found DVDAuthorGUI pretty useless for setting the button positions with any accuracy.
It is indeed. Since I make motion menus with AviSynth, I usually alread have the x/y positions from setting the overlays. I take the values to advanced as well.


Originally posted by Surf
ERR: SCR moves backwards, remultiplex input. <<<<<<<
...
Resorted to cheating with Nero's Recode which has "merge titles" function and then using un-related titles which do not generate the above error.

Yeah, it sounds like a couple of mpegs were merged improperly, without demuxing or taking care to update the timing information. I have experimented with Womble MPEG VCR, and it does a fantastic job combining muxed program streams properly. Just doing a 'copy /B file1.mpg+file2.mpg file.mpg' isn't a very robust solution in my experience.

p.s. I hope this post doesn't look funny. I'm using lynx on a command line b/c of network problems. :(

[Surf]

"Yeah, it sounds like a couple of mpegs were merged improperly, without demuxing or taking care to update the timing information. I have experimented with Womble MPEG VCR, and it does a fantastic job combining muxed program streams properly. Just doing a 'copy /B file1.mpg+file2.mpg file.mpg' isn't a very robust solution in my experience."

?

It's 3 vobs(clips), not mpeg.

Anyone know what I need to look for, prepare before I author them clips? GOP, nav pack, vid, cid....?

[absinthe]

MrSlacker, this motion menu script feature is waaaaaaay cool, daddio! :). I don't think some folks reading this (like myself, for instance) realize how simple it is.

You don't actually have to write the script yourself. DVDAuthor GUI basically does it for you, based on your titles. And for a background image, just substitute a command like the one above in place of the "blankclip" command in the automated script (just make sure to link to your actual BMP or JPG or whatever).

You can edit the script quite simply to customize your labels and so forth. In fact, it shouldn't be too much trouble even for someone with little-to-no scripting experience to edit coordinates to move the boxes around if you like.

Easy way to create a sharp menu!

-abs

[classVcd]

http://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=270121

Everything you need from dvdauthorgui down to pgcedit usage

I am about to add some info to it on a play all button , which is simple to do .

[Surf]

Thanks for the link, that's one classy guide!

Amazingly, I googled and found from GUI for DVDauthor the following explanation:

Notes to the source material
Basically elementary Videostreams (mpv, m2v, m1v) and elementary Audiostreams (mp2, ac3, dts) are recommended, since it is then guaranteed that these get multiplexed with correct settings. There are a lot of demultiplex utilities to be found in the web like ProjectX, pvastrumento, vobedit, pgcdemux...
You may use ready muxed material also, if it is compatible with dvdauthor (contains navigation packs and continuous time code!). That applies e.g. also to VOB files, if these contain only one film (title), thus if a constant timecode is present. If the (single!) film is distributed on several VOB files, these can simply be "copied together" into a large one from the command line (and thereby renamed in mpg). Example:

copy/b VTS_01_1.VOB + VTS_01_2.VOB + VTS_01_3.VOB NewFilm.mpg

The rename to mpg is always necessary, since in GFD only files with the extensions mpv, m2v, m1v and mpg are shown in the source window.
If the time code is not continuous, dvdauthor will stop with the error message: ERR: SCR moves backwards, remultiplex input.


So, it has something to do with timing(time code) after all as previously explained by Mr. Slacker.

How are my clips, obtained with the Shrink's re-author method, being "disturbed", the nav packs or time code?

[mrslacker]

If the (single!) film is distributed on several VOB files, these can simply be "copied together" into a large one from the command line (and thereby renamed in mpg). Example:

copy/b VTS_01_1.VOB + VTS_01_2.VOB + VTS_01_3.VOB NewFilm.mpg

...

If the time code is not continuous, dvdauthor will stop with the error message: ERR: SCR moves backwards, remultiplex input.

So, it has something to do with timing(time code) after all as previously explained by Mr. Slacker.

How are my clips, obtained with the Shrink's re-author method, being "disturbed", the nav packs or time code?
Concatenating sequential VOBs from the same VTS is no problem, as they really just one VOB split into pieces. (It's an ISO thing.) In these VOBs, streams cross the file boundary with no regard to finishing a chapter, cell, or even GOP. In that respect, it is indeed necessary to put them together for a less intelligent authoring program. That's a DVD thing. Random mpeg clips souldn't just be stuck together, IMHO. Its ugly.

Yes, it is definitely the SCR causing a problem. This can and will happen in a VTS in which there is a cell(s) with an SCR Discontinuity. Might as well extract what you want with PgcDemux. You can even check the box to create a VOB segment from the PGC you select instead producing the elementary streams.

[liquid217]

The one thing about DVDAuthorGUI is that buttons must be positioned using sliders at the side, makes it difficult to place buttons properly in relation to the background, especially if they are small and close together. There's no indication on the actual background where the button is sitting. Consequently, this is why I've been just settling for background highlight using above mentioned process.

Actually, with the latest dvdauthorgui (1.002), the button is overlayed over the position where it will actually be. This was a much needed feature, that I had been meaning to add for quite some time, and have finally added it.

[Surf]

Hey liquid217, thanks for the nice program! Any future plans to improve buttoning similar to DVDstyler?

[mrslacker]

That's fantastic! Thanks a ton liquid217!

[liquid217]

Hey liquid217, thanks for the nice program! Any future plans to improve buttoning similar to DVDstyler?

Probably not for a while. DVDStyler uses text based buttons, which means not only will the gui need to manipulate the subpicture, but also the video stream itself. Since DVDAuthorGUI relys on a previously created m2v, it would have to reencode that m2v to place the text on it. That would be easy to do if the gui only worked with still images, because all the program would need to do is manipulate the image, and then convert it to a mpeg still.

Thanks for the complement, surf and mrslacker :)

[zacoz]

Actually, with the latest dvdauthorgui (1.002), the button is overlayed over the position where it will actually be. This was a much needed feature, that I had been meaning to add for quite some time, and have finally added it.Thanks liquid217 :goodpost:
No points for guessing where I'm heading now.

[M7S]

Probably not for a while. DVDStyler uses text based buttons, which means not only will the gui need to manipulate the subpicture, but also the video stream itself. Since DVDAuthorGUI relys on a previously created m2v, it would have to reencode that m2v to place the text on it. That would be easy to do if the gui only worked with still images, because all the program would need to do is manipulate the image, and then convert it to a mpeg still.

Am I missing something? Why is there a need to change the video stream itself? AFAIK DVDStyler can rely on previously made m2v-files, too, and not only still images.

Regards,
M7S