PgcEdit v0.4

[r0lZ]

[EDIT: PgcEdit v7.0 has been released. See this thread.]


PgcEdit 0.4.0 released

• Trace mode!
• PGC Editor: It is now possible to edit the Programs map by clicking on the Prog buttons.
• PGC Editor: Added a Chapter (PTT) table editor.
• In the menubuttons viewer, clicking on the Jump to Target button will now close the viewer (but only if the target is found, and is another PGC.)
• SetSTN: Changed the labels for audio value 15 and subpic 62 from 'set to none' to 'not set', which IMHO is more coherent.
• PGC Editor: New tooltips on the stream assignments buttons.
• The stream numbers in the PGC selector were starting at 1 instead of 0.
• The subpic stream assignment slider range was 0 to 15 instead of 0 to 31.
• The VTS Sectors adjustment was wrong with empty (0 byte) menu VOBs.
• Command Editor: Little bug fixed when a value field was empty and the "B" button was selected.

About Trace mode
The Trace mode is still in a somewhat experimental state.

Known limitations:

• No documentation. Sorry
• Since the virtual playback is not in real time, the behavior of the NAV counter and of the GPRMs in counter mode cannot be simulated. SetNVTMR and SetGPRMMD (in counter mode) are therefore only partially supported.
• PgcEdit don't currently search for BOV (Button Over Video) in the Title's VOBs. The few DVDs with menus in the title domain will therefore not be successfully traced. [added 18 Nov 2004]
• There is no preview of the video (for now).
• There are certainly still many bugs in the code. However, since the Trace mode do not modify anything in the current DVD, you may use it safely.

Check out the Jeanl's Guides for PgcEdit for excellent examples of the usage of the Trace mode.


Please note
I have changed the distribution status of PgcEdit from freeware to donnationware.
I have already spend months to develop PgcEdit. The new Trace mode was verry hard to do, and the other features I will add are also involving many time in develpoment. So, if you like and use PgcEdit, please donate!
To make a donation, click on the PayPal button on my homepage. (Actually, there are 2 buttons, so you cannot miss them. )
Many thanks in advance.



The current PgcEdit version is discussed here: PgcEdit 0.5

Old PgcEdit discussion threads:

• PgcEdit 0.5.0 beta.
• PgcEdit 0.4.
• PgcEdit 0.3.
• PgcEdit 0.2.
• PgcEdit 0.1.

Links to PgcEdit 0.4.X revisions inside this thread:
v0.4.1
v0.4.2
v0.4.3
v0.4.3.1
v0.4.4 beta 4
v0.4.4 beta 6
v0.4.4 beta 7
v0.4.4 beta 8
v0.4.4 beta 9
v0.4.4
v0.4.5
v0.4.6
v0.4.7
v0.4.8
v0.4.9
v0.4.9.1

[jeanl]

yeeeeehaaaaa! As they like to say in some remote parts of the US!

A million thanks r0lZ for the this amazing and unique tool!
Jeanl

[blutach]

Thanks rolz - another amazing feat.

And thanks Jean for the time to get a very good guide together.

Regards

[blutach]

@jean - in the middle of your guide is a "rolz why" (step 3). Maybe you want to edit the guide.

Also, I have often encountered FBIs after the movie ends. Sometimes about 20 of them in different languages x 10 seconds each. Perhaps you'd like to write something about this in your guide, too (although I tend to use a combination of VobBlanker and PgcEdit to get ridda these).

Regards

[r0lZ]

r0lZ why? in Jeanl's guide "Skipping annoying stuff (FBI warnings, previews, logos) with PgcEdit."

This offers to not only bypass the playback of the cell(s) in the PGC, but also mark the PGC as having no cells/programs. R0LZ WHY?

Because, if the cell is not referenced anymore, when you do a VOB ID strip with IfoEdit, the ID for the cell will be automatically deselected in the GUI. You don't have to remember which VOB ID you need to strip.

[erdoke]

I really appreciate the amount of work that you've done and going to do to make this app better and better. I wish I could contribute through PayPal. Maybe I can in other ways helping the development as with other apps.

Congratulations, r0lZ!

[2COOL]

@r0lZ

When I toggle my breakpoint, PgcEdit changes my font color to BLUE. Well, my default highlight is almost the same color. Perhaps, you can set it to something like RED?



@jeanl

Thanks for the credits! Nice guide. Here's my 2 thumbs up!CC

[r0lZ]

I see. Humm. I can't use red. Red is already used for the pre/post breakpoints. But I may change the default color of the selection, from blue to gray.
I have WinXP with the Silver color sheme and the default highlight is gray, which is fine...

[2COOL]

@r0lZ

Just like you cleaned up the codes in the PGC Command Table, perhaps you should do the same filter for the language field.



Also, when I step this command, why does it put in a button value?

[71 00 00 00 65 6E 00 00]   6  Set gprm(0) =(mov) 25966 ("en")

[2COOL]

@r0lZ

Can you clear up on the use of Remember GPRMs and Remember SPRMs? It's set by default, right?



I understand that restoring is actually "resetting" the registers back to default settings.

What's the good use for Clear "Register Changed" flags? It seems it just dulls the registers' highlights.

Also, I think your Hide toolbars in trace mode? should be better off in your Trace menu in Main Menu bar. It's useless in Trace setup when toggling.

[2COOL]

Originally posted by r0lZ
I see. Humm. I can't use red. Red is already used for the pre/post breakpoints. But I may change the default color of the selection, from blue to gray.
I have WinXP with the Silver color sheme and the default highlight is gray, which is fine...

Maybe you can give us the option to change that highlight color to suit our needs? Minor request though.

[2COOL]

@r0lZ

v0.4.0 has a nasty bug!

I was working on Shrek 2 and when I went to save, I got this error.



I never got it before and why now? I also open and saved my other DVDs with no problems. It's this DVD that giving me problems. Now, backtracking in betas, I found that 0.4.0 beta 1 worked fine. After that version, this error pops up.

Note: I went and re-ripped my Shrek 2 files again just to make sure I was using uncorrupted files. I tested on these.

[EDIT] I was working on a DVD Shrink Re-authored backup with adding a dummy PGC and got the same error on saving. Works fine with beta 1 again.

[r0lZ]

Originally posted by 2COOL
@r0lZ

Can you clear up on the use of Remember GPRMs and Remember SPRMs? It's set by default, right?



I understand that restoring is actually "resetting" the registers back to default settings.

Not exactly. Remember will take a snapshot of the current registers. Restore will reset them to the last remembered values. This way, you can take a snapshot of the state at any point in playback, continue the trace, and, if needed, edit some commands, go back to that point, restore the registers, and try again.

What's the good use for Clear "Register Changed" flags? It seems it just dulls the registers' highlights.

True. You may reset the changed flags at any point, then continue the trace, and see what registers are changed in the section you just traced. This may be used, for example, in a method like the one explained by jeanl in his guide, to bypass ANY part of the DVD, not only from the start of the DVD playback.
Also note that the 'Copy changed registers to clipboard' and 'Append changed registers to scratchbook' are using only the changed registers since the last Clear changed flags (ie, the registers shown in black in the watch window.)

Also, I think your Hide toolbars in trace mode? should be better off in your Trace menu in Main Menu bar. It's useless in Trace setup when toggling.

OK, although this setup is remembered from session to session...

[r0lZ]

Originally posted by 2COOL
@r0lZ

Just like you cleaned up the codes in the PGC Command Table, perhaps you should do the same filter for the language field.



Also, when I step this command, why does it put in a button value?

[71 00 00 00 65 6E 00 00]   6  Set gprm(0) =(mov) 25966 ("en")

OK. Noted.

[r0lZ]

Originally posted by 2COOL
@r0lZ

v0.4.0 has a nasty bug!

I was working on Shrek 2 and when I went to save, I got this error.



I never got it before and why now? I also open and saved my other DVDs with no problems. It's this DVD that giving me problems. Now, backtracking in betas, I found that 0.4.0 beta 1 worked fine. After that version, this error pops up.

Note: I went and re-ripped my Shrek 2 files again just to make sure I was using uncorrupted files. I tested on these.

[EDIT] I was working on a DVD Shrink Re-authored backup with adding a dummy PGC and got the same error on saving. Works fine with beta 1 again.

OK. I will investigate on this.
BTW, did you used the Trace before saving? [EDIT:] Doesn't matter: the bug is coming from the new Chapter Editor feature... It is fixed now.

@everybody:
I've found another bug: the Trace is not able to find the target of a LinkTopCell in some cases. This will be fixed soon...

[CoNS]

r0lZ, thanks again for this amazing tool.

jeanl, thanks for the guides. Excellent, just what I've been waiting for.

and 2COOL, I can't thank you often enough for those other PgcEdit guides... Keep 'em coming!!

[blutach]

@jeanl

Your guide on Jumping straight to the main menu or the movie with PgcEdit has a little error.

In the "few notes" at the end, you give a whole lot of commands for each GPRM.

The one for a spare GPRM(0) - which, of course, is VERY unlikely to occur - is given as follows:

GPRM(0): {00 B1 00 00 00 00 00 05} {71 00 00 00 00 01 00 00} {00 02 00 00 00 00 00 00} {00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00}

I think the 05 should be 04

Otherwise, a really nice guide.

Regards

[blutach]

@jeanl again

Suppose I wanted to jump to a main menu, but wanted to set my audio and subbie streams. I really wanted to put in a breakpoint (BP) after I've been to the audio/subtitle menu(s). Is it simply a question of altering the Set STN command manually afterward to the audio stream I want?

Or would a better strategy be to set a BP in the post commands of the audio menu and figure out what audio stream I have selected?

Your (and anyone else's) advice would be appreciated.

Regards

[r0lZ]

@blutach
Try this:
When you first comes to your breakpoint, just go on with the Trace. Go to your Audio and Subtitles menus, select the streams you want, and return to the main menu. This time, when you're at the breakpoint again, follow the guide.

[jeanl]

Originally posted by blutach
@jeanl again

Suppose I wanted to jump to a main menu, but wanted to set my audio and subbie streams. I really wanted to put in a breakpoint (BP) after I've been to the audio/subtitle menu(s). Is it simply a question of altering the Set STN command manually afterward to the audio stream I want?

Or would a better strategy be to set a BP in the post commands of the audio menu and figure out what audio stream I have selected?

Your (and anyone else's) advice would be appreciated.

Regards

You can ideed do it the way r0lZ suggests, the most reliable way is to do it like you would on your DVD player: Go to the main menu, from there go to the subtitle select menu, pick the right one, do that for the audio, and go back to the main menu, then follow the guide. This is the surest way because you're doing it exactly in the same manner you would on a real player, so the state of the player will be exactly what it should be when you reach the main menu.
You can also try this, but it's not guaranteed to work: Follow the guide to jump to the movie, and from then to the main menu, but as you suggested, change the SetSTN command to what you'd like it to be before the jump to the main menu.
If instead of jumping to the main menu you followed on to the movie, then things would be fine (you'd have the right audio/sub). But because you jump back to the main menu, there's no telling what that menu will do (maybe select another stream based on the value in a gprm() that we didn't change)....

Thanks for pointing out the mistake in my guide! and thanks for the thanks!
Jeanl