Removing Language Selection and Aspect Ratio Menus v3.0

[2COOL]

[rpboy]

2COOL,

I have used your guide for numerous other discs and its worked beautifully. But I just tried on Monster-in-Law (R1) and its not working. I believe I've done everything correctly, but regardless of what I do, the aspect ratio menu still appears. I thought that maybe I had missed a menu somewhere, so I used PGCedit to delete one of the buttons so I could tell, and its definitely that menu that I am coming to.

For some reason, it won't select that button. Any ideas? Would taking a look at the IFO files help you?

[2COOL]

Originally Posted by rpboy

but regardless of what I do, the aspect ratio menu still appears. I thought that maybe I had missed a menu somewhere, so I used PGCedit to delete one of the buttons so I could tell, and its definitely that menu that I am coming to.

Do a trace with PgcEdit with your current files and see what cell it (aspect ratio menu) is in.

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by 2COOL

Do a trace with PgcEdit with your current files and see what cell it (aspect ratio menu) is in.

It says:

******* Start playback VTSM 1 , LU 1 (en) , 16 (0:30) 6b....
******* Playing Program 1, Cell 1 (0:30.00) (3 buttons)

Incidentally, Cell 2 has the same menu.

Cell 1 had a Still Time of 0. Cell 2 has a Still Time of 255. I set both to 0. I added a new Cell Command with the option for widescreen (which I copied to the clipboard). It was now Cell Command 3. So I changed the Cell Cmd for both to 3. (Both were 0.)

I play the movie and it stops at the aspect ratio menu.

[r0lZ]

I use a different method to skip a single menu PGC easily. This method is derived from the Jump2PGC method.

[EDIT:] Take care: this method works only if it is OK to skip the whole PGC. Sometimes, there are several cells with different menus in the same PGC. If you want to bypass some of the cells but you still need some other ones, you must use another method! (In your case, you have 2 cells with the same buttons, so the method should work fine.)
The advantage of 2COOL's method is that it should work also in this case.

1. Set a pre/post breakpoint at the menu PGC.
2. Trace from the beginning upto the breakpoint.
3. Select State -> Clear 'Register Changed' Flags.
4. Click on the Step button several times. When the menu button viewer appear, select the button corresponding to the AR you want to keep. Continue to step until the pointer jumps outside the menu PGC (ie, stop the trace when you enter a new PGC.) Remember which PGC is now current.
5. Select Clipboard -> Copy Changed Registers as commands.
6. Select your menu PGC again, and be sure to select the first line (with "*** pre commands".) Click on the Paste After button.
7. Select the last line you have just inserted. (If there were no commands pasted in the previous step, just leave the cursor where it is, on the first line.) Then, click on Add After, to insert a NOP.
8. Edit this NOP command to jump to the PGC you noted at point 4. (Use the Jump and Call menu of the command editor to find the VM command to use.)
9. Restart the trace to verify if it works. Save and test with a software player.

Note: in one case, this method doesn't work: When you step in your menu PGC (at point 4), if you reach another PGC before the menu has been displayed, this means that a pre-command jumps outside of this PGC. But this technique is very rarely used in the menu domain, so I will not explain how to do in this case.

[blutach]

To skip an aspect ratio or language menu, I simply look at the command associated with the button I would press. Copy it to the clipboard.

Then I kill playback. Replace the NOP ahead of the post commands that are now pre-commands, with the command from the desired button (Paste). You can then blank the menu PGC.

Works every time.

Regards

[2COOL]

Originally Posted by blutach

Then I kill playback. Replace the NOP ahead of the post commands that are now pre-commands, with the command from the desired button (Paste). You can then blank the menu PGC.

Works every time.

The thing about replacing your converted post commands is that you might have LinkTailPGC button commands and LinkTailPGC commands are not supposed to be in you pre-commands. However most DVD players are out of specs. Remember this thread?

I'd say you were being lucky.

[2COOL]

Originally Posted by rpboy

I added a new Cell Command with the option for widescreen (which I copied to the clipboard). It was now Cell Command 3. So I changed the Cell Cmd for both to 3. (Both were 0.)

I play the movie and it stops at the aspect ratio menu.

What is your button command for your widescreen? for both menus, of course.

[blutach]

Originally Posted by 2COOL

The thing about replacing your converted post commands is that you might have LinkTailPGC button commands and LinkTailPGC commands are not supposed to be in you pre-commands. However most DVD players are out of specs. Remember this thread?

I'd say you were being lucky.

If the buttons are simply LinktailPgc and HL button#, you just gotta figure out the button # pressed and then link into that part of the post commands (which are now pre commands). That's the only difference. Of course, you take the LinkTailPGC out as it can't be in the precommands.

Regards

[2COOL]

You're probably right but it was my early morning and I guess that would justify my lack of logic.

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by 2COOL

What is your button command for your widescreen? for both menus, of course.

Widescreen (the one I copy) is:
[71 01 00 05 00 01 00 0D] Set gprm(5) =(mov) 1 ; LinkTailPGC

Full screen is:
[71 01 00 05 00 02 00 0D] Set gprm(5) =(mov) 2 ; LinkTailPGC

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by blutach

To skip an aspect ratio or language menu, I simply look at the command associated with the button I would press. Copy it to the clipboard.

Then I kill playback. Replace the NOP ahead of the post commands that are now pre-commands, with the command from the desired button (Paste). You can then blank the menu PGC.

Works every time.

Regards

Okay, that did work. For skipping the menu.

However, if I go to the "Select a scene" menus and click on one of the scenes, it goes to the chapter in the full screen version, not the widescreen version of the film.

[r0lZ]

Are you sure the "Set gprm(5) =(mov) 1" command is executed?

Also, you said you used blutach's method. Fine, but remember you cannot use a LinkTailPGC in the pre-commands section. This command can only be used as a button command, or a cell command.

[blutach]

Generally, the menu PGC will be entered with the relevant gprm set at something. If gprm(5) is alrready set to 1, you need not set it again. And yes, do get rid of the LinkTailPGC as that is illegal and may cause the command not to be executed.

To be sure, just start a trace and play through till you reach the end of this PGC (Set watch gprm(5) first).

Regards

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by r0lZ

Are you sure the "Set gprm(5) =(mov) 1" command is executed?

Also, you said you used blutach's method. Fine, but remember you cannot use a LinkTailPGC in the pre-commands section. This command can only be used as a button command, or a cell command.

I tried it both ways. There already is a "Set gprm(5) =(mov) 1" command in the list, so if I don't add it, it plays the widescreen version. If I add it to the end of the pre-commands, it never gets there as it jumps to a different PGC before it hits it.

Now, if I play the widescreen version movie first, then go to the Scene Selection and choose a scene, it will jump to the chapter in the widescreen movie. If I don't start the movie first, it jumps to the chapter in the full screen movie.

[rpboy]

Another thing I tried was changing the scene select buttons. I changed them to link to the title. For example, I changed the scene 4 button to be:
[30 05 00 04 00 01 00 00] (JumpVTS_PTT) Jump to TTN 1, Chapter 4

TTN in that VTS is the widescreen version. The full screen version is in another VTS.

If I start the disc and select a chapter without starting the movie, same thing. It redirects to the full screen version chapter, even though the button is now pointing at the widescreen one. If I start the movie first, then go to Scene Select, they work fine.

This is probably one of the most confusing DVDs I have ever seen. This sucker constantly jumps from PGC to PGC.

[2COOL]

The thing about me removing aspect ratio menus is that I used to do a cheat sheet for whatever DVD, which had one, that I came across. If you know what you are doing, you can custom edit the DVD in more ways than one. After doing a few, I noticed that there was a common pattern and I wanted to capitalize on this generic process of getting rid of them, hence my guide was born. The only situation left out in the guide is this situation.

I believe that my guide is foolproof if you performed it on all aspect ratio menus found. PgcEdit's trace function is a godsend for locating them now but if you wanted to search all the cells manually, you can do it also but it would probably take a more time.

[r0lZ]

Why don't you use the "Jump to PGC upon DVD insert" function? You will be sure of the result. Is it something you really wants to keep before the AR menu is shown? If it's the case, try my mini guide in this thread (post #25).

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by 2COOL

The thing about me removing aspect ratio menus is that I used to do a cheat sheet for whatever DVD, which had one, that I came across. If you know what you are doing, you can custom edit the DVD in more ways than one. After doing a few, I noticed that there was a common pattern and I wanted to capitalize on this generic process of getting rid of them, hence my guide was born. The only left out in the guide is this situation.

I believe that my guide is foolproof if you performed it on all aspect ratio menus found. PgcEdit's trace function is a godsend for locating them now but if you wanted to search all the cells manually, you can do it also but it would probably take a more time.

2COOL,

As I said before, your guide has been invaluable to me in the past. It has worked wonderfully for every DVD I have tried it with. This is the first one that has ever caused me problems.

I looked at the situation you linked to and I don't think that applies to my case. Both of my buttons have different commands. And my menu doesn't have a menu type set, so not sure if that will help me.

I only have the two instances of the aspect ratio. Both in the same PGC, one as cell 1 and one as cell 2. So its not like I have another one hidden somewhere. I've done the trace in Pgcedit to verify that. I think I will try R0lZ's other method to see if that works with this DVD.

Thanks for all your help and your great guides.

[rpboy]

Originally Posted by r0lZ

Why don't you use the "Jump to PGC upon DVD insert" function? You will be sure of the result. Is it something you really wants to keep before the AR menu is shown? If it's the case, try my mini guide in this thread (post #25).

Okay, I tried the mini guide and it worked ... almost.
(It was easier than I thought after reading through it the first time. Thanks R0lz!)

Again, selecting the play movie button now goes correctly to the widescreen version. If I then go to the root menu and select scene selections, then pick a chapter it goes to the chapter in the widescreen version.

If I don't start the movie first, however, and go to the scene selection menu, when I pick the chapter (let's say chapter 4), it doesn't go to the correct chapter. It just starts the widescreen movie. If I go back to the main menu and select scene selection, then pick a scene, it will now jump correctly to the chapter.

Weird.


Update
I think I got it. When I pasted the changed commands on the menu PGC, they were:
[71 00 00 04 04 00 00 00] 1 Set gprm(4) =(mov) 1024
[71 00 00 05 00 01 00 00] 2 Set gprm(5) =(mov) 1
[71 00 00 0F 00 01 00 00] 3 Set gprm(15) =(mov) 1
[56 00 00 00 04 00 00 00] 4 (SetHL_BTN) Set Highlighted Button =(mov) 1024 (button 1)

I took the first three of those and pasted them at the beginning of the Chapter menu precommands. And now it appears to be working. If I start the DVD and go right to scene selections, it will jump correctly to the chapter.

I just wonder if I broke something else.