PgcEdit v8.6 released (January 12, 2008)

[blutach]

No, you need to do this in IfoEdit (http://ifoedit.wh.fr0zen.com/). If you make a mistake, Cancel or don't save and start again, referencing the cell somewhere else first.

I believe it's a real feature and time saver to skip over the deleted cells.

Regards

[Robotik]

thanks.

wouldn't it be nice though to have a checkbox somewhere to set wether or not i want to pick deleted cells?
@r0lZ would you consider create something like this?

thans in advance

[r0lZ]

Well, currently, PgcEdit uses the information in the IFOs only to build the list of available sells. This means that you cannot pick a cell that has been deleted, unless it is referenced elsewhere.

If you want to keep track of all cells, use "New 'Play All' Title" to create a new PGC referencing all cells. Then, work on the other PGCs, and finally, delete the Play All PGC.

It should be possible, of course, to scan the VOBs to find all unreferenced cells, but that's slow, and furthermore, it's currently incompatible with the way I have programmed the PGC editor and the V/CID remapping function. Sorry.
Maybe I'll write a plugin to build a Play All title with all VOB cells (instead of all cells already referenced in the IFO.) After having used this plugin, you should be able to use any cell of the VOB. But don't expect that soon...

[Robotik]

i'm not in a hurry :)
thanks, anyway

[President]

...Maybe I'll write a plugin to build a Play All title...
Thank's ahead, r0lZ.
Seems, it will be a useful plugin. Sometimes it needed.

[linx05]

Thanks for the confirmations, Sir and linx! I suppose I don't need further info, but continue to be cautious when you use that function, and verify the time maps with the plugin, although I'm almost sure everything is fine now.

Unfortunately, the beta version is still doing the same thing for me: an infinite loop of rebulding time maps, and then fixing the length. No change in behavior.
Unfortunately this is happening to me again. This time a PAL DVD: THE_GIRL_NEXT_DOOR_UNRATED R4 ripped with RipIt4Me 1.7.0.99 BETA. Using the plugin PgcEdit (8.1 BETA 2, Feb 3) found three timecode errors but only managed to fix two. The last one was stubborn. I performed a Rebuild all timemaps of DVD but that did not work. The last timecode error simply would not disappear.

I ran the DVD through VobBlanker (2.1.3.0 BETA 8) with VOB internal pointers enabled (both) and it seemed to reset the timecode problems back to three errors. So I don't know what happened there.

Time Map tables
DVD-TEXT General Name: ""
Provider ID: ""
Number of VTS: 6


-------------------- VTS 1 --------------------
13 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 13 PGCs.

VTST 1 , 1 TTN 1 (1:45:00) Title 1 (sequential title)
1574 x 4 seconds = 1:44:56

VTST 1 , 2 TTN 2 (0:01) Title 2 (sequential title)
********** WARNING: Empty Time Map!

VTST 1 , 3 TTN 3 (8:14) Title 3 (sequential title)
493 x 1 seconds = 8:13

VTST 1 , 4 TTN 4 (2:32) Title 4 (sequential title)
151 x 1 seconds = 2:31

VTST 1 , 5 TTN 5 (1:48) Title 5 (sequential title)
107 x 1 seconds = 1:47

VTST 1 , 6 TTN 6 (1:27) Title 6 (sequential title)
86 x 1 seconds = 1:26

VTST 1 , 7 TTN 7 (2:29) Title 7 (sequential title)
148 x 1 seconds = 2:28

VTST 1 , 8 TTN 8 (12:07) Title 8 (sequential title)
726 x 1 seconds = 12:06

VTST 1 , 9 TTN 9 (1:58) Title 9 (sequential title)
117 x 1 seconds = 1:57

VTST 1 , 10 TTN 10 (2:32) Title 10 (sequential title)
151 x 1 seconds = 2:31

VTST 1 , 11 TTN 11 (2:11) Title 11 (sequential title)
130 x 1 seconds = 2:10

VTST 1 , 12 TTN 12 (2:21) Title 12 (sequential title)
140 x 1 seconds = 2:20

VTST 1 , 13 TTN 13 (3:07) Title 13 (sequential title)
186 x 1 seconds = 3:06


-------------------- VTS 2 --------------------
1 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 1 PGCs.

VTST 2 , 1 TTN 1 (0:01) Title 14 (sequential title)
1 x 1 seconds = 0:01


-------------------- VTS 3 --------------------
1 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 1 PGCs.

VTST 3 , 1 TTN 1 (0:01) Title 15 (sequential title)
1 x 1 seconds = 0:01


-------------------- VTS 4 --------------------
5 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 5 PGCs.

VTST 4 , 1 TTN 1 (7:57) Title 16 (sequential title)
476 x 1 seconds = 7:56

VTST 4 , 2 TTN 2 (10:00) Title 17 (sequential title)
599 x 1 seconds = 9:59

VTST 4 , 3 TTN 3 (2:40) Title 18 (sequential title)
159 x 1 seconds = 2:39

VTST 4 , 4 TTN 4 (2:18) Title 19 (sequential title)
137 x 1 seconds = 2:17

VTST 4 , 5 TTN 5 (9:32) Title 20 (sequential title)
571 x 1 seconds = 9:31


-------------------- VTS 5 --------------------
2 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 2 PGCs.

VTST 5 , 1 TTN 1 (0:00) 1b. Title 21 (non-sequential title)
Empty Time Map.

VTST 5 , 2 TTN 1 (0:20) (non-sequential title)
19 x 1 seconds = 0:19


-------------------- VTS 6 --------------------
17 VTS_TMAP tables defined in VTS_TMAPTI for 17 PGCs.

VTST 6 , 1 TTN 1 (0:27) Title 22 (sequential title)
26 x 1 seconds = 0:26

VTST 6 , 2 TTN 2 (0:45) Title 23 (sequential title)
44 x 1 seconds = 0:44

VTST 6 , 3 TTN 3 (0:36) Title 24 (sequential title)
35 x 1 seconds = 0:35

VTST 6 , 4 TTN 4 (0:17) Title 25 (sequential title)
16 x 1 seconds = 0:16

VTST 6 , 5 TTN 5 (0:33) Title 26 (sequential title)
32 x 1 seconds = 0:32

VTST 6 , 6 TTN 6 (0:29) Title 27 (sequential title)
28 x 1 seconds = 0:28

VTST 6 , 7 TTN 7 (1:19) Title 28 (sequential title)
78 x 1 seconds = 1:18

VTST 6 , 8 TTN 8 (0:31) Title 29 (sequential title)
30 x 1 seconds = 0:30

VTST 6 , 9 TTN 9 (0:21) Title 30 (sequential title)
20 x 1 seconds = 0:20

VTST 6 , 10 TTN 10 (1:13) Title 31 (sequential title)
72 x 1 seconds = 1:12

VTST 6 , 11 TTN 11 (0:17) Title 32 (sequential title)
16 x 1 seconds = 0:16

VTST 6 , 12 TTN 12 (1:27) Title 33 (sequential title)
86 x 1 seconds = 1:26

VTST 6 , 13 TTN 13 (1:08) Title 34 (sequential title)
67 x 1 seconds = 1:07

VTST 6 , 14 TTN 14 (0:18) Title 35 (sequential title)
17 x 1 seconds = 0:17

VTST 6 , 15 TTN 15 (0:16) Title 36 (sequential title)
15 x 1 seconds = 0:15

VTST 6 , 16 TTN 16 (0:29) Title 37 (sequential title)
28 x 1 seconds = 0:28

VTST 6 , 17 TTN 17 (10:14) Title 38 (sequential title)
613 x 1 seconds = 10:13


------------------- Summary -------------------
VTST 1 , 2 TTN 2 (0:01) Title 2: Empty TMAP!

[blutach]

An empty time map for a 1 second title is nothing to worry about linx05.

Regards

[linx05]

I know but I thought I would report it since for one reason or another PgcEdit will not fix it.

[r0lZ]

I remember I've added a check in one of the functions (but probably not in the other one.) If the last cell is a tiny black short cell, and its LBA should be in the time map, I consider that it is useless to add that entry, as the tiny cell is not really a part of the movie/PGC. Maybe it's the cause of the problem.

I'll have a look as soon as possible, but I can't do it now. If I forgot it, please remind me in a couple of weeks...

[r0lZ]

OK, linx05, I've found two possible causes of the problem.

VTST 1 , 2 TTN 2 (0:01) Title 2 (sequential title)
********** WARNING: Empty Time Map!

When PgcEdit rebuilds the time map, it adds entries in the time map while the last entry is less than the total time of the PGC. Since, in this case, the total time of the PGC is exactly 1 second, the first entry is not added, as its time is equal to the total PGC time.
I have not changed that, as it is totally useless to seek to the end of the PGC. Anyway, that's also the behaviour of VobBlanker.

The second problem is in the Verify Time Map function of the plugin.
Since here, the total duration of the PGC is greater than 0 (and the title is sequential), the plugin assumes that a time map is needed, and complains. I have also changed that. Now, it won't complain any more when the duration is less than 1.01 seconds.

Note that the plugin complains also when no VTS_TMAPTI table exists at all, even if there are only not-one_sequential titles in the VTS. However, PgcEdit won't complain if the table exists, but the time maps of non-sequential_titles are empty, since this is perfectly legal.
PgcEdit and VobBlanker rebuild the time maps of those titles anyway, since the presence of the map doesn't hurt, and can even be useful with some players.

You can download v1.3 of the Time Map plugin here (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/beta/tmap_plugin_1.3.zip).
Please let me know if all problems are fixed. Thanks.

[QUEENFAN]

Good morning r0lZ,

first of all congratulations for your awesome tool!!!

Are there any plans to implement a function to save a "project" ? This would be very usefull for beginners like me (and others) to have the chance loading a PCGEdit-profile for a certain DVD (should be possible to identify a DVD-Video so that the project is the right one for this DVD) to use and learn.

Ore is this already possible?

[r0lZ]

No, sorry.
PgcEdit is not an authoring tool. It can only modify an existing DVD. Therefore, the "project" is the original DVD.

What do you want to save and re-use? You can already import and export a lot of things, but it is not possible to automate that, as every DVD is different.

[QUEENFAN]

Hello r0lZ,

what a quick answer?´;-) Thanks.

I mean a kind of things to do with PGCEdit for a special Video-DVD. As an example I want to remove some Trailers and menus from the DVD Terminator and want to give this "settings" for doing the job to a friend (or internet-/board-user) to just load these settings and use it on his/her Terminator-DVD (which should be exactly the same version) in PCGEdit.

I didn't mean a general Plugin/Tool for removing/changing things for every DVD but saving/loading settings for a special DVD.
This would help a lot in the different HowTo's and guides (no screenshots needed).

[r0lZ]

I understand, but it's a huge work to implement that! PgcEdit is not designed to be controlled by scripts or project files, and implementing that would require a complete rewrite of the program!

You can probably send your IFOs to your friend, but you must be sure that NO VOB files are modified! You cannot blank a PGC, and you cannot use a function that changes the content of the VOB files! However, you can blank totally a whole domain if you send the resulting tiny VOB file (10KB) as well.
If you need to edit the menu buttons, you can export the modified menus and send the exported files as well. Your friend will have to import them one at a time. (BTW, the next version of PgcEdit will have a function to import/export all buttons in a single operation.)

Sorry, I can't do much more...

[QUEENFAN]

Hello again r0lZ,

is there any hope that you maybe implement scripts or project files in a future version of PGCEdit ?

Thanks a lot.

[r0lZ]

No. :(

[jolson]

QUEENFAN - you could try automate PgcEdit with AutoIt, it may work. I have done that with other GUI-only programs and it worked fine.

[r0lZ]

I use AutoHotKey (http://www.autohotkey.com/) (free and powerful) for this kind of job, but I haven't tried with PgcEdit yet.

[jolson]

AutoIt is also free & powerful:

http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/

[Robotik]

bug?

hi i just found something interesting, i don't really know wether it is VobBlanker, PgcEdit, or me, but PgcEdit gave me the error message, so i post it here.

i used VobBlanker to create final chapter points in all 3 episodes on an episodic disc, at the last sector possible (the end positon of the slider) to create a tiny cell at the end, to be able to jumpt to the end of the episode.
it all worked fine in PgcEdit until i used Trace mode. stepping through the title was still ok, but when i used the 'Next Chapter' button when playing the last tiny cell i got the following error message:

Fatal error!
PgcEdit is trying to read data after the end of table. This means that a Length Of Table value is probably wrong (See log.)
...

so i opened the log, and found this inside:

ERROR! get_int: Attempt to read 1 bytes at offset 6 (0x6) after end of table!
Variable: ::pgcs(1,1,programmap), length of table: 6

before splitting, it worked ok, also no error when i use the '-> Step' button at the same position.

[r0lZ]

Obviously, the program map contains only 5 or 6 entries. Do you have only 5 or 6 chapters in the PGC that caused the error?
Also, could you try to open the PGC Editor, to verify the programs and chapters in PgcEdit?

[Robotik]

6 cells, 6 programs, 6 chapters, the last one is a tiny (00:00:00.12), that's the one causing the problem (in all 3 titles). checked in PGC Editor, it seems ok. in preview, also ok.
i'm trying to check Next PGCN link, but instead of jumping to the next PGC, it gives the error message. before splitting the last cell, it didn't give me the error message, rather jumped to the post commands (still don't understand why it didn't jump to the following PGC, where Next PGCN linked to).

[linx05]

OK, linx05, I've found two possible causes of the problem.

VTST 1 , 2 TTN 2 (0:01) Title 2 (sequential title)
********** WARNING: Empty Time Map!

When PgcEdit rebuilds the time map, it adds entries in the time map while the last entry is less than the total time of the PGC. Since, in this case, the total time of the PGC is exactly 1 second, the first entry is not added, as its time is equal to the total PGC time.
I have not changed that, as it is totally useless to seek to the end of the PGC. Anyway, that's also the behaviour of VobBlanker.

The second problem is in the Verify Time Map function of the plugin.
Since here, the total duration of the PGC is greater than 0 (and the title is sequential), the plugin assumes that a time map is needed, and complains. I have also changed that. Now, it won't complain any more when the duration is less than 1.01 seconds.

Note that the plugin complains also when no VTS_TMAPTI table exists at all, even if there are only not-one_sequential titles in the VTS. However, PgcEdit won't complain if the table exists, but the time maps of non-sequential_titles are empty, since this is perfectly legal.
PgcEdit and VobBlanker rebuild the time maps of those titles anyway, since the presence of the map doesn't hurt, and can even be useful with some players.

You can download v1.3 of the Time Map plugin here (http://home.tiscali.be/debie.roland/pgcedit/beta/tmap_plugin_1.3.zip).
Please let me know if all problems are fixed. Thanks.
Thank you. The updated plugin seems to do it
VTST 1 , 2 TTN 2 (0:01) Title 2 (sequential title)
Empty Time Map. (OK: PGC duration too short.)I'm not too sure what you said but as long as you think it is fixed. It does not popup with those two time map errors but ignores them because they are safe, if I understood you correctly.

p.s. check your email ;)
p.p.s the exchange rate for AUD to EUR sucks big time.

[blutach]

Sounds like a VobBlanker (http://jsoto.posunplugged.com/vobblanker.htm) issue then. Have you checked the chapter table is consistent with the chapters declared in the PGCs?

Regards

[Robotik]

yep it is consistent. tried to clear all programs & chapters and redo them, which always helped with other issues, but not with this.
sent the IFOs to r0lZ, if it turns out to be a VobBlanker issue, i'll go complain there :)

[r0lZ]

i used Trace mode. stepping through the title was still ok, but when i used the 'Next Chapter' button when playing the last tiny cell i got the following error message:

Fatal error!
...

It's a bug in PgcEdit. Your files are OK, but PgcEdit tries to access chapter 7, and, of course, fails. I'll fix that. Thanks for the report.

[r0lZ]

OK, bug fixed.

BTW, you have set the Next and PrevPGCN links in Titles 1, 2 and 3 to point to the next and previous Titles. You cannot do that, as it is illegal to jump to another title using this method! The Prev/Next/GoUpPGCN links must point to a PGC within the same TTN.

You can create dummy PGCs in each title and jump to those PGCs using the Prev/NextPGCN links, and from the dummies you can JumpVTS_TT to another TTN, but doing so will convert your title to a not-one_sequential title, and you will lose the ability to seek to a specific time in the title!
You can also use BOVs to implement the Jumps.

I know, the DVD-Video standard is stupid and frustrating, but your DVD will probably not play correctly in all players is you leave it as it is now.

PgcEdit should warn you when such Prev/Next/GoUpPGCN links are used, but there are so many limitation that I cannot handle all of them easily...

[Robotik]

thanks for looking into it, r0lZ!
i've never knew about that limitation either, thank you for clearing that up.

[Robotik]

You can create dummy PGCs in each title and jump to those PGCs using the Prev/NextPGCN links, and from the dummies you can JumpVTS_TT to another TTN...
previously i used tiny cells and cell commands, then i started to use Prev/NextPGCN links and wondered why they don't use this simple method on consumer DVDs. now i see!

[r0lZ]

Of ouurse, you cannot LinkPGCN to another TTN neither with cell commands. But you can use JumpVTS_TT or JumpVTS_PTT commands in the title domain to jump to another title in the same VTS.

BTW, does your player(s) support the Prev/NextPGCN to another TTN method?

[Robotik]

Of ouurse, you cannot LinkPGCN to another TTN neither with cell commands.

Damn! it seems that i've created a lot of illegal DVDs!

BTW, does your player(s) support the Prev/NextPGCN to another TTN method?

yep. the method worked like a charm so far.

LinkPGCN to another TTN is legal in pre/post commands though, isn't it?

[r0lZ]

In a title domain, LinkPGCN is legal everywhere (in pre, post, cell and BOV commands) as long as you link to the same TTN. You can use it freely in the menu domains.

[Robotik]

using linkPGCN to another title is illegal from pre, post, cell and BOV commands? the situation is worse than i thought. damn those restrictions!

i guess there is a lot to learn. whenever i get confident, it turns out i'm wrong :(

c'est la vie!

[r0lZ]

Yes, and there are also many other limitations!

For example, you cannot use the Link* commands without arguments (for example LinkTopPGC) in pre and post commands. But you can use them in cell and button commands!
That extremely stupid! There is no reason to allow, say, LinkCN cell 1, but disallow LinkTopCell in the post command area.

Also, technically, it is possible to compare a SPRM with a constant value in almost all commands, but that's prohibited! Total: you have to copy the SPRM in a GPRM first, and then compare the GPRM.

And what do you think of a programming language where you cannot use a variable where a constant value is allowed? For example, it should be possible to LinkPGCN to GPRM(0), but, of course, that's impossible!

The "experts" who wrote the DVD-Video specs are just idiots!

[blutach]

Didn't we discover errors in LinkNoLink, too, r0lZ?

Regards

[Robotik]

it seems that the art of dvd authoring is more about conformity than about creativity.

of course when you want to achieve something in such environment, even the easiest task requires a lot of creativity! :D

[Robotik]

not to be cocky, but it would be nice to mark those limitations in PgcEdit. i mean the latest beta allows me to use LinkTopPGC in the pre commands (creating an infinite loop :D)

[r0lZ]

not to be cocky, but it would be nice to mark those limitations in PgcEdit.I am currently working exactly on that! The illegal commands will be greyed out in the menus of the command editor. However, it will still be possible to enter illegal commands with copy/paste, or by editing manually the hex digits in the command editor.

BTW, someone can confirm that Break commands are legal in the post, cell and buttons areas? It is the same than LinkCN cell 1?

i mean the latest beta allows me to use LinkTopPGC in the pre commands (creating an infinite loop :D)
This command is illegal in both pre and post commands areas. However, it is possible to use it in a cell command. Of course, it's up to you to ensure that at least one GPRM has changed, and that it is tested to avoid infinite loops.

[hf]

r0lZ's mention of greying out the illegal commands in the commands editor menu reminded me of something that I think would be a nice feature, but I'm afraid it might be quite a bit of work.

Sometimes when I have a title I want to get rid of, in order to
make it unreferenced, I copy the pre/post commands of the title and use them to replace the command that called the title.

For example, (I don't have access to the program in front of me so forgive the possibly butchered exlpanation), in the VMGM you might have a Jump to title 5, and in Title 5 some GMRM might be given a value and then it jumps back to some other VMGM location. The problem is that the command that lets you go from
a Title to a VMGM program is different than the command that you use to jump from one VMGM program to another, so you have to manually fix the command. It would be really cool if there was an option for pgcedit to automaticly do the fix for you.

I hope everyone can undertand what I am trying to say!

[blutach]

@r0lZ - although I haven't seen it, my understanding is that Break works in Post and Cell commands. How's the project coming along?

@hf - in the PgcEdit Command editor, use the Jump and Call menu. It does exactly what you want.

Regards

[r0lZ]

@hf
Not a bad idea, but currently, it's not my priority.
Also, changing a JumpSS to CallSS or vice-versa is not always possible without user intervention, as some parameters are absent in a command, but present in its "translation", for example the TTN and Resume cells parameters.

@blu
Thanks. I saw recently a lot of break commands in the post commands area, but none of them were actually executed. They were used as some kind of separator between groups of commands. Of course, it's not a proof that it's legal.

[bigotti5]

Break is only valid in pre- and postcommand area.
Break in precommandarea stops the execution of remaining precommands and start the content of a pgc (or enters the postcommandarea in case of dummy pgc).
Break in postcommandarea stops the execution of remaining postcommands and proceed to the next pgc.
Break would not make sense in cell- or buttoncommand area .

[r0lZ]

Thanks! I've learned something, and I have to modify the trace!
Break in postcommandarea stops the execution of remaining postcommands and proceed to the next pgc.
In other words, and just to be sure: break in post area proceeds to the PGC pointed to by the NextPGCN link. Right?

[bigotti5]

In other words, and just to be sure: break in post area proceeds to the PGC pointed to by the NextPGCN link. Right?

Yes..

[blutach]

And if Next PGCN = 0?

Regards

[r0lZ]

... the nav stops. Same as Exit.

[blutach]

Good thing to guard against.

Regards

[Robotik]

what's the worst that can happen when using illegal code? i don't mean non-sense codes or jumps/calls to nowhere, i rather mean such codes as linkPGCN to another title.
i know execution differs from player to player, but PowerDVD 6 and two of my standalones executed them, and i guess most players that don't execute them just ignore them.
do you know any player that exits or do something strange (freeze, blue death, turn off, blow up, etc.)?

[r0lZ]

My very picky Sony DVP-S725D displays a cryptic error code in its led display and stops, but only in some cases. I'm not sure it traps all errors.

[Robotik]

hm. it seems i'd better not use them after all. i thought i had an idea.