adding a menu button w/Pgcedit problem

[sadsack]

have a region 1 Ntsc dvd with some TV episodes. There's a main menu where you select the episodes, and the individual episode menus with several options (buttons). I muxed in a 3rd audio track to one of the episodes (already has two audio tracks), and used Pgcedit (version 8.6) to substitute the new VTS file back over the original. I also photoshopped the episode menu (which is still and silent), adding an option for the new audio track (used Vobblanker to substitute it back in).
I added a new button with Pgcedit to activate the audio track. I made sure it is navigatable to/fro other buttons, and added some commands similar to what is used, and it works okay in Pgcedit, and when I play it in MPC-HC on my PC, and in my Panasonic dvd recorder. Button 1 is initially highlighted, and the added button is highlighted when selected (though not when it's activated, small quibble). When the episode is over, returns to that menu and highlights the last used button.
But if I test it with VLC media player on my PC, or in my Pioneer dvd player (my primary player, standard dvd, new model), no buttons are initially highlighted in the episode menu. I have to arrow around with the remote to get something shown. The added audio track 3 button never gets highlighted at all, even when navigated to. When the episode ends and returns to that menu, no buttons are highlighted\ (until you arrow around with remote).
Any suggestions to make the buttons work consistently? Or is it my Pioneer player (and VLC)? I'm running Windows XP.

[r0lZ]

Are you sure you have assigned the right colour scheme to the new button? Have you edited the subpic image(s) with DVDSubEdit?
If the colour scheme and the highlights are identical than for the two other buttons, the new button should be displayed exactly like the two other buttons.

And please use the latest PgcEdit version. The menu editor has been greatly improved. (In particular, it is much more easy to edit 16:9 menus. With the old version, you may have forgotten to edit one of the display modes.)

[sadsack]

No subtitles, so I didn't change anything with Dvdsubeditor (and nothing to load if I try it in that program).
I checked again in PGC's Menu editor, and for the added button, I had the color scheme set for Default 0 instead of Group One. It was highlighting red when selected, nothing when activated. I ticked Group One color for it, but that now removes highlighting when I play it even in MPC. The Group One color scheme is Selected=grey, Active=dark grey.

The menus use an image for the button next to the text options. I didn't know how to copy the image, so I simply have the highlighting button over the text I added to the background menu.

[r0lZ]

The problem is that you haven't modified the subpic. The highlight is stored in the subpic, and without it, you can only display a coloured (and possibly translucent) rectangle over your button. Is that's sufficient for you, select a colour scheme that is NOT used by another button, but do not select scheme 0 (as it is not easily editable): use scheme 2 or 3. Then edit that scheme and set all 4 selected button colours to the same color slot, and all transparency values to the same (not-completely transparent) value. Do the same thing for the activated button, but use another colour. You will see a translucent rectangle as the highlight.

If you want a more complex highlight, use DVDSubEdit to extract the subpic bitmap, edit it with a paint program, and re-import it with DVDSubEdit. If it's a 16:9 menu, you will have to edit the bitmaps for the two display modes.

[sadsack]

thanks - I think I didnt have the opacity set strong enough. The Selected highlight works in VLC (though Activated highlight doesnt show up for any buttons on that menu in VLC). Hopefully both Selected and Activated will work in Pioneer player (I'll post back when I burn an RW).
If I wanted to use the existing menu image icon for the button instead of the rectangle, how would I rip the image? I dont see any options in Dvdsubedit when I try to load the dvd.

[r0lZ]

In the File menu: Save Current Subpic as a Bitmap and Replace Current Subpic With BMP File.

You can also use Edit Subpic Bitmap with External Tool, but it's not as easy as it sounds.

[sadsack]

I tried those options already, but nothing happens, whether I open a VOB or Full Domain...
Oh, okay, looks like you're only suppose to open the specific menu VOB. Okay, saved the bmp. Cool, it's all the button icons saved on a black background. I guess I'm suppose to photoshop the bmp with an added icon button, then sub it back in to the menu with Dvdsubedit, right? And change the color scheme to the setting of the other buttons, right?

Later: looks good so far. I'll burn an RW and play it.
Later later: looks great, but one small glitch on the Pioneer. No buttons are initially highlighted in the episode menu. I had to add a couple command lines in a couple places for the button, I'm wondering if that did it...though it works perfectly in MPC and the Panny standalone recorder.

I can suggest one possibility - when I replaced the bmp with Vobblanker, maybe this has a similar effect as stilling the menu, which caused my Pioneer problems before, as I reported in earlier thread:
the spec requires a GOP to be at least ≥ 400 ms (this violation is caused by Vobblanker)
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=150568

[r0lZ]

Yeah, you did it right.

The problem of the button can be caused by a wrong value in SPRM 8. You have added a SetKL_BTN command, right? Verify if the right button is highlighted with PgcEdit's trace mode.
You can also force a specific button in the menu itself, but that doesn't work if you want to highlight the button corresponding to the last played clip.

Pioneer players are well known to be picky with the stills. Have you tried to convert the clip to still with MenuShrink, or to keep the audio?

[sadsack]

The appropriate button appears highlighted before/after an option is played in Pgdcedit. Also works in VLC now.
I thought about setting the menu to always select one button for initial highlighting, but thought it would be nice to keep it like the original menu if possible.
I didn't add the SetKL_BTN (do you mean SetHL_BTN ?) - it's in the command lines already. The original episode menu options were for picking 2 audio streams, or returning to the main menu. I was adding a third audio option, so copied the conditional command lines for one of the audio streams, and pasted it back in with appropriate changes. I don't pretend to understand the details in my monkey-see, monkey-do approach.
The menu is already a silent still image. Even though it seems Vobblanker isn't causing the issue, I don't suppose Menushrink has a similar option to replace still-image bmp backgrounds?

In that other thread, bigotti5 sent me a tutorial for fixing short GOPs. I'm having a difficult time trying to locate the specific menu in Vobedit. I'm loading the first VOB, and trying to hunt down the specific cell in the left pane. The Preview screen always plays the main menu, followed by usually only one of the still-image episode menus.

[r0lZ]

Yes, of course, I mean SetHL_BTN.

MenuShrink cannot replace the bitmap, but it can convert the cell to still without problem. Using VobBlanker after may be preferable, as it will not have to modify the cell duration, and its bug should not occur. I'm not sure, but anyway is the menu was already a still, you can ignore this.

To locate any cell in VobEdit, you can have a look at the cell table in PgcEdit. The Entry VOBU Sector is the LBA of the first nav pack of the cell. (A still frame has normally only one nav pack). To jump to that nav pack in VobEdit, click the "Jump" button and enter the LBA.
(Note that the first LBA of the nav pack containing some menu buttons is also displayed in the tooltip of the dropdown menu button at the very top of the PgcEdit menu viewer. The first nav pack with button is not always the first nav pack of the cell, but in case of a still menu, it's certainly the case.)