Scenarist: Authoring the DVD

[Jestorius]

If you would like to author a Hollywood like DVD what would you put into the VMG, the VTS, Language-domain etc...

The movie has a FirstPlay with some logo-animation, the main movie with chapters and subtitles/audio-tracks, a main menu with links to other menus, a second movie with some extras.

Do you place the FirstPlay movie into the VTS_01 , the main movie into the VTS_02 and the extras into the VTS_03?

How do you organize your project in the Scenario Editor?

[tom para]

First Play could be anywhere but main movie should be (not "must be") in first VTS. VMG is useful for routing VTSs traffic; use dummy PGC for these. Also VMG is where the "Title Menu" resides.

[Jestorius]

Thank You tom para.

Can anyone post a dummy project file here. Just with placeholders with a complicated interaktivity, with language folder, title-menu, main-menu etc...

[Jestorius]

If you have a Root menu, PTT menu, Audio and Subpictur menu. Where do you place the PGC-s. Under VTS-Language folder or VDM-Language folder?
Do you place all the elements for the menu in the same folder or just use a dummy PGC with a Pre link to the Title - Menu PGC - Menu PG?

[tom para]

I d/o remember exactly what PTT menu is.

A menu under a VTS-language folder is often referred to as "Root menu" or "top menu".

If I recall correctly, the order is as follows:

VTS > Title > PGC > PG > Cell

VMG is a special case of a VTS. Can refer to it as the "super VTS".

If you only have 1 menu, place it either in VMG or VTS language, then make a dummy PGC in the appropriate domain and route it with a command in the "Pre" area.

In short, if menu is under VTS language, then a dummy PGC in VMG routes playback to that menu when user presses the "Title" key, and vice versa.

tom
PS: Unless you are paid to wire extremely complicated stuffs, Scenarist is a pretty painful thing to learn.

>If you have a Root menu, PTT menu, Audio and Subpictur menu. Where >do you place the PGC-s. Under VTS-Language folder or VDM-Language >folder?

>Do you place all the elements for the menu in the same folder or >just use a dummy PGC with a Pre link to the Title - Menu PGC - Menu >PG?

[Jestorius]

Thanks again.

My problem is that I just trying to convert a ReelDVD project into the Scenarist. In ReelDVD you can't see the VMG or the VTS. I can see the FirstPlay (AutoPlay) the Title and the Menu.

The beginning of the ReelDVD project is:
AutoPlay - Intromovie - next - main movie - next - credit, etc...
Title - Menu
Menu - With Menu for chapters etc.

After importing into Scenarist:

VideoManger - Language folder - Title Button PGC ( no link to enything , why ????)

VTS_1 - Language folder - Menu Button PGC and Title Button PGC (dummy-s) with link to VTS_1 - Title_1 - MenuButton-t-scn-pg and TitleButton-t-scn-pg

Other links to the other movies etc...

PTT menu is the TitleMenu.

So , I don't get it. I guess Daikin/Sonic they know what they are doing. The converting process is optimal and the result is a best optimalised Scenarist project. But as I know the TitleMenu has to be in the VideoManger-Language-TitleButton PGC and the RootMenu in the VTS-Language-MenuButton PGC.

Actually I don't use TitleMenu without to have a link to it from other Menu becouse some of the players don't have a Title button on the remote contr. Or just relink it to the FirstPlay.

[Jestorius]

On all the rental Video-DVDs the TitleMenu = FirstPlay.

[tom para]

I don't understand what you're confused about.

The result of the ReelDVD->Scenarist import looks fine. Best to leave it alone.

Per DVD spec, the "Title" key is a required feature on the remote control. You might not see it b/c it might be labeled or named differently. "Title", "Info", "Top Menu" or any key that does not say "Menu" are same thing. Try. It confused me for a long time before too...

Once again, "First Play" can be anywhere, not necessarily VMG. The fact that lots of Hollywood DVDs route it there does not mean it is the rule. Probably they are too lazy to change the template !

[Jestorius]

Thank you

I'm using a Philips 612 for checking the disc. The remot doesn't have a Title button only a menu button. It isn't a problem.

I'm only confused about the structur Senarist make with this ReelDVD import. Why is a emty TitleButton PGC under VideoManager - Language if the reel dummy Titlebutton PGC is under VTS_1 - Language, and the reel TitleButton PGC is under VTS_1 - Title_1.

[tom para]

Looks like there are 2 dummies, 1 for VMG and 1 for VTS.

If the dummy PGC in VMG is empty, it's probably b/c the Scen import template just creates it by default. Its presence there is useless, yes, but harmless too.

The dummy PGC in VTS language is most likely the functional one for routing playback to your intended menu page. (Menu pages flagging)

The TitleButton PGC's function is probably to flag and route playback to your intended button on different menu pages. (Button flagging)

I'm not familiar with your project and w/ Reel. What's been said is my best guesses.

There are different ways to skin a cat. If something works, best to leave it alone and move on.

[Jestorius]

Thank You tom para.
I have learned a lot during the last days. After reading a part of the DVD specification http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/DVD/ I can see much clearly.

[Jestorius]

Ok, I get it all.

The PGC in the VDM isn't emty. It is just without any visual representation. The Pre button is yellow, it means that there is a activ command line in the Edit Object vindow. The command is :
Jump to PGC in the System Space - Jump to Part of Title PGC (PTT) in VTS_1 - Title_1.