Almost ready to go! Couple of problems with DVDMaestro! PLZ HELP!

[Areku]

OK, I'm almost done creating a DVDR with a couple of movies, but I still have some questions about the whole thing...

1) When I launch DVDMaestro a warning tells me "no decoder" (software? hardware?) was present so no preview features are enabled.

I asume this is the reason why Navigation Simulation does not work? If so, what would I need to fix this so I can preview a menu without needing to compile the whole thing??

2) Is there any way that I could import original (or even retouched?) movie menus into DVDMaestro and use them to launch the movie I just ripped? If not, does any1 have a brief tutorial on how to create simple menus with DVDMaestro??

3) Say I wanna add a brief "seal" (made by...)/intro movie I have in .VOB format. This .VOB would be launched whenever some1 puts the DVD in a standalone player. How can I import that into DVDMaestro??


4) And last for now: how do I turn this DVD project into MULTIREGION and with Macrovision disabled?


Thanks SO much in advance!!

[Arky]

1) The "no Decoder" issue is simply resolved by installing the Ravisent Cinemaster software on your PC. The RealView window within Maestro will then work, and it'll stop nagging you about decoders when you launch the app.

2) ok, the best way to do this, is to look on your Movie Timeline within your Maestro project:

Look at where it says "Chapter 00:00:00:00" (in RED writing), just above the movie itself. Now, if you look to the right of this writing, you will see a blank grey strip. If you click on this with the LEFT mouse button, a menu will pop up. Now, if you look towards the bottom right of this little pop-up menu, you will see a button labelled "save as Bitmap". If you click this, it will allow you to save a screen shot from your MPEG, at the point at which you clicked in the timeline. If its not the shot you wanted, then simply press escape, and select a part of the timeline which gives you the screen shot you want to use for the background image of your menu!

Once you've done this, look at the hierarchical tree diagram at the top left of the Maestro screen. Double click on the "Menu 1" icon. Now you will be looking at the menu-editor, in the main window. Now look in your assets window, at the bottom right of the computer screen. Import the bitmap which you screen-grabbed earlier. Now drag the imported Bitmap onto the balnk menu in the menu-editor. Maestro will automatically assign this as your menu background.

Now the EASIEST (but not the best) way to continue, would be to just create "virtual" buttons on your menu, by simply left-clicking and defining your buttons within the menu editor. This WILL create functional buttons. HOWEVER, the tradeoff is that you will not be able to see these very easily when you play the final project, and you will also not be able to label them.

The way to get around this is to create a bitmap in a paint program (preferably Adobe Photoshop), which is ONLY buttons on a blank background. This can then be dropped ON TOP OF the menu background within Maestro, and if you adjust the transparency of the subpicture image (this is the secondary image (AKA the button image you just created in Phoitoshop) which "floats" on top of the background), you will find you can create the appearance of just buttons floating on your background image. This takes practice to do effectively, so be patient, and if you can't be bothered, well, I gave you the poor-man's option above, didn't I?! ;)

3) You need to de-multiplex the VOB, to extract the audio and video streams. Once you've done this, simply import them into Maestro. Now create a new menu on the hierarchical tree you used earlier. Now drag and drop the demultiplexed video file from the assets bin, into the menu space, in the same manner that you dropped the background image in your other menu. Now repeat the process for the audio. Now you have a funtional first play. This effect can be achieved by using the movie timeline, but either method works fine for the basic title you wish to create. Check the tabs on the menu editor, to define your time-outs etc. Now, most importantly, go the "connections" window, and assign the dynamic menu you created, as the "first play".

4) Multi region and macrovision disabled? well this is very easy. firstly, you should have removed Macrovision DURING ripping (using, for example, SmartRipper). To make the title multi-regional, just look at the VERY TOP of your hierarchical tree, within your Maestro Project. RIGHT-click on it, and a large properties menu will pop-up. You will be able to tick which options you want. Also be sure to select the appropriate footage type (i.e. NTSC or PAL).

Hope the above helps - get back to me if you need more assistance ;)


Arky ;o)

[Areku]

Woah man! These are the kind of answers that deserve a beer! ;)

Let me ask you something about them ;)

1) Where do I get this software from? ;) I guess RealView stands for Navigation Simulation function as well ;)

2) I'm assuming there's no way to grab the current movie menus off the original .VOBs?

Trying to create menus for myself, I found it really hard to learn...
However i managed to find out the import bitmap + put it as background feature, but could not figure out how to actually create clickable buttons at all...

I'll try to create buttons using Photoshop, but once I have them, how do I actually make them clickable and link them to various functions?


3) Is there any way to demultiplex them so I don't loose any quality at all? Why would I need a menu for this one? I want it to autoplay once the DVD is inserted into a set top DVD player... What's the timeout thing you mention?


4) OK for Macrovision, I think I did this when ripping ;) I was just not sure if it was just this or there was any other thing involved (like Maestro readding it or something ;))
OK for Multiregion, I'll check this out!!! ;)


THanks SO much man!! You're really helpful!

If you or anyone else does know about a site with an online tutorial on Maestro or if you have a nice PDF I could learn from to get the max of it, plz let me know as well!!!

[Areku]

Also, how to add chapters to each of the menus?

Thanks!

[Arky]

[[ 1) Where do I get this software from? I guess RealView stands for Navigation Simulation function as well ]]

Erm...well...you, erm... might find the software in a similar manner to how you found the authorer...


2) I'm assuming there's no way to grab the current movie menus off the original .VOBs?

Well, I've never actually tried demuxing thses from the VOBs themselves, since ripping isn't really my scene (I prefer to author from scratch, using DV footage which I've filmed myself). HOWEVER, you could use WinDVD or PowerDVD to do a screen grab of a menu WHILE YOU ARE PLAYING THE Commercial DVD. This way, you could use the screen grab for your background within the Maestro menu-editor, and simply not bother to apply a subpicture overlay (in which case, Maestro will automatically use a blank menu subpicture. It'll whinge about this at the end of the compile, saying something like "no menu subpicture assigned! default subpicture used", but this will NOT cause problems, so don't be concerned about the warning messages).
Then all you'd need to do is create the button fields within the Maestro menu-editor, by using the background artwork buttons as a guide for where to outline the fields.


[[Trying to create menus for myself, I found it really hard to learn...
However i managed to find out the import bitmap + put it as background feature, but could not figure out how to actually create clickable buttons at all... ]]

please re-read my instructions - it is really easy to create these fields to make working buttons. Relax and you might find it easier - Scenarist= stressful, MAESTRO= EASY & ENJOYABLE!!


[[I'll try to create buttons using Photoshop, but once I have them, how do I actually make them clickable and link them to various functions?]]

Ok, I think you have misunderstood me slightly. A menu is composed of:

a) a background

b) a foreground overlay (also known as a subpicture) - (if you fail to supply this to Maestro, it will use a blank one, which will simply show in a pure translucent colour within the button outlines which you create, when you playback the DVD). If you DO supply a subpicture (which is a transparent picture, #except# for the "buttons" you drew on it, which are opaque), then you will use the menu editor to define fields (see below), as you would even if you hadn't supplied a subpicture, by applying the fields around the buttons you drew on the subpicture. Then, when you playback the finished title, the bits of the subpicture which are enclosed by a particular field which you created in the menu-editor, will magically appear. Thus, if you have created a subpicture which is mostly transparent, but has four opaque buttons draw on it, you will import this into Maestro, and then create four fields in the menu-editor - one field (which will be a rectangle) for every button you drew on the subpicture. Even if you drew, say, eliptical, or circular buttons in Photoshop, on the transparent background of the subpicture, you will still use Maestro to draw Rectangular fields in the Maestro menu editor. Although this may seem strange, you will find that you can adjust the settings for colour and transparency in Maestro's menu-editor, so that, when you actually playback the title, the circular or eliptical buttons will magically appear, but WITHOUT a visible rectangle around them - TRUST me - IT DOES WORK! I recommend that you playback a commercial DVD title, and look at the menus WHILE YOU READ MY ABOVE INSTRUCTIONS. This should help you to begin to conceptualise and understand what is actually going on - it's how I got to grips with it, anyway ;)

c) button fields/areas, which you define within the menu-editor.

These button fields are described abovem and are what you really need to get your head around (and it takes every DVD-authoring novice a while to get their head around this, so don't think you are unusual in this respect!), is that



[[3) Is there any way to demultiplex them so I don't loose any quality at all? Why would I need a menu for this one? I want it to autoplay once the DVD is inserted into a set top DVD player... What's the timeout thing you mention?]]

Demultiplex what? Your ripped VOBs? YES, you can, but then you need to have enough space on your disk to write them to once you've finished your Maestro Project. If all you want to do is directly copy DVDs to DVDr, then you needn't necessarily re-author the content at all - just read the thread at the top of this forum category. Derrow is the man to speak to - he even wrote a program ( IFO-Edit ) to help you do this!!


[[4) OK for Macrovision, I think I did this when ripping I was just not sure if it was just this or there was any other thing involved (like Maestro readding it or something )
OK for Multiregion, I'll check this out!!! ]]

Yeah, Macrovision removal is standard practice during ripping.
Multiregion is a piece of cake in Maestro, as I described previously.


Arky ;o)

[Arky]

Oh, to add chapters in Maestro, do the following:


1) remember where I told you to click, on the Maestro Movie timeline, to get to the pop-up menu that allows you to grab a bitmap? Well do this again, wherever you wish to create a chapter mark, and then tick the box to say you want a "CHAPTER MARK", RATHER than a "punchmark" etc.

When you have created as many of these as you wish (e.g, say 10 or 15 chapters, at relevant parts of the movie, or even just 2!!), then you are set. Don't forget that the very beginning of the movie AUTOMATICALLY is labelled as chapter 1, so you don't need to add a chapter mark at the beginning. Remember that if you need to delete any of these chapter marks, just gently highlight the tiny little diamond and then press the delete key on your keyboard - voila!

Now go and create a menu, as I described in previous posts, and create the button fields, as I described. NOW, RIGHT-click on a button, and you will see a drop-down menu where you can choose what "TARGET" you want the button to activate. So button 1 might be told to activate chapter 1. remember that you can obviously only have one target per button (except with WebDVD functionality, but please do not try to learn this until you are competent at the rest of the authoring process).

It's as simple as that.

You will find, as you become more competent at Maestro, that there are often several methods to achieve links. The most powerful method (but more confusing for the novice), is to use the "Coinnections" window. Since you are learning Maestro, I strongly recommend that you use the right-click/drop-down menu mehtod of assigning links, and only use the connections window at the very end of the target-assignment process, if you need to fill in any blanks. Also remember that the navigator is your friend - use it to check all your links before you finalise your title.

You are always welcome to repost here with any more questions - just don't expect me to write you an entire manual!! ;)


Arky ;o)

[Areku]

Man you rule this world!!! ;)

Wotta nice explanation you spread over here! ;) It's definetly hard to get lost with them. This weekend I'll play with them all so I can figure out how to finish my first 2-movies-into-a-single-DVDR5 ;)

As for,

1) Errrr... got the message, thanks ;)

2) I "saved" the vts_2_00.vob file (the one containing the menus). Since it contains ALL of the menus, but I won't be using the extras at all, I guess I don't need it's hierarchy, so what would you recommend to do? The import and reoutline the buttons thing?

3) I think you missunderstood me here, or I didn't know how to explain this better: Let's say I have a nice .VOB video of my own "company logo and seal" (an animation after all). Say I want this .VOB to play right after you put the DVD on a set top DVD player. How do I insert this onto the maestro project? Can I just rename the vts_1_01.vob (the video I mentioned) to video_ts.vob and that's all? Or do I need to demultiplex and recompile them into the Maestro project?

If I need to de/remultiplex them, how can I do this WITHOUT loosing any quality (ie keeping the max. quality of the original .VOB)?

4) I guess it's clear enough ;)

5) For the chapters thing, since I'm still not used to it, will test this out on the weekend. I'll lyk if any doubts arise from this step ;))


Again, a BIG THANK YOU! ;)

[mikeathome]

Hi,

just one thing to add to Arkys post:
While you edit a chapter mark you can save the actual frame (the chapter is placed on) as .bmp picture. That way you get easily Still pictures for Menu background.

mike

[Vizio]

Hi there.
For your weekend praktice i´ll suggest you to play the movie and simply press the insert button on your keyboard that will automaticly insert an chapter point to your movie, later you can by holding down left mouse button over the diamond shaped chapterpoint repossition it.
That will be time saving since you need "well I dont know if you do it but I always check the movie once so I can see if its ok or not" check the movie and add chapter points.
Good Luck Man

Vizio

[Areku]

Thanks for the tip, Vizio, will do! ;)

[Arky]

Yes, that is a good tip, but beware it has a tendency to crash Maestro if you have an unstable or slow system - I think this may be because of the power required to rapidly seek an MPEG2 file, but I have never been able to confirm this...


Arky ;o)

[Vizio]

Good point on that one, but I must say that I have never had a crash on my system and I use the program every day, The PC is a dual PIII 500 Mhz with 256 Mb RAM and the Hollywood Plus decoder card OS system NT sp6. I tested it on a PII 400 Mhz 128 Mb RAM and the Hollywood Plus Card OS System Win 2000 and still working without crash. Could the crash problem be on the release? I myself only have the 2.912 release.

Best Vizio

[Areku]

I do have the same version on PIII-800, W2000 & 256MbRAM. No decoder card. Installed cinemaster DLLs but I get a "not enough memory" when trying to run the preview function. I can hear the audio though...

Ideas?

To date Maestro has not crashed though.

[pekes]

I'm looking for Cinemaster long time. Please email me where could I download it.

pekes@atlas.cz

[grog]

Has anyone ever got the preview to work under XP ??

I am hoping I dont have to reinstall W2K :-(

[SiC]

I'm using XP and have previews

[GlenC]

@sic,

Can you please tell me the version number of cinemaster you are using under xp, I have tried 2037-6382, but this causes maestro to crash :(

Thanks

Glen.

[SiC]

I'm using "ELSAmovie CD-ROM Version C-2000" according to the readme.txt file, it came with my old Elsa vid card.

[d121]

Hi Arky,

I refer to your statement that Maestro needs Cinemaster software to get preview. I visit the site of Ravisent and find Cinemaster DVD for $49.95.

Is Cinemaster DVD the software that can realise preview function in Maestro? If yes, I'll buy this software from Ravisent.

Fred

[auenf]

Originally posted by d121
Hi Arky,

I refer to your statement that Maestro needs Cinemaster software to get preview. I visit the site of Ravisent and find Cinemaster DVD for $49.95.

Is Cinemaster DVD the software that can realise preview function in Maestro? If yes, I'll buy this software from Ravisent.

Fred

yes, cinemaster is the codec that can be used in Maestro. but, cineplayer XP doesnt work with maestro in XP.

Enf...