Adding CD Cover pictures to the SVCD

[Kvark]

How to put cover pictures or any extra files to an SVCD?

I wanted to add some extra files to my SVCD discs. I think it's nice to have all the eggs in the same basket, such as the original DVD cover and the SVCD covers, which I have adjusted for the CD jewel case size. In case of later reproduction I don't have to look for cover pictures - they are all there with the movie.

If there's anybody with a better idea how to do this, I'd love to hear it. I've tried many ways, but the only way I managed to figure out and get to work was to edit the VCDXBuild_Script.xml file and then re-running the VCDXBuild for that particular SVCD:

After this exellent example
<folder>
<name>EXTRA</name>
<file src="G:\Capture\DVD\VCDXBuild_Script_2.xml">
<name>DVD2SVCD.XML</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Capture\DVD\SVCDInfo.txt">
<name>SVCDINFO.TXT</name>
</file>
</folder>

I added
<folder>
<name>CDCOVER</name>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\SVCD1.jpg">
<name>SVCD1.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\SVCD2.jpg">
<name>SVCD2.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\SVCDBack.jpg">
<name>SVCDBACK.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\SVCDFrnt.jpg">
<name>SVCDFRNT.JPG</name>
</file>
</folder>

<folder>
<name>CDCOVER/DVD</name>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\DVD\DVDLabel.jpg">
<name>DVDLABEL.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\DVD\Front.jpg">
<name>FRONT.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\DVD\Inlay1.jpg">
<name>INLAY1.JPG</name>
</file>
<file src="G:\Really\All\Too\Long\Path\DVD\Inlay2.jpg">
<name>INLAY2.JPG</name>
</file>
</folder>

After saving the changes the only thing left was to copy and paste the actual command line from the dvd2svcd_log.txt to a command prompt window. Of course, this also increases the size of the image file, which might get too big to fit on a regular CD :(, so one has to take care not to add too much extra material.

I hope this helps those of you who have been looking for this kind of possibility. Of course this is a very primitive way to do this, and as I mentioned, I'd like to know of other ways. Let's hope this could be a feature interesting enough to add as "Add extra directory" funtion to future releases (hint :D).

I'd also like to know how to add covers etc. to a copy of an existing SVCD/VCD.

Best wishes
Kvark

[Kvark]

I can see that this post has been pretty popular reading stuff, so here's an add-on for those in need:

If you have a really complex directory structure with lots of files, which you absolutely would like to add on your DVD2SVCD-created SVCD, but don't want to have to create the .xml entries manually, here's a workaround for Nero:

1. Do everything that you usually do in DVD2SVCD but save some space to your extra files. Don't delete any files.

2. Create another SVCD with Nero. Just add your directory structure, and pick a short MPEG2 file (for instance "ChangeCDPicture.mpg") to make it an real SVCD. Burn the whole thing into an .nrg image.

3. Mount your new "SVCD" as an virtual CD-ROM with Daemon Tools.

4. Rip your SVCD to a new directory with VCDEasy.

5. Open the .xml file, mark and copy the wanted "filesystem" entries, open the VCDXBuild_Script_1.xml and paste the new entries in the right place (see the previous post). Don't mess up the XML structure.

6. Copy all the _files from your rip directory into the directory, where your DVD2SVCD-produced files are.

7. Locate the VCDXBuild.exe command line from dvd2svcd_log.txt, copy it and paste it to a command line window.

8. In case you want to be sure everything went OK, mount the new image with Daemon Tools and inspect it.

9. Burn the image to a CD (if it still fits :) )

Piece of cake.
Kvark

[Kvark]

It seems to be that I must answer some of my questions myself :D .

As an answer to my very badly formed question
"how to add covers etc. to a copy of an existing SVCD/VCD":

First, we are talking about a copy. I have plenty of VCDs and an increasing amount of SVCDs. If I want to put some extra material to them, I have to make a copy which will have this extra quality.

1. Rip the original VCD/SVCD with VCDEasy.

2. Add the extra entries to the .xml file (see the two previous posts for further information) with all the right paths to the right locations of all the new files.

3. Recompile an image with VCDEasy or VCDXBuild, check it with Daemon Tools, burn it to CD. Voilá.

Kvark

[badbert]

Dude Does this mean we could use DVD2SVCD, until completed. Mount the .bin/.cue files in daemon, use VCDeasy to "rip" the SVCD to your HD. Combine the XML entries from the "fake SVCD" created in Nero.
And recompile all before burning a disc....sweet....beats keeping a huge folder full of VCD covers.....

[xp_eric]

It looks like this is a feature many people would like to see being add to DVD2SVCD !?

I'd suggest adding an option to add one or more covers in the CD Image tab which are stored in an additional folder Covers on the first disc. The size of the added files should be subtracted from the calculated size of the MPEG file for the first disc.

cheers,

:p Eric

[wonkaman]

Another method is to use VCDeasy to convert the Dat on your existing Svcd or vcd file back to an Mpeg file using mpeg tools and selecting Cdxa2mpeg then once this has been done create directies on your hard drive, Example cd_Label. You will have to create one folder for each label etc. Then go to SVCD and select iso files once you are there select add folders adding a seperate folder for each label whether it be for cd or jewel case. Once this has been done right click on each folder in turn and select add files and select the file you wish to add to the disk adding one file to each folder. You will find it better if you add just cd label to each disk and jewel case labels to the last disk because you generally have a little bit more room. Once you have done this go back to svcd main and select add files and select the mpeg you created earlier and either use cdrdao to burn the created image file or another burning program Nero etc and all the labels you added are now on your svcd or vcd.
I hope this helps you out and makes it a little easier.