Linking Scenarist multiple aspect ratios

[mickrick]

I'm currently working my way through an authoring guide to Scenarist, using Fox's Ice Age, and I want to link from a Root Menu for special features to both a 16:9 title and several 4:3 titles. However, Scenarist will not let me do this.

What I want to know is, can I link from one root menu to another using a button?

What I want to do is:

First PGC - Fox Titles intro (in title_1)

Link to Title Menu (Video Manager Language)

link to title_2 PGC (main movie) and title 3 language (special features root menu)

link from special features menu to 1 16:9 PGC and 4 4:3 PGC's titles or keep the 16:9 PGC in title_3 and link to title_4 with the 4 4:3 PGC's.

Anyone help?

[mpucoder]

2 things that should help. The different aspect ratio titles must be in different title sets, one for 4:3, another for 16:9. You cannot directly link from one title set to another, instead you must create a PGC in VMG with no programs, and a pre command to jump to the other title set. These are called "dummy PGCs". You then link back to the dummy PGC, which will jump you to the other title set. Here's a graphic that shows the allowed jumps/links/calls (jlc's) http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/vmi-jmp.html

Hope this helps clear things up.

[mickrick]

Nope, it doesn't really clear anything up. I cannot creat a PGC in Video Manager, only a language and I although I understand the concept of a "dummy PGC" I don't have a clue how it would work in practice.

If you could spell it out for me a bit better I could maybe get the grasp of it.

Thanks

Michael

[dvddev9]

For a Sting live dvd, I made a menu to start a 16:9 title or a 4:3 title whitout dummy pgc. Maybe the attached script can help you...

[Eyes`Only]

Nope, it doesn't really clear anything up. I cannot creat a PGC in Video Manager, only a language and I although I understand the concept of a "dummy PGC" I don't have a clue how it would work in practice.


Create the language first, and then you'll have opportunity to create other things.

As for a dummy pgc, here's the quick rundown on why and how...

DVD Specs mandate that the only legal way to jump from one vts to another is through the Video Manager, it cannot be legally done in a regular VTS itself. As for how.. you create a jump to the dummy pgc in your Video Manager, and as a POST command of your dummy PGC, you have a JUMP to a different VTS.

Clear as mud, eh? Authoring is so fun!

Eyes`Only

[mickrick]

So it's one dummy PGC per vts then?

Do I create a pre to the vts and then a post back to my main menu?

[Eyes`Only]

one dummy pgc for each post jump you need. If you had two jumps going to two different pgcs, you'd use 2 dummy pgcs. If you had two jumps going to the same pgc, you could jump them both to the same dummy pgc.

pres and post are different depending on what you're doing.

[mickrick]

Okay, eyes, I've created my "dummy PGC" and a pre command to jump to the 4:3 PGC. I can now jump to and play the correct PGC.

I created a post command from the 4:3 PGC back to the dummy and then a post from the dummy to the menu again, but the video just plays on loop.

How do I set my jump up properly back to the menu via the dummy?

[Eyes`Only]

You've almost got it right, but what you are doing wrong is you are setting up the post of the second vts to jump back to the pre of the dummy pgc, where that pre in the dummy pgc tells it to jump to the beginning of the vts, see? That's why you're looping. Instead of a post command in the vts that jumps to the dummy pgc, you need to have a post command to 'return', which tells it to return back past the pre command that jumped it there originally.

[mickrick]

you need to have a post command to 'return', which tells it to return back past the pre command that jumped it there originally.

Aha, which is exactly what I do not know how to do.

I can set a post command to go back to my dummy PGC, but that is as far as it goes. Please enlighten me on how to do this.

Once I get this figured it should be all plain sailing from there (bar animated and scored menus - but that's for another day!).

Can't I just set up another dummy PGC for my return, set a post command from my vts to that and a post from the second dummy back to my menu?

[Eyes`Only]

Been a while since I did it, I'll have to do some research. Your idea of a second dummy pgc sounds like it may work too.

[mickrick]

Eyes

The second dummy did the trick, so now that's another hurdle I've overcome.

To be honest, I've found the authoring bit to be a very enjoyable challenge and, as I'm already in systems development, a lot of it has been quite easy, the likes of designing the disc layout, menu layout etc. What I have found, though, is that Sonic's helpfiles are pretty lousy for the best part.

Thanks for all your help, and if you do remember how to "return" to a menu via a single dummy PGC, please let me know.