IFOUpdate and PGC Not Large Enough

[dgwak]

I am following DVD9toDVD5 guide and I am rather stuck in IFOupdate. I can update the main movie IFO just fine using it but when I tried to IfoUpdate the trailer IFO's it gives me "Original IFO's PGC is not large enough for new ifo's". I think it may have something to do with the source ifo having multiple PGC's and authored one has only one.

I noticed that it can get around that message when I get rid of the chapter points in Maestro. (but then it's out of sync)

I would like to know if there is something I can do about that problem and also, if there is any other alternative to IfoUpdate.

Thanks in advance..

[jdobbs]

This almost always happens as a result of having too many chapters in one of your PGCs. IFOUpdate moves data from the newly created IFO into the proper location in the original one. It doesn't recreate the IFO from scratch. So if you create a new IFO that has more chapters or cells than the original it necessarily must fail (there's no place to put the extra data).

[dgwak]

Well good to hear your insight again, jdobbs.

What puzzles me is that I used ChapterXtractor on that particular ifo to extract the chapters (there were only 4). So it's not like I tried to do it manually.

This particular IFO has 12 PGC's and my authored one only has one PGC (with 4 chapters). I also noticed that the first PGC of the original has only 2 chapters although some other PGC's have 4 or 6 chapters.

If extracted chapters are not accurate, then is there any way I can manually ( or possibly another program?) insert the right chapter points so the menu will still work?

BTW, I use DVD9toDVD5 guide to the tee and the final authored IFO's all seem to have just one PGC.

[jdobbs]

If you are working with multiple PGCs the newly created must also have multiple PGCs. Each PGC has a storage area that identifies its chapter points. It also has an area that stores cell points. If the newly authored file has more than the original they won't fit.

In your case IFOUpdate is trying to import the first PGC in your newly authored IFO (the only one) into the first PGC of the original. It then finds that is has to fit four chapter points into an area that only has two resident -- you get an error.

I would suggest you extract the chapters with IFOUpdate so you can see the chapters associated with each PGC. If you are authoring with Maestro, you can use IFOUpdates "Maestro Multi-PGC" chapter file and update mode and it will create files that work...

Chapter extractor only extracts chapters for one PGC at a time.

[dgwak]

Accroding to your suggestion, I extracted chapters using "Maestro multi-PGC" then compiled with m2v and ac3 files in Maestro.

This time it imported 19 chapters instead of 4 but I still ended up with only 1 PGC from Maestro. Thus, still the same error from IfoUpdate.

Here is what I did. According to DVD9toDVD5 method, I used DVD2AVI to demux and then CCE to compress the video. When I use Maestro to compile, I always end up with a set of ifo and vobs that only have 1 PGC. (it works fine with the main movie since the first PGC is the one with most chapters, but with trailers it varies)

Is there any way that I could either drop some PGC's from the original or creat more PGC's for authored ifo?

[jdobbs]

If you are trying to reproduce a Multiple-PGC title you have to recreate the multiple PGCs. If not the original menu structure will not work and you've defeated the purpose of the backup. Download this file (http://forum.doom9.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=196751) as it may give you some more insight into how to do multiple PGCs using IFOUpdate.

[dgwak]

Thanks for the file but I can't see any pictures...

Is there a link to that file?

[jdobbs]

The file was too big to post with the pictures.

[dgwak]

7.5. Referring back to the informational text file (step 2.4) named "MULTIPGC-MAESTRO-README.TXT" you will see which chapters should be added to which playlist. Also make sure you create them in the correct order (regardless of what chapters are involved). It isn't unusual at all to have chapters 5-7 in Playlist 1 and chapters 1-4 in Playlist 2… In our example I will add one chapter to Playlist1 (the last chapter at 00:39:23:07 that represents PGC_1). All the other chapters will be added to Playlist 2 which represents PGC_10)

Ok... I don't understand (maybe lack of pictures contributes here) how you could add one chapter to Playlist1 and all the other chpaters will be added to Playlist 2. Do you just modify the MULTIPGC-MAESTRO-README.TXT file or MULTIPGC-MAESTRO.CHP file?

My oiginal IFO shows the following. (MULTIPGC-MAESTRO-README.TXT)

Chapter assignment information for DVDMaestro Playlists:
- Playlist #1 (PGC #1); [VOB Sector: 0]
- 00:00:00:00
- 00:03:01:25
- Playlist #2 (PGC #2); [VOB Sector: 47785]
- 00:03:03:11
- 00:03:47:15
- Playlist #7 (PGC #7); [VOB Sector: 47785]
- This Playlist uses the chapter point(s) identified in Playlist #2
- Warning: The chapter count isn't the same. You may want to look at this with IFOEdit
- Playlist #3 (PGC #3); [VOB Sector: 58041]
- 00:03:49:01
- 00:06:42:23
- Playlist #4 (PGC #4); [VOB Sector: 100257]
- 00:06:44:09
- 00:08:49:07
- Playlist #5 (PGC #5); [VOB Sector: 130809]
- 00:08:50:23
- 00:11:41:26
- Playlist #6 (PGC #6); [VOB Sector: 172845]
- 00:11:43:12
- 00:14:48:21
- Playlist #8 (PGC #8); [VOB Sector: 218205]
- 00:14:50:07
- 00:21:27:26
- Playlist #12 (PGC #12); [VOB Sector: 218205]
- This Playlist uses the chapter point(s) identified in Playlist #8
- Warning: The chapter count isn't the same. You may want to look at this with IFOEdit
- Playlist #9 (PGC #9); [VOB Sector: 318364]
- 00:21:29:12
- 00:30:18:15
- Playlist #10 (PGC #10); [VOB Sector: 445917]
- 00:30:20:01
- 00:38:32:21
- Playlist #11 (PGC #11); [VOB Sector: 571645]
- 00:38:34:07
- 00:48:54:24
Any unlisted PGCs have been determined to be nulls (dummys)
and will remain intact in the original file.



My Maestro-Chapter points shows the following. (MULTIPGC-MAESTRO.CHP)

$Spruce_IFrame_List

00:00:00:00
00:03:01:25
00:03:03:11
00:03:47:15
00:03:49:01
00:06:42:23
00:06:44:09
00:08:49:07
00:08:50:23
00:11:41:26
00:11:43:12
00:14:48:21
00:14:50:07
00:21:27:26
00:21:29:12
00:30:18:15
00:30:20:01
00:38:32:21
00:38:34:07
00:48:54:24

When I import that Masetro-Chapter file into Maestro along with other files, I only end up with one PGC file with 19 chapters.

Am I missing some steps here that are required? What do I need to modify to end up with ifo with multiple PGCs?

[dgwak]

I think I found part of solutions to be to creat different playlist for each PGC in Maestro.

I tried to creat playlist and import m2v file and shorten it to fit the length of the each PGC. When I tried to compile, Maestro tells me that Main video is not contiguous and can't compile.

I guess I need some guide as to how to compile diffenrent playlist off of the same m2v file(s).

Could you point me to the right place? (I did see the Maestro Guide in Doom9 (http://www.doom9.org/index.html?/software2.htm) but did not elaborate on playlists)

[jdobbs]

You bring in one video stream (all the VTS). Drag and drop the .M2V and .AC3 into the movie timeline. The you add the chapters from the provided .CHP file. Then you create playlists in the movie and, after double-clicking on a playlist so the playlist edit area will appear, add (drag and drop) the appropriate chapter points to each playlist. Each playlist will become a PGC (this is how you create PGCs in Maestro) when you do the compile.

Maestro has a quirk in which it creates an additional PGC that represents the entire video stream (all chapters) -- IFOUpdate will remove that when it does it's update.

[dgwak]

Ok..I got to the point now of adding chapters to each playlist.

In this particular movie, I ended up with 7 playlists under the movie1. When I finish compiling, however, I ended up with 8 PGC's, the first one having all chapters. (The second PGC corresponds to the first playlist and so forth).

Oh another thing, when I import MAESTRO-MULTI PGC chapters, it says "Chapter position invalid since it would violate the minimum allowable chapter length" and only imports 12 instead of 16 listed in MULTIPGC-MAESTRO-README. Do I have to input those manually in Maestro?

[jdobbs]

From what I see in your postings you should be creating 12 PGCs...

Yes. You'll find that sometimes there are chapter points that (when you consider the I-Frame start points) are too close together (all chapters have to start on an I-Frame). In a perfect world you could use the CCE chapter points during encoding to make sure the I-Frames are exact. But for reasons I have not yet deciphered that isn't always the case.

[dgwak]

Oops. No I am onto a different movie now..but for the sake of this post, let's say we are still doing the one with 11 PGC's like above.

Are you saying that although it shows 11 PGC's I will end up with 12 PGS's? (that's what happens to me...the first one is always the one with all chapters) If so, wouldn't IfoUPdate not give me that same error message (Original IFO has not enough room for new IFO's PGC's)?

I thought they have to be the same...

I know it may be somewhat frustrating for you since I am new at this but you've been great in helping me along..Thanks!

[jdobbs]

No. The one you show above has 12 PGCs. It just so happens that PGC 12 is located between PGCs 7 and 9. After you created the playlists you would then have 13 PGCS (the 12 you created plus the one that includes everything). When you do the update you would use "Maestro Multi-PGC" mode -- which would update properly and remove the "everything" PGC.

[MackemX]

Originally posted by jdobbs
The file was too big to post with the pictures.
is the guide not somewhere in the Guides?

can I get it with pictures from anywhere?

cheers

[Bruce Leroy]

Sorry to confuse matters a bit fellas. Thanks JDOBBS... You are the man! I am having a problem with multiple pgcs in maestro too.

I have done it several times before but now I'm stumpted. You see I used IFOUPDATE to extract chapters, got my 3 text files as usuall. But the problem is it gives me chapters in excess of the total time of the encoded video stream. I am doing Ice age disc 2 and the last title set has something like 22 pgcs.... normally not a problem. I create the pgcs with the chapters outlined in the text file but it gives me chapters at 1:14:00 even though the video stream is only 1:04:00 long!

Could use some help.

Thanks in advance.

[tyee]

That's what is happening to me also with AOTC.

What I did was add the main movie again (concatenate) to the Maestro timeline, then grab the end of it and clip it down so that the total running time is just greater than the last chapter time required to be imported. I then right clicked in the video timeline and exported the two .m2v's into a new .m2v and used that as the new movie. Then import chapters,and they're all there.

Is this method correct JDobbs?

If it is, what I wanted to do instead of the above was to (like the Maestro manual says), grab the end of the movie and drag it to a length greater than the time of the last chapter required to be imported. Then import chapters as above. However dragging the end of a .m2v does not seem to do anything. The Maestro manual says you can do this and have the last frame of the movie held as a still determined by how far you have dragged it. When I drag then release the mouse, the end of the movie snaps back to where it had been:(

tyee

[Bruce Leroy]

I don't think that this will work for me as the encoded stream has lots of cut streams that need precise location points.. they are non-consecutive.

Any help would be appreciated.

Bruceleroy

[reddragon72]

I would like to reopen this one. I posted in another place but got no responce. My multipgc.chp file has playlists with only one time not two. is this normal and what do I do with them?

[XCPU]

I met the same problem.

In my original DVD9, it has 80 cells,after reauthor, it becomes 70 cells. I have no idea in this case. Am I must use tools such as SCENARIST or DAEMON to reauthor it??? that's really a nightmare!

[Bruce Leroy]

I found that it was easier to just strip each pgc separately and recompile in maestro adding every stream.... pain in the *ss but it works. Plus you can substitute movies this way...ie a dumb documentary that is 1 hour long can be replaced with a 5 min trailer. or whatever. Jdobbs or somebody told me that some movies have streams that have still pictures that take up time but not video space
thus causing chapters in excess of video... still don't know how to fix.

[eJoeyXiON]

Hi there,

Read carefully the instructions jdobbs gave:

You bring in one video stream (all the VTS). Drag and drop the .M2V and .AC3 into the movie timeline. The you add the chapters from the provided .CHP file. Then you create playlists in the movie and, after double-clicking on a playlist so the playlist edit area will appear, add (drag and drop) the appropriate chapter points to each playlist. Each playlist will become a PGC (this is how you create PGCs in Maestro) when you do the compile.

Maestro has a quirk in which it creates an additional PGC that represents the entire video stream (all chapters) -- IFOUpdate will remove that when it does it's update.

--

I followed them, and I could create it with no problem. New ifos would be multi pgc, matching the original ones. Set ifoupdate to Maestro-MultiPGC mode, and it'll be fine.

Good luck,

eJoey.

[Bruce Leroy]

Yeah, Jdobbs does a great job with multiple PGCs... but when you have like 80 PGCS, chances are they are NOT chapters... usually stills that
take time... Like images that have a time limit but do not have any moving video. So far, I have not heard about being able to do these...

Check out Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. One of the title sets has
Chapter points in excess of the length of video.... Somehow the DVD
pauses the video for a while on a still...;)

[oddyseus]

I have a solution for you. These vts sets really, consisting of stills don't take too much space compared to the time u will need to properly reauthor it. Just include them as r. Not very elegant solution but saves u time to work on another project.

[Bruce Leroy]

What do you mean by "just include them as r."?