MenuEdit - Tool to edit DVD Menus

[Dimad]

I do realize that there are many posts on this subject:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=41726
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40584
to name a few.

But still I've decided to open a new one as I was not sure in which of the old posts to put this info.

Having all these nice tools, like: dvddecriptor, ifoedit, rempeg and imgtools one can make a one disk backup of DVD very easily. The only step in this process, which is a real hassle, is editing menus to disable buttons linking to pruned parts of the DVD. This procedure (at least for me) takes much more of my personal time (not computational time) then all other steps together.

I've decided that it should not be this way and wrote a MenuEdit. This little program is completely free to use by everyone. It eliminates a root of the problem - removes buttons from dvd menu screens. No button - no problem.

When selected buttons are deleted from selected menu, MenuEdit automatically relinks buttons left in this menu so that you can still access all buttons with navigation keys of your remote control.

At the moment you can only delete buttons, but if I will hear enough in support of editing buttons (like modifying command associated with the button, etc), I will implement these features as well.
Correction: buttons can be edited now.

At the moment MenuEdit does not show underlying menu screen, only buttons layout. So you need to know where on the screen your button is located, as well as vobID and cellID for the menu.
Correction: starting with 1.3.0 actual video is shown.



Program does in place editing of the vob files, so you may want to make a copy of the file before editing, just in case you will remove something you don't real intended to. I've tested it, but still consider it as a beta version.


Anyone who wish to report a problem need to provide at least this info:
1. Title of DVD; PAL/NTSC; Region code
2. Titleset # (i.e. xx and y in VTS_xx_y.VOB)
3. Menu VOB #; Cell #;
4. indexes of deleted buttons (new version of MenuEdit (see attachement) show button index on each button to help with this);
5. Extract vob# with menu where error occur and send it to me (actually send both before editing and after): MenuEdit@mail.com
Use VobRator (http://www.doom9.org/Soft21/Rippers/VOBrator02b.zip):
1) open vob-file;
2) hit collaps;
3) select whole vob and uncheck "include in output";
4) select needed vob# and check "include in output";
5) expand this vob# and uncheck "include in output" for all subitems exept NAV
6) save to some file
7) zip it and send to me

Few recommendations which will help in finding errors:
i) Try to edit menu only once, otherwise list buttons deleted in each attempt separately(like: deleted buttons {0, 2, 5} then buttons {0, 1} !!note: second time it will be already new indexing!!).

ii) When you encounter an error editing vob-file, check if this error is specific to some particular menu or to whole editing session. In other words, do you have same error if you open vob-file, edit your menu (only this menu), close vob-file?



Edited 03/18/03
I've opened a site for the MenuEdit. http://www.dimadsoft.com/menuedit
All further releases will be posted there.


Enjoy it!

Dimad.
--------------------------------
Q Can machine think?
A Machine should not think. Machine must run.

[Administr8or]

sounds very interesting indeed, and with your future plans with it, i'd surely give it a try, and give feedback for it if ya like

[2COOL]

Dimad,

Here's my attempts and results with your MENUedit. I had two DVDs with main menus, with motion, displaying immediately on DVD insert. My main menu resided in titleset 1 (VTS_01_0.IFO - VobID 1).

1st try: Opened up first movie's VTS_01_0.IFO, selected VobID 1 and sucessfully deleted one button.
Results: Produces error when previewing in IFOedit. Cannot tell if button was really disabled without a working movie.

2nd try: Opened up first movie's VTS_01_0.IFO, selected VOBID 1 and deleted all buttons successfuly.
Results: Previewed VTS_01_0.IFO. Menu pops up with all selected buttons disabled.:D

3rd try: Restored original VTS_01_0.IFO and VTS_01_0.VOB. Use MENUedit to delete one button again.
Results: VobID 1 is not available for selection.

4th try: Deleted C:\Windows\MENUEDIT.EXE-3453B866.pf and proceed to select VobID 1 in MENUedit.
Results: No change. VobID 1 is not available again for selection. :confused:

5th try: Deleted C:\Windows\MENUEDIT.EXE-3453B866.pf again and opened up second movie's VTS_01_0.IFO to select VobID 1.
Results: VobID 1 does not appear.

MY COMMENTS: MENUedit did as advertised in my second try.:) I thought I did something wrong in my first try but it worked in my second attempt. But after that, my VobID 1 does not appear even using a new untouched movie.:( The only file I found that was connected to MENUedit was a file called MENUEDIT.EXE-3453B866.pf in my windows directory. I was actually looking for a .ini file where the settings were saved but no go. Again, I was impressed by it ability to select and disable buttons with ease.:D Just needs more tweaking and testing.

Additional Comment: Even with VobID 1 gone, the button layout that displays in MENUedit with my second movie does not correspond to any exact button layouts with the movie. I checked and confirmed all menus and there was no match.

[Fmazzanti]

@dimad,
yesterday i tried that wonderful program of yours with a movie I was backin' up (The Fly original version). Actually the DVD structure was not that complex, and I tried to remove some extras with IfoEdit, resulting in a project that worked fine unless you press one button corresponding to a feature that was not there anymore: in that case the player simply froze and that was the end of it.
Using MenuEdit I simply deleted any reference to the buttons corresponding to these features. They disappeared at once and now my DVD works more than *perfect*. Great tool!!
Besides, I like the way buttons are displayed: if you know the menus on the DVD, you recognize everything without problems...

@2cool,
looks like I've been much more lucky than you this time :cool:

[2COOL]

Dimad,

Can you reply to my post of test results?

[Dimad]

Hard to tell without having your vob with menu.

But I have few remarks:
1) MenuEdit disables access to the vob-file it is working with (actually reading is allowed). Other applications may not be able to use vob-file while you are editing it with MenuEdit. You need to know what buttons you plan to delete before you open vob-file for editing. I do realize that it is not very convenient, but that is what you have with this version of MenuEdit.

2)There is not much sense in deleting buttons from the menu without buttons, so MenuEdit does not offer menus without buttons for editing. But all vobs and cells are still there.

3) MenuEdit does not touch ifo-files. No need to back them up.

4) It may not be a good idea to delete system files.

5) MenuEdit leaves no trace in your system. No ini-files, no records in regestry.

6) DVD menu may have up to 3 button layouts for different screen sizes. MenuEdit treats them correctly (as far as I tested). Although you select buttons for deleting only once for menu buttons are deleted from all groups. It may be that program your are using to preview menu shows buttons from different group.

Good luck using MenuEdit.

Dimad.
--------------------------------
Q Can machine think?
A Machine should not think. Machine must run.

[DnGermany]

I love this tool. Previously I had to use a hex editor which took a little time, but not to much once you know where everything is. What i like best, is the automatic relinking of the other buttons. Just for info I used it on GoneIn60sec R1 menus from VTS 1 and 2, worked like a charm. Keep up the good work.

[2COOL]

Originally posted by Dimad
5) MenuEdit leaves no trace in your system. No ini-files, no records in regestry.

Dimad,

I have to disagree with you on this. Well not totally, MenuEdit doesn't but WinXP does something with it.

Initially, the only 2 files that I had associated with MenuEdit was menuedit.zip and MenuEdit.Exe. After using MenuEdit today, I did a file search on "menuedit". I found this again in my C:\Windows\Prefetch\MENUEDIT.EXE-3453B866.pf. Hmmm...I'm using WinXP right now and I really don't know all of its features so I did an internet search about "prefetch" and came up with this.


What Is Prefetch? Taken From Microsoft Website:

Windows XP monitors the files that are used when the computer starts and when you start applications. By monitoring these files, Windows XP can prefetch them. Prefetching data is the process whereby data that is expected to be requested is read ahead into the cache. Prefetching boot files and applications decreases the time needed to start Windows XP and start applications.

This information is logged and stored on your hard drive taking up space and requiring a process to be kept running monitoring which applications are being run. This has a performance impact on your PC. Disabling the Prefetch function or at least only enabling it for the Boot Files will allow you to free up some system resources and preserve some disk space.

Here's more of information on MENUEDIT.EXE-3453B866.pf from longshome.com

The prefetch information is stored in the Windows directory, in the Prefetch subdirectory, in binary format.

How does the system know which data should be prefetched? The Cache Manager component takes care of monitoring page faults, which tell it which data has to be retrieved from disk in the paging (or swapping) process. Cache Manager monitors the boot process and the first 10 seconds of the startup process for each application. This produces information called a trace, which is passed to a Task Scheduler component that processes the trace data and writes it to a file in the Prefetch directory. You can identify the application to which the trace pertains because the filename will start with the application name. The filename also contains a hash, in hexadecimal notation, of the path to the file, and has a .pf extension. (The trace file for the boot process is called NTOSBOOT-B00FAAD.PF.)

The next time the system boots or the application is started, the Cache Manager looks in the Prefetch directory. If there’s a file there for the boot process or application, the data and code referenced in the trace file will be put into memory, if they’re not already there. This prefetching decreases the amount of time that was lost under previous operating systems in seeking the data and reading it into memory from different, disparate locations on the disk.

So you see, it does leave a "trace" on my WinXP system. ;) I've rebooted twice today and it's still there.

[dvman]

Great tool... works like a charme for me. :D :D :D

[gizmau]

menuedit does only work in some special/simple cases:

1
2
3
4
5

when i delete 5, it isnt selectable any more and 1-4 still work as desired.

when i delete 4, 1-3 still work, 4 isnt selectable as intended, but 5 is connected to the content of 4. this way it is impossible to return to the previous menu if 5 is connected to this function.

[2COOL]

Originally posted by gizmau
menuedit does only work in some special/simple cases:

1
2
3
4
5

when i delete 5, it isnt selectable any more and 1-4 still work as desired.

when i delete 4, 1-3 still work, 4 isnt selectable as intended, but 5 is connected to the content of 4. this way it is impossible to return to the previous menu if 5 is connected to this function.

Are you using WinXP? This is exactly what my problem is. It's great the first time around but the second time is :confused: .

[KYUSS]

wicked proggy
thanks m8

[Fmazzanti]

I'm also using WinXP and MenuEdit. Yesterday I deleted button 3 from a main menu containing 4 buttons:
1: language selection
2: Scene selection
3: goto extras menu
4: play movie
After deleting button 3, I could still use vuttons 1, 2 and 4 without any functionality loss (and that paticulalrly means that button 4 is still displaying the main movie)...
So no issues here whatsoever, even running XP.

[gizmau]

Originally posted by 2COOL
Are you using WinXP? This is exactly what my problem is. It's great the first time around but the second time is :confused: .

yes, exactly...

[YODAS]

The same thing happened to me although it did happen the third time and not the second. On my other machine though that runs win2k everything works fine without problems.Strange...

[2COOL]

Alright!:D

I'm glad I'm not the only one scratching my head.:p Hmmm, I wonder what OS Dimad is using on his computer?

If anyone who posts that has the same problem, please state what OS you are using please.

[Fmazzanti]

Pretty weird... I've used it on my last 3 backups and didn't have a single problem. Now I'm backing up a fourthe one and start to experience the same as you guys. I also use WinXP. Too bad, it's a nice tool. Hope he'll fix that soon...

[Dimad]

I don't know will you believe me or not, but there is no way I can figure out what is the problem by yours comments. Send me actual files (or better fragments with vobID, cellID under the question) before editing and after. Or, if files are big (more then 1MB), tell me what movie you are working with and what menu you are editing (what buttons you are deleting and actions you do to delete them), I'll try to find this movie.

Send it to MenuEdit@mail.com

As I understand there was no problems reported under WinNT/2000.
All experienced problems occur under XP.

Here is the sad truth: I don't have an access to XP computer at the moment. So if this is a specifically XP problem I may not be able to fix it in near future.

[Fmazzanti]

I still don't see how can this problem be related to an operating system issue. It looks more like functionality is shifted from buttons to otehr buttons in some strange way I do not understand. But of course, I know nothing about these things...

[VidHack]

First of all -- THANK YOU -- For this tool, the end of HEX editing - WOWSER! I also run a Win2k box, and NO problems yet. Lets talk about your app for a second. First, would you consider open sourceing it? What language is it written in? If you wont release the code, could you use a transparent background, or a XOR type of background bitmap instead of that green one, you see, we could overlay your app on top of the DVD2AVI preview window to supperimpose the bitmaps to actually line up the buttons to the actual frame of video in the menu. DVD2AVI will give us the VOB ID/ Cell ID in the Statistcs window. Are you familiar with Directshow filters? Your app is in its beginnings and I commend you on the approach, with just a bit of tweaking this App is a godsend! I am sure 2Cool will agree. Please continue developing it with some type of see thru overlay in mind, you could even incorperate a simple AVS script that will get the VOB ID frame and convert it to a bitmap for the actual background image. Please consider this. Thank you again.

PS.- After compiling your app, please run a DEPENDENCY checking app to ensure support on all plateforms. (What compilier did you use?)

VidHack

[firstelvys]

Guys,

This prog is great! I already use VOBEdit to delete menu buttons AFTER I've exhausted all options with IFOEdit. This saves me a ton of time. You guys should read the tutorial on removing buttons, use it and then come back to this program. Although, I have not experienced the problem where button functionality is moved "up" in the button sequence, dimad should really take a look at this.

Again, GREAT prog, dude!

[Fmazzanti]

Hi again,
no wonder MenuEdit is a *great* prog! I think everybody here agrees on that... and that's precisely why we keep this thread running, because we'd like to use it without the functionality loss trouble.
Since it looks like the problem comes from running it under WinXP, maybe this could work (and I emphasize the MAYBE). By right-clicking on the program and going to properties, if I'm not wrong, one could run it in 'Win98/Me mode'. I can't try it here 'cause I don't have access to any WinXP box at work, but maybe somebody else can. Otherwise I'll try it tonight...

[Dimad]

Thanks for your post VidHack. I was about to ask simmilar questions :)

Originally posted by VidHack
First, would you consider open sourceing it? What language is it written in?
I've not thought about this yet, but it is possible. Everything is in C++. GUI stuff MS VC++ 6.0.


If you wont release the code, could you use a transparent background, or a XOR type of background bitmap instead of that green one, you see, we could overlay your app on top of the DVD2AVI preview window to supperimpose the bitmaps to actually line up the buttons to the actual frame of video in the menu. DVD2AVI will give us the VOB ID/ Cell ID in the Statistcs window.
I would prefer to keep it stand alone if it does not mean writing whole new previewer from scratch.


Are you familiar with Directshow filters? Your app is in its beginnings and I commend you on the approach, with just a bit of tweaking this App is a godsend! I am sure 2Cool will agree.

Yes, but only familiar. I've never wrote anything "visual" before. This should not be a problem as I've never worked with DVD streams before either. Thanks to MpuCoder's site and Eric Smith's vobdump program it took me couple of days to get through it. So I'm sure that with yours and other people help we can manage this.


Please continue developing it with some type of see through overlay in mind, you could even incorperate a simple AVS script that will get the VOB ID frame and convert it to a bitmap for the actual background image. Please consider this. Thank you again.

That is how this program is designed. Actually, everything started as code to select and remap buttons which I wrote and sent to Derrow couple of months ago. Thought it would not take him long to add it to the vob parser and previewer he has. Well, I was wrong. So I added my own vob-parser. If someone can tell me how to extract frame from the video packets and to convert it to bitmap I'll immediately modify MenuEdit so that it shows actual background under the buttons.
What is AVS?


PS.- After compiling your app, please run a DEPENDENCY checking app to ensure support on all plateforms. (What compilier did you use?)

MS VC++ 6.0.
What is "DEPENDENCY checking app"?

[nlphillips]

Yet another great program to help with backups! Thankyou.

I have a small suggestion for a possible future release.... how about the ability to save the button layout image as a 4 colour BMP for direct importng as a sub-pic into Scenarist?... for anyone that is totally re-authoring a disc. (with the appropriate palette changes... black, white, red & blue).

Ths would be an absolute God-send and could save hours for people who choose one of the total re-author methods.

Cheers :)

[Dimad]

Originally posted by nlphillips
Yet another great program to help with backups! Thankyou.

I have a small suggestion for a possible future release.... how about the ability to save the button layout image as a 4 colour BMP for direct importng as a sub-pic into Scenarist?... for anyone that is totally re-authoring a disc. (with the appropriate palette changes... black, white, red & blue).

Ths would be an absolute God-send and could save hours for people who choose one of the total re-author methods.

Cheers :)

That is how monsters are created out of small and simple program :)

I'll consider this for the next release, just point me to the more detailed info on what images are needed.

[VidHack]

The dependency checker app I refer to is 'Dependency Walker"', www.dependencywalker.com (Free). You should run a dependency check within your compilier also.

The AVS script would be a Avisynth Script, that would grab the frame of the VOB and convert it to a bitmap, if you have ever used DVD2SVCD, it uses that feature to "Preview" the VOB before encoding. Also, there are DVD2AVI (Source Free) compilies that include a .bmp save routine built in. Check the DVD2AVI Forum, on this site.
Thanks again, and am looking forward to a killer app.

VidHack

[Spirit UK]

Excellent little tool there m8, well done.

For future editions will it be possible to pick an actual vob instead of just 0.VOB coz Independence Day Special edition uses two menus, the first one is located VTS_03_1.VOB and the second is VTS_01_0.VOB (which is ok), apart from this nice work.

You can on the other hand rename all _1, _2, _3 e.t.c to _0 edit it and then rename it back, this works.

Cheers

Spirit UK

:) :) :)

[nemesi]

Hi Dimad,

thx a lot, great tool!!! More simple to disable a button rather than making it point elsewhere....

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Spirit UK
Excellent little tool there m8, well done.

For future editions will it be possible to pick an actual vob instead of just 0.VOB coz Independence Day Special edition uses two menus, the first one is located VTS_03_1.VOB and the second is VTS_01_0.VOB (which is ok), apart from this nice work.

You can on the other hand rename all _1, _2, _3 e.t.c to _0 edit it and then rename it back, this works.

Cheers

Spirit UK

:) :) :)

Here is the trick: Pass the name of any vob file as a first argument to MenuEdit. It will open it as menu vob. :)

To do this, you may simply select MenuEdit as a program which should be used to open files with extension vob, when you double click on it.

Enjoy!

[Fmazzanti]

Dimad,
rather than asking for this or that new feature (I fnd MenuEdit nice as it is), I'd like to ask about the functionality problem some of us have experienced. I by no means wnat or pretend to push you in any way, just would like to get some info. Taking into account that I run WinXP (which other people say may be the source of the problem), what would be your advice for me? Move to other OS? That would be a drastic change I don't want to do right now...
In any case thanks for the prog and I do believe it is one of the *fundamental* tools needed for good DVD bakup-ing...

[VidHack]

I am running Win2k and dont have any problems with this app. I am simply trying to help the developer remotely troubleshoot his code, so a quick question to the WinXP folke with the problems.

1. What exact patch level of WinXP are you running? (SP1?)
2. Are you running the .NET Framework?
3. Processor - Athlon or Intel?
4. Direct X Version ? (8/9 other)
5. Browser info
6. Any other machine specific data?

Also Diman please check out http://workspacewhiz.com/index.html , here is another Dependency checker for the .NET folks.

Also Diman, if you have ever watched the developement of DVD2SVCD, he included a very interesting hunk of code in the 'bugged' releases, and its still in there today. It makes a 'snapshot' of the system, and then creates a autoDebug Log, ready to send to the author. Perhaps you should roll this into your app untill the platform stability is fixed.

Just an idea...

VidHack

[Fmazzanti]

Hi again,
more (helpful?) info. I've been fighting for a couple of days with menus and MenuEdit and the movie 'Star Trek VI', a nice exemple of buttons disfunction under WinXP. Well, today I brought VTS_01_0.VOB (where the monus reside) to my work, where I have a Win98 box.
I removed buttons there and brought it back home, copied it in place of my VTS_01_0.VOB and... bang! Exactly the same problems as if I did the button removal on my WinXP computer. So it seems that simply changing the OS doens't help, at least in this case. Such a pity :(

[VidHack]

Actually you are more helpfull than you think. Though you didnt supply any machine specific hardware/software info, you may be on to something.
Perhaps its DVD Title specific, or perhaps its your DVD player, or your software DVD Application?
Could the users that have problems PLEASE give more info on this bug?
Perhaps:

1. Title of DVD / Menu VOB #
2. Buttons Deleted.
3. Software DVD player used.
4. Region Code of DVD.
5. PAL / NTSC ?
6. Burning Application.

There are hundreds of variables when deploying an application, if we all work together perhaps we can narrow down this problem. Just complaining about this, wont fix it. Please supply DATA....Thanks

VidHack

[2COOL]

Originally posted by VidHack
There are hundreds of variables when deploying an application, if we all work together perhaps we can narrow down this problem. Just complaining about this, wont fix it. Please supply DATA....Thanks

VidHack

VidHack,

Don't be too hard on Fmazzanti. Everybody doesn't know everything. He's just giving information to the best of his knowledge. That's why we have these nice forums for people to seek and learn about the problems they are experiencing. Though his description of the problem may not meet your expectations of data inputs but any valid inputs given is a positive step toward a solution.

I for one have given my inputs on the first page and the movie I was working on at the time was Brother, where art thou? and Men in Black II. I don't think it's DVD specific. Why would the same DVD work on WIN2K but not on WinXP:confused:

[Fmazzanti]

Gentleman,
let me say that I didn't provide any information about my system specs because I'm right now convinced that this is not related in any way to the OS you use, but rather to the DVD itself or the way MenuEdit treats it. Actually I start to think that due to the many different complex ways in which a DVD can be authored, a general pourpose tool as this one is doomed to fail in many cases. However I hope I'm wrong and want to fight to have it working :D
Menu deleted buttons give me problems both on my computer and my DVD standalone players: with PowerDVD messed buttons lead to wrong menus, and on my DVD players (a Marantz and a CyberHome) they simple freeze the player.
But since I'm opened to help in ANY way, here's the info you requested:
* movie: Star Trek VI PAL Region 2
* Menu VOB: VTS_01_0.VOB
* Buttons deleted: menu extras button in main menu.all languages but english and spanish in audio menu (notice this title comes with menus in 4 languages, so I deleted the buttons four times, one for each language).
* Software DVD player: PowerDVD for XP.
* Burning application: Nero 5.5.8.0, DVDecrypter, RecordNowMax... all of them with the same result.
* Running WinXP sp 1.
* no .NET framework
* Athlon XP 1800+ processor, 512Mb RAM Kingstone PC2100, 80+40+30Gb HDD, Epox 8KHA+ mobo...
* Direct X 8 (that actually came on the WinXP box).
* IIyama Vision master Pro 451 monitor
* wooden table with monitor on top of it
* mechanical, non-organic mouse
* keyboard full of keys...
Hope that's enough ;) However it is, I'm willing to provide any info I can.

[Dimad]

VidHack, I appreciate your help.

Also thanks a lot to everyone who found time to reply in this thread.

Originally posted by Fmazzanti
I'm right now convinced that this is not related in any way to the OS you use, but rather to the DVD itself or the way MenuEdit treats it.
Fmazzanti, thanks for your experiments. Before I had no data to suggest MenuEdit error (althogh I kept the possibility in mind).


Originally posted by Fmazzanti
Actually I start to think that due to the many different complex ways in which a DVD can be authored, a general pourpose tool as this one is doomed to fail in many cases.
That is where you are wrong, I think. All the mess is in ifo-files, all these pre and post commands. Format of the navigation pack (this is the place where buttons are defined) is quite strict. Unfortunatelly I'm not a guru in this format, and don't know if changing only obvious fields (like amount of buttons, etc.) is enough to produce a valid navigation pack in all cases. So, now you should understand how important is your info! wink

I've added some more info to the first post in this thread. Take a look.

[Fmazzanti]

Dimad,
I hope you are right. I keep saying that I'm ready to do as many experiments as you want. The only idea of this tools is so nice that I'm willing to contribute to it the way I can. Just tell me if you want any more help.
BTW, I can try to give you VTS_01_0.VOB of the movie I've been playin with, but it takes 9Mb or so...

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Fmazzanti
BTW, I can try to give you VTS_01_0.VOB of the movie I've been playin with, but it takes 9Mb or so... [/B]
Whole file is too big, but you can extract navigations packs using VobRator and send this really small file (especially if it is zipped) to me. See first post in this thread on how to do it.
Send extractions from both files before editing and after. Of course I'll not be abble to watch menu in action, but at least I'll see if problem is in my understanding of navigation pack formatting or in the procedures that remove and relink buttons.

[VidHack]

I guess we are waiting for the moderator to approve the new attachment to download?

BTW: I think I will do some trolling thru the open source community for a MPEG frame viewer, I know there already written, a quick question, Do you want the source in c+ or Visual C++ ? Also, one final compilier question, Did you have Service Pack 5 for Visual C++ ?

Just to let you know, there is someone in the DVDAVI / Video Capture forum (TrBarry) I believe is his name. He eats video encoding/decoding code for lunch, he may be a incredible wealth of information reguarding the Mpeg frame viewer idea.

Oh well, glad to see that we are all moving forward with this AWSUM app. Thanks again for all your work and time, thanks also to the debuggers out there...

VidHack

[Fmazzanti]

no attachment no fun.... I'll wait for it, although I don't know if I'll be able to do what you want today.
I guess that the new MenuEdit is the same as the old one with the extra info you say in the first post, isn't it?

[Dimad]

Yup, you are right.

Does someone know how to speed up an approval procedure?

[VidHack]

Here are some links to various MPEG2 viewers, all open source, I hope in the future you can merge in this code to give you a 'previewer'.

http://libmpeg2.sourceforge.net/
http://outflux.net/unix/software/GOPchop/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.gstreamer.net/apps/gst-player/
http://cvs.sourceforge.net/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/gstreamer/gst-player/

A DVD player is a relatively easy thing to construct given the right components,
some of which already exist. A simple DVD player would look something like this (as much as ASCII graphs look like anything):

|=thread===========|
-------(audio)-------|ac3dec--audiosink |
|=thread============|/ |==================|
| dvdsrc--mpeg2parse| |=thread============================|
|===================|-(video)-|mpeg2dec-- |=bin================| |
\ |========| \-|subtitle--videosink | |
\---(subtitle)----|---|====================| |
|==========================|
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.cs.unc.edu/~awilson/class/290-072/final-report.html

http://www.mpeg.org/index.html/MSSG/ (http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/MSSG/#source)
http://drogo.cselt.stet.it/mpeg/
http://www.mpeg.org/index.html/video.html

http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat/4/idpl/160882/idpa/160882 (Mpeg2dec-021)

Thanks again for your ongoing improvements to an excellent program.

PS. I found some other good code on a VC++ API library for directX at www.planet-source-code.com

Thanks again.

VidHack

[reelthing03]

this seems like a really cool program. I would love it if a "make button" feature was build into it at some point. So far as i know there is no other way to make buttons without completly authoring. Such a feature, i think.. (maybe i am wrong) would allow one to author a dvd from scratch with changing subpictures, and then add buttons over the video, which would then give animated buttons.

Keep up the good work
B

[quinn]

One of the problems I'm finding (I use WinXP, by the way, and find no problem with MenuEdit) is that some audio menus are done in a very wierd (to my way of thinking) way - Stargate Collector's Edition is the one I'm working on now.

All the buttons do a LinkTailPGC, which just goes to the end of the PGC and runs all the post commands, and then they have some REALLY hairy logic based on the button number you hit, etc. to set up the audio and subtitles.

The problem is that menuedit removes the buttons and relinks the other buttons.

I think if it just relinked the buttons, and left the original buttons "dangling", this kind of problem would go away. Then the only ugliness would be if one of the buttons you "removed" was the default button coming from another menu.

[Fmazzanti]

Gentlemen,
I see most of you take your chances to ask for this and that and the other thing I'd love to have in a program like this one. Unfortunately, I don't see this was the intention of Dimad. I guess he just wrote a very nice and useful tool that is intended to solve all authoring/reathoring problems of the world. If you've ever removed buttons 'the hard way', you'll realize how nice this tool can be...
i would not ask for nre features yet but rather enjoy and test and debug it.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by quinn
The problem is that menuedit removes the buttons and relinks the other buttons.

quinn, you've won the prize!

Thinking about the problem reported by Fmazzanti and others I've realized that it may happen only if selected button is processed further in ifo-file by its index, instead of the command in nav-pack associated with this button. I've modified MenuEdit not to delete buttons and sent it to Fmazzanti for the testing:

From the Fmazzanti's mail
two simple and nice words

perfect success !!

you fixed my Star Trek problems. Now it works like a charm!
I've tested it extensively with this title, and everything works now
as you would expect. i don't know what you did (and actually would like to know where the problem was), but now it works.


Here is the MenuEdit with quick and dirty fix.
To make me happy I'll need to figure out what exactly these fields in PCI-pack mean: startingButton, forceSelButton, forceActionButton. If someone knows it say it loud.


Edited 03/19/03
I've opened a site for the MenuEdit. http://menuedit.dimad.net
All further releases will be posted there.

[Dimad]

Thanks a lot for your research. I'll go through it as soon as I'm back from vacation. Going to have some fun next week skiing.

I'm quite happy that I've found workaround for the "ghost buttons" before going there. :) It's not a final fix though, say if someone delete button with index 0 from some menu, burn a DVD, play it and hit select when this menu appears then this button will be selected anyway.

On futher modifications:
1) Fixing "ghost buttons" problem: I think I have a solution even for the situations pointed out by quinn. Will do it when I'm back.
2) Adding actual background: I'll do it for sure. May be just an fixed image from the menu (not an animated menu) at the begining.
3) Saving buttons layout as a bitmap: no problem, should be easy to do(have all the code needed). But I'll need more inputs on this from those who will use this feature.
4) Modification of menu buttons (auto action, comman associated with the button, color scheme, etc): can be done. Especially if I'll get GUI code to edit commands (like in IfoEdit).

[quinn]

Originally posted by Dimad
quinn, you've won the prize!

Thanks - eagerly awaiting that attachment - it's tedious going in their and doing this by hand - a great little program. Thanks for the work...

[baker]

Anyway as some of you here might now I attempted to make a guide over at vcdhelp using this program, to put it simply the guide was a load of horse bollox and didn't work.

http://www.dvdrhelp.com/forum/userguides/145182.php

Now the idea was using the fantastic menu edit program (which has worked flawlesssly may I(attempt)say) we could simply remove the button for the extras, leave the scene selection and subs selection menu on and bang.... we would have a brilliant looking quailty DVD with the original menu and scene selection. However my method of removing the VTS sets was flawed and fucked up. If anybody know how to do it properly plz tell me as I am only learning about DVDs file structure.

I havent read all this thread yhet but will do it now and see if I missed anything.

Baker

[baker]

Theres supposed to be a way of using dvd2one and keep the menus. Now I would neveer use the shite dvd2one but the idea in thereoy could be used with my guide...

Baker

[mpucoder]

Originally posted by Dimad
To make me happy I'll need to figure out what exactly these fields in PCI-pack mean: startingButton, forceSelButton, forceActionButton. If someone knows it say it loud.


Sorry for the long silence, a really active forum kept me busy.
Have you seen http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/pci_pkt.html ?
For single display mode subpictures (4:3, or 16:9 with no letterbox or P/S allowed) there are 36 buttons. The buttons get divided evenly if auto_letterbox and/or auto_Pan/Scan is permitted (18 buttons each if only one auto mode added, 12 buttons each if all three modes allowed)

Starting button number and number of buttons define the range of valid button numbers. It should correspond to the defined buttons in BTN_IT. Note: number of buttons is for one display mode, multiply by the number of display modes (1,2, or 3) to get the total number of buttons.
Force select causes a button to be selected at btn_sl_e_ptm (button select end time, basically a time-out) but not acted on. Force action causes a button to be acted on at btn_sl_e_ptm. Normally only one of these values is set, since force action should happen fast enough to not see the select color, but they may both be set, causing the button to flash on some players prior to actioning. They may also be set to different buttons, causing unpredictable results.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by baker
Now the idea was using the fantastic menu edit program (which has worked flawlesssly may I(attempt)say) we could simply remove the button for the extras, leave the scene selection and subs selection menu on and bang.... we would have a brilliant looking quailty DVD with the original menu and scene selection.

Don't forget: you may use it also to remove links to unavailable scenes in scene selection menus when original disk is split to 2 DVDs.
:)

[schlaufer]

Originally posted by Dimad

Here is the MenuEdit with quick and dirty fix.
To make me happy I'll need to figure out what exactly these fields in PCI-pack mean: startingButton, forceSelButton, forceActionButton. If someone knows it say it loud.

Hi Dimad,
thanks for this nice app. Version 1.1.0 solved the problem for too.
Cheers,
schlaufer

[Sp33d]

I'm not sure where this post should go but I have a question about this app. If I use IFOEDIT to strip streams, how can I incorporate my menu back into the mix? For example, I back up a movie and it's 4.72GB. To get it down to size I use IFOEdit to strip soundtracks. There's no way to add the menu back to this because the IFOEdit files start right at the beginning of the movie. Is this utility only useful when the movie files with menu is smaller than 4.36GB?

[VidHack]

Wrong forum, please start a new thread. You need to learn how to use IFOupdate. This will let you merge in your old menu. Please start a new thread if you need help.

VidHack

[int 21h]

Great application, great start to what I'm sure will only get better :)

[dvdmonkey]

I haven't really played to much with the app yet, but when you delete the buttons, you don't need for your menu, does the app remove the segment vob out of the menu vob aswell?
If not is that something you can incorporate into your future upgrades? I have been trying to edit Star Wars' P.M. to get the DVD to use only one menu, and your program sounded promising for my problem.
Thank-you

[int 21h]

Sixth Sense: Special Edition (Buena Vista 1999), NTSC, R1
VTS_05_0.VOB
VOB-ID: 1, Cell-ID: 1
IndexofButton: 4 ('Preview Trailers')

Emailed the before and after nav-packs of that vob/cell.

Thanks again.

[DVD Maniac]

I have just used this program on a multi episode test (Fawlty Towers) split to two discs to retain full quality amd working menus. This is a tall order to get all the menus working correctly but I think I am there now.

Previously I was using the direct edit trick in Vobedit to disable button's (setting all the attributes to 0) and editing button navigation (by changing the hex values directly and copying from the previous buttons hex value). After much time messing around I finally got all the buttons I wanted disabled / edited working correctly on the PC player. I nearly chucked my settop out the window when I found that ALL the disabled buttons still worked!

Having tried this app - all the buttons now disable on the PC and settop - success!

Some questions then for the experts -

1. What is the app doing differently to the "manual" method in Vobedit?

2. Why are there multiple references / nav packs to the same vob? It seems that you have to only change the FIRST reference using the manual method for all the edits to work (ie changed nav function). Is the tool editing ALL the vob nav packs, not just the first reference?

3. Why the different results on PC player vs settop

Thanks

[Black Hole]

Hi Dimad,

First of all I wish to thank you for this nice tool. The first time I saw it was on Doom9 news on 25th February but I didn't have an opportunity to test it properly until today, 9th March. Prior to MenuEdit, I was used to edit buttons directly with an Hex Editor because I found that VobEdit was sometimes destroying the NAV packets of the original VOB file, so I have some background in doing tests.

Today I tested with Jimmy Neutron main menu, just to find the same behaviour posted earlier: the buttons order were moved, but the command (the most important thing after all) was not copied back. I discovered this with VobEdit against the patched VOB, so I logged on here to find if another MenuEdit version was released. I was using the version released on 17th February ZIP file.

Well, my OS is Windows 2000, but I think that doesn't really matter since it was discovered along this thread that the errors weren't OS-dependant. While I was reading, I was going to point you to the excelent MPUCoder web site, but he himself has already done so - MPUCoder and Derrow are gods to me! :D -

I haven't still tested the 27th February MenuEdit 1.1.0 version, but others reported that it worked fine. I will check it as soon as I post this reply, but I would like to give Dimad some suggestions about his program, which I think are easy to code and could greatly improve the way people understand the tool (which is still a bit oriented to pros).

1. Include the version number inside the program
This is a simple thing for not to mix different versions of the program. I already got 3 different executables from this thread and the internal version of all 3 of them is 1.0.0.1 ... you can only see it in Windows Explorer file properties, so a little "About" button in the main program or adding it besides the name of the title bar is very welcomed.

2. Check more buttons beyond the first ones
This is very interesting and MPUCoder has given hints about it. I found some time ago, while I was trying to correct "Lilo & Stitch" menu buttons, that there were 2 copies of the buttons: one for 4:3 and another one for 16:9 ... one was starting at button 1 and the other one was starting at button 19, and I didn't know why until I read MPUCoder reply in this thread ... it made me trash a disc when I found it not working in a friend's 16:9 television!! :mad:

3. Make a small section presenting button properties
Since you already got the data from the NAV packet, it would be very useful to present numeric information about the button being changed. Over the preview screen you could place 36 little squares numbered 1 to 36, as shortcut buttons to the info of that button, being greyed and non-selectable those whose 18 bytes of data are all zero's. That way you could inform the user of the availability of ghost buttons which are just 1 pixel wide with auto-select or auto-action.

When you click on any of those 36 shortcuts, the VOB button should be highlighted on the preview screen and a small info section should be filled with all the available data: starting & ending XY coordinates, selected button when up/down/left/right is pressed, and action command to be executed.

4. Make a small button editor
It would be very useful, just in case we need to change the behaviour of the button, to change the above parameters. In fact it would be as easy as the current task of MenuEdit, as you already know which values must be changed (you do, don't you? hehehe). This way, we could recode the way buttons are selected with the remote controller.

The toughest part would be a VM Command editor, but that is not so urgent. You have a lot of info about commands in MPUCoder site at this page (http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/vmi.html). The naming of commands in that web are the same as the little command editor in IfoEdit, but differs from the naming in DVD Maestro or Scenarist. I could try to help you match them if you really need it.

5. Don't save changes immediately
You should track the changes in memory or in a file, just in case we need to undo the values of a button and revert to the original state. When we've finished our editing or deleting, the user should be forced to save them all. If the user exists the program without saving changes, a requester should warn him to do so, giving the option to skip the process, just in case he doesn't want to change anything at that moment. An option to back up the original VOB would be also a good idea ... when you code an application (I used to do that years ago) is advisable to make it fool-proof, but even in that case, you will find the "King of Fools" complaining and moaning :p

I hope you will take all this suggestions as positively as me writing them up!

Greetings from Spain.

[yamyam]

I have been using menuedit to disable buttons in dvd menus, it works great, a very promising little program but on certain menus it freezes like on a view to a kill (pal). I really hope this will be developed further because its very easy to use and saves a lot of messin around.

[int 21h]

Nevermind on the bug... I forgot to remove all instances of the button, throughout the motion menus.

[baddbill]

Great program! It has worked wonderfully on several DVD's except my last. On XXX after I edit the main menu with menuedit the swirly lines that appear on each side of a selected menu button are deformed or only partially visible. You can still tell which button is selected but it doesn't look good.

I've read on this forum that deleting the default button is not a good idea. Is this true? If so what is the best way to change the default button?

Thanks,
Bill

[baddbill]

Hi Dimad, I deleted the audio, subtitles and chapter selection buttons on the main menu of XXX with menuedit 1.1. Before the image is created the files play fine with both PowerDVD and WINDVD. After I create an image with imagetools .89 WINDVD plays it fine but PowerDVD won't play any of the traiers or half of the bonus material. I would email you the vob file but after I stripped out three vob id's the vob is still 90 megs. Here is some info for you:

XXX, NTSC, Region 1
VTS_02_0.VOB
Main menu is vob ID 1, cell ID 5 and 6
I deleted buttons 0, 3 and 4 all at once in both cell ID's


This is the only menu that I have edited in the vob. If you need any more info let me know.

Thanks,
Bill

[Dimad]

OK, I'm back and even have done one thing: opened a web site for the MenuEdit: http://menuedit.dimad.net
All further releases will be posted there.

I've read all last posts, Black Hole - that is impressive writing, and will reply latter.

[Fmazzanti]

Nice looking site... :)

[djadjet]

Nice.

Hope you enjoyed skiing.

[Dimad]

MenuEdit 1.1.2 is released. (http://menuedit.dimad.net)
Check "what's new" to see what was added/fixed.
All future notifications about new releases will go through MenuEdit newslist. So, take your time and subscribe if you are interested.

[Cataro]

Hi Dimad,

Thanks for this nice app. Great job.

Greetings from Portugal

Cátaro
:D

[2COOL]

Dimad,

When I test my menus after MenuEdit, everything is fine. But when I view it on my standalone, it seems that my titlespace for my highlights have shrunk . It's like my aspect ratio for my button highlight space has shrunk but still centered. Many of my buttons have offset highlighting toward the center. Normally viewing it on a TV, you have a rectangled view, but my highlight space is a centered square with some buttons out of it's boundaries now. It's only after I view it on the TV. I've done 3 movies so far and still the same.

[djadjet]

I have encountered exactly the same problem. It happens on the 4:3 but not on 16:9 (at least for me).

[firstelvys]

Dimad,

I'd like to thank you for a great tool. I know already told you this before, but it bears repeating. You are probably busy, so I will get to the point. We all know that DVD's do not like to have the default button on any menu deleted. Many DVDs just hang there. I have found that deleting their functionality allows this with out a problem. I used VOBEdit until your fantastic tool came along and I just zeroed out all of the funtions of a button while leaving the button itself intact. I believe you're already doing this as part of your tool. I thought that is what you meant when it said "edit button" on your tool. Again, thanks for the great tool.

Elvys

[DVD Maniac]

Hi Dimad,
I sent you a post to your site - no reply.

Regarding the edit function. On the screen you get position edit and next button edit feature - obvious how these work. I want to make the button link to another vob in my menu. At the bottom of the edit pop up screen there appears to be a an entry point to do just this labelled "Command" with what appears like a look up button next to it. Problem is that it is greyed out and apparently non functional.

Please explain how to use this (Is it not yet functional????)

Thsnks

[Dimad]

Seems that time has come to make few things clear.

I wrote MenuEdit to save me some time when I make a copy of the DVD. And it does exactly what I want it to do, if you have not tried to fix menus on DVD either with HEX-editor or with IFOEdit, try it - you will better understand what I'm talking about.

Then I figured out that I must not be the only one who wastes an incredible amount of time on this. So, I made MenuEdit public.

Lets do some math: approximately 2000 copies of the MenuEdit were downloaded since it was first published about 6 weeks ago. Assume that MenuEdit is used once a week to edit menus in the copied DVD (some people seams to copy dvds more often, but lets be conservative). Assuming that editing menu "hard" way requires 1 hour (again, lets be conservative) and with MenuEdit it hardly takes any time, this tool already saved 12000 hours. Which is 500 days or roughly 1.4 years.

MenuEdit used this way for a year will save its user at least 52 hours. This is 6.5 8-hours working days! Time, which could be spend either for fun or for earning money.

I enjoy writing neat and useful programs, but this is not the only thing I like (say, I find playing with my daughter much more interesting). I started to wander why should I spend my time working on the features I don't need at the moment (locking myself away from my family) to save someone's time. If you have an answer let me know.

To help me answer this question I've set up the MenuEdit web site and put "make a donation" button there. You need to understand, I have a day job and I'll never earn even close to this amount by selling MenuEdit or receiving donations for it. I've done it to see how much people are interested in this tool and how much they value their time.

So far there was not a single proof that someone finds MenuEdit (read: my time) worse anything. Sorry, I need to correct myself here: some people at least said "Thank you". My answer to them: "You are most welcome!".

Until something will change I will work on MenuEdit when I have a mood for it.
As I said before, eventually I'll add:
- editing of other button attributes (command, etc.);
- automated treatment of the deleted default buttons;
- cell accurate preview of the menu (actual menu will be shown on the background);
- deletion of cells from the vob-file;
- saving of the button images so that interested people can use them in other authoring programs,
- etc.
- etc.

Even then it is not clear how to avoid the problem of this program being sold by other people, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. :)

Yours,

[mpucoder]

It has long been the policy of Doom9 to NOT bother freeware authors. Be grateful for what they do, maybe report a bug or circumstances around a known bug that could be useful to the author. But NEVER press for new features or release dates. The authors of these programs write for their own satisfaction, and share the programs with you in the hope that you will find them useful. The pleasure derived from writing freeware can quickly fade when people start asking for features, or when promised features will be working.

[DVD Maniac]

Dimad,
I understand where you are coming from on this, my post was referring to your latest release on your site where it does say that the command function edit has been added. I have posted a couple of thanks to you on previous occasions.

I think you will get some donations as this is such a great tool and I have been planning to do so myself. I regularly donate for tools I find really useful and this one will be no exception. I myself have no expectation levels on what you do with further development - its great as it is and I am happy to donate. I hope others will do the same.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by DVD Maniac
Dimad,
... was referring to your latest release on your site where it does say that the command function edit has been added...

Sorry, but here is the quote from the site:

Version 1.1.2
…
Add - Position and links to adjacent buttons can be edited manually for each button.
…


I don't want to sound like I don't care what is the public opinion about MenuEdit or what are the features one would like to have added. Everyone is welcome to submit these - I'll put it on MenuEdit's TODO list.

Mpucoder put everything together very nicely, I would not say it better. Once again I would like to thank him for his nice and very informative site. Another proof of the fact that info assimilation depends strongly on the way it is presented.

Regards,

[VidHack]

Dimad,

Hello, just wanted to throw a THANKS for the app out there to you. I do remember the OLD days of Hex-editing and you have already saved me a few hair follicles. Your app is sweet. Also, you actually got me on a search for more code. I have now studied VobDump and am trying to see if I can port any of that file pointer code to VB. Also, please check out the OGLE Player, its an open source DVD player that has awsum pages of source code, especially there MPEG screenshot routines, I have thought on this issue and hopfully the eventual rolling in a routine like that to your wonderful app. So, I respect your decision on whatever you do, and thank you for guiding me in a new direction.

VidHack

[Dimad]

Hi, VidHack!

So far I've looked through VirtualDub, mpeg2dec, ogle and xine source code. All of these are quite nice apps, but my lord what a mess - it is not straightforward to get needed piece of code out of them.

VB is visual basic? Have not used this for a while now.

[mcentee]

Hi - great little app - does what is says on the tin..however..

Once i have edited a menu vob, the next time I try and edit it (whether I va copid it to another filename, or another diretory) menuedit comes back straight away with the following "information" dialog box:

ERROR - The Operation Completed Successfully

Any ideas ?

[Dimad]

Originally posted by mcentee
Hi - great little app - does what is says on the tin..however..

Once i have edited a menu vob, the next time I try and edit it (whether I va copid it to another filename, or another diretory) menuedit comes back straight away with the following "information" dialog box:

ERROR - The Operation Completed Successfully

Any ideas ?

Yes, a few. But I'll need to figure out exact location.

I'll be away for two weeks, but comp will be with me. If you don't mind I'll send a debug version to you when it's ready and I have an access to the internet.

By the way: What happens after this message? Does it still work after that?

[rpboy]

Originally posted by Dimad
Edited 03/18/03
I've opened a site for the MenuEdit. http://menuedit.dimad.net
All further releases will be posted there.

I've been trying to get to this site and it keeps saying "Cannot Find Server". Anyone know another location to download this tool? I'm very excited to try it.

Any assistance would be most appreciated.

[mcentee]

Dimad - have a good break! FYI the app doesn't process the vob file after the error.The app doesn't "hang" either, just ;ets you go on opening a nother vob if you want, but if you try to open the same vob you get the same message.

[VidHack]

Enjoy the trip away. I have confirmed the bug that 2Cool posted a few pages back regarding Button aspect ratio incorrect. So, I am kind of hoping you can get your hands on Men in Black DVD, so perhaps together we can figure it out. I am starting to dig into this problem on my own.

Here is the info...so far...

DVD: Men in Black (Directors Cut)
Menu VOB: is the widescreen/fullscreen selection menu :VIDEO_TS.VOB
(I had to rename it to VTS_08_0.VOB, to directly open it up in your app)This VOB is only 3598kb, so even a personal email may be possible to send to you, not in this forum...I understand..)
VOB ID: it only has VOB ID 1 and VOB ID 2, both with cell ID 1 and cell id 2.
Both only contain 3 buttons (Which makes this a really nice troubleshooting/beta test menu VOB)

Basically I am removing the fullscreen button, so only the Widescreen button is available. Which worked fine, and playing it on the computer PC DVD player, all seemed OK. But in the stand alone, the button X START value seems to be divided in half. So, opened the VOB in VOBedit and did some comparisons (Against the UNmodified VOB)....Hmmmm....Interesting....

Notes:(So Far)VOB ID 1 Cell 2
General: Using NAV Pack 1273 (First pack of Button info not zero)
(Oh yea, I realize that your array values in C++ must start with zero, but this really messes with your head in VOBedit, buttons start with a value of 1, and yours start with 0) Also, I see that you really dont delete the button, you give it a X/Y value of 1/2 and hide it in the corner of the screen, one Glitch may be that you arent killing the COMMAND, perhaps sliding in a NOP, should be tried. I have compared the NAV packs button x/y values and all seem PERFECT, but there are differences in a stand alone DVD player, they use other Tables that a software player doesnt. So, the current PGC.IFO will also have to be compared, especially http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/spu.html
This may shed some light on this issue.

Anyway, I like what your doing with your app, and the direction I see your going. Perhaps setting up a few troublesome Menu VOBS for beta testing against (NTSC/PAL)(Widescreen/Fullscreen)(Anime/Whatever) could be considered. Thanks again, keep the faith...your work is appreciated.

VidHack

[VidHack]

OK, a bit more digging into this problem....

Perhaps more options are in order in your App. I see how you shift the X/Y coordinates to 1/2 and stack the buttons on each other. Heres a few problems though... When I used to Hex-Edit, I would NOP the Command, so that the button still existed but didnt do anything, it would still highlight when selected but not link to anything. This is important to note because the links in the .IFO PGC are still presserved. The current approach of your app leaves some bugs if there is a hard link in the PGC.IFO that links to the button directly, this causes in consistancies during runtime of the DVD.

Perhaps, changing;
:byte: :value:
008d Highlight status / emphasis1,2 / pattern
00bb button color (0=none)
00c5 Command (NOP)
009d Starting Button (brutal if set to deleted button)

Can be changed instead of the X/Y variable, so that it just wont highlight and a NOP is inserted.

The PRE / POST Commands in the associated .IFO hardlinking to the deleted button is a real problem.
And I am still podering the subpicture packs.

Anyway, I think your app is sweet, just needs a bit more debugging/tweaking. I may have to stick with Hex-Editing a bit longer. Thanks for your on-going work with MenuEdit.

VidHack

[Fmazzanti]

Dimad,
some more input you may beinterested in... this one is stupid but still interesting. When you click the 'open' button, MenuEdit let's you choose whatever VTS_**_0.VOB you want to open, but not VIDEO_TS.VOB, and sometimes you have to edit buttons there.
Just my 2 cents...

[Dimad]

The current approach of your app leaves some bugs if there is a hard link in the PGC.IFO that links to the button directly, this causes in consistancies during runtime of the DVD.

Yes, I know. That "quick and dirty" fix is still there. I'll make a more robust automated button deletion in the next release.

I'm a bit confused about subpicture problem. MenuEdit should not change any fields which affect it. Could it be the same problem as reported here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=49778?

Can someone, who encountered this problem, do few simple tests:
I) if you have a RW disk try to write a movie with the "original" menu VOB file(s). Does it behave differently now in standalone?
Problem remains? -> Sorry, not MenuEdit's fault.

II)
1) save an original vob file somewhere;
2) open a vob for editing;
3) instead of deleting buttons, "Edit" at least one of them;
4) don't change anything, just hit "OK" in Button dialog;
5) when you done, hit "OK" in Menu dialog;
6) use some program to compare original and edited files (file's content,not just size). (Here is the link to some utils: http://www.thefreecountry.com/programming/filecomparison.shtml)

Is there a difference? -> Too bad I've messed something up. :(

Thanks in advance for your help.

I had to rename it to VTS_08_0.VOB, to directly open it up in your app
or
MenuEdit let's you choose whatever VTS_**_0.VOB you want to open, but not VIDEO_TS.VOB

What can I say? RTFM. :) (No offense.) This is answered in MenuEdit's FAQ (http://menuedit.dimad.net/faq.html#Can I use MenuEdit to edit file different from *_0.VOB without renaming the file)

[Fmazzanti]

Originally posted by Dimad

What can I say? RTFM. :) (No offense.) This is answered in MenuEdit's FAQ (http://menuedit.dimad.net/faq.html#Can I use MenuEdit to edit file different from *_0.VOB without renaming the file)

Ahh... yes. Thanks for the polite answer.

[VidHack]

Hello,

This is going to be a long POST, so sit back and grag a coffee. I spent a few hours troubleshooting the aspect ratio problem. I believe I found the exact cause of it.

What I did: I loaded a original menu VOB (VOB1) into HEXedit. Then I loaded the button deleted VOB (VOB2) into HEXedit and ran a 'Difference Compare Dump' of the modified bytes. What I learned was that you modify 22 bytes per NAV packet. Then I grabbed my DVD packet lookup sheets (From MPUcoders website) and examined exactly what you modify. Thats when I saw the problem.

Background: The VOB that I button modified had exactly 4 NAV packets, with 3 buttons that show up on the TV when viewing it, Button 0,1,2, and your app showed exactly button 0,1,2 when editing. Heres the BUG... There is really button 1,2,3 AND button 19,20,21 in the packet stream (19,20,21) are used for the different aspect ratio (16:9). Your app did delete button 2 and its counterpart button 20, but it also changed the X/Y values on button 19 and 21 to match button 1 and 3. This is the BUG, the app shouldn't modify buttons 19 and 21 X/Y original values.

The Fix: Please add a button on your app to show upper range buttons in your editor window. Example...Buttons 1-16...Buttons 17-32 or something like that. You will notice on some DVD's the X/Y start/stop values are different. You can manually fix this problem by using VOBedit after you use MenuEdit to reset them back, just compare the original values with the new ones and change them back.

I have a detailed sheet that shows the exact values of my buttons, before and after, the modifications, If you want me type it in, let me know...Its quite long. I hope you understand what I have written, a quick patch to your great app shouldnt be that difficult, just use the original X/Y start/stop values on the Unmodified upper range buttons. Thanks again.

VidHack

[2COOL]

G:D Vidhack! G:D Vidhack! Alright! now this is the fix I'm talking about! My many thanks to you, my friend, on your devoted research.:D

@Dimad

A future big THANKS to you if you get this fix implemented soon. I can do without your future implementations for now but this one affected alot of my DVDs. Especially the Road to Perdition. I don't have any button highlights in the Main Menu.

[Cayne]

I had the same aspect ratio problem.

I tried the way you described in your last post, but when nothing is edited it results in identical files.
It seems that the subpics for 4:3 are changed only when editing something.

[VidHack]

Well, here is some tech info for Dimad, on the suspect bytes....
(Only Nav Pack 2 is explained)
________________________________________________________________
Search for differences

1. F:\MenBlack_VOBS\Orig_MENU\VTS_08_0.VOB: 3,684,352 bytes
2. F:\MenBlack_VOBS\VIDEO_TS\VTS_08_0.VOB: 3,684,352 bytes
NOTE: 4 NAV Packets in this VOB that aren't 0 for button data.
________________________________
NAV PACK 2; lba 1364

:Orig: :Modified:

2AA0C4: 02 01 --button1 nr to select link byte
2AA0CD: 5B 40 *********
2AA0CE: B2 10 ** **
2AA0CF: 38 02 ** 2 ** new x/y values
2AA0D0: 0B 00 ** **
2AA0D1: 01 10 ** **
2AA0D2: 49 02 *********
2AA0E8: 02 03 --button3 nr to select link byte
2AA1FF: 45 49 --button19 xy byte - wrong
2AA200: 30 81 --button19 xy byte - wrong
2AA201: F7 13 --button19 xy byte - wrong
2AA208: 02 01 --button19 nr to select link byte
2AA211: 5D 40 #########
2AA212: 72 10 ## ##
2AA213: 7E 02 ## 20 ## new x/y values
2AA214: 0B 00 ## ##
2AA215: 01 10 ## ##
2AA216: 49 02 #########
2AA223: 8D 8F --button21 xy byte - wrong
2AA224: 71 B1 --button21 xy byte - wrong
2AA225: FF D9 --button21 xy byte - wrong
2AA228: B7 B8 --button21 xy byte - wrong ??
2AA22C: 02 03 --button21 nr to select 'right' pressed byte
________________________________

92 difference(s) found.
23 bytes altered in each NAV pack group.(23*4=92)
_____________________________________________________________________

This probably only makes sense to Dimad, so any questions let me know...Also, a few typo's in my previous post, there are 36 buttons total.

OK, (2Cool..Thanks for the praise...I return the THANKS to you and Dimad for all your continuing GREAT work) If you guys want to manually fix the VOBS, there are 2 ways to do it. First way YANKS, its the old way of using a HEX editor and doing a HEX string replacemant routine, which is even harde due to the deplicate NAV packs for 2 buttons being the same, so lets do it the old VOBedit way.

HOWTO: Well, you have to know how to use VOBedit. If its a moving menu, you have got your work cut out for you. There can be hundreds of NAV packs to manually change..(Thats why Dimad made his app) Basically you will need to open up Vobedit twice, 1 session is the ORIGINAL VOB and the second session is the MenuEdited VOB. Now, adjust the windows so that you can view both of them top and bottom of each other. Here is the boring part....In VOBedit1 and VOBedit2 click the BUTTON checkbox, then click on the first NAV pack, scroll down till you see the button info, you will see the X start and y start byte info of the original buttons and the modified buttons, but check to see if there are some high range buttons in the button 19-36
range these will be the ones that got accidently modified. Check the buttons that you DID NOT deletes X/Y values(The buttons you deleted will have a 1/2 X/Y value, so check the button preceding and after that one), if they now equal the lower range buttons, you have to click on the value and manually type in the old value, this will take forever, cause you have to do this for EVERY NAV PACK...Good Grief....I hope this makes sense to all of you, myself, I will wait for the patch....

Well enjoy, good luck all, and please support Dimad with a few bucks, cause after you do this by hand....He Deserves the dough!

VidHack

[baddbill]

VidHack,

You really seam to have a good working knowledge of editing menus. I'm still having the same problem with menuedit as I stated in an earlier post. I see that you hexedit your menus to modify the commands associated with buttons. Is there a guide on how to do this? I did a search on this forum and on google and didn't find anything. If you know of such a guide can you please direct me there. Or if it isn't too difficult post directions on how to do it here. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

[VidHack]

Just to put a nail in this problem, and so you can understand whats going on here the specific problem.


Button Data:(using VOBedits button numbering system, Menuedit is -1)

Original VOB x/y values

Button Number X y
1 152/275 192/330
2 443/568 176/329
3 251/473 408/440
19 83/247 192/330
20 471/638 176/329
21 215/511 408/439

After MenuEdit

1 152/275 192/330
2 1/2 1/2 Deleted Button
3 251/473 408/440
19 152/275 192/330 wrong
20 1/2 1/2 Deleted Button counterpart
21 251/473 408/440 wrong

Notice how button 19 and 21 x/y values are really button 1 and 3 values,
this is the error, they should be the same as the original.

VidHack

(to baddbill)If you are familiar with HEXediting tools I will try to post the HEXeditor OLD way, keep in mind though, Dimad app is by far SUPERIOR, its just that bug that will be soon squashed. I will POST later...If I get time....

[baddbill]

Thanks VidHack, I really like how easy menuedit is to use. The problem I have with it is that in my stand alone player (Toshiba) the highlights that let you know which button is selected are either jarbled or gone completely! It is very difficult to navigate a menu when you don't know what button you are on. This problem has occured on every menu I have edited with menuedit except one. It appears that no one else has had this problem so maybe the problem is specific to Toshibas or my particlular model. But until I get a new DVD player or the bug is fixed with menuedit I would like an alternative for editing the "play" button on my second discs that only contain the "extras" and not the movie. Any advice or help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Fmazzanti
Ahh... yes. Thanks for the polite answer.

Sorry, I really did not want to offend anyone.

VidHack, THANKS A LOT for your time and efforts. I've looked through this piece of code before (modification of buttons from other groups) and have not spoted any problems. Now when you pin-pointed the problem I should be able to find it.

Regards

[Fmazzanti]

Originally posted by Dimad
Sorry, I really did not want to offend anyone.

Don't worry, it's ok.
BTW, I've been using your tool from the very beginning and (fortunately) didn't have any of the problems reported here... not a single time. And I've done some 10+ backups since then with MenuEdit intervetion. Guess I've been lucky, but still... I find this tool a blessing.
Thanks for it ;)

[Cayne]

perhaps you only have a 16:9 TV and don't notice it...

[Fmazzanti]

Well yes... my TV is 16:9, but I can still put it in 4:3 mode with black bars at left and right. And it still works...
I've also tested one of these movies in a 4:3 TV and no problem whatsoever. As I said, it may be that I've been lucky.

[Cayne]

perhaps there are also some differences in handling 16:9 between different standalone players.
Could be possible that some use the 16:9 subpic and resize it (like powerdvd does for example) and others need a 4:3 subpic in letterboxed mode...

[Fmazzanti]

Well many things can happen that I don't know... :rolleyes:
What I can tell for sure is that the DVDs I've done so far work with the MenuEdit prog, and that they do play fine on my TV and on my two standalones (a pretty expensive Marantz and a pretty cheap CyberHome)... Still I would like to see a fix for this bug since, as I can see, I may encounter problems later with other DVDs...

[mpucoder]

Players have to be tested for compliance, so it is very unlikely there are differences. The spec states that the subpictures are not resized along with the video, but instead their maximum area (720x480 NTSC or 720x576 PAL) represents the full display. This isn't something menu editting needs to worry about, but since it is in the specs differences between players should not be an issue (other than really old players, and software players that were not submitted for compliance, eg Xine, Ogle)

[Fmazzanti]

Well yes... so what? I'd like to decide if I've been simply lucky or my DVDs won't play correctly on other systems. Would you say then that if it plays correctly on my standalone and my 16:9 TV that can be put in 4:3 mode, then it's going to play ok elsewhere?

[mpucoder]

I just wanted to stop any speculation about players and displays, they are not the problem.

The bug VidHack reported will cause problems with either pan/scan or automatic letterboxed display of 16:9 menus. The problem will appear as misplaced highlighting of buttons when viewing a 16:9 menu in a 4:3 mode. The normal buttons will look correct as they are drawn by the subpicture, but the rectangle changed by MenuEdit affects the highlighting. This rectangle also determines when the cursor (for software players) is over the button.

The only way to tell for sure is with a hex editor or VobEdit, players can sense widescreen capable displays and choose a display mode for you. It's very unlikely that the upper left corner of a p/s or lb button should be the same as its widescreen counterpart.

btw, so far we are talking about menus with 2 choices, and therefore 2 sets of 18 buttons. It is also possible to allow all 3 display modes, in which case there are 3 sets of 12 buttons. For these rare menus buttons 1, 13, and 25 are the first of each set.

[Cayne]

Then how can it be, that the messed up buttons which I get on my DVD-Player are gone in WinDVD & PowerDVD?
I think at least these Software-Players do something different, in fact resizing the subpicture for 16:9 to match.

All 16:9 menus done with Maestro should give the problem when editing with menuedit, perhaps backups from industry-dvds are different.

[mpucoder]

Unless you can force the display to be formatted for a 4:3 display, you will be using the widescreen menu.
On my computer with TV-Out WinDVD gives me choices for the display mode (standard, widescreen, computer monitor), but on another computer with no TV-out there are no choices. I'm assuming on that computer "monitor" is the choice.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by VidHack
Notice how button 19 and 21 x/y values are really button 1 and 3 values, this is the error, they should be the same as the original.

Yes, that is THE reason. In all menus I've seen so far coordinates of bounding boxes (button position) were same in all groups. So I used coordinates from the first group in all other groups as well. Well, wrong assumption. This was done to simplify deletion of the button for people who don't know (and do not care) about multiple display modes. And it worked, with a bug though :)

I still think that approach is right - if button is deleted it should be deleted from all groups (correctly deleted of course). For those who would like to have full control over the buttons in different groups it will be possible to edit each group separately (implemented in new release).

Here are few questions I would like to find answers to (I guess it is for mpucoder):
1) what is the correspondence between numerical value of the group type and name of the display mode? It's not on your site.
2) A big one: is there a command to make another button active, automatically? This will eliminate any problems with deletion of the default button. As I can see there is a RSM command, and I can specify highlight button as an argument. Do you know, by any chance, what would be a result of replacing command of deleted button with RSM (highlighted button is one of the buttons left in the menu) and setting an autoAction for this button? Unfortunately I will not be able to test this for couple of weeks, as I don't have any DVD dumped to my laptop. :(
3) What happens if NOP is set as a button's command? It just does not go anywhere when button is selected?

VidHack, mcentee:
I'm sending you a link to the beta version of new release. Could you please check if problems you reported are gone. Please reply to menuedit@dimad.net

[mpucoder]

I never did determine the values for the button group type, and it's one of those little details that gets forgotten about until I get asked. The value may even be a mask (that is a button group may be valid for more than one display mode), I just didn't find and check enough examples. Maybe we can determine this here (or dig through the Ogle code).

I'm not quite sure what the 2nd question refers to. The PCI has a value for "force select" and "force action", which happens after btn_sl_e_ptm. Prior to that one button is highlighted according to the value in SPRM 8, which cannot be determined by looking at the PCI. Also there are a number of commands which initiate menus and set SPRM 8 at the same time (the hl_bn field of jump/link commands). So the "default" button can be set by the calling PGC.

Be careful with RSM, these commands are just like their counterparts in real computers. A menu may have been entered via jump, so RSM would resume to the caller of a higher menu (not a big problem). In case you're wondering, pressing the "menu" button acts like an interrupt, RSM returns to the point of interruption. CallSS is the other way of entering a menu and being able to resume. There is no stack. Using RSM before any CallSS or menu button press causes most players to stop.

A NOP would render a button inoperative, and the menu would remain displayed.

[VidHack]

I am on it.....Check your email......

[Dimad]

Vidhack, mpucoder: thanks to both of you.

What I'm trying to find out is a best way to treat deleted buttons. Simplest way to do it is to set NOP. It is fine unless deleted button is a "default" one. In this case nothing will be highlighted when menu pops-up. I was thinking may be it is possible to set btn_sl_e_ptm to 0, autoAction for this button to 1, and command that will select some non deleted button in this menu.

If I understood you right, there is another way: set btn_sl_e_ptm to 0 and "force select" to the index of undeleted button.
Although this is not a universal solution :(. Say, undeleted button is highlighted. Since links are corrected, one can't select deleted button with navigation buttons, BUT button may also be selected numerically! In this case no button will be highlighted in the menu. And we return to exactly the same situation we are trying to eliminate. So some other command (not NOP) is preferred.

When vob-file is edited the only things known for sure are VOB-ID, CELL-ID and button indexes. For anything else it's necessary either assume something (like use file name to determine title set) or ask user. Would like to avoid this. Since I don't know much about commands, I can't figure out a command which will jump to needed button in needed VOB-ID/CELL-ID (remember we don't have a menu id).

[mpucoder]

Rather than play with menu-global fields, which can screw up a menu that uses it itself, why not auto-action? Auto-action will cause the command to execute if the button is selected. The command should jump to the same menu, but with a different button highlighted. btn_sl_e_ptm is not used for auto-action, but for forced select and forced action (besides, 0 turns it off)

[Dimad]

Yes, that is what I'm about. Can you help with such command?
What is the smallest value for btn_sl_e_ptm so that it works?

[mpucoder]

I was just digging through the manual (I should put more of it online)
There are three commands that should work, best bet is LinkTopCell, which means to restart the current cell. The others are LinkTopPG (restart current program) and LinkTopPGC (restart current PGC)
In hex:
20 01 00 00 00 00 xx 01 - LinkTopCell
20 01 00 00 00 00 xx 05 - LinkTopPG
20 01 00 00 00 00 xx 09 - LinkTopPGC

The xx is the highlighted button number * 4. IE button 1 = 4, button 2 = 8, etc.

As I said, some menus use btn_sl_e_ptm, best to avoid playing with it, and not necessary for auto-action - but minimum is 1.

[Dimad]

Thanks a lot!!!

[AndyP]

Apologies for a stupid question,

How do you tell, looking at the ifo in ifoedit (or indeed any other way), if a given menu has a fullscreen and widescreen variant that would be susceptible to the above problems. I don't have any of the DVDs discussed but am interested to be able to tell if any of mine will exhibit the same problem.

Kind Regards,
Andy

[mpucoder]

You look in the ifo at the video attributes for the menu (location 0x100). There you can see the aspect ratio, if it's 4:3 (bits 3-2 = 0) then there is only one set of buttons. If 16:9 (bits 3-2 = 3) you then look at the Automatic Pan/Scan (bit 1) and Automatic Letterbox (bit 0) disable flags, if both are "0" you have 3 sets of buttons. If only one is "0" then you have 2 sets of buttons. And if both are "1" you have only one set of buttons.
http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/ifo.html#vidatt

Here's a simple chart, looking at the lower nibble of 0x100, Bold is the preferred coding:
0, 1, 2, 3 - 4:3 only
4-b not allowed
c - 16:9 with Automatic Pan/Scan and Automatic Letterbox enabled (3 modes)
d - 16:9 with Automatic Pan/Scan (2 modes)
e - 16:9 with Automatic Letterbox (2 modes)
f - 16:9 only

[AndyP]

Many thanks for the reply. I have checked my DVDs and see that some of the menus are indeed 'multiple'.

You state above that WinDVD can give an option to use the pan-scan/letterboxed menus on a PC, however I cannot seem to make my copy (WinDVD 4.5 Platinum) do it. Do you happen to know how to force it or how to force any other PC based DVD players (or if any modifications to the IFO can force it) to use one of the additional menus and not the 16:9 widescreen one.

The reason I ask is that I have already backed up some DVDs using the current version of menuedit to alter some buttons and they have 'multiple' menus but I do not currently have a stand-alone DVD player to check with to see if there is actually a problem. So I am just wondering how to test if I need to redo the backups or if they are OK.

Thanks again,
Kind Regards,
Andy

[Black Hole]

Originally posted by mpucoder:
There are three commands that should work, best bet is LinkTopCell, which means to restart the current cell.
The others are LinkTopPG (restart current program) and LinkTopPGC (restart current PGC)If I understood you well, you said that when we use Jump/Link commands to enter a menu, the highlight button field is automatically assigned to SPRM 8 before the jump, in order to select the button. If we make this button auto action with a LinkTop* command and we restart the current menu, the SPRM 8 value would remain unchanged and the same button would be selected again and again in an endless loop ... or maybe I'm wrong and talking nonsenses?

There are 2 possible approaches in MenuEdit ... should a button be deleted like it is done now (despite the bug which I hope will be fixed soon) by hiding it in the upper left corner and relocating the AJBTN_POSI_* values of the surrounding buttons ... or should it simply be made inactive by replacing the command with NOP thus being visible and reachable? ...

Maybe that's a decision the program could offer to the user just in case he wants to delete the default button ... because MenuEdit users are usually more illiterate in IfoEdit inners to be able to change the command sequences themselves : I spent a whole hour last night reading mpucoder page to reconstruct "If GPRM14 = #value1 then Set GPRM14 = #value2" in binary form just to bypass a screen !!!! :D

Greetings from Spain

[mpucoder]

SPRM 8 is ALWAYS the highlighted button, SPRM's have fixed definitions. If you look down at the hex code you will see that LinkTop* commands allow you to specify a new highlight (selected) button. The logic is if a menu is entered with a deleted button selected, the auto-action command will restart the menu with a valid button selected instead.

[djadjet]

Dimad has released the version 1.2.0, that should include the button highlight fix & more. (http://menuedit.dimad.net/download.shtml).

@Dimad
Thanks for great work & effort.

[Black Hole]

I found out that replacing the command with NOP doesn't work in my standalone, it just sits there waiting forever if it's a still menu. I only get control back if we're in a loop menu, when the loop restarts. As it worked perfect in PowerDVD I thought a NOP was safe ... is this normal? Does that problem apply to your standalone sets?

[2COOL]

Originally posted by Black Hole
I found out that replacing the command with NOP doesn't work in my standalone, it just sits there waiting forever if it's a still menu. I only get control back if we're in a loop menu, when the loop restarts. As it worked perfect in PowerDVD I thought a NOP was safe ... is this normal? Does that problem apply to your standalone sets?

An NOP is a "no operation" command which means it does nothing. But for general use, a NOP should be avoided since there's a lot of standalone players out there that may also interpret a NOP command as a Stop command.

[Acerjen]

I have been trying to access http://menuedit.dimad.net/download.shtml
for a few days and it won't come up. Sometimes, it does nothing, and other times it takes me to www.lop.com. Not sure what's up. Could someone please attach the new 1.2.0 version to a message in this thread? I would appreciate it. Thanks. Later.


Acerjen

[Dimad]

It does.
Sometimes there are problems with my web hosting provider. If they will persist I'll look for another web hosting.

[mpucoder]

I've had no problems at any time, possibly there is a problem between the site and Acerjen.

[Acerjen]

Maybe its a DNS problem on my end, I don't know.
Perhaps someone can post the IP of Dimad's site and
I can try to connect directly. Either way, can someone
please attach the new version 1.2.0 to a reply in
this thread. I would appreciate it. Also, I would like
to thank Dimad for this program. VERY useful. Nice job.
Thanks. Later.


Acerjen

[VidHack]

I am putting a .zip file together for you. Need to chat about Version 1.2.0 Please check your email. As always, THANKS for your time and hard work.

VidHack

[Dimad]

@VidHack

thanks for the bug :)

[VidHack]

New Version 1.2.1 avaialable at Dimad's website. Bugs stomped. Good Job Dimad! Fast response, will continue to troll for bugs, THANKS for your continuing efforts.

VidHack

[2COOL]

Originally posted by Dimad
@VidHack

thanks for the bug :)

Hey Dimad, what about me? :confused: I started the first posting.

[VidHack]

Hello to you,

This was a NEW Bug, it has been killed in Version 1.2.1. I am not posting bugs I find in the forum, it was a bug that crashed MenuEdit, but Dimad got his can of "RAID-BugKiller" and nailed it. Thanks. Talk to you soon.....

VidHack

[Dimad]

Originally posted by 2COOL
Hey Dimad, what about me? :confused: I started the first posting.

I do remember you :) :) Problem is, I'm more fluent with writing code rather then with writing messages, so I can't always force myself to post.

Here is the reason for this post:
MenuEdit 1.3.0 is out. With this version one can:
- see actual video content of the cell as the menu background;
- preview cells (with or without menus) in the vob files. In my tests it does not crush :), so I guess it means: "Ta-ta VobRator";
- easily edit button's command by selecting a command from the list and entering required arguments. Almost all commands allowed in the menu are supported!

And, same as the previous versions, this one is small, fast and (I'm crossing my fingers) is stable. :)

Enjoy,

[VidHack]

A Hello an Congrat's on Version 1.3.0. The Mpeg2 frame viewer is a godsend add-on. I have wished for that since you proposed the tool. Thank-You. Though, its NOT bug-free. On some menues, if you switch from VOB-ID to VOB-ID it seems as though the Viewer is showing the wrong VOB-ID (Usually the previous one) If you want a .ZIP file of some samples, let me know. Oh, thanks for the CreateHatchBrush(), been waiting for that also...
Also, this is sort of ironic, (due to that aspect ratio bug), Your Mpeg2 viewer seems to be locked to 1 aspect ratio, and 1 button group aspect ratio, so some of the rectangles are drawn off center from the subpicture background image, if your really bored some day, perhaps the main viewer window could scale from 4:3 to 16:9 depending on the attributes of the video frame size.

Some wish list items:

1. Could you possibly add a COPY/PASTE ability to the Command button editing dialog box? , if you try to do a CNTL-C to copy from one button, then a CNTRL-V to paste to another button, what a mess.

2. Maybe an option to make a .BAK (Backup) of the original menu before modifying it, for those lazy forgetful folks.

Thats about it! The app does as advertised, I simply want to thank you for the time and dedication you have put into MenuEdit, you have listened to us (Whine) in this forum and have added and fixed all the features we need. Your tool is very close to turning a corner into a basic Menu maker app, if you created a non-moving menu default template, then use you app to modify the buttons to link to VOBS....you get the idea, your Molehill is turning into a Mountain. I hope the dough is rolling in, you certainly deserve it...

VidHack

[baddbill]

Hi Dimad, thank you for a god sent app. The new versions work great! I'm now able to modify any menu I want and they all work fine on stand alone players.

Once again thanks for a wonderful app. If you ask me $6.50 is VERY cheap for the ability this program gives you.

Bill

[mikegun]

hi dimad,

thank you for this new version. this is just great !

regards,

mike

[DnGermany]

Thanks for the great program. The only thing i found wrong so far was with the wrong frame being shown as mentioned by vidhack, after switching cell ids. I finally got that paypal figured out. With all the features implemented as of yet, u may want to charge a little more for the program, i for one wouldn't mind paying a bit more.

[Acerjen]

Could someone please post the new version of menuedit for me,
as I am having trouble connecting to menuedit.dimad.net
Thanks in advance. Later


Acerjen

[titou92]

Congratulation for your tool. I survey new version - even if I did not post anything but i'm not fluent english - and it was very usefull for me.
I think there is a little problem with it but first I didn't yet test version 1.3 and I'm not sure it's a bug or an error from me :
when I delete a button from the principal menu, if your come back to this menu after navigating, the deleted buttons are available...? did you meet this ?

[mikegun]

hi,
is this a motion menue ?
sometimes there are different vob ids for the same menue ?!?

regards,

mike

[titou92]

what do you mean ? I don't understand "motion menu". The DVD is "sum of fears". I've deleted buttons for audio and language. When I arrive to the menu after video introduction, this buttons are well deleted.
I go to chapter's menu - wich I keeped - and come back to the main menu : buttons for audio and language are available ?
Is it more clear ?

[mikegun]

hi,
maybe the buttons you see after coming back from chapter menue are in a different vob id ?

mike

[titou92]

ok I will look at this evening and perhaps with the new version it will be easier :-)
Thank's
David

[Fmazzanti]

Have you checked there are no two versions of the same menu? I've found this situation a couple of times, where menues are repeated. You delete buttons in one and forget about the other, and afterwards, depending on how you navigate the dvd, you are led to the second version of the menu where you didn't delete buttons...
What I usually do is load the _0.VOB in dvd2avi and scan all along it to check for menues with unwanted buttons. I'll kill them all and that solves the problem...

[titou92]

No, I'm new in DVD's world :-)...one monnth experience only !
...and I didn't know that the same menu can be in different Vob Id.
After successfully made "simple" backup (only main movie), I'm ok with ripping, reencoding (CCE) but I want to pass next step : keep menu and only some extra.
I will try your method and looking at how this DVD is "structured"
Thank's for your help

[Dimad]

Originally posted by VidHack
On some menues, if you switch from VOB-ID to VOB-ID it seems as though the Viewer is showing the wrong VOB-ID (Usually the previous one) If you want a .ZIP file of some samples, let me know.

Yes, please, send it to me. Is it too big? Write me, and I'll send you a link to directory where you can ftp it.
Corrected: No need to send these. I've fixed this problem. I'll wait for some more time to see if enything else comes up and then will release 1.3.1.

Also, this is sort of ironic, (due to that aspect ratio bug), Your Mpeg2 viewer seems to be locked to 1 aspect ratio, and 1 button group aspect ratio, so some of the rectangles are drawn off center from the subpicture background image, if your really bored some day, perhaps the main viewer window could scale from 4:3 to 16:9 depending on the attributes of the video frame size.

I've not seen any defenition/rule on how to get 16:9 picture out of 4:3 one, so I'm not exactly sure what is the right way of doing it. Could you send me a cell from the vob where you observe this problem?

[Dimad]

Fmazzanti and mikegun are exactly right.

I know it may sound strange (I do it quite seldom myself :)), but: "Try to look into the MenuEdit FAQ next time!" :)

It is not big one, but I put there questions I get most often.

by Fmazzanti
What I usually do is load the _0.VOB in dvd2avi and scan all along it to check for menues with unwanted buttons. I'll kill them all and that solves the problem...

With 1.3.0 there is no need to use external application.

[titou92]

ok mister :-)
...there is so many forum about DVD and I've passed so long time before to find this forum where I've fast all learned about DVD backup that it's a reflex now for me to come here before searching anywhere.
Doom9 site and forums is really the best site I've found to learned !
...but promise now, I'll look at your faq before each time I'll have a question :-)
Thank's

[VidHack]

Please check your email, sent a .ZIP with the OffCenter (Viewer only) button bug, also I have found another bug that can crash your app in Vers. 1.3.0, its 3.3Mb compressed. What do you want me to do? Email? FTP? Let me know. Thanks as always.

VidHack

[mpucoder]

For 4:3 and 16:9 widescreen display no scaling is used.
For 16:9 auto-letterboxed:
Only the video gets resized, the subpicture remains the same. What this means is you squeeze it vertically to 75%, then add blank lines above and below. The subpicture will then overlay correctly without modification.
For NTSC resize to 720x360 and center (60 blank lines above and below)
For PAL resize to 720x432 and center (72 blank lines above and below)
A simple way to do this is to discard every fourth line, and cheap players do just that.

It gets nastier for 16:9 Pan/Scan - you must interpret the P/S offset, take that 540x480 (or 540 x 576) window and resize to 720x480 (720x576). Again, the subpicture remains the same (because there is no scaling ever on subpictures, they are mixed after the video scaler)

Depending on how much control you have over the MPEG decode, you might want to leave the video alone, and scale the subpicture accordingly. The problem here is 16:9 auto-letterboxed, it has black bars which can be overlaid by the subpicture, probably rare in a menu, but possible. Of course if you decode to an internal bitmap you can just use the bitblt to resize.

[VidHack]

Files Sent...

I guess I should clearify the bug, Its just that the rectangles drawn in the MPEG2 viewer are at 1 Button Group scale, in other words, only 1 set of buttons X/Y coordinates are used to show the physical location of the buttons, so if you are modifying buttons from another button group, then the actual button layout location on the screen are wrong as drawn in the viewer. This has nothing to do with the final edited buttons. They will be perfect on your TV. So, to clearify, the actual background picture doesn't need scaling, the rectangles need to be shifted to the proper X/Y location to line up to the background image, depending if the background is 4:3 or 16:9. I hope this clears up everything.

MPUcoder: Thanks for the info on scaling, I am beginning to think that there isn't anything you don't know! Thanks for all the technical info. Wow.

VidHack

[royrose]

Can any one tell me if I can use menuedit to adjust by a small amount where in a VOB a menu button starts play?

I created a DVD with 5 video clips captured from my Hi8 camcorder using my standalone Panasonic HS2 video recorder. The HS2 capture quality is superb but the DVD menus are simple and boring. I copied the VOBs into my computer. I then authored a dummy DVD to produce a new menu with 5 buttons. I then put the new menu and the HS2 VOBs in a folder and used ifoedit to correct pointers and audio setting.

After some trial and error, the new menu works but 4 of the buttons (all except the 1st) start a little early, towards the end of the previous clip rather than at the start of the intended clip.

Using menuedit, I see that the buttons are labeled jumpVTS_PTT 2:1, jumpVTS_PTT 3:1, etc. I don't understand how to get the buttons to start play at the start of the clips. Can menuedit do it or can some settings be changed through ifoedit or vob edit to accomplish this?

Any help would be appreciated.

Roy

[Black Hole]

Well, Jump VTS_PTT command means a jump to a part of a title defined in VIDEO_TS.IFO ... the parts are the chapters, and they are defined in the respective VTS_0n_0.IFO ... it's like you have your cell points in a wrong position. I use real DVD authoring programs to do this job, as IfoEdit is quite tough to manually change things at that deep level, such as VOBU pointers and so on ...

I'm afraid MenuEdit will not help you here, because the problem lies in the timings inside the IFO itself.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by mpucoder
...you must interpret the P/S offset ...

Thanks for info. And where this P/S offset can be found? Don't see it in nav-packs. Is it a constant for a cell or it floats for each frame?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by VidHack
... the actual background picture doesn't need scaling, the rectangles need to be shifted to the proper X/Y location to line up to the background image, depending if the background is 4:3 or 16:9...


Either way something needs to be scaled in preview (unfortunately). It is not enough to simply show button rectangles from different group :(

VidHack thanks for your help with tracing bugs! I appreciate it VERY MUCH!

[mpucoder]

Pan-Scan information is contained in the video itself in the Picture_Display_Extension. If you have IEC/ISO 13818-2 see section 6.3.12 (available form Ookami's Programmers Corner http://ookami.videoxone.de/programmers.html )
A brief description is here http://www.mpucoder.com/DVD/mpeghdrs.html#picdisext

If the offsets are not encoded they are assumed to be 0, which places the display rectangle in the center of the frame. Also, only a horizontal offset is allowed, since the window is the same height as the frame.

[riprazor]

First, compliments to Dimad for a great tool!

I am trying to understand how to get a button to point at a different menu location. I have the following situation:

The VIDEO_TS.VOB has a menu button labeled "Chapters". Clicking on it takes you to the menu page in the VTS_01_0.VOB file that has menu buttons for "chapters 1-13", "chapters 14-27", and "chapters 28-41". I would prefer that when clicking on the "Chapters" button it would take me directly to the page that the "chapters 28-41" button leads to rather than the overall chapters selection page. If I set the action of the "Chapters" button to be identical to the action of the "chapters 28-41 button", it takes me to a completely different menu page. Is their a solution to my dilema?

Thanks,
Riprazor

[Dimad]

@MPUCoder Thanks, now I see. Another question to you as to moderator: This thread is getting rather big. People ask different questions and its really hard to find answers. Is it possible to create a "subforum" (or whatever it is called) for MenuEdit, or I need to open forum on my site(don't really want to do this)?


MenuEdit 1.3.1 is out. Big change is that it can export buttons layout as bitmap. I guess authoring people will be happy :)

[mpucoder]

The subject of sub-forums came up before in another forum. Basically no one likes them. But it is perfectly acceptable for people to ask MenuEdit questions in new threads. In fact, it is preferrable, especially if the question has nothing to do with the release, or, in many cases, the program itself (such as riprazor's).

This also raises another common problem - deleting posts that are in the wrong place. Users CAN delete their own posts, but it isn't intuitively obvious. Check the "Delete?" checkbox, and then click on the "Delete Now" button immediately to the right of the checkbox.

[2COOL]

Originally posted by riprazor
First, compliments to Dimad for a great tool!

I am trying to understand how to get a button to point at a different menu location. I have the following situation:

The VIDEO_TS.VOB has a menu button labeled "Chapters". Clicking on it takes you to the menu page in the VTS_01_0.VOB file that has menu buttons for "chapters 1-13", "chapters 14-27", and "chapters 28-41". I would prefer that when clicking on the "Chapters" button it would take me directly to the page that the "chapters 28-41" button leads to rather than the overall chapters selection page. If I set the action of the "Chapters" button to be identical to the action of the "chapters 28-41 button", it takes me to a completely different menu page. Is their a solution to my dilema?

Thanks,
Riprazor
Didn't see this post was moved to it's own thread. Moved my reply to http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52047.

[VidHack]

Dimad,

MenuEdit Ver. 1.3.1 FATAL CRASH. Sorry to post this message in the open forum, but hopfully you can fix this one fast. This is easy to duplicate and users are downloading your new version already.

In Function():NoSymbol, you will get an fatal exception (Crash) if you Open a VOB. Click "Show all cells", then choose a CELLID with 0 buttons, and choose 'Edit', then crash...It crashes both the registered and non-registered Versions of 1.3.1. Yowser, perhaps letting me beta test (Torture/Debug) a new release for a day, might want to think about it? Before you go public. Hey thanks for the new features.

You should be able to duplicate this, but if you need files...Let me know....

VidHack

[Black Hole]

Well, you shouldn't be sorry to publicly post failures of the program. All users who are reading this thread should be interested about the behaviour and evolution of the program, just in case the bugs appear in someone else's computer. Some people get puzzled and it's comfortable to see that you're not alone.

I hope I get my registered MenuEdit as soon as I can axs a CC :p

[roach76]

Great program Dimad, I've got my registered version.
I was wondering if I could be so blunt as to make a request? Is it possible to have the the edit window resizeable? Cause I can't see the buttons on the bottom. I run at a resolution of 800x600 because I have a 15in monitor where my next highest and only resolution above that, is 1024x768 with an annoying refresh rate of 60Hz (I'm so used to 85). Only if it is possible, I'm not trying to pressure you either, implement the features and bug-fixes that you wish to do first.

[VidHack]

New MenuEdit Version 2.0 Released. Good Job Dimad.

[mikegun]

hm, just registered 2.0 but this version seems to do not work at all but crashes immediately after opening a vob file with the following error (Win98SE):

MENUEDIT verursachte einen Fehler durch eine ungültige Seite
in Modul MENUEDIT.EXE bei 0177:00401bce.
Register:
EAX=00000018 CS=0177 EIP=00401bce EFLGS=00010246
EBX=00000000 SS=017f ESP=0065f508 EBP=0065fd5c
ECX=00780020 DS=017f ESI=83ad302d FS=0f2f
EDX=00000000 ES=017f EDI=00000000 GS=0000
Bytes bei CS:EIP:
8a 30 8a 50 01 8b c2 eb 03 83 c8 ff 33 d2 8a 77
Stapelwerte:
0065fcec 00000000 0065f5ec 83ad3407 00408308 83ad3000 83ad302d 00000000 0065fcec 0065fcec 00000001 00416220 00000001 00000000 00000000 00000000

any comment ??

regards,

mike

edit: ver. 1.3.1 works perfectly

[VidHack]

Could you please tell us the name of the DVD?
NTSC or PAL?
Exact VOB name you tried to open?

I have got debugging MenuEdit down to a science, and I will try to duplicate the problem and report back to Dimad the exact cause if I can. Thank-You. I sorry that this error occured, thought all the bugs were out of this version for sure...

VidHack

[mikegun]

hi,

I can not open any menu file. ntsc or pal, doesn't matter.

regards,

mike

[VidHack]

Thanks for replying and helping, perhaps you can help a bit more...

So, if I understand correctly...MenuEdit does start correctly? Then when you go to OPEN the file it crashes or does it PROCESS the file then crash? or does it crash when you have loaded the file and you press the EDIT button on a registered copy of MenuEdit? I hate to sound anal about this, but knowing the exact moment and steps of the crash will help to duplicate it. Thank you for helping.

PS: Dimad check your email, I have also been able to crash it, but not in the same manner as described by Mikegun.

Thanks to all.

VidHack

[mikegun]

ok, no problem, it goes like this:
- start menuedit
- press open
- select vob file and press open again -> crash (I can see the processing window in the background)

regards,

mike

[VidHack]

Thanks for your help. I have sent some files to Dimad, but no reply yet. If you would like to open a new thread, call it something like, "MenuEdit Version 2 Bugs" (If its OK with the Moderators) then you could test some ideas out that I have. This thread is getting sooo long, I dont want to add troubleshooting to it. If you dont want to thats OK also, just wanted to see if I could help Dimad out, and that others could follow the progress, if they wanted. The problem is in that FUNCTION:<nosymbols>, and Version 1.3.1.1 was rock solid - no bugs, so some of the code must have changed when Dimad migrated to Vers. 2.0.

[Dimad]

To me it looks like the effect of "internal defence" of MenuEdit. For some reason it thinks that you are runninng hacked version. I will get in touch with you tomorrow. For now could you please try to start MenuEdit from other directory (say from the root dir of some drive) ant report to me what is the result.

Sorry for troubles.

[Dimad]

Hi, mikegun!

Your VOB file is marked as read-only! Just remove read-only flag in the properties of this file.

And, please, for the future: don't scary me saying that MenuEdit crushes when it nicely pop-ups window with the message that it can't do something :)

Sorry for the delay answering,
Dimad.

[mikegun]

hi,

that may be (hard to believe anyway) but as I wrote before. it crashes on every menu .vob file I tried to open and I checked if the files I try to open are really menu files.
I checked file attributes on every file I opened and there is archiv bit set only.
And there is no nice pop-up message telling me anything !!

regards,

mike

[Dimad]

Problem reported by mikegun is fixed. If someone runs into similar problem before next version is released - let me know. I'll send you fixed pre-release version.

[mikegun]

thank you dimad for this fast fix !!!

[Nuhim]

At me the same problem. At opening IFO there is a mistake. In the version 1.3.1 all OK. OS - Win98SE Rus.

[FilipeAmadeuO]

I´ve got the same problem as roach76
Please put the windows resizeable.
I can't see the buttons on the bottom

[Dimad]

Some bugs (among them problem reported by mikegun) overlooked in 2.0 are fixed in 2.0.1. It is ready for download at http://menuedit.dimad.net

[quinn]

Just a little ugly I just discovered - Making a button "automatic" does NOT work when the button is jumped to by a menu.

I tried to make a "widescreen" vs. "full" button automatic, but no player I've tried this on (ZoomPlayer, PowerDVD, WinDVD) will automatically "press" the button.

If I use the arrow keys to move from Widescreen (the default) to "full", and "back", when I move back from the "full" button, the "automatic" feature kicks in and starts playing the movie.
:>(

[Dimad]

Yep, you are right default button does not "jump" on menu start up. There is nothing can be done about this (at least I have not found a way of doing it).

By the way, standalones also will not automatically "press" the button.

[ViRuS2k]

hey mate ! welldone, Your program is a god send to a newbie like me.

Ok could you possibly implement a vob menu editor into MenuEdit,
or if you cant thats ok the problem i was haveing was i could delete the menu links perfectly problem is the NAMES are still on the menu due to the fact becuse the menu`s are in a vob file aswell

it would be great to have a program that killed links aswell as killed there names.

the movie im trying to do is Resident Evil NTSC,

is there a fix ? as i noticed in this vob file that all the menu`s where located at diffrent intervils


thankyou !

again great job.

[quinn]

Virus2K - if you want to get rid of the "names", you're actually going to have to pull the menu apart, use something like photoshop (if it's a still menu) or premier (if it's a motion menu) to "edit" the name out.

The backdrop of a menu is a picture or movie - it's not like the "names" are text somewhere that can just be blanked out......

[ViRuS2k]

Originally posted by quinn
Virus2K - if you want to get rid of the "names", you're actually going to have to pull the menu apart, use something like photoshop (if it's a still menu) or premier (if it's a motion menu) to "edit" the name out.

The backdrop of a menu is a picture or movie - it's not like the "names" are text somewhere that can just be blanked out......

hmm well thats gonna be imposible for me then :(

the backdrop is a motion menu

i would be able to do this easy if you know a guide i could follow ?
im shure i could get all the tools needed.

or if you could do a guide for me ? that would be sweet
im only about 3 days old in the dvd sceane just got my dvdr burner 2 days ago hehe

im great at svcd or vcd or xvid

but this dvd stuff is mind boggleing hehe

thx for your time. though im not gonna have much luck with out a motion/still guide to follow.

[quinn]

Sorry - can't help you on that one - for me, life is too short to try and remove that kind of stuff - just removing the button is good enough for me.

Good luck.....

[VidHack]

This is planned for the next Version of MenuEdit, its in a beta stage now. Hold tight. Dimad is on it.

VidHack

[[3nRiC0]]

i have one idea :)

You can add to Menuedit the fuction for extract Background Menu Images, and for change it with others

for example

if you delete a button can be good modify the background images by clearing the button image

[Dimad]

MenuEdit 2.1.0 is released.
You can find description of new features as well as guide on how to use them on MenuEdit website: http://menuedit.dimad.net

Regards

[Dvd@Best]

WONDERFUL !!!

nice and coool program.Great Work.
I would love to have a option to change menus graphically.Would be great.

DVD@BEST

[fourtyfour]

servus...

small Problem:

Situation:

Road to Predition R2 (German), Menuedit 2.1.0 registered


"animated" menu.

I can delete button for extras without problems.

But after opening movie with powerdvd, the button is still there.
If I select Audio/Subtitle or Chapters and move back to Main Menu, Extras button aren´t available any more!

I think there will be another "button-VObID" for first start but I can´t find them.

There are about 80 VobIDs and I´ve checked each one about these first button-dialog and I can´t finde them.

maybe someone here can help me or Dimad knows how to detect these buttons?!

[VidHack]

Hello to you,

Just to be specific, this is not a MenuEdit problem. The code is solid. This is a DVD Title specific question on How to detect buttons that span over multiple VOB ID / CELL ID's. I have backed up this movie, but the NTSC version. It is flawless, using MenuEdit. I hope someone in this forum can point out the exact VOB ID/ Cell ID's you need to delete the 'Extras' button as it must have multiple existances, sometimes in single cells.

I just want to point out that you wrote "small problem" and I dont want people who read this thread to think there is a bug in the actual program. Dimad has done an excellent job on this tool. I personally want to THANK him for adding the VOB ID / CELL ID byte changer option, and all the work he has put into the program.

I will try to dig out my copy of the DVD and see if I can help you out, buy posting the exact ID's.

VidHack

[Black Hole]

@fourtyfour:

I think VidHack is completely correct. MenuEdit, being itself a powerful program, was intended to help users who had a prior understanding of IfoEdit. The program has evolved, being made easier to use in every new release, but you can't skip at all certain degree in DVD inners.

It's a common thing in DVD menus to have a "intro + menu" video and another one with the same menu alone, just to skip the intro when you come back from a submenu. This can be done at cell level, or using another VOB ID (for example DVD Maestro cannot generate PGCs within menus) and storing the menu video twice in the DVD.

If there are a lot of IDs you need to browse all of them manually (or with the help of VOBrator) or follow the Pre/Cell/Post Command Sequences of TTN's in IfoEdit. It's always a good thing to know where you are and where you're sent to, because there can be code which branches the playline. It's a matter of knowledge and patience ... out of the scope of Menuedit itself ;)

I still haven't tested new MenuEdit 2.1.0 ... maybe MenuEdit is evolving into a more complex VOB editor :p

Time will say. Peace!

[Dimad]

My sincere apologies to everyone. When I split MenuEdit into free and registered versions I've overlooked it. 2.1.0 has an issue with cells that have segments with different amount of buttons.

This is fixed in 2.1.1.

[VidHack]

I have yet another feature request, based on questions posted in this thread. Would it be possible to add a feature to find all existances of a button? When you select a button to delete it, when the confirmation dialog pops up, could you add a option to also 'Search for duplicates of this button'. Then you could parse the VOB again, using the button 8-byte word as a search variable, when the deleted button matches another buttons byte word, you could populate a ListView dialog box to show the VOB ID / CELL ID results. In effect creating a basic hex search routine, that finds all matches of a buttons HEX value. This would solve the problem of 'moving menus'.

Again thanks for all the hard work and effort you have put into MenuEdit. Thanks for listening, and for adding very usefull features.

VidHack

[b0b0b0b]

On the menuedit support page, the faq link goes to "faq.htm" when it should be "faq.html"

Thanks for working on this cool program.

[stanleycup]

I've come across a small problem with Menuedit. I'm new to
using Menuedit so I'm not sure I've done something wrong. I just
purchased the full version so I should have access to all the features.

I just finished coneverting a DVD using DVD Shrink 2.3
There are 4 options in the main menu and I wanted to disable
the 2nd button (Bonus Material). I go to disable it using Menuedit
using the "Replace with NOOP" button and then play the DVD through WinDVD app. The 2nd button is still accessible. If I choose any of the options in the main menu then come back to the main menu, then the 2nd button is now disabled properly (like I wanted). I play the DVD through my DVD player and see the same problem.

I have also tried the "Jump to non deleted button" option also when deleting the 2nd button and it gives me the same result.

Does Menuedit delete all instances of a button that I delete or do I have to manually delete every instance? I went through all the menus
and I only saw one more instance of the Bonus material button which I also deleted but it still gave me the same result.

Am I doing soemthing wrong?

Any help is appreciated.

[DnGermany]

Maybe u overlooked something, but usually you have to check all the cells for the button that will be deleted. Great program, gets better every release.

[SillyWabbit]

This isn't a bug of MenuEdit. It's the way the DVD was put together. I bet the DVD that you're backing up plays animated or clips of the movie while the menu is being displayed. So instead of having a still picture displaying the menu options (i.e. Play, Special Features, etc.) you have a moving picture displayed along with the menu buttons. So when you deleted the Bonus Material button you thought the button would be disabled as soon as the menu scene came up. The reason the Bonus Material wasn't disabled as soon as the menu screen came up was because a VobID with zero cells (no option for disabling buttons) was played before the VobID that held the menu buttons that you were able to modify (delete). In essence, the animated or movie clips are held in one VobID and the menu buttons that are editable in another VobID. And this movie clip starts to play before the menu button are displayed. This is why when you went to another menu then back to the main menu the Bonus Material was disabled (because the VobID holding the movie clip did not play... the DVD simply went directly to the menu). To confirm this, play the DVD and wait 30 seconds or a minute to let the clip play and you will see that the Bonus Material button is not available. You didn't have to go to a different menu and then back again to see that it was disabled. You can either accept this or delete the VobID that holds the movie clip. The downside to this is that when you play the DVD from the beginning you won't get the movie clip at all. The DVD will simply go straight to the menu. All depends on how interesting the movie clip is as to whether you want to keep it or not. Use Vobrator to see what VobID holds the movie clip and use MenuEdit to delete the respective VobID. Hope this helps.

[[3nRiC0]]

Originally posted by [3nRiC0]
i have one idea :)

You can add to Menuedit the fuction for extract Background Menu Images, and for change it with others



can you adds the function for substitute a CELL with an IMAGE ? I don't see the possibility to LOAD an image, you can only substituting e CELL with an other cell from an other VOB and not with a BMP file

[[3nRiC0]]

for example

i have one Animated Menu and i want to change the animated background with a static IMAGE.
I edit with Menuedit the animated cell and i save the backgroung image as BMP.

Now i want changing the animated cell with the static BMP, but the MENUEDIT can only change a CELL with an other CELL and not with an image.....

please add this feature

this can be good just for reduce the dimension of original menu

[SplinterMgs]

Hi all

I'm a newbie and just tried the latest version 2.1.1 and here's an example with 4 buttons:
Before
1
2
3
4

After
1

When I deleted 1-3 and trying to keep 4, button (index) 1 actually replaced what was in 4. In other words, I'm not able to keep the functionality of button 4.

Button 4 is now connected (acting) as button 1. What am I doing wrong? I just selected and deleted the unwanted buttons but didn't expect it move functionality (shift from top to bottom). Please help as I don't understand why this is happens.

Many thanks in advance.

[Dimad]

I just selected and deleted the unwanted buttons ...
Let me guess... you are doing it for language or subtitle selection menu?

In some cases index of the selected button is used by the code in the ifo file to make a decision on what to do next. Very often this approach is used in language and subtitles selection menus. So it is not a very good idea to actually delete buttons in these menus.

[Mobius]

Is it possible to completely remove the button after deleting the button's function? That is, the button wouldn't even show up on the menu. Sorry if this has already been answered elsewhere.

[Dimad]

Is it possible to completely remove the button after deleting the button's function?

Answer is yes, but to do this is not one click procedure. Neither too complicated, all depends on what authoring tool you have and how familiar you are with editing pictures, movies.

You will need to do few things:
1) split cell with button you want to delete into components: video, audio, subpicture;
2) edit video (if it is a motion menu) or image (if it is a still menu) to grey out or somehow else indicate that button is deleted;
3) author everything together into new vob/cell;
4) "replace cell" with using MenuEdit (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=55261). MenuEdit 2.1.1 is especially helpfull since you can copy buttons from the original cell into new one!

Done! :)

[SplinterMgs]

Dimad, thanks for a great tool (and the reply).

Unfortunately, it wasn't for language or subtitle selection menu, it was in fact for the main menu.

I was trying to keep the button which actually goes to a submenu (Extras). Strange thing is I managed to track down a rather old version 1.1.2 which worked and didn't cause this behaviour.

The latest version has lot more features but somehow they must work differently. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this problem (with the latest version), I'm just doing basic buttons removal.

I'd like to use the latest version, so any ideas?

Many thanks in advance.

[Dimad]

Terminology might be confusing. From your post it looks like you "remove" buttons (which would reduce amount of buttons shown by MenuEdit). Have you tried to just "hide" them?

Also you might want to check commands associated with the buttons.

[VidHack]

Be carefull using Vers. 1.1.2 it had a "misplaced highlight bug", so it actually may be working due to the highlights being located 'off' your screen. Please try your test with a minimum of Version 1.2.0 and report back if it still works.

VidHack

[cracksloth]

here is my rather specific experience with menuedit (perhaps this means someone else can duplicate it). i am trying to remove the button leading to the language menu in the first dvd of band of brothers. i am testing my changes in windvd5 and powerdvd5 within winxp. i can edit the menu in vobid 5 of VTS_01_0.VOB. unfortunately, nothing seems to work. i use menuedit to "hide" the button (with jumping enabled) but the button is not disabled and i can navigate and select it normally. when i activate the button, i go to language menu as one would expect. however, when i return to the "previous menu" the language button is now properly hidden and i cannot select it (the menuedit changes seem to have been suddenly engaged). in other words, when I go to the menu the first time, it appears that menuedit has not made any changes, but when you activate the button and go to the language menu, you can then return to the previous menu and the menuedit changes suddenly appear. have i stumbled upon a weirdness of band of brothers or menuedit? and can this be resolved?

[Arianos]

Have you checked whether there are more than one instances of the menu? On more than one occasions, I found that the main menu, when you first insert the disc to a player, is different than the one it pops out when you select "menu" on remote when playing the movie, though it looks exactly the same.

[cracksloth]

although that would seem to make sense, i have not found any duplicate menus in this dvd. i had already thought of this because that is exactly how it is behaving, however, i don't believe a second cloned menu exists. thanks though, it is good advice and shows a good understanding of what i am talking about.

[Arianos]

@ Dimad:
Is there a way to open 1 Gig Vobs? Sometimes a nagging-warning screen(s) is in the first or last VOB of the main movie titleset. When I try to open it, I get a "not enough storage space" or something message. Sometimes, I succeed after 5-6 tries, but most times I fail. I have a 1.8 G P4, 512 RAM and 120Gig HD, XP Pro. Is it a Menuedit shortcoming, or should I upgrade something?.
And once again:
Menuedit is the best thing since sliced bread, for us backuppers!

[cracksloth]

it is still acting as if there was a second cloned menu that menuedit isn't detecting and thus i cannot edit... but who knows. has anyone else experienced similar problems? i have also looked at the hex code for the audio stream i kept (dolby 5.1) and in each button for a different audio channel, i switched it to the hex code for dolby 5.1. still when i select a language channel other than 5.1 i just get silence (because the audio track has been previousy ripped out). i even tried the methods on an unaltered dvd rip (without removing the audio channels) but i got the same results. at any rate, i am at a loss.

[cracksloth]

sorry for all the posts but i noticed a new weird happening. i set the dts audio button to go to the previous menu (using a hex code). when i run the dvd, i navigate to the language menu and activate the dts button and the audio skips (as if it were switching audio tracks). then i activate it again and it goes to the previous menu. menuedit's changes did not work the first time i pressed it but it did the second. very odd. i guess there has to be cloned menus within the dvd but i have checked every vob with no results. is it possible menuedit is not showing every menu? can anyone verify this? well, if anyone wants to give menuedit a trial by fire, then band of brothers d1 is it!

[Arianos]

D1 ok, but R1 or R2?

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Arianos
@ Dimad:
Is there a way to open 1 Gig Vobs? Is it a Menuedit shortcoming, or should I upgrade something?.


Yes, MenuEdit is capable of handling vob files large then 1Gb.
But sometimes Win works against it. It seems that it is necessary to have continuos chunk of virtual memory bigger then the size of the file you want to open. If you have not defragmented your disks for a while it might be a good time to do so. Sometimes it is possible to open a big file only once. When you try to open next big one - error message pop-ups. This is also due to the way windows handles memory. MenuEdit does release all used memory.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by cracksloth
very odd. i guess there has to be cloned menus within the dvd but i have checked every vob with no results. is it possible menuedit is not showing every menu?

Sometimes one cell contains segments with different amount of buttons. Say, there is an "introduction" at the begining without buttons, followed by the "menu" with buttons. Unregistered version of MenuEdit does not split such cells into segments.

[Arianos]

@ Dimad;
My HD was heavily fragmented. Defragged, everything OK now. Thanks!

On a new matter now:
Not really a problem, but I think it might answer many "mystery menus" questions:
Columbia Greece produced DVDs have the Greek copyright screens on a titleset of their own, even though all the other European languages are in a different titleset.
They (Greek) come on when you hit play, show for some seconds, and then the movie starts.
The tricky part is, that these screens CANNOT BE PREVIEWED by any software!! (Power DVD,Menuedit,WMP etc)
I discovered this by suspecting that a 1MB VOB simply cannot be a blank screen, so I replaced the "blank" cells with my usual blanks, and presto! No more Greek warning screens!
On Power DVD and Cyberhome 212, they play OK. On Philips 743(extra fussy), when I hit play, screen goes blank for a couple of secs, then it gets back to menu screen. I hit play again, couple secs blank, then movie starts. I know things can be improved here, but as I am a little Ifoedit challenged, I'm quite content for now.
The thing I noticed is that with these "blanks" the preview bar can be slided, though nothing shows. Maybe those eluding menus reside within "false blanks"?

[roach76]

I have the registered version of MenuEdit and I used it to change the the 'Button Commands' on some buttons in the Chapter Selection Menu.

With my movies, all I like keeping is the main movie and the Chapter Selection Menu. I changed the 'First Play PGC' to jump straight to the movie and changed the commands in some of the 'PGC Menu's' within the IFO files so when someone pushes the 'Menu' Button it goes straight to the first Chapter Selection Menu Screen. That works fine.

But when I change the button's commands within the menu screen so they jump to the correct chapters using MenuEdit and I select a button in the menu I get 'Illegal Navigational Commands' and IfoEdit stops the movie playback.

Within each PGC Menu that is navigated through, like the movie's PGC and the 'First Play PGC' I deleted all the previous Pre and Post Commands, the same with all the commands in the PGC Menus that are called when you push 'Root Menu' or 'Top Menu' buttons on the remote. All those ones that are called when you push a remote button jump/link straight to the Chapter Selection Screen, and with all the commands deleted except my jump/link commands all the GPRegs = 0.

But as soon as I change a command in a button to something as simple as a 'LinkPGCN' command I get the error. I had a 'LinkPGCN' command on a Button to Link to a 'PGC Menu' which only has 'JumpTT to Title 7' (the movie) command and that's it. But if the command is changed to a 'JumpTT to Title 7' on the button it jumps to the start of the movie like it should. I even tried the 'JumpTT to PTT' (Jump to Title and Chapter command) and it didn't like it.

The only commands that I left were the 'If GPReg = 1, then LINKPGCN Program 1', 'If GPReg = 2, then LINKPGCN Program 2'...... in the movies PGC as Pre-Commands. I was going to use those to make the Chapters Menu work using a 'LinkPGCN' command combined with a set GPReg = 1,2,3.... to link to another 'PGC Menu' that just jumps to Title 7 but it doesn't work!!!

Frustrating! I hope someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Thanks

[voo_doo99]

Is there a way to restore functions in buttons deleted with MenuEdit?. I managed to delete the wrong button without backing up the VOB :mad: . I used v1.12, can I get the buttons restored in VOBedit or some tools?. Thanks for any help.

[roach76]

If you deleted (not hide) then I think it is bye bye button.

[Black Hole]

@roach76:

If you get "Illegal Navigational Commands" maybe you tried to access some domain that is not accesible. You can't jump everywhere from anywhere. Sometimes you have to go to Video Manager (VGM) domain first. Sometimes you can't use local links and you have to use Jump commands.

Check Virtual Machine Jumps and Calls (http://mpucoder.kewlhair.com/DVD/vmi-jmp.html) page at MPUCoder's web.

[roach76]

Thanks for the reply, Black Hole.

I'd never seen that page before on MPUCoder's site, it seems that I have to go to the VMG PGC Menus first. I'll give it a go. Thanks Black Hole and MPUCoder for the information.

[Alphaloop]

Well, I was long time absent, now here again. :)
But my problem is still not solved. I really don't know where I can look for an answer anymore. My vts_xx_00.vobs aren't write protected, but menuedit loads them, and quits without any information. Seems that I'm the only one with this problem. :confused:
shite.

[Dimad]

Seems that you are the only one with this problem. If you are a registered user send me (menuedit@dimad.net) your registration info and we will discuss what can be done. If you are not ... hmm ... well ... hmm ...

[Alphaloop]

Well, yeah, I'm registered. :cool:
Before I start mailing, I'll make some more tests also on my notebook (nearly same configuration as my desktop has). If it runs there, I'll be completely confused. :o

At the moment I only guess that there is a dll or ocx of Windows missing? Or my MPeg2-Decoder is corrupted? But PowerDVD (and all other MPeg2-tools) run fine.

Has anyone a dump of the menuedit.exe which external function calls are in it?

[VidHack]

MenuEdit uses the standard MFC libraries, a core dump was sent to Dimad, and there are NOT any problems. Turn of your debugger, and MenuEdit will work fine, if you are not aware of a debugger running, check for trojans/ viruses.

VidHack

[Alphaloop]

I GOT IT!!! *jumping and dancing around*

I always used the tool in the same way as other tools like ifoedit and vobedit: I copied it into my "tools" folder, which is part of my PATH-variable. So I could start it in any folder (I'm a CLI fan ;)). This was okay until version 1.3.x From there on the error occured by doing it this way. Now tried "the good old way": Jumped into Tools folder, started MenuEdit here, and then opened the vob in some other dir. And this was successful. :)

Did you change something in the path handling?

[VidHack]

Dimad,

Problems at your website (29 Jul 03)..........


Bandwidth Limit Exceeded
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to the site owner reaching his/her bandwidth limit. Please try again later.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache/1.3.28 Server at menuedit.dimad.net Port 80


VidHack

[Dimad]

I'm on it. Thanks.

Update(July 30): It is fixed.

[VidHack]

Problem with website has returned. Seems your website is getting "Hammered", perhaps some anti-hacker scripts are needed. Good-Luck. (31 Jul 03).

VidHack

[misiek]

I've got the same problem as roach76 with the film "Magdalene", PAL version. I use the registered version of MenuEdit to redirect menu link to the right chapter, which are messed up on 2nd disc after splitting, but it doesn't work. I've tried to look at the menu commands of the original non splitted film, and for all menues related the command of each button is link PCN tail. Maybe it's not a stuff for MenuEdit, but for Ifoedit, maybe the jump commands on scene menu are on its ifofile, but how to locate and change it? Please help me, I'm still a newbie in this stuff. Thank you in advance:(

[Dimad]

Originally posted by misiek
... for all menues related the command of each button is link PCN tail...
If buttons on menu have same commands it means you need to look into ifo file, usually in this case, action is selected based on button index.

[misiek]

Thank you very much Dimad; I have gone to VTSM_PGCI_UT of the VTS_01_0.ifo which is the ifo of menu, and selected the right menu but I'm not able to fix pre and post commands which involves jumps and I don't know the logic to modify them with hex editor. Exactly I don't know which commands determine jumps to scenes and how to select the "code" of the correct scene. I realize it's quite large stuff, but please help me with some other information. If you can please give me the link to a guide introducing the programming of ifo files. thank you very,very much

[Dimad]

DVD navigation could be implemented many different ways in ifo files(as with any other program). A good source of the information may be MPUCoder himself :) (or at least his web site http://www.mpucoder.com ).

[NobbyNobbs]

I see in your Q&A that you describe how to change the background picture in a menu.
I have tried a much easier way to do that, when you have finished recoding your DVD, load it in Nero Recode, set desired size a little bigger then your finished DVD ( so Recode does not change anything else.)
Make a profile where you keep all audio/subtitles, and where you have unchecked the box that says "Remove all audio tracks and subtitles for disabled video".
Under configure, select the graphic you want to replace your meny with.
Then you find the menu you want to change, select disable.
Now you can save your DVD, the background of the menu has changed.
:D

[hellfire]

It probably doesn't work with motion menus though... Correct me if I'm wrong.

[canti]

I'm having a strange problem... basically: I'm a DVDMaestro user, but the dvd I'm copying has more than 25 buttons per menu - I don't want to alter this...so, using registered MenuEdit, I'm able to copy the 29 buttons from the original DVD to my dvdmaestro'd dvd. This is fantastic :) I can even fix the button sizes. This is also fantastic. Unfortunately, for some reason, when I do this change, the buttons no longer have a highlight color. Is it possible for a future version to allow color changes? (button color, highlight color, action color) If there's an existing way to edit these colors that doesn't require additional MenuEdit code, could you let me in on that information as well? Thanks so much.

[Dimad]

I'm able to copy the 29 buttons from the original DVD to my dvdmaestro'd dvd. This is fantastic I can even fix the button sizes. This is also fantastic. Unfortunately, for some reason, when I do this change, the buttons no longer have a highlight color.

Rectangles you see on "Edit" screen are used by DVD players to cut part of the subpicture of this menu and show that on top of the menu video. So you need to have a subpicture stream in the menu cell corresponding to your buttons layout to have button highlighted when it is selected.

Is it possible for a future version to allow color changes? (button color, highlight color, action color) Yes, I'm planning to add this in one of the next releases.

[canti]

I had a corresponding subpicture in the original vob... does MenuEdit remove it, or is it copied over with the other vob's background?
I'm not sure I understand exactly what all is copied over when I use the replace function.

[Mort]

Originally posted by hellfire
It probably doesn't work with motion menus though... Correct me if I'm wrong.

If you want to get rid of a motion menu, make a screen capture of the menu in PowerDVD, and use this as a new background. (should be done before you recode the DVD, if you want to gain space.):D

( I am assuming that you answered the post before you)

[Dimad]

Originally posted by canti
I'm not sure I understand exactly what all is copied over when I use the replace function.

Resulting cell has:
- from replacemnt cell: all streams (video, audio, subpicture);
- from original cell: button information (if checked), vob/cell id (if checked);

[2COOL]

Dimad,

When I delete a Cell Id in a non-menu VOB, the processing window's cancel button is greyed out. It's assume you can't cancel but in fact, you still can. Just paying attention to details. You may want to check out deleting VOB-IDs too.

It takes forever for MenuEdit to cancel and eventually I get have Windows giving me a "Not responding" message.

[MackemX]

well I've just coughed up the dough to buy this tool initially more out of interest than to use as I can do most stuff for free anyway using IFOEdit

but after playing with it I find it's a very powerful tool that makes the job of editing a DVD as simple as pie

compliments to the Chef :D

p.s. anyone got any more guides to use this tool apart from the ones on the website?

[2COOL]

Welcome to the darkside MackemX!:p If you using the registered version with great success doesn't convince others that it's a power tool then they are missing out BIG time!:eek: :eek:

I was just playing with it to see if I can create new buttons on a original menu but to no avail though. I can manually do it in VOBedit but there are a lot of nav packs to hexedit, especially if it's a motion menu. I was trying to create a hidden button that I could manipulate to play an inserted easter egg video. I know it's possible but it's too time consuming. MenuEdit can export buttons and menus but can't import.:(

[MackemX]

this just get's better

I've downloded a free macro tool and it now takes seconds to replace a cell with a blank 0.xx file instead of loads of clicking as I just use a macro to replace the 20 clicks or so

this is how fast and easy I have got it. If I open Ifodit and Menuedit and highlight the cell I wish to replace then this is what I need to do

mouse clicks = 1 but could be easily eliminated
key presses = 3 hotkeys

total time in Menuedit = a few seconds while it does it's job
total time in Ifoedit = a few seconds while it does it's job

it's unreal how fast it is when it's automated

I'd sent an email to Dimad previously as I had a few suggestions and I'm waiting for him coming back but I want him here ASAP now after playing with this :D

I didn't realise how simple it could be once it was automated and if anyone is interested in this simple automation right now then just PM me

it's nearly a one click solution and if Dimad can do it and I think he can then this will be the tool I actually asked for way back in April :D

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=50555
2. then it gives selection (with preview) of what video/audio/subs to remove (from Titleset level right down to VOB ID level), but still maintains original PGC structure and audio/subs streams mapping by creating dummy entries (cropping feature also would be nice if poss)

...that's a lot to ask, but basically it would be simliar IC but with the facility to go downto VOBID level and replace the VOB ID's or complete PGC/Titleset's with 0.xx sec files and maintain DVD structure. If a tool did this then it should never really fail on playback as the complete DVD structure will always be maintained. Granted there may be the occasional hiccup but that would be user inflicted if they removed the wrong thing...

Dimad where are you???? :)

[2COOL]

I wanna try but your inbox is full.:(

[MackemX]

just emptied it

[MackemX]

Originally posted by 2COOL
Welcome to the darkside MackemX!:p If you using the registered version with great success doesn't convince others that it's a power tool then they are missing out BIG time!:eek: :eek:
I have seen the light, I'm in the Ifoedit forum and yep I finally buckled and forked out the cash to get this tool but it was more out of curiosity after reading the menuedit's site descriptions for the umpteenth time

I should have really asked to be a beta tester earlier this year when I was 1st tempted but I could do most things using Ifoedit and didn't know what I would be capable of using this tool especially with the macro hotkeys. People have recommended it but sadly it fell upon deaf ears

I do have some suggestions for Dimad that should help improve this already excellent tool but it will cost him $16.50 for me to tell him what they are :D, but I'm sure they are worth it

[2COOL]

Originally posted by MackemX
I do have some suggestions for Dimad that should help improve this already excellent tool but it will cost him $16.50 for me to tell him what they are :D, but I'm sure they are worth it LOL! :D :D :p I haven't read a funny post in a long time.

[MackemX]

He can have them for free if he will be my Beta programmer :D

[VidHack]

Welcome to the wonderfull world of MenuEdit!

I am glad you enjoy Dimad's excellent VOB tool. Dimad has been very open about adding features to his tool. Many of the idea's I have proposed have made into MenuEdit. (Thank Dimad) He has been also very responsive to bugs. So, I am sure if you have any ideas about adding features to the app, he would enjoy the input. One quick note, If I understand you correctly, you are asking for MenuEdit to control/send commands to IFOedit. I am not sure if Dimad would want to add this feature. It involves "Hooking" / retrieving Windows system messages to recieve a windows Hwd (Handle) from IFOedit, then respond to the proper messages/events. From a programming standpoint, this would open up MenuEdit for a rash of new bugs. Simply said, MenuEdit is a self contained App., and works as advertised. If you read prior posts in this thread, Dimad wanted to keep MenuEdit a self-contained App, using internal libraries. So, please share your dreams of MenuEdit with us, but keep an open mind, if Dimad chooses a different coarse for his App. Good Luck.

VidHack

[MackemX]

thanks for the welcome ;)

[vtwin0001]

Just another suggestion

Hello, first of all thanks for creating a really needed application like that one, however, I would like to give you a great suggestion which will help a lot of people in disgrace (like me), and that is Remapping of the links from the buttons; what I mean by that is that I (along with many people) am trying to make a whole DVD backup (PAL) and transfer it to a whole NTSC DVD Backup.... I had succesfully recreated the whole dvd from PAL to NTSC (sound and video) however, had absoultely no luck at all trying to put the menus and all together so my dvd work as it should.

By the moment the DVD (IFO) says its time to choose for a menu link button, the video is not there, or is moved or simply no buttons at all.

Thanks

[Dimad]

... I had successfully recreated the whole dvd from PAL to NTSC (sound and video) ...

Do you mean by this that you have:
1) converted to NTSC all original cells in all vobs;
2) corrected all ifo files so that they are "aware" that everything is in NTSC now;

regarding menus:
3) multiplexed scaled highlight(subpicture) stream into all cells in menu vobs;
4) transferred scaled buttons into new menu cells (I think I finally figured out what should be done to transfer buttons correctly, so next release of MenuEdit will be able to help you with this task (may be it will even do scaling for you) )

[vtwin0001]

Yes, it actually really easy....

I just demuxed every VOB file in a separate folder for each VOB, so that in each foler I get the orginal m2v file, the m2v NTSC file, the original .ac3 and the NTSC ac3 file, along with all subpictures

then i just remux with ifoedit, copy the original ifos to a new folder and put everything together (renaming eveything back and ignoring the resulting ifos from the mux process done by ifoedit, of course) the i just ifoupdate everything, check with ifoedit and change every instance PAL to NTSC (and its corresponding screen size) ....that includes of course video_ts.ifo

So the only thing left to do is what you say (i think) which I call remapping of menus or 'the (what you said) multiplexed scaled highlights .sup stream into all cells in menu vobs

:)

[Dimad]

Sounds good. Exept I don't know what IfoUpdate does - hope everything what is needed. :) And also, when you remux with IfoEdit you do get video/audio partitioned into the "same cells" as in original, right?

[vtwin0001]

I do not know either what IFOUpdate does, but I suppose it just changes all the PAL instances to NTSC instances (since it checks for the old file, the new vob files and then updates the new files (with the info from the old and updated with the new))

When remuxing, just checking back how it was, since the DVDs I have tried to convert are very simple, they do not come out with a 0x082 in the audio thing but start where they are supposed to.... 0x080 (or something like that, you get the idea)

However, if that's not possible, just by using good old scenarist (with ReAuthorist will do to correct the problem or maybe DVD Maestro, and specify where to put that stream, I dont think that would be too much a hassle)

...since I don't know how to program (or make applications) I could even suggest you to do a 1-click solution for a Whole PAL DVD -> NTSC application..... I would even pay for it gladly (and I suppose some other people too, most of those who like good cinema, and not just hollywood $h17, but that's another story.... :) )

[MackemX]

I dunno if you got my email Dimad but I'd be happy with a simple multiple cell remove/replacement option

I hope it's coming :)

[Dimad]

I got it. Sorry for silence I was busy with new release.

I'm not sure if it makes sence to make interface more complex by allowing multiple selection for mass replacement. Now only 2 mouse clicks are needed to replace cell (if same replacement cell is used). As usual it is faster with keyboard. What I can add in next release: replace all cells in vob with the selected cell.

[MackemX]

sounds good

[Dimad]

Originally posted by MackemX

...Did you fix the issue with the ALT + R ...
..when you click replace it gives you the option of keeping original cell ID and buttons....

Are you working with latest (2.2.0 at the moment) version?

I've been thinking about changing the name... may be...

[MackemX]

Originally posted by Dimad
Are you working with latest (2.2.0 at the moment) version?

I've been thinking about changing the name... may be...

nope. I downloaded 2.1.1 when I initially got MenuEdit on the 8th of this month and you were away according to your site

when was it released?

Have I been missing out on something??????

I'm signed up to recieve update news etc but ain't recieved anything

:EDIT: just checked site and new version came out on 16th!!!!, so I have been missing out :(

I do hope you change the name and I'm sure others will agree ;)

[canti]

I know this is kind of a silly thought, but...what if we could just add buttons on the fly? It's a super pain to have to re-author something just to change a menu, or to learn a different program because you need more buttons than the perfectly good one you're using allows. I'm still trying to make a menu with 29 buttons without having to re-author the whole damn thing ;) (Scenarist is turning out to be a little difficult to understand...why are all the faqs for super-complicated projects? Where's the 1-movie, 1-sub track, 2-menu guide? >.<)

Just an idea...would it be very complicated to add? From a layman's view, it seems like it could be, but probably isn't.

[MackemX]

glad to see the changes in the new version Dimad as it that makes the replacement process a lot quicker and I hope it continues to get even better :D, keep up the good work

I've got a few more ideas and I hope in time they can be implemented

I've made some blank cells just in case anyone is interested in replacing the stuff they are removing with a message instead of the boring blank and can't be bothered to disable buttons, link in sig

guess it's time for updating guides again as the process has changed so my flash guide is out of date

[vmesquita]

Hello everyone,

I am having that problem to open 1 Gb files. I read the whole thread and the Q&A, so I tried to defrag my partitions, formated a 1.5Gb free partition and created a pagefile there, using WinXP defrag utility to make sure it was continuous (the file was a big green area, so it was continous) but nothing helped. I still get the "MapViewOfFile failed" error with older versions, and the latest 2.2.0 starts to process but crashes. The VOBs were created using IFOEdit.
I'd like to use MenuEdit to change VOB-Ids, since VobEdit method keeps increasing vob-id number and I just want to change.
I already mailed Dimad about this problem, but I thought that posting here would be useful, maybe someone knows a way to fix this.

[]'s
VMesquita

[Arianos]

Download the latest version. Problem gone :)

[MackemX]

Hi Arianos :)

I think he has the latest version 2.2.0 :( and it still crashes

@vmesquita

have you got enough memory and hard drive space?

[vmesquita]

Thanks for trying to help! :)
I am running MenuEdit in a partition with 10 Gb free, and the VOBs are in the same partition. Previous versions gave the error message, the latest 2.2.0 crashes with an "Microsoft Visual C++ RunTime Library"-"Run Time Error Program: Menuedit.exe"-"abnormal program termination", then an "Instruction no 0x... made reference to memory on 0X..... Memory can't be read. Click Ok to finish" and then a Windows "Send report to M$" Windoes. :(
I have 256 Mb SDRam and I have already tried to create 1500 Mb pagefile.

[]'s
VMesquita

[Dimad]

Free version of MenuEdit 2.2.0 handles vob files "old fashioned way". And it may "choke" on large files on some systems.

[Arianos]

Ahhh... That probably ...'splains' it :)

[vmesquita]

So maybe it's a good idea to update the FAQ to show that this function in freeware 2.2.0 is still buggy, only registred version is working perfectly, because the way it is, it's misleading.

[]'s
VMesquita

[canti]

OK, here's my query ;) This is what my VTS_01_0.VOB looks like in Menuedit:
Vob ID: 1
-Cell ID: 1 (9 buttons)
Vob ID: 2
-Cell ID: 2 (29 buttons)

Unfortunately, the button in Vob ID: 1 that connects to Vob ID 2 isn't working...what would I manually set the button's command to, in order to connect these menus? Thanks!

[2COOL]

@canti

Originally posted by canti
OK, here's my query ;) This is what my VTS_01_0.VOB looks like in Menuedit:
Vob ID: 1
-Cell ID: 1 (9 buttons)
Vob ID: 2
-Cell ID: 2 (29 buttons)

Unfortunately, the button in Vob ID: 1 that connects to Vob ID 2 isn't working...what would I manually set the button's command to, in order to connect these menus? Thanks! :eek: My crystal ball is still kinda hazy right now but which of the 9 buttons in your menu (Vob ID:1) are you referring to? I'm assuming this is the main menu. Now what menu is VOB ID:2? Why is it not working? Did you authored a movie and you didn't link the button? With the button in question in your VOB ID 1 menu, what is the button command that MenuEdit displays?

[canti]

Well, the button in the first menu is a link to the index menu; VOB ID 1 is Main menu, VOB ID 2 is Index Menu (chapters). I'm not entirely sure why it's not linked; the "original" command it has is LinkTailPGC (button 0); however, that command does not take me to the index menu (I replaced the index menu with a menu from another vob. This may be part of the problem.)

[canti]

OK, so, if you've noticed my previous posts, I'm working on making chapter menus for azumanga dvds...which have 29 or more buttons. Obviously, Maestro can't do this (maestro is capped at 25 buttons)...and using scenarist, something was never quite working. I tried Adobe Encore, and when it spit out my lovely menu, I was actually able to grab the menu, and keep it...and not screw up anythin else. For whatever reason, I DID have to use the previous version of MenuEdit, but I think I figured out the problem. Using Maestro or whatnot, I've had the background color set to something specific of my choosing. Now, I find that my background was set to a grey (1) , or if I chose didferent color settings, green (2), or transparent (3). Probably my button backgrounds were set to transparent in previous cases, which is exactly what my problem was.

In any case, I just thought I would say "Hey! It worked! It's a little grey instead of a little pink-orange, but who the #@%@#% cares? It worked!" Thank you, Dimad, for letting this silly little project finalize. And thanks to everyone else for letting me boggle on the forum. So...Yeah. :)

[vtwin0001]

does anybody know a way to reauthor the menus of a dvd?

i am trying to reathour the menu of 'The Deep' dvd; i dont want to take buttons out, instead, adding a menu before the first one (its a flipper), so I would be able to choose which side to play

i know this might not be the right place.... but, just in case any of you know, i will be more than thankful

[Darklistener]

Hi

I have a button with the command
g[0] = 25701 ("de"), LinkTailPGC (button 0)

i want to relink the button so that
if i push him it will open the id 17 of the menu

does someone know the right command?

thx :)

[Methanoid]

Just registered my copy.. very impressed.

I'm keen on the Export to BMP for the background but what would be VERY cool (and I couldnt see [yet??]) would be the Import from BMP.

Example:

Backing up Outer Limits (1960s) DVDs.. some have 4 eps on disk. Want 2.

Use MenuEdit to remove links to the 2 eps I am not backing up. All buttons gone. Cool. Export menu background to BMP. Remove references to "missing" 2 episodes. Then (if poss) import amended BMP as background.

Bingo.. all done. That would do me very nicely. Can it be done???

[Dimad]

There are so many mpeg encoders nowdays, that I'm not exactly sure it will make sense to add another one to MenuEdit (and make it more expensive). Although it would be "typical Windows" way of doing things. Put everything into one program, make it big, buggy and charge more, MORE, ... :)

[VidHack]

Dimad - Hello to you,

Just a few short things... Perhaps @Methanoid has the correct idea, but doesnt fully understand Mpeg2 complexities. I realize you dont want to add an encoder routine to your app, but perhaps a IMPORT MPEG2 Frame Option. We (the user) could encode the BitMap using CCE/bbMpeg/Nero/Whatever.., then after encoding this Frame to the proper spec/size, you could just import (internally in MenuEdit) swap the bytes of the MPEG2 Frame. Just the video, leaving the Nav Packs/Timestamps from the original. Thinking about it, this would be a mess for a "Moving Menu" - Huh? (I might try this theory using a manual Hex-Editor) if its possible, I will get back to you.

Also, could you take a peek into the Developer Forum, @DoC hEx, released some good VB MPEG2 decoder code QUOTE "This new version now includes Aspect ratio correction, resizing, and cropping." Perhaps looking at this could resolve the Aspect ratio bug in your viewer, that the buttons dont exactly line at certain ratio's.

Anyway, putting a zip for you together.. Will send soon...

VidHack

[Methanoid]

Yes, Vidhack is correct. I can encode a single frame! Most people have access to one MPEG2 encoder.

Don't get me wrong, I am impressed with MenuEdit and glad I registered.

This just seemed to me the next thing for it to be able to do. If U can export then why not import? :D

Then at least my Outer Limits episodes would not need to be transcoded!:devil:

[Dimad]

What you need can be done in few steps:
1) demultiplex cell with your menu into: video, audio, subpicture (just delete all other cells from the .vob file using MenuEdit and then use any demultiplexer you have);
2) do what you want with the video (or just create a new one from the bmp exported with MenuEdit);
3) multiplex video/audio/subpictures back into vob file (say with IfoEdit);
4) open your vob file in MenuEdit 2.3.0, get into menu of interest and save buttons layout as .mbl (not as .bmp);
5) replace menu cell with what ever you've prepared;
6) go back to edit dialog and import saved buttons layout;
7) delete any unused buttons;

Done.

What, you don't have v 2.3.0? And can't export/import buttons? Hm-m-m...

Well, no one does. :) But if you want you may have latest beta where this all implemented. Just let me know (send me e-mail with your reg info).

It gets a little bit more complicated if you want to add new buttons. You will need to modify highlights(subpictures) with some other tool. Even current beta does not do it.

[Eyes`Only]

vtwin0001: Interested in helping my app acquire PAL->NTSC (and vice-versa) capabilities? Together with NuMenu4U I'm sure we can make an entire conversion keeping optimum quality. I've been thinking about adding this for a while now.

[vtwin0001]

Yes I am :)

As a matter of facts I have succesfully converted 2 PAL DVD's to NTSC (with menus and all), however I had to redo the whole thing, so its extremely slow...

Right now I am working with Ring 0

The other 2 dvds were 'The Royle Family Season 1 DVD' and Ring 2

The first one was done with DVD Lab without deinterlacing, so the output was poor viewed in NTSC set top and TV.
For my second attempt (Ring 2) I used your app (DoItFast4U) to rip the DVD and Deinterlace. Once that was done I just took all the videos and transform them to NTSC with Main Concept MPEG Encoder

The menus were ripped using DVDDecrypter in file mode, by Cell ID, converted in Main Concept to NTSC, no deinterlaced.

The most painful process is of course redo the whole subpictures menu thing, so It will be very interesting to beta test (since I dont know anything about encoding) your app.

For Ring 0 I was doing the same method as for Ring 2, but this time I was going to use Scenarist for the Subpicture thing in the menus. (I'm not there yet, still converting video to NTSC)

Also I would like to note that the Subtitles have to be Changed to NTSC, but you already know that...... :D

Cheers!

EDIT ---> Strange enough, Ring 2 uses the same Audio as the original (it was untouched), there in no acceleration with the audio, any how I converted it to NTSC and I got a really accelerated audio, so I used the original one. For The Royle family, I converted the audio and video with mainconcept and then the audio to ac3, using scenarist....

[Dimad]

MenuEdit 2.3.0 is released.

Added:

Import/Export menu buttons;
Create new buttons.
Bad news: MenuEdit does not change menu graphics neither modifies menu highlights yet :( so this should be done in some other app and then imported in MenuEdit.
Good news: I'm working on it :)

Modify menu color table. Actual color paletes are specified in IFO file. MenuEdit let you select what colors from these palete menu uses and change transparency(contrast) of highlights.

Enjoy!

[vtwin0001]

So, you mean that this will work to convert from 720 x 576 to 720 x 480, so all we have to do is convert the video to 29.97 and deinterlace?

[Dimad]

As I said MenuEdit does not edit or multiplex subpictures (button highlights) at the moment. If you can recode everything (video and subpictures) from PAL to NTSC and multiplex evrything back then the rest is simple. Automaticaly change size of buttons is not a problem. It is not in this release (I just forgot - you already sugested this feature) but it will take like 10 minutes to do it. :)

[geffroman]

I want to remove buttons from the main episode menu VTS2/VOB ID-1.

However, Menuedit 2.2.0 says there are 0 buttons. There are in fact 5 buttons. 4 for episodes and 1 for Special Features.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards... Jeff

[Arianos]

@geffroman:
You have to have the registered version, if you want to see the light! :)

[geffroman]

Can you explain..? I hate to waste your time and mine on being mysterious.

I have been using MenuEdit for about a month to see if it's something I want to BUY. However, I don't understand why the registered version would work properly in this situation and the FREE version would not.

Before I pay to find out it does not fix my problem I would appreciate input from anyone that understands the issue.

[Arianos]

Quote from here:
http://menuedit.dimad.net/advanced.html
There are weird people and there are weird menus. Some may have different amount of buttons throughout the cell. Unregistered version can't treat them correctly.

This picture is also from there, and it explains why you don't see the buttons
http://menuedit.dimad.net/images/diff_buttons_f.gif
this option has saved my sanity on several occasions. There are more 'weird' menus than you can imagine, out there! :)

Sorry to have sounded mysterious, :) but I had just woken up, and I wanted to give a brief answer.

[Dimad]

@ Arianos : Thanks for help.

@ geffroman
...why the registered version would work properly in this situation and the FREE version would not.
Just becouse I wanted to have something special for thouse who have registered ;)

You are FREE to join the club.

[vtwin0001]

Hello geffroman, I am going to tell you why I think there are 0 buttons

Maybe its because of this:

Sometimes menu designers create menus so they show off more, they design a menu for each button, so the highlight looks great, so in a way if you press, say, the right button on your control, you will see highlighted the right button, but actually is another menu

I found that out in the 'Awakening of the Beast' PAL (Mondo Macabro Version) DVD, while converting to NTSC and dealing with the menus, there was a part where there was a slide show, and for every button that can be highlighted, instead of having a highlight track for it, it has another menu with the highlight painted on it, right in the menu. You see, a Normal Menu unlike that has 3 tracks:
1 The Picture
2 The Highlight track
3 Music

The menu you are dealing with has probably 1 or 2 tracks (The Picture and, probably the Music) but no Highlight, thats why Menu Edit reports there are Zero buttons, because when you are doing it on the Authoring program, you dont create a 'Hot Spot' where the button is supposed to be.

I hope you could understand my explanation

The best thing you can do is use IFOEdit and edit the navigation of the DVD

[Dimad]

...The menu you are dealing with has probably 1 or 2 tracks (The Picture and, probably the Music) but no Highlight, thats why Menu Edit reports there are Zero buttons...

MenuEdit reports buttons. If it says there is 0 buttons for the cell segment - it means there is no button there, i.e. there is nothing in this segment which could be selected with "Select" button on your remote. Highlights have nothing to do with this.

there was a part where there was a slide show, and for every button that can be highlighted, instead of having a highlight track for it, it has another menu with the highlight painted on it, right in the menu.
I wonder how that menu looked like(worked). Button "highlight" running through possible choices? And when you hit "select" it jumps to "highlighted"? I would think there should be a button (without highlights) somewhere on each of these slides to implement selection.

[geffroman]

It appears that if I pay for a full registered version of Menuedit the problem goes away. I'll have to think about that. I understand the PAY version having more actual features. I respect that. But I am having a little bit of a problem with the idea that Menuedit (FREE VERSION) can but doesn't always work in it's basic functionality.

I will probably REGISTER... but I object to cripple-ware. I assure you that I have donated more money to IFOEdit and DVDDecryptor than I will pay for MenuEdit Registration. I paid full price for IC7 & IC8. I even tried to donate unsuccessfully to DVDShrink.

But I am bothered by the marketing method used by Menuedit. Add more features for paying customers YES... But crippled functionality that works only sometimes on the FREE version and ALWAYS on the Pay version to force users to REGISTER just feels a bit shady.

Just my two cents.

Regards... Jeff

PS - I am a 15 year Computer Graphics Hardware & Software Sales & Marketing Executive and business owner. I feel qualified to offer my marketing opinion.

UPDATE: I have Registered. Yes my problem is solved. Menuedit works if you PAY for it. Having the preview is awesome and saves me time. I would have happily updated just for that feature 2 weeks ago if the program had worked in it's most basic funtionality on the FREE version. So instead of having a happy customer two weeks ago and $16.50 in your pocket two weeks ago, you had a semi frustrated user trying to evaluate your software unsuccessfully.

In the end it is a nice program. And worth the money.

[Dimad]

[quote]
...But crippled functionality that works only sometimes on the FREE version and ALWAYS on the Pay ...
[/qoute]

Jeff, sorry if whatever I've said or done make you fill this way.

Free MenuEdit works in like 99% of all DVD I've run into (as you said you've been playing with it for a month and just now run into this). And in other 1% cases it does what free version is designed for - remove buttons, just does not do some deeper analysis of cells and can't recognise them.

Some time after registration was introduced I've discovered that there are some really strange dvds. After figuring out what is wrong I've modified reg. version so that those who has paid get most out of my DVD knowledge.

I'm not a marketing specialist :( (although time to time I feel like it is a good knowledge to posses), so would you mind giving me good advises in the future? :)

[vtwin0001]

@ Dimad

No, there wasnt since I was reauthoring the whole DVD, I searched for the highlight track everywhere in the DVD and there was nothing, so I had to create one Hightlight track so the menus works normally, instead of pressing select so it changes to the highlighted one.

Before that DVD I read about that possibility somewhere in the internet, where you use Photoshop to create menus and Highlights. In that guide they stated that creating the highlighted button on photoshop would be better than the subpicture, because you had the option to use more than the standard colours.
I didnt read the whole thing, but I noticed that highlight issue

[Arianos]

Hi all.
I really didn't know where to post this, as there is no DVDStripper thread, and DS is not really a 'one clicker', but, as it involves menu editing, I think this is the place.
(Mods or Dimad, feel free to transfer it wherever you see appropriate.)
Here goes:
I think I may have discovered a way to mod the menus while using the new beta version of DVDStripper. I associated the alternative player to Menuedit, checked Viewer/Menu Items/alt viewer and now when I click an menu item to play, Menuedit opens with the VOB ID displayed and it's much faster as it's only loading the menu VOB I want and not the whole VOB!!
But there are two tricks involved:
1. You have to open Menuedit, open a VOB (any vob), check 'Show all cells' and hit exit. That's it!! Next time you double click an item on the Menu list, it opens with Menuedit.
2. One has to have the new 2.3 registered version, which shows all cells and has a full preview.

So now, I have MP2 to view the Item List, and Menuedit for the menus! Super!
When menus are extra heavy, I have MP2 as main viewer, and change viewers on the fly when I encounter one that needs button changing. So for of a 600mb file on the more sophisticated menus, which takes ages to open and then you have to find the stupid menu, edit and save, which normally would take about 10 minutes, now I can spot the menu I want changed using MP2, and do it in seconds!

Thanks Dimad+TMG+MackemX!!!!

[vtwin0001]

....so, as a suggestion to this tool

For converting PAL DVD Menus to NTSC DVD Menus, there are 2, maybe 3 involved, so its relatively easy (I think)

Convert all the Subpictures (where the highlights are) to NTSC (resizing the images)
Convert all the Still Menu Pics to NTSC
Convert the video, this is very easily done by adding the following 2 lines to the Footer of the AVS script:

bilinearresize(720,480)
convertfps(29.97)

............is that possible???????

Please :confused:

[DMagic1]

I'm interested in registering but the 5 time activation in 1 year concerns me. Because of a problem with my machine I already reinstalled XP twice in one week. If I was a registered user that would be 3 of my allowed 5 activations right there. What happens if I have to reinstall another 2 times within a year? Anything could happen causing me to need to reinstall XP. Alot of people install their OS 3 or 4 times a year without anything really being wrong with their system.

If this was addressed before forgive me.

[geffroman]

Originally posted by DMagic1
I'm interested in registering but the 5 time activation in 1 year concerns me. Because of a problem with my machine I already reinstalled XP twice in one week. If I was a registered user that would be 3 of my allowed 5 activations right there. What happens if I have to reinstall another 2 times within a year? Anything could happen causing me to need to reinstall XP. Alot of people install their OS 3 or 4 times a year without anything really being wrong with their system.

If this was addressed before forgive me.


Some one correct me if I am wrong but I don't think reinstalling your OS and reloading MenuEdit is an issue. You save the registration code and just use it again. The 5 registrations is for when you change computers... If you are buying more than 5 new computers a year then you might have a problem.

I am under the impression that the registration code keys off of your hardware configuration. Don't change computers and you don't have an issue.

[Dimad]

Well. Computer ID which MenuEdit uses could change when Win is reinstalled.

5 menuedit registrations per year is just a number. It is done to make sure someone's registration is not wondering around in the Net. It is not set in stone. Any reasonable amount is ok.

For majority of MenuEdit users it is more then enough. Occasianally there is a need for more regs - people just contact me and we have it resolved.

[DMagic1]

Thanks for the help. Sign me up. :)

[baddbill]

Hi Dimad, is there a way to do this:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65621

with menuedit?

Thanks,
Bill

[yamyam]

Hello Dimad, Could you add support for editing vob PU-OPs to menuedit ?

[Dimad]

Should be quite straight forward to implement. I'll put it on todo list.

[riprazor]

Dimad, if the first menu choice is removed from a .VOB, is their any way of moving focus at start up to a different menu item?

I have a menu page with 18 items. If I delete the first 9 items, the page comes up on my standalone with no item being highlited but the page believes the first item is still selected. Once I try and navigate the page, it highlites the correct item (number 9). I would like to have the page come up with item 9 selected as the default choice rather than no item.

Thanks,
Riprazor

[Dimad]

As far as I know the only way to do what you need is to set default(highlight) button in the place from which the menu is called.

[2COOL]

@Dimad

You can try working with the "force selection button number" in the "Button highlighted information" of the nav packs. I tried it on a menu that had this set at button 0 (no highlighting) and I went and changed everything to 3 to test. When I played the menu, button 3 is now highlighted.

Then again, there may be highlight button commands residing in the PGC Command Tables that might counteract this. hmmm...

[Dimad]

Could be the way to go. I'll add ability to change this to Menuedit.

[riprazor]

Awesome! Thanks 2COOL for suggesting the method, thanks Dimad for what I still consider to be on of the best shareware investements I have ever made!

Regards,
Riprazor

[2COOL]

Dimad,

Just a few suggestions for a future version.

1) For ease of use, can you have the delete option menu pop-up when I right-click in preview window or on a selected button? I guess I'm just wishful thinking as I always have to move the mouse up and down to the delete button and then going to the OK button when it can be available as a right click menu. Should be simple to implement.

2) It's great we have Edit menu color table in 2.3.0 now. Anyway of putting like a min/max slider or maybe scroll bar so that we would know what our valid values would be? The reason for this is that we could easily go out of range with values and not all of us know what value to input. It just makes it more user friendly. ;)

3) It would be awesome if you had a visual color palette in which we could tap off from to really see what color we want and maybe see a preview of it? A good example is in DVD Lab's Help on Color Map. Install the trial if you don't have it and you can access it for reviewing. It would definitely make MenuEdit look more high-end if you could implement something like that.

Thanks for your consideration. ;)

[Dimad]

Thanks, for suggestion 2COOL. "Innocent" desire to add features and to make program more user friendly can easily turn into something major. :)

MenuEdit started as a tool to conveniently work with navigation packs in vob files. It was both it is "strength" : quite easy to use and "weakness": dvd is much-much more then vob files. There are a lot of interconnections in dvd and any serious modifications require changes in a whole bunch other places. MenuEdit original design is just not suited for this. Luckily it is possible to use IfoEdit to adjust ifo files when replacing cells, but some people get paralyzed just hearing word IfoEdit :)

My attempt to "teach" MenuEdit that dvd disks also have information in ifo files turned into major "free time eater" for last 4 months: DvdReMake (http://www.dimadsoft.com/dvdremake). And it is still not finalized. I add some code and it becomes obvious that I can easily have another feature if I would just add a little bit more code, so I add this "more code" … and so on. Well, we will see where this end. :)

[VidHack]

Readers of this thread,

Perhaps another thread is needed, Dimad has been coding a very interesting App called DVDremake, he makes reference to it in the above POST. The link is posted above, Though the tool/app is beta, feedback and especially Debug-Info is needed. Please be specific on bugs or problems. Positive comments are always welcomed.

To let you know, DVDremake can be used as a helper app for MenuEdit, it can display all VOBS blocks of video, ON THE SAME SCREEN.

If your a MenuEdit user, you will want to try DVDremake, just for that ability alone. A shout out to DIMAD, for his hard work, and to all that move this project forward. Thanks.

VidHack

[mikegun]

Hi,

I had a look at the demo version. must say that this looks very sweet,
can't wait to test it !!

regards,

mikegun

[Shaneo]

Originally posted by Dimad
"Innocent" desire to add features and to make program more user friendly can easily turn into something major....

.....My attempt....have turned into major "free time eater" for last 4 months......

.....I add some code and it becomes obvious that I can easily have another feature if I would just add a little bit more code, so I add this "more code" … and so on.

Dimad, how true this is. Have you ever read "The Tao of Programming"? You might get a kick out of it.

Also would like to say great program! awesome idea! it does everything it should. any features added after this point are "bells and whistles" which will make this tool even more awesome than it already is.

I know this is not related to the production of menuedit, but I had to say it anyway.

-Shaneo

[billstuck]

Hi Dimad, I need help registering Menuedit on my new machine. I forgot my reg name so I can't do it through your site. I emailed you last week but haven't heard back. Can you help me?

Thanks,
Bill

[geffroman]

Originally posted by billstuck
Hi Dimad, I need help registering Menuedit on my new machine. I forgot my reg name so I can't do it through your site. I emailed you last week but haven't heard back. Can you help me?

Thanks,
Bill

I had the same issue... I hear Dimad is out for a few days so here is what I got back from him...

Registration name was my real first and last name formatted like so; (all lower case)

first_last

[billstuck]

Originally posted by geffroman
I had the same issue... I hear Dimad is out for a few days so here is what I got back from him...

Registration name was my real first and last name formatted like so; (all lower case)

first_last

Excellent Thanks! I was forgetting the '_' in my name. I'm all set now. I didn't realize how much I use this tool until I was without it for a week.

Thanks again :)

[VidHack]

Dimad, is away on a trip until mid Feb. So, email support may be a bit slow.. Hopefully, he can access a computer and help everyone out..

VidHack

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Shaneo
Dimad, how true this is. Have you ever read "The Tao of Programming"? You might get a kick out of it.


Title sounds familliar, I'll take a look.


Also would like to say great program! awesome idea! it does everything it should.

Thanks, but what it does is far from what it may (IMO). What (and how) it does at the moment is what I and few beta testers would like to do to dvds. Anybody else interested to suit the program to their needs can forward requests to me. I don't promise that it will be implemented soon, but at least I'll keep it in mind so that no major changes will be needed to add these features.


any features added after this point are "bells and whistles" ...

Well, I hope not, and they will become a part of many peoples normal dvd editing workflow. :)

[jorel]

Dave82 is helping me in this thread:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=70675&perpage=20&pagenumber=1
menuedit is an vital program in the Dave82's tutorial!

menuedit is crashing if i try to open all vobs
from all dvds that i have...and reauthored vobs too,
if the vob have more than ~870mb size!

after read MenuEdit Q&A searching answers:
"5# Q: Is there a way to open 1 Gig Vobs in MenuEdit?"
..."Starting with MenuEdit 2.2.0 there should be no problems..."

i'm using the last free version and still have the problem!
any help is welcoming.
i using athlon xp2000+, 512mb ram,
maxtor 60gb with 27 gb of free space in win ME...

thanks in advance!
:)

[geffroman]

Originally posted by jorel


after read MenuEdit Q&A searching answers:
"5# Q: Is there a way to open 1 Gig Vobs in MenuEdit?"
..."Starting with MenuEdit 2.2.0 there should be no problems..."

i'm using the last free version and still have the problem!
any help is welcoming.

My suggestion is to spend $15 for the registered product.

[jorel]

means that isn't problem of my system or menuedit?

if you're right will be a pleasure got the registered version!
can you confirm?
:)

[geffroman]

Originally posted by jorel
means that isn't problem of my system or menuedit?

if you're right will be a pleasure got the registered version!
can you confirm?
:)

I am sorry I cannot confirm it to be a solution for your exact problem... I just know I tried for some time to make FREE menuedit work for me and found that the registered version seems to be more than just extra features... It seems to work better in general... I also think you will tend to get better support as a paying customer... but's just my opinion... not speaking for anyone else...

[Dimad]

Registered version of MenuEdit does require less memory to operate. So it might solve your problem. But! I know two boxes (one is 98SE with 265Mb memory) on which registered version has troubles opening large vobs.
You can do a simple test to check if it will work on your computer. Rip dvd with some large extras title set to your disk. Open this title set ifo file in IfoEdit, go to VTS_C_ADT table and change 1st cell end sector to something invalid (like 99999999).

Then download DvdReMake demo and try to import this disk. DvdReMake will determine that tables in ifo are not correct and will try to recover them. For this it will scan vob files in pretty much the same way as menuedit opens them.

[jorel]

@ geffroman and Dimad
thanks for attention and hints!
:)

i'm doing the test and post later.
thanks again!

[jorel]

i load the .vob (0,99Gb) in vobedit and did
demux--> cell id--> demux complete title set .
this give me little vobs!

then i load each cell in Menu Edit and adjust what's needed.
works perfect for my target!

:)

thank you very much...the program works very fine!
;)

ps:
if you want to see details:
i posted in 29th February 2004 here

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=70675&perpage=20&pagenumber=3

!

[2COOL]

@Dimad

Originally posted by 2COOL
@Dimad

You can try working with the "force selection button number" in the "Button highlighted information" of the nav packs. I tried it on a menu that had this set at button 0 (no highlighting) and I went and changed everything to 3 to test. When I played the menu, button 3 is now highlighted.

Then again, there may be highlight button commands residing in the PGC Command Tables that might counteract this. hmmm...

Do you still have this feature on your implementation list for MenuEdit?

[Dimad]

Yes. I'm just somewhat busy working on dvdremake. As soon as I get some time.

[rudeboymcc]

i have the full registered version of this great program but i haven't successfully remove buttons yet.

the dvd in question is bowling for columbine, and on the first menu there are four options, play, scenes, setup and trailer.

i removed the trailer so i wanted to delete htat button. when i did this in menu edit everything went ok and WInDVD could use all the other buttons. but when i wrote the DVD using Nero 6 and tried playing it in my standalone, there were no buttons and i was stuck on the menu.

this has happenned before but the buttons worked, there just wasn't a selection thing so you didn't know what button you were pressing.

any ideas?

[geffroman]

Originally posted by rudeboymcc
i have the full registered version of this great program but i haven't successfully remove buttons yet.

the dvd in question is bowling for columbine, and on the first menu there are four options, play, scenes, setup and trailer.

i removed the trailer so i wanted to delete htat button. when i did this in menu edit everything went ok and WInDVD could use all the other buttons. but when i wrote the DVD using Nero 6 and tried playing it in my standalone, there were no buttons and i was stuck on the menu.

this has happenned before but the buttons worked, there just wasn't a selection thing so you didn't know what button you were pressing.

any ideas? It's the DVD... It's corrupt... cause it was produced by a mean fat ugly white guy that lies all through the movie... It is sooo bad that MenuEdit probably just got sick and LEFT... :devil:

[Dimad]

Originally posted by rudeboymcc
i removed the trailer so i wanted to delete htat button. when i did this in menu edit everything went ok and WInDVD could use all the other buttons. but when i wrote the DVD using Nero 6 and tried playing it in my standalone, there were no buttons and i was stuck on the menu.

this has happenned before but the buttons worked, there just wasn't a selection thing so you didn't know what button you were pressing.


There was a simmilar problm in one of the earlier versions of DvdReMake. The reason was - highlight time was written incorrectly. Then it was fixed.

But MenuEdit does not even touch any other infromation in vob-files (only buttons). The only way not to have any selection when menu appears is to hide default button. But then selection should appear as soon as you push arrows (or #s) on remote.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by geffroman
It's the DVD... It's corrupt... cause it was produced by a mean fat ugly white guy that lies all through the movie... It is sooo bad that MenuEdit probably just got sick and LEFT... :devil:

? Am I missing something? :(

[geffroman]

Originally posted by Dimad
? Am I missing something? :( It was a joke... Michael Moore... creater of "Bowling For Columbine"... Considered to be one of the most mean spirited nasty conspiracy theorist of our time... distorter of truth... trying to take away our rights to own guns... his movie is so vile that even MenuEdit didn't want to work on it...

Sorry... I thought it was obvious and funny... I'll shut up now...:D

[cdburrner]

feature request...

just wondering how difficult it would be for you to add a feature that allows you to drag the buttons and resize them on screen... or perhaps a ruler that would at least let you know x/y position info(like in photoshop) sorry if this has already been asked.:eek:

[Dimmer]

@Dimad

I tried the free version of MenuEdit and noticed that it doesn't recognize animated menus when the actual menu starts in a middle of the cell. It appears that if the first NAV pack doesn't contain highlight information, the program thinks that there is no menu in this cell. Good example is Independence Day (R1 two-disc release). Or is it just a limitation of the free version?

Speaking of which, with all due respect, although everybody around here highly regards the program, I find it hard to come to this conclusion on my own based solely on the demo version. Wherever I click, I get a message "Registered version only", so the practical use mostly limited to viewing basic menu and cell info unless you give it up before that. Maybe you should re-think the marketing strategy.

That constant registered version pop-up reminded me of the first WinNT5 beta back in 1997 that later became Win2k. Wherever you click, it would crash and bring up Dr. Watson error screen - that was the only program that actually worked.

[cdburrner]

don't bash.... it's a great program. i find myself using it more than ifoedit. it's very easy to use, but if you know what you're doing, you can save quite a bit of time.

[rudeboymcc]

i find it very useful for hidden extras.

ie, in Memento, there's a hidden feature which plays the movie chronologically (the normaly one is played backwards).

turns out this is a whole other title set, so i ripped it and used menuedit to change the "play movie" button to point to it so it isn't necessary to go through the special scenes and press entre at the right time (takes time to get it right, you have to do it during a moving menu).

[geffroman]

Originally posted by Dimmer
[B Maybe you should re-think the marketing strategy. [/B] IMHO - You are correct, the demo does not give the full impact of what MenuEdit can do. But you have to draw a line to protect the program somewhere. A long time ago I actually complained about this just as you did. I've since wised up and spent my $14.

In the DEMO product's defense, there are so many guides on just this forum alone helping people to get what they need done with the demo that it is clear that if MenuEditDEMO was even a little bit more friendly that NO ONE would pay. I am guessing when I say I don't think the DEMO was introduced to be a FREE product for cheap skates. But now that it has largly become that why would any software author want to add more functionality to his/her demo. Please understand, I have the highest respect for Dimad's products especually since the release of DVDReMake. However, I have no knowledge of his reasons nor have I ever discussed this with him. I am speculating totally.

That said you admit yourself that the product has a great reputation. References sell products more than any demo ever did...

If you want to modify menus in seconds and easily I say spend the $14 and you'll be happy. Again, IMHO as a paying user of the product.

[Dimad]

Originally posted by Dimmer
@Dimad

I tried the free version of MenuEdit and noticed that it doesn't recognize animated menus when the actual menu starts in a middle of the cell. It appears that if the first NAV pack doesn't contain highlight information, the program thinks that there is no menu in this cell. Good example is Independence Day (R1 two-disc release). Or is it just a limitation of the free version?
It is.


Speaking of which, with all due respect, although everybody around here highly regards the program, I find it hard to come to this conclusion on my own based solely on the demo version. Wherever I click, I get a message "Registered version only", so the practical use mostly limited to viewing basic menu and cell info unless you give it up before that. Maybe you should re-think the marketing strategy.
Yep. I admit that I know how to bang on keyborad and design software products (large or small but in any case fast :) ) way better then how to sell things. But I learn fast and I think DvdReMake demo shows off better :)

Don't forget it is more then a year old. And original purpose was to delete/hide buttons - even demo does it. Cell/vob renumbering - also usefull or at least was used in some guides.


That constant registered version pop-up reminded me of the first WinNT5 beta back in 1997 that later became Win2k.
I don't mind lets forget about MenuEdit and start using "better" one - DvdReMake. :)

Originally posted by geffroman
In the DEMO product's defense, there are so many guides on just this forum alone helping people to get what they need done with the demo that it is clear that if MenuEditDEMO was even a little bit more friendly that NO ONE would pay. I am guessing when I say I don't think the DEMO was introduced to be a FREE product for cheap skates. But now that it has largly become that why would any software author want to add more functionality to his/her demo. Please understand, I have the highest respect for Dimad's products especually since the release of DVDReMake. However, I have no knowledge of his reasons nor have I ever discussed this with him. I am speculating totally.
That is quite close to how I look at it. MenuEdit was introduced as a free program and anybody could donate to support further development. But just like with CouJo (who sold off his ImgTools) not that many people wanted to do so. So things have changed to be the way they are now. It is all already dicussed somewhere in the beginning of this huge thread :)

[Dimad]

Originally posted by cdburrner
feature request...

just wondering how difficult it would be for you to add a feature that allows you to drag the buttons and resize them on screen... or perhaps a ruler that would at least let you know x/y position info(like in photoshop) sorry if this has already been asked.:eek:

Don't forget that MenuEdit does not change haghlights, so even if/when this feature implemented you will need to have highlights in the area you are stretching your button to.

[Dvd@Best]

I have just purchased this sweet app.Nice job.

But so far i am unlucky with this , the purpose for which i purchased this app was to replace a menu background and keep the buttons and cmds on it intact. but this app failed to do it.This dvd was authored my meastro .

After completing the task i played the dvd in Power DVD and it just played first play and got stuck there after.

Then i picked the dvd which was authored with scenarist , and it was all goood.

Seems like replacing menus on meastro authored dvd is not working fine.
Please take a look at it and help me out.

regards



Please help me out guys.

[Dimad]

It should not make any difference for MenuEdit what app was used for authoring original dvd or new menu.

You did correct ifo files as described in http://menuedit.dimad.net/ht_me_replace_cell.html in both cases, right?

Could it be anything similar to this (probably not, but)?: http://cdr-zone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=520

[Mirx]

Originally posted by Dvd@Best
I have just purchased this sweet app.Nice job.

But so far i am unlucky with this , the purpose for which i purchased this app was to replace a menu background and keep the buttons and cmds on it intact. but this app failed to do it.This dvd was authored my meastro .

...

Seems like replacing menus on meastro authored dvd is not working fine.
Please take a look at it and help me out.



I'm also having problems with a maestro project trying to replace a menu background.

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74267

When I use the IfoEdit generated ifo's with the modified vob, my replaced menu cell will work, but other parts of the menu will stall on transitions from the in-menu movies to the still selection screens.
If I also use the IfoEdit generated VOB, the other parts of the menu work fine, but my replaced menu cell is f*cked.
The IFO said the playbacktime went from 30 seconds to 12 frames, but it's a still menu, with still time set to 0.
But it looks like the menu cell keeps rebooting itself. This leaves me with a button which I can select for a second, and then it goes blank for about 2 seconds, and keeps repeating that process.

I tried setting playback time manually to 30 seconds, no idea if that should have worked, but I think the VOB is altered to 12 frames, and therefore changing the ifo will never work. As this new vob is constructed by the information it reads from the Menuedit generated VOB if have no idea what I did to mess this up, seeing as I use the "altered" vob directly, the replaced cell will work correctly.

I only did this once before with Underworld, and I can't remember if I just needed to use the IfoEdit ifo's, or also the IfoEdit vob there. But that time it worked without a problem.

[Dvd@Best]

Hmm ..well seems like i am not alone with this problem.
I have tired several movies today as well authored with meastro but having problems...sometime the dvd got stuck up after replacing the menus...sometimes it just keep playing 'first play'.

I dont know how to solve this,
i am sure i didnt waste my 16-18$ bucks...cuz app is still useable but i would like to see this the solution of this problem as well.


Regards

[Mirx]

Well, my problem had nothing to do with Maestro or menuedit as you can see in the other thread, but just with my in-experiance using this. The original menu had a background music, which I forgot to include in the new menu, which caused the menu to stall.

In the Netherlands we do a lot of home subbing, because releases are sometimes released on R1 retail before they hit the cinema's here. So people actually write Dutch subs themself, and place them under the dvd. So for that purpose, I'm writing a tutorial on how to change the menu to give it a more realistic feel by adding dutch subtitle buttons, etc.
I can send you it, but the main problem will be that it will be in Dutch. Give me a PM with you're hotmail account or something, and I'll see if I can quickly translate it into English over the weekend if you're interested.

Did 2 menu's now, both work without problems (eventually)

[Dvd@Best]

Originally posted by Dimad
It should not make any difference for MenuEdit what app was used for authoring original dvd or new menu.

You did correct ifo files as described in http://menuedit.dimad.net/ht_me_replace_cell.html in both cases, right?

Could it be anything similar to this (probably not, but)?: http://cdr-zone.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=520


Thx dimad , the above link does help me and now its working fine.

Questions:

1.can i replace a still menu ( no sound) with motion menu with sound vice varsa.
2.can i replace a menu in place of ( lets say ) company logo etc.


Suggestion:
It would really helps if u can add a feature to set the button size and postion by mouse.Those figures handliing really make the things hard when u have to set like 10-12 buttons.
usually wat i did is save the layout and replace the menu with me own which has differnt buttons position on the menu ...so after i import the layout i have to set the buttons positions.

Regards