Link to website in Maestro

[benza]

Hello everybody,

I've tried the search, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for: How do you create a link to a website within Maestro? I want to create a link to a website when people press a button when the DVD is played on a DVD-Rom.

Hope you can help me out! ;-)

Thnx

[Arky]

Originally posted by benza
Hello everybody,

I've tried the search, but couldn't find the answer I was looking for: How do you create a link to a website within Maestro? I want to create a link to a website when people press a button when the DVD is played on a DVD-Rom.

Hope you can help me out! ;-)

Thnx


I used to do this using the Syzygy player (which, admittedly, is a pain in the @rse - it's got a few playback bugs in it, so be warned. Sometimes it doesn't navigate your disk properly, or play the first play, depending on the specific project, and the system you are playing it back on. Other times, it works just perfectly). IMPORTANT!:- the Syzygy player will NOT playback Dolby .AC3 soundtracks!! This is simply because Spruce released the player for 'free' to registered Spruce customers, and Dolby Laboratories wanted license fees for .AC3 decoding, so Spruce decided to keep the player free (to allow distribution of disks by customers to their clients, with the player included on fisnished DVD disks for free). Hence, .AC3 decoding was ommitted. It's a pity, but it was a fair use of logic, on Spruce's part, cos the last thing you want to do is include a Syzygy player on each and every disk you author, only to find that you owe a small fortune in .AC3 decoding fees to Dolby Labs :(

Anyway, Syzygy's occassional erratic behaviour notwithstanding, if you go into Maestro's "File > Project preferences > WebDVD", and select "enable URL entry for WebDVD" (Screenshot 1), then you can subsequently use Maestro to author projects with URL fucntionality/connectivity.

Once you have done this (and it's safe to enable this setting permanently in Maestro, regardless of whether you tend to author URL-enabled titles or not), you have several options. For example, do you want:

A) the webpage to pop up when you skip to a particular chapter, during playback?

OR

B) the webpage to pop up when you press a button on your menu to skip to a chapter?

OR

C) the webpage to pop up when you press a menu button, but without a simultaneous command being executed, such as jumping to a chapter?


If you choose 'A', then you need to RIGHT-click on the relevant chapter marker in your timeline, and select 'Edit Marker' (Screenshot 2). Then, in the dialogue that pops up, look down at the bottom and, in the space provided, type in the appropriate URL that you wish to visit whenever you navigate to that chapter during playback (see Screenshot 3). Press OK.


Alternatively, if you choose 'C', then you do not use the 'Edit Marker' URL entry method at all. Instead, you use the button URL method, which is achieved by going to the menu editor containing the appropriate menu, and highlighting the button you want to link a URL to. Then, once this button is highlighted (in other words, you have 'gently' left-clicked on the subpicture field overlaying/surrounding the button), you will notice that in the 'Button' tab (Screenshot 4), you can now enter a URL :) Note that if you want this menu button to only open a URL, but do nothing else, then it is not essential to author your DVD with any other links to that button, although it might seem strange, and would be a little odd during playback on a standalone. In such circumstances, I'd suggest very clear labelling of the button to show that it's meant specifically for linking to a webpage (or file).


If you choose option 'B', then you can use your own intelligence to decide which authoring method would work best for you. Generally, I would opt to adapt the 'C' authoring method, so that if you are playing the whole movie and do not want the webpage to pop up unless you actually selected a direct chapter jump from the menu, then this will work. If you adapted the 'A' authoring method for achieving the 'B' style of navigation, then you would have to put up with the webpage popping up every single time you played the movie and it hit that chapter point (which, in certain instances, might actually be desirable, but could prove annoying in the longrun).

The great thing is that you can have a URL link to a button and you can also have a simultaneous link to any other part of the disk, in the conventional sense, such as a playlist or a chapter. N.B. please consider my advice at the end of this post very carefully, with regard to when you should add-in your URL functionality to the project.


If you were to play such a title using WinDVD or PowerDVD, the URL link would not work for the additional file - it would only work in the standard manner for the normal chapter point it was connected to. Your special weblink will only open if you use the Syzygy player for playback etc.

However, also be aware that the URL Entry facility is not Just for URLs! You can also specify a path and file name for anything that can be recognized and executed. For example, entering:

C:\Documents\MaestroHelp.PDF

would cause the file SpruceUp.PDF located in the C: drive's Documents directory to execute, launching Adobe's Acrobat Reader to view it.

To launch a file residing on the disc being played (regardless of the DVD drive letter) enter:

DVD:\MaestroHelp.PDF

This would launch Adobe's Acrobat Reader and display the file MaestroHelp.PDF in it. Keep in mind that since you are reading this file from the same disc the DVD player is reading from, there can be an interruption of playback while the file is opened. Obviously, in the above example, you can see from the syntax that, in order for the link to successfully work with the .pdf document, you'd need to burn the 'MaestroHelp.pdf' file directly on to the root of the DVDR.

To launch your email program and start a new email, enter;

mailto:Benza@Doom9.net

replacing the Benza@Doom9.net address with the actual one you wish to use.

Remember that if you are placing anything on your disk which requires a program to be installed on the playback system, then be sure that your client has that program installed, or your clever authoring will be wasted when the file can't be opened. In the above example, you'd be fairly safe to assume that most people have Adobe's Acrobat reader installed on their system, and the same obviously goes for MicroSoft Exchange (or Outlook) and webpages which can be viewed using Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Opera, for example.

Be aware that the Syzygy player is platform-dependent - you can't use it on a MAC or Linux.

Please download the attached .zip files, which contain images showing you how to do this (pictures show URL entry where it was assumed that the host playback system would be connected to the net. If you want the project to open a file on the DVDR itself, then alter your URL syntax as described above. It's really very simple, but check and double check that your syntax matches the exact directory structure of your disk, and, accordingly, the location of the files-to-be-opened. Also be careful to read the screenshot telling you where on the disk to place the syzygy player.

Please be very careful how you type your URL links, or you will end up with a non-working project, which can be very frustrating, particularly if you've authored directly to DVDR and wasted money on a coaster. I would also suggest that you avoid placing any file content in the same VIDEO_TS folder as the VOB files, because this might possibly confuse some standalone players. Better to put such files either directly on the root of the disk, or in a folder for the purpose, alongside the AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders - it's entirely up to you - just adjust your link syntax accordingly to point correctly to wherever you have placed the files.

All the necessary information is contained within this post, and within the attached images, so just follow it all carefully and you'll succeed. Finally, if you place the Syzygy player in the same directory structure described in the attached picture, but on your hard drive, and then compile your project's VIDEO_TS folder to the Root of the same HDD partition, then you will find that you can test your projects before you burn them to DVDR, which is useful to see if you have mis-typed any URLs in the project.

Personally, I would strongly recommend to you that you author your DVD in the normal way, putting all thought of URL connectivity to the back of your mind. Only when you have completed your standard project, and saved a spare copy of the project file somewhere safe, would I even think about going back and adding URL functionality. You needn't follow my advice, but if you don't, you may find yourself getting a little bogged down in the navigation structure, whereby you might be so concerned with the URL functionality that you neglect other areas of standard navigation within your project. It's up to you, but that's the honest result of my own experience authoring such titles ;)

In an effort to divert you from many of the difficulties I used to experience when authoring URL-functional titles, I have done my utmost to describe all the possible pitfalls, and to be as descriptive as I can with the various methods. Having said this, it's really simple to do, once you get the hang of it, so don't be disheartened.

I apologise if any of the "A, B, or C" stuff comes across as confusing - it's extremely difficult to describe this navigation clearly and succinctly in words, but I'm happy to assist if you experience difficulties (please do make an effort to work through it yourself though, rather than just running back to the forum at the slightest lack of immediate success! It will take a little perseverence, but it's really satisfying when you get it to work properly. Most often, I found that any problems were often due to incorrect syntax in my URLs or directory labelling, so check these first, and the same goes for making sure you follow Screenshot 5, because unless you use the Syzygy player in precisely the illustrated directories, at the root of the disk (or harddisk), and place the VIDEO_TS on the root, alongside, then Syzygy will play dumb and refuse to work at all).

Good luck and have fun :D


Arky ;o)

[Arky]

...the second archive...:

The screenshots are of a short-form wedding disk I did for one of my cousins, and you might notice that playlists were used. Just to be absolutely clear, this has no bearing whatsoever on the use of the WebURL technique - it can be used regardless of the structure of the rest of the DVD project.

Bearing in mind what I said above, about authoring as normal, and leaving the implementation of your URL-functionality until after the rest of the normal authoring is done, you should thoroughly check your project using Maestro's navigation simulator. Only when you are satisfied (and have saved that spare copy of the project!), should you commence the URL implementation, because the Maestro navigation simulator will be of no use to you for checking your URL functionality - only Syzygy can do this, after you've compiled the 'finished' project to your HDD.

Also, please note that in the 5th picture in the archives, the directory structure shows a folder named "WinDVD". Do not assume that this means WinDVD in the sense of the usual program, because it's nothing of the kind. Syzygy was developed on behalf of Spruce Technologies by Intervideo. Consequently, it uses some components of the full WinDVD program, but is an entirely different beast. As I said at the very beginning, WinDVD (full program) will NOT execute the URL commands you wish to use. Syzygy has special code added, specifically for this purpose.

P.S. if you need any help finding the Syzygy player, just PM me. It's about 6megs.


...I hope I answered your question... lol :scared:


Arky ;o)

[TeFLoN]

Arky,

YOUR A MACHINE LOL! :D

[oddyseus]

I ne said it to u in private a couple of times but now I just cant resist it.

Your replies should be considered the reference point where everybody else should evaluated theirs as a percentage.

[Arky]

Thankyou for your support, TeFLoN & oddyseus, you're very kind.

The way I look at it is that loads of people help, and have helped, me, so it's great to give something back, and if it's worth helping someone (and provided I have the time in between my shifts!) then it's worth helping them as fully as I can.

It also keeps me from aimlessly wandering the streets... :D


Arky ;o)

[benza]

Wow Arky... Is there something you don't know :-)

I will try your options. Thnx a million!!!

[auenf]

one day ill actually read a post from Arky that is more than 100 words ;)

the only word i think you forgot to mention was Convergence, which iirc is the web based extension for Spruce authoring software, and at least WinDVD playback software.

altho, looking at the Maestro splash screen, i could have sworn there should be a Convergence logo on there, as there is with the old version of DVDVirtuoso i have at work (just under the bottom left corner of the error message) http://www9.brinkster.com/sportschook/?dvdvirtuoso.jpg

Arky, just how long did it take you to write up that reply anyway?

Enf...

[benza]

Hi everybody,

Thanks to Arky I managed to get the links to the websites working. Arky allready mentioned that PowerDVD and WinDVD link to URL will not work, so I used Syzygy instead.

The entire project is now finished, but all the audiotracks are AC3 (2.0 stereo). So I have no audio in Syzygy.

The DVD is encoded on a Philips 990 DVD(+RW) Recorder. I used DVDDecrypter to demux the m2v and ac3 tracks. I know Maestro can handle MP2 audio files (not MP3) so I'm going to use HeadAC3he to convert the AC3 to MP2 files and import them in Maestro (WAV is no good: not enough room on the DVD-R left). The decoding/encoding takes al lot of time, so I'm wondering if there's another free DVD player software that can handle AC3? Or does anyone have a (faster) work around?

Thnx!!!!

[edit]
typo's

[benza]

Hi Everybody,

HeadAC3he went pretty fast on a C1800! Converted the AC3 to MP2 and Syzygy can play the audiotracks now!

Thnx everybody for your help!