Creating Menu Tables

[farmer dan]

I am trying to replace the menus on a movie with ones I made in DVD Lab. I copied the movie,VTS_01_xx.VOB, to a directory, then I copied the menu files VIDEO_TS and VTS_01_0.VOB to the same directory. Then in IFO Edit I selected Create IFO's. When I ran Get VTS, I got the message that IFO Edit had found the VIDEO_TS and VTS_01_0 files but that there were no menu tables.

I have no idea how to make menu tables. I searched here using "create menu tables" and one of the things that I found was maa's guide
here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=58791)

Reading through it, it seems to me that this isn't quite what I want to do. Is my analysis correct? If it is, I'm looking for any tips on how to do this.

Also, 2COOL wrote a guide on making a VTS with a blank PGC. I can't seem to return to it.

added by farmerdan three hours later

Thinking about this and reading maa's guide, I think I answered my own question. Right now I find myself in the "Twighlight Zone":D of being a newbie:eek: and having enough knowlege to make myself dangerous:cool: .

I have been thinking in terms of only one titleset. The movies I've worked on to date have had only one. However, many of the guides have to do with stripping wanted items, mainly movies, from multiple titleset IFO's. One of these titlesets is menus. Since maa's guide deals with creating a multiple VTS it applies to what I want to do. I was mezmerized by the fact that all the files in what I wanted to do came from VTS_01_xx and didn't think until just a while ago that I could rename one set of files VTS_02_xx

This is my original project:

1. split a long movie
2. change the chapter points
3. create and use my own menus
4. create and use my own "Intro" and "Insert Disc 2"

I have found just recently of a couple of limitations in the current version of DVD Lab that prohibit me from doing this project in that application. Along the way of learning these limitations, I discovered IFO Edit and Menu Edit and realized what powerful tools they could be if I only knew how to use them.

I think that with maa's guide, I can accomplish 3 and 4. 2 remains a conceptual challenge at this point. Since I can't preview frame-by-frame in IFO Edit I will have to manually note the times in Play DVD and create enough chapters in Author DVD to get close. Then I can use Menu Editto set the menu buttons to the points I want.

I've gone a little far afield from my original question. However, I would appreciate any coaching for this project.

Thanks

[Derrow]

Check out the menu option: Tools -> Merge Menu tables
in IfoEdit.

This should merge the menu-tables from one IFO file onto another one.
I think that is what you need.

[farmer dan]

Thanks, Derrow for the nudge.Check out the menu option: Tools -> Merge Menu tables

I have now acheived my goal of inserting my menus into the movie:cool: I have read the term "IFOEdit Phobia" in some of these threads and have come to believe that this is a medical syndrome that requires counselling and treatment--adult beverages:D

I have acheived one of my goals and now I want to tweak it. I created seven menus: 1)Select the movie and select chapter selection menus--there are six of these. The VTS overview shows my seven menus. I don't know how or where this is done, but I know that the VTSM "makes room for"--that's a highly technical term;) --a Root Menu. Can I choose which menu is root? How do I do that?

Here's what happens when I Play DVD. My first menu--Choose Movie or Chapter Selection Menus--plays:

Scenario 1: I select "Movie" and the main movie plays--good so far. If I "click" Title the movie keeps playing. If I "click" Root Menu, the first menu plays again.

Scenario 2: I select "Chapter Selection" and I get the first chapter selection menu AND I can navigate to any other chapter selection menu--good. However, when I make my chapter selection and the movie starts playing, pressing Title has the same results as above, BUT pressing Root Menu returns me to the chapter selection menu from which I chose the chapter--not good. I want to go back to Menu 1, which is "Movie" and "Select Chapter."

For comparison here are the two PGC Command Tables:

VGM_FIRST_PLAY
PGC Command Table:
[000000ec] Number of Pre Commands 2 [0002]
[000000ee] Number of Post Commands 0 [0000]
[000000f0] Number of Cell Commands 0 [0000]
[000000f2] Size of Command table in bytes 55 [0037]
[000000f4] 1.Pre Command Set GPreg<11> mov (set-val)<1> [71 00 00 0b 00 01 00 00 ]
[000000fc] 2.Pre Command (JumpSS VTSM) Jump to TitleSet(vts): 1, Title(ttn): 1, root-menu [30 06 00 01 01 83 00 00 ]

VTS PGC_1
PGC Command Table:
[000000ec] Number of Pre Commands 0 [0000]
[000000ee] Number of Post Commands 1 [0001]
[000000f0] Number of Cell Commands 0 [0000]
[000000f2] Size of Command table in bytes 15 [000f]
[000000f4] 1.Post Command (CallSS VTSM) Call TitleSet root-menu [Resume Cell: 1] [30 08 00 00 01 83 00 00 ]


When I ran Merge Menu Tables I think I got confused when I had two IFO's open and saved the wrong one. There's an easy fix, and that's to do it over again. However, I'd like to fix this current situation by editing the PGC Command Table--I'll learn IFO Edit better. (My IFO Edit Phobia is under control with the adult beverages :eek: :D.) The problem is that I have no clue on where to start. I think that the solution is to add pre commands which Set GPreg <>in the VTS_PGC_1/PGC Command Table. I have read the Virtual Machine section of Mpucoder's Website (http://www.mpucoder.com/DVD) and am just starting to digest it.

If my thought processes are sound:sly: , here is the specific help for which I am asking:

1. How do I stop the Root Menu from being a moving target? Maybe another way to ask this question is: Can I make the Title Menu the same as the Root Menu and how do I do it?
2. What button action on a remote executes the post commands? And what are the corresponding buttons in Play DVD?

If anyone wants to give me the "hex" answers to these questions, I'd be more than happy to accept them :D . And then figure out what the commands did.

I don't want to lose sight of the fact, that I have succeeded in accomplishing one of my goals with a tool that intimidated me. Thanks to all who have contributed to this forum and shared their knowlege. Special thanks to those who have helped me directly.

[Lord of the Discs]

1. Title- and root-menus are set during authoring, changing them
afterwards would not be easy, if even possible.

2. Post commands are executed automaticaly after a PGC is played
and buttons have their own commands in the Nav-pack of a VOB.

For more details check my website and search around in the forum here.

LotD

[farmer dan]

I solved it. Once I smooth some stuff out, I'll post how I did it. this is not a threat:eek: :D :cool:

[farmer dan]

I posted my solution here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62942)
edited at 9:41 to supply correct link
I provided the link becuase it's too long to type over again.

[Lord of the Discs]

There´s nothing from you in the link ... :confused:

[farmer dan]

Thanks Lord of the Discs. I have corrected the URL above and am also supplying it here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62942)

I don't know yet how to extract the URL for a specific post. Sorry that you have to scroll through the whole thread.

[maa]

Link to post:

1. Hit the EDIT button of the post you want to link to.
2. Ignore the page that pops up and copy the last number in the adress bar.
3. Hit the Backspace button on the keyboard and click on the adress.
4. Add this to the end - #post - followed by Ctrl+V which adds the number:-

#post384501

Then copy the whole adress to notepad or whatever for safe keeping.

(I have a "Dump.txt" on the desktop for IFO commands and links to posts etc.)

[farmer dan]

Thanks, maa