Navigating Between Titlesets; Where to Put the Commands

[farmer dan]

Added by farmer dan on October 27:

I got to thinking about what's in this thread and thought it a good idea to share what I learned in this process. It's not going to be a guide for editing or programming a DVD. I suppose it's more a "lessons learned." Some pretty aggravating things happened for me and I'd like to alert others to their existence. They can all be avoided.

I've added this section at the bottom of this post.

I have rounded the last turn and am now hurtling towards the finish line in my project.:eek: Thanks to all who have shared their knowlege and skill to help me get this far.

Here's an overview of my project:1. Split a large movie to two discs.
2. Import chapter menus and chapter points of my choosing.
3. Create an "Intro" and an "Insert Disc 2" clip for Disc 1

4. Repeat Step 2 for Disc 2
5. Author a "Part 2" clip for Disc 2.
I have completed 1&2 and am now working on the navigation required in Step 3. VTS_01_xx contains the main movie and chapter selection menus. It consists of one PGC. VTS_02_xx contains the Intro and Insert Disc 2 clips. It consists of two PGC's. For this question, I'm going to differentiate between the titlesets with colors because there are two PGC-1's. For example, PGC-1 is the main movie and PGC-1 is the Intro clip.

Here's the order of play I want: 1. PGC-1
2. PGC-1
3. PGC-2I see two options:1. Use the VMG menu to JumpTT back and forth to get the correct order, OR
2. Use either of the titleset root menus to JumpTT back and forth.My question is which process is more "efficient?" Or is there really any difference and each approach works equally well?

For example, most of us know that if we have a single calculation to do many times in a program, we can write those six lines of instructions twenty-seven times or we can write and call a sub-routine. Either way the job gets done, but the sub-routine takes up less memory, is more elegant and is more "efficient."

I'm going to be pressing forward with my project today because I need practice with pre- and post- commands. In the meantime, I sure would appreciate any assessments of my question.

What I Learned: An Analysis (Added October 27)

1. It's difficult to get started when you don't know what you don't know. As I began this I posted some questions that didn't get answered. When I return to those same posts today, I find that the questions are "unanswereable." I didn't know enough to ask for what I wanted. Nobody said, "Pack up your silly questions and never darken this forum again!" The solution: KEEP ASKING.

2. You can't break it This is a biggy. At first, I was really intimidated by this process. I kept thinking, "What if I screw this up. I put a lot of work into authoring this DVD and I don't want to lose it." Well, what is a DVD or an IFO? It's just a bunch of magnetic bubbles that are either hot or cold. Just like I back-up my hard drive, I learned to back up my IFO's--in this case I was glad that I backed up the VOB's too. Now, if you corrupt an IFO, or get too aggressive with the delete button, you have a clean copy. I'm so paranoid about this now, that I put by back-ups in a different partition.

3. Learn the power and the limitations of the software. This is a fine line, as I learned--and laughably so. I had the sweet taste of victory in my mouth. I knew it would work. When I played the DVD in IFO Edit, I got the message "Illegal Navigation Command Encountered." I ran right to this forum and was getting ready to post when I just happened to read the FAQ's about IFO Edit. In response to someone asking this very question, Derrow replied, "Good. It's doing exactly what I wrote it to do. This tells you that something is wrong." I discovered the ability to watch the GPreg's change as the movie played--by accident. This is the funny one--I think. I'm too old to learn another computer language and I religiously tried to steer away from changing HEX codes. But I couldn't get done what I wanted to do without researching them. Today, I can tell you what
[71 00 00 01 00 01 00 00] does without having to look up the mneumonic. During a very frustrating time, I started over with maa's guide and followed it to the letter. I got to one point where he said, "...right click on...and change the command to..." When I first read this, a month ago, I went screaming right passed it and saw only the word "click." If you "double left click" you get to play with HEX. If you "single right click" you get an editing dialogue box with choices. :eek: :o

If a software can't do something, it's not necessrily a bug. It just might not be designed to do what you want it to do. Right now, I don't think that you can add or delete chapters in IFO Edit. I got close once. But right now it's not designed to do that.

4. Find, read and use the references. This is really related to all that I've written so far. The successful attempts of others to do similar things, if those people are kind enough to document those attempts, is a great help. For my project I used maa's guide, Derrow's Virtual Machine and numerous threads on this forum. Many times I hesitated to jump into the middle of a thread. "These guys really know what they're talking about and I don't want to look dumb." However, as I was trying to solve problems I would see responses to questions that were really helpful to me. The answers were written in such a way that the main participants in the thread didn't consider them a distraction or "pain in the a--." In fact I saw one response which said, "Thanks for asking. I never thought about that." I guess what I'm saying is I'm not going to "lurk" as much as I used to. I'm going to start asking. Also, I have a tough time with search parameters. I look for what I want and can't find it. Then I'll post the question and get a one line answer--it's a URL to a thread in this forum. Since I want to stay in the forum's good graces I, then, am appropriately embarrassed and vow to search harder the next time. However, that one line answer is an answer.

5. If someone is helping you, don't change horses in the middle of the stream I learned that a lot of people involved with this forum try to recreate the situations described in a problem. If you change methodology on them and create a new or different problem, they won't be able to help. I found something that I wanted to do differently in maa's guide and created a different problem. I should have completed my project and then tried the new thing.

6. Play each titleset through to the end, both in IFO Edit and your PC's DVD player. This goes back to #3. "Play DVD" will "power through" most errors, but, at least, PowerDVD will not. If I hadn't learned this, I would have made a lot of coasters. My navigation worked just like I wanted it to--jumps, menus, everything. It turns out that I had a problem in the movies titleset and had to re-do it.

7. Keep notes and be precise in posts This is a big one for me. My wife says, "I'm afraid to ask you what time it is. If I do, you'll build me a watch first." I have a tendency to over-explain things--sometimes good, sometimes bad. Instead of 20 paragraphs, maybe one line would be good. Many times I had to post from memory and I made mistakes because I didn't have notes. Additionally, I think that the situation I described in #6 could have been fixed by editing. However, I don't have notes and therefore I cannot describe it to ask for help.

8. Post success Those people who help need to know. So do the lurkers and the newbies--of which I am still one.

That raps it up. I got lazy and didn't put urls to the different posts below that are examples of what I'm talking about. Please scroll through the rest of the thread and enjoy the adventure along with me. Besides that there are some good jokes. I hope that the rambling is meaningful to some. Here's one last story and then I'll quit.

I got involved in all of this because DVD Lab had a problem with it's chapter placement. Last week a new beta came out that fixed it. Had I not gotten involved in DVD authoring until after that beta was published I never would have had to do all of this. But then none of you would have had the pleasure of reading this post. :D :D :D

[maa]

What you have is:
VTS_01_1.IFO / PGC1 and
VTS_02_1.IFO / PGC1

these are not related to each other so you cant jump between them.
You can only jump back home which means to the VMG in Video_ts.ifo
Not sure what your PGC2 is.

Basically you are making a multiple VTS and the question arises if you really want to jump back at all or just run from the intro to the movie - to the outro?

Another thing. The jump command can be used in many places but at the end of a VTS where you need a post command its not "Jump" its "Call"

Read this guide have you ?
Making a multiple VTS with Ifoedit for a Menu produced with DVD Lab (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58791)

See Part Three G. and read on to the Example just below to see how your VMG menu should look. I think the commands are quite self explanitary except that in your case you'll need to set a GPreg in VTS2 PGC1 so that the player knows the right answer when goes back to the VMG looking for the next instruction.

So to simplify a little (assuming you have no menu):
VTS1 gets no command and so the VMG command line 3 is executed.
VTS2 gets a post command Set GPreg to something (anything will do)for instance:
Set GPreg<4> mov (set-val)<1> [71 00 00 04 00 01 00 00 ]
a post command there will take you back to the VMG:
(CallSS VMGM) Call VMG title-menu [Resume Cell: 1] [30 08 00 00 01 42 00 00 ]
In VMG you ask if GPreg==1 and if so jump to line 4 which contains a Jump to VTS_3

VTS_2 / PGC_1 gets another GPreg and I think I'll stop now cause you got it already :D

[farmer dan]

maa wroteWhat you have is:
VTS_01_1.IFO / PGC1 and
VTS_02_1.IFO / PGC1
these are not related to each other so you cant jump between them.
You can only jump back home which means to the VMG in Video_ts.ifo
Not sure what your PGC2 is.It didn't take too long after I posted this morning to figure that out.:confused: Domains and all:eek: For some reason I couldn't get back on the forum to post that discovery and be more explicit in my questions. There goes Option 2 above!!!!;)
To add some more detail. PGC-2 is the "outro" as maa calls it. I created both VTS's in DVD Lab. I tried to "cram" the intro and outro into 1 VTS. Maybe that's the problem. The way I have to set up navigation now is this:1. Play PGC-1 (the Intro)
2. Play PGC-1 (the movie)
3. Play PGC-2 (the Outro)Sooooo--based on what maa is saying, I have to figure out this sequence:
INTRO--call VMG--Movie--call VMG--OUTRO.

maa, I don't think that this is quite the same logic as play one VTS then go to another. Although I think that the logic is similar since there's just one more switch from one VTS to another.

By the way, maa, you wrote:Read this guide have you ?
Making a multiple VTS with Ifoedit for a Menu produced with DVD LabIt's the wallpaper in my computer room!!!!:D

Thanks for the CALL rather than JUMP reminder.

[farmer dan]

maa--I think I guessed right. I wrote before:I don't think that this is quite the same logic as play one VTS then go to another. I followed my wallpaper--er your guide:D --to the letter. I found one little thing that I had missed before. I got the DVD Lab and the VTS Root Menus confused. ARRRGGHHHHH:mad: Anyway everything worked just great until the part where I want to play the OUTRO after the main movie. Found out that I couldn't mess with any of the menus and tried a Call VMG PGC after the main movie.

It's strange, I get the warnings in IFO Edit that the program couldn't read a file on the DVD and that it may not play any more, but it played to the end. Not sure what's going on, but I'm too frazzled tonight to continue.

[maa]

Three VTS is the easiest way to do this.
Check you got each VTS adopted in VIDEO_TS.IFO
Check your commands are post commands in the VTS_PGCs

I assume your (half) film has not been run through DVD Lab ?

[farmer dan]

maa, you wrote:
Three VTS is the easiest way to do this.Yeah, I got about two hours into this yesterday and thought the same thing. However, it's a lot of fun beating my head against a wall.:D Check you got each VTS adopted in VIDEO_TS.IFO
Check your commands are post commands in the VTS_PGCs1. The commands are post commands in the VTS_PGC's and
2. I can "see" each VTS in the VIDEO_TS.IFOHere's a more specific accounting of what I did. I don't want to type command tables here, but if there's not enough info here, let me know and I will.1. Split the movie, created chapters and menus in DVD Lab and imported the chapters to the original movie--my "other" project, remember???:rolleyes:
2. In DVD Lab, created a titleset containing the INTRO and OUTRO, I managed these with a single menu--I guess you could call it my black one--with two buttons.
3. Copied the movie and the new titleset to the same VIDEO_TS directory--I renamed the movie to VTS_02_xx. Sooo, the INTRO and OUTRO are VTS_01 and the movie VTS_02.
4. Created a Video Manager in DVD Fab and did all the 'housekeeping' in it--chapter numbers, PAL vs NTSC, et. al.
5. Now what I have is this: INTRO=Title 1, OUTRO=Title 2, Movie=Title 3. I used your guide to Play the INTRO, bypass the menu and then play the movie. I did this by:
a. Using GPreg logic in LU_PGC-Menu_1 of VMGM_PGCI_UT. This menu does the INTRO. The first time through it plays the INTRO, the second time it jumps to the movie root menu.
b. Used a Set GPreg post-command after the INTRO played and "If GPreg=x, JUMPSS VGM to VMG PGC-1.
6. Everything works fine, now, up to and including playing the movie--wonderful, ecstasy, bliss :rolleyes: :D But then I started working on getting the OUTRO to play after the movie:rolleyes: Don't have time and there's not enough bandwidth for all the gory details, but to keep my chapter navigation intact and stop corrupting IFO's, I settled for a CallSS VMGM Call VMG PGC-2 as a post command for the movie. There is some post command GPreg logic also, I wanted the movie to resume if it paused or stopped for some reason. I may have to change that command to Call VMG PGC-1 just to see if I get the warning messages to go away. (Whew!!! And I wasn't going to be long.:D :cool:

There is something in all of this that confuses me--go figgur. In the VMGM_PGCI_UT there are two menus--Menu_1 jumps to Title 1 and Menu_2 jumps to Title 2--the INTRO and the OUTRO. There is nothing for Title 3--the movie. Thoughts?? Help?? Recriminations??:D

Depends on how I feel when I get home tonight. I may just take the easy way out and make another VTS. However, this is an interesting situation AND it can be solved.

[maa]

Originally posted by farmer dan
In the VMGM_PGCI_UT there are two menus--Menu_1 jumps to Title 1 and Menu_2 jumps to Title 2--the INTRO and the OUTRO. There is nothing for Title 3--the movie.

Thats DVD FABs fault - it writes VMGM PGCs for each Jump to Title command.
For the Outro you'll need to set a GPreg as a first Post Command and then as a second - (CallSS)Call VMGM Title Menu. There you add to logic by asking If the GPreg is true and thus - Jump to Title 2

Well done - keep up the Battle !

[farmer dan]

I forgot about the stuff that DVD Fab does (doesn't?). I had a "complicated" IFO laying around, but I was indimitated by the editing that I would have had to do.

Anyway, you're absolutley right about the logic for Jump to Title 2. I'll try it and report. I just don't want to screw up the logic for "resume" during the movie.

maa wrote:
Well done - keep up the Battle !Thanks. It's been interesting, but then last month I thought that a GPreg was a federal employee who was with child.:D :confused: :rolleyes: :D :cool:

The other situation that I have remembered is that DVD Lab allows only one type audio stream. The INTRO and OUTRO have different ones--AC3 multi-channel and AC3 stereo, respectively. That may be why the warnings in IFO Edit. We'll find out tonight.

thanks for the help

[farmer dan]

For this situation I think it is important to note that I use DVD Lab as my authoring software. As I am sure is true of other software, this one has its own personality and the author is improving it steadily. What is true today may not be true when the next beta comes out.

Short Review:1. I am trying to make a DVD that comes from a split disc (IFO Edit with chapter menus and selection points of my own choosing).
2. I have authored an INTRO and OUTRO (thanks, maa for the term) to play before and after the movie.
3. I have been able to successfully navigate from the INTRO and through the movie to its end. However, I get DVD Warnings in IFO Edit when the OUTRO starts.Possible Sources of Warnings:1. Non-DVD compliant compilation.
2. Improper navigation between VTS's
3. The way I authored the VTS
4. The fact that DVD Lab creates only one PGC and allows only one audio format.I wanted to eliminate those items over which I had control and had sufficient knowlege :eek: :D from concern. Therefore, I1. Re-authored the INTRO and OUTRO as separate VTS's. (Eliminates 4 and makes navigation easier.)
2. Successfully and separately played both INTRO and OUTRO in both IFO Edit and PowerDVD. Eliminates 1. and 3.If my logic hasn't suffered in all of this it looks like navigation is the culprit--2. didn't get eliminated.

To get a really fresh start, after I properly named the VTS's--01 is INTRO, 02 is MOVIE, 03 is OUTRO, I used Lord of the Discs methodology to put the navigation commands in the First Play PGC command table. His programming is here (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62789). This is the First Play Pre-Command Table that I wrote:1. Set GPreg<11>=0 (I'll explain this later--it could be a help or the culprit)
2. If GPreg<0>=0 GOTO Line 7
3. If GPreg<0>=1 GOTO Line 5
4. If GPreg<0>=2 GOTO Line 6
edited by farmerdan for typos
5. JumpSS VTSM Titleset 2;Title 1; root menu--to movie
6. JumpTT Title 3--to OUTRO
editing complete
7. JumpTT Title 1--to INTROI edited the post-commands of the INTRO to read:1. Set GPreg<0>=1
2. CallSS FP (no resume)I tested this set-up and the whole thing played through until the movie returned to it's initial menu. I then changed the post-command table of the movie to what I thought would work. I ended up with the same symptoms I started with--#3 in the Short Review. These are the warnings:1. DVD Warning: Could not read file on DVD disc.
2. Could not read part of a file on the DVD disc. Playback may not continue.I tried to play this in PowerDVD and playback stopped at the last frame of the movie. At this point I made an amazing discovery. :eek: :rolleyes: When I went back to IFO Edit and was watching the replay in Play DVD--hoping for some inspiration--I saw the little square box next to the text boxes and wondered what it did. I pressed it and the screen expanded to show me the values of all the GPreg's:stupid:AArrggghhhhhh!!!!!

GPreg<0> was 2 which is what I want when the movie stops playing. But I noticed that GPreg<11>--remember the First Play pre-command table--was set =1. I had authored the INTRO and OUTRO each as First Play and they returned to a buttonless menu with 'infinity' for timeout. DVD Lab compiled each of them to use GPreg<11>=1 to LinkPGCN to PGC-2 which does not exist. That's OK because I jump past this command with the INTRO and when it executes at the end of the OUTRO, I get a black screen. That's OK. EXCEPT that--this is my logic--with GPreg<11>=1 that pre-command executes and goes directly to a black screen. "AHA," I cried. I therefore, set the first pre-command in the First Play PGC to set this register to 0 everytime the player runs through this command table. THIS DIDN'T FIX IT.

Playing the whole IFO numerous times, I can now get IFO Edit to stop either at the last frame of the movie or go to a black screen depending on where I put the command in the movie. I even put a Set GPreg<11>=0 in the post commands of the movie.

HOWEVER, when I watch the GPreg's in IFO Editnow, GPreg<11> never goes to 0. So it's never executing that post command or there's something that doesn't allow GPreg<11> to change. I can see GPreg<0> behaving as I programmed it.

CONCLUSIONs:1. The navigation is not allowing the player to leave the movie.
2. For some reason the player will not execute all the movie's post commands--Set Gpreg<0>=2 is first and I can see that happen. Set Gpreg<11>=0 is second and that doesn't happen. CallSS FP Resume Cell 1 doesn't get executed--I THINK.

That's where I am. It seems like there's a larger can of worms waiting to get out every time I open a can of worms. Thanks to those of you who read through this long post. I hope some of you have some ideas to share about this. In the meantime, I will be struggling along. Maybe I'll discover what more buttons in the software do.:D :D :cool:

[maa]

Well you do write a lot but there seem to be things missing and I have a hard time if you change your straturgy in the middle of things.

You seem to have created a menu which you havn't even mentioned as far as I can see.

DVD Lab sets and uses GPreg11 purely for tracking which menu was seen last. At this poin you could really delete all remenants of DVD Labs navigation.

You also seem to have created a black menu - ok - its for pre commands only and should not be seen - other programs (scenarist and the like) create real dummy menus with no content but my idea with the black menus has the same effect and they are really small.

and finally - if you don't have a menu you can offer all your VTS to DVD Shrink re-author and you'll get a multi VTS output with intact navigation!

Another thing - using FirstPlay instead of VMG means you loose the title button on your remote.
I could write a command sequence for you but I know thats not what you want - no head banging there :D

[maa]

Originally posted by farmer dan
1. Set GPreg<11>=0 delete this
2. If GPreg<0>=0 GOTO Line 7
3. If GPreg<0>=1 GOTO Line 5
4. If GPreg<0>=2 GOTO Line 6
5. JumpTT Title 3--to OUTRO
6. JumpSS VTSM Titleset 2;Title 1; root menu--to movie
7. JumpTT Title 1--to INTRO


I edited the post-commands of the INTRO to read:

1. Set GPreg<0>=1 wrong - this takes you to line 5 - outro
2. CallSS FP (no resume)
[/B]

So you set a GPreg in a VTS and ask about it in the VMG (or first play in this case)
The intro should set GPreg<0> to <2> if you want the movie next.
In the movie the post GPreg<0> should be <1> to lead to the outro.

As for the Intro being first play you are asking for GPreg to be <0> which is maybe OK but really you have no place of setting it to <0> so it may be a violation of the specs.

I would place all the commands in the VMG and set first play to Title 1.



Another Way

You can also jump to Title 1 after the if commands reveal "Untrue":

1. If GPreg<0>=1 GOTO Line 4
2. If GPreg<0>=2 GOTO Line 5
3. JumpTT Title 1--to INTRO
4. JumpSS VTSM Titleset 2;Title 1; root menu--to movie
5. JumpTT Title 3--to OUTRO

So here when the player starts - the first two lines are Untrue and the third line gets executed !

In VTS_1. you set GPreg to <1> and the first command above becomes true - the movie starts.
In VTS_2. you set GPreg to <2> so above the second command is true and you get the Outro - get it now ?

[farmer dan]

maa--
Thanks for the great analysis. Yeah, I know that post was long, but I wanted to be precise in describing the situation. I probably should step away from this for a day or two to get it out of my head. I made a #$!*?%%ing typo that you picked up on.my original:2. If GPreg<0>=0 GOTO Line 73.
3. If GPreg<0>=1 GOTO Line 5
4. If GPreg<0>=2 GOTO Line 6
5. JumpTT Title 3--to OUTRO
6. JumpSS VTSM Titleset 2;Title 1; root menu--to movieyour reply:1. Set GPreg<0>=1 wrong - this takes you to line 5 - outro
2. CallSS FP (no resume)In the actual IFO lines 5 and 6 are reversed so that the logic is correct. I'll edit the original post. I hate it when I do things like that:angry: Leads people down the wrong path.

Two things come out of your information. First, the GPreg<0>=0 stuff. I was wondering about that. A machine is supposed to initialize all variables, in this case the GRPM's, to 0. However, back in the days when we used to cut punch cards from flint and poke the holes with a mammoth tusk :D I learned that the programmer should set all variables to 0--just in case.

Second, I guess the length of my post hid the REAL symptom, which I duplicated by changing strategies. The problem is navigating from the MOVIE to the OUTRO. Whether I navigate through ANY combination of menus and titles I get the warnings at the end of the movie. I did a third strategy last night and got the same results:1. maa guide exactly
2. modified maa guide--farmerdan "innovations":D added
3. Lord of the Discs method exactlyAll ended up the same. Here are the options for the movie post-commands:1. Set GPreg<0>=2
2. JumpSS VTSM to the Movie root menu and then back to the VMG, OR
2. CallSS FP and navigate.Either option gives me the same warnings. Also when I jumpt directly to the title from the VMG, bypassing all the menus, I get the same thing. Don't forget that all titles play perfectly when I play them alone. I thought originally it may have been in the overall navigation commands, but now I'm going to have to really study what's in the movie's IFO. It may be something obscure like reducing the last cell address by one that they talked about over in the IFO Edit Forum.

Sooner or later we'll solve this thing. Thanks. By the way, this was going to be short also. :eek: :D

[maa]

Hmm - guessing away here.

Best to post the whole lot of command tables - this shouldn't be that difficult. My guide definitly works unless you've got some hidden commands somewhere or you changed the routine ....

I've used First Play but I don't like to if it can be avoided.
(In this case it certainly can)

[maa]

I just remembered:
1. Set GPreg<11>=0 is set by DVD Lab on purpose but DVD Lab dosn't reurn to the First Play Domain - see you already changed the logic by returning to First Play and clearing GPreg from memory!
The Root menu doesn't really know what to do now !!!

[farmer dan]

maa wrote:
My guide definitly works unless you've got some hidden commands somewhere or you changed the routine ....
I know it does. I've used it. That's why, after recreating the problem three different ways, I've begun to suspect something in the movie IFO.

I'll post the command tables later tonight just so that we can verify the logic. The problems you identified are now gone. I'll also include, if I can get to it, something I think I noticed in the PGC Mapping Table for the movie.

[farmer dan]

I must proclaim that maa's guide remains unsullied and his reputation untarnished!

First of all, I must say :stupid:

I ran the original TO THE END--in all this I never watched the whole movie--Disc 1 of the split I made in IFO Edit and I received the same DVD Warnings that I mentioned in a previous post. (NOTE: IFO Edit "plays through" these warnings, but playing the titleset in PowerDVD, it stops at the last frame of the movie.) The "play through" navigation works as I want it to--the real problem has been the Movie's IFO. Here are excerpts from the IFO's tables that led me to this conclusion:PTT_SRPTI
PTT-24: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-24: Program number PG 24 [0018]
PTT-25: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-25: Program number PG 25 [0019]
PTT-26: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-26: Program number PG 26 [001a]
PTT-27: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-27: Program number PG 26 [001a]
.
.
PTT-XX: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-XX: Program number PG 26 [001a]
.
.
PTT-54: Program chain number PGCN 1 [0001]
PTT-54: Program number PG 26 [001a]This tells me that the player would be looking for 28 chapters that don't exist. AND it's looking where Chapter 26 is. These chapters are about half the movie.

The VTS_TMAPTI shows the same sector, 1829814, for Entry 906 to Entry 1789. This is about half the movie.

I don't know if this fact is meaningful but the VTS_C_ADT says that the last cell's end sector is 1829949, but the VTSI_MAT says that the last sector of the VTS is 1841664. Consider this mathmatical fact;
1841664>1829949
How can the end of the VTS occur before the end of the last cell. I would expect these numbers to be the same. But I don't know. Any help?

I think that I'm getting the "Can't read" and "Can't open" warnings because the player is looking for something that's not there--about half the movie.

I'm pretty sure that this stuff can be overcome in IFO Edit but I need help getting started. Do I just change the address of the last cell the same as the end of the VTS?

The other option I have is to create a new IFO in IFO Edit and use IFO Update to change these things. I'll have to learn that software.

I'd rather do it myself and learn something.

maa, you asked that I post the command tables. I didn't do that because of what I found in the IFO Tables. If you still want me to post those commands, please let me know. Can I make these changes in IFO Edit?

[maa]

I think in such a case I'd use the Vob Extras button and strip the movie - keeping all checked of course - that usually fixes such things unless there is real data missing from the VOB !

[farmer dan]

maa wrote:
I think in such a case I'd use the Vob Extras button...that usually fixes such things unless there is real data missing from the VOB !This is the basic idea that was forming for me. But then I'm back to the old problem--remember(?)--of getting the subpicture streams for the menus allocated in the VIDEO_VTS.IFO. OR :eek: are you suggesting that I just run through VOB Extras without really doing anything just to fix the data tables? The movie is already actually stripped. I did that when I ripped it.

[maa]

Keep all checked and strip to a new directory - save your old vobset somewhere and move the new one in its place - with IFO of course.
That should do it.

[farmer dan]

maa, I misread your post. I ran VOB Extras without "Strip VOB-IDs" checked. Didn't fix anything.

But I did discover how to change the PTT_SRPTI and VTS_TMAPTI. In the former, right-clicking on an entry gives you the option of deleting, adding or editing a line. In VTS_TMAPTI double left-clicking on 'No. of Entries" allows you to change that. I reduced the number of PTT's from 54 to 26 and the number of entries from 1789 to 906. Did all the saves and Get VTS Sectors--I still have the problem.

I posted a new thread in the IFO Edit Forum (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63833) describing this situation. Somebody over there may have some solutions. I also still need to execute your suggestion exactly.

DVD Lab came out with a new beta today that may obviate this attempt to edit the IFO. I'm still going to try to fix it just to gain the knowlege, but I want to see if DVD Lab has changed its personality at all.

I will, of course, post any new developments here.

[farmer dan]

I just couldn't leave it alone. I had to solve it.

I ran the Strip VOB-ID's in IFO Edit and in the new titleset did a Get VTS Sectors and played it. I got the same DVD Warnings BEFORE anything played and the movie wouldn't even start.

Then as I was copying the new IFO's into the 'old' movie directory I realized that I had copied the VTS_01_0.VOB to the new VTS directory. :eek: :rolleyes: That might have helped the player read the file it said it couldn't read :D :cool: :cool: When I played this time I GOT NO WARNINGS and the movie went back to the title menu.

I then loaded this now precious IFO into the directory with the INTRO, MOVIE, and OUTRO titlesets, did a Get VTS Sectors and played it. The player went from INTRO to MOVIE to OUTRO with no warnings.:eek: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: :cool: ;) ;)

As I watched the screen during all the Get VTS Sectors the pointers were being changed to values that were familiar to me from reviewing the IFO last night. I should have written them down. Then I could have gone back to the original IFO and made the changes manually and also found the spots that I should have corrected to solve this problem. I may be able to do something like that if I didn't delete the 'old' IFO in my excitement.


The way I have it set up I bypassed all the menus while I was checking the navigation. I have a little spruce up to do and then it will be done. I'll post with the final results. I'm also thinking about going through all of these replies and summarizing what I learned. That may be valuable to cement it in my head, and also for some others.

Thanks to all who helped.

[maa]

Well done - glad you solved it - wanna run through a multiple VTS / Audio / Subtitle / PlayAll / Resume guide next ? :D :rolleyes: :D

[farmer dan]

Bring it on!!!:scared: :sly: :confused: :cool:

Actually what I really want to do is do disc 2, pop some corn, and watch this @$*# movie from beginning to end.

[farmer dan]

I added a "What I learned" section to the initial post of this thread. Please check it our if you're interested.

Thanks

[influenza]

Nice to add all your results.

I especially like this line:

I have a tendency to over-explain things--sometimes good, sometimes bad

Well you proved that by posting all those lessons learned ;)

Better to over explain then not giving enough info.

[maa]

Yep - you did it - and you probably don't realize just quite how much of an expert you've become - go to the newbies forum now and read a few threads :D :rolleyes: :D

[ammck55]

farmer dan - I've had a good time reading this thread! Your refusal to quit on a tough project is admirable, as well as maa's refusal to give up on YOU! There are many members at Doom9 that have some slick moves down pat, but for the rest of us, it's down and dirty in the trenches. Don't you just love it when a plan finally comes together? :) The circle will close when you do as maa suggested, and spread the wealth around, you'll find plenty of opportunities to do so. Here's a big "Well done," to all.

ammck55

[farmer dan]

Hi ammck55--

I was just going to lurk and monitor this thread if anyone posted after I completed the project. Howeveer, your kind words require a response. I never looked at the progress of the project in the terms you used. It was a problem to be solved. And, yes, it got solved. You are absolutely right about the satisfaction of it all coming together. :cool: :D

Many of those forum memebers with the "slick moves" have expressed in what they posted that their guides and advice are they're way of giving back. I'm firmly convinced that one first must "take" from the forum and then "give back."

This project was sooooo intricate. Influenza picked right up on the fact that I can make a long story longer. However, I was scared not to describe because I've seen answers in this forum that didn't "hit the mark" because the questioner wasn't precise or descriptive enough.

See, I've started again. The only thing I wanted to do was thank you for your obseravations. Thanks.

[Alan G]

Hi Guys

Wow some of this is over whelming. I'm still in the newbie stage but making progress and appreciate the time you've taken to keep this thread alive.

Here's my question.

I have been using Shrinkdvd to back up my dvds to my HD on my server where I archive and store all my movies for playback. I also playback right off my server. I do not author back to dvd.
I am archiving just the main movie.

I have a dvd that contains inserts from the drive-in. The hot dog and popcorn commercials ect. This was made by someone who transferred these from film. Quality is excellent.

Each are in their own file.

Is it possible to pick one of these and add it to the beginning of my movies so it plays as one complete file with no interruptions?

Will it be as complicated as some of what I'm reading in this thread.
I would love to be able to do this.

Thank you for your time.

[farmer dan]

Hi Alan G--

I'm not a moderator, but I have a moderator type suggestion for you. Your question is pretty close to a "cross post." You might think about moving your post to a new thread. I've linked a lot of posts to this one and your question may be obscured by this thread's length.

The basic answer to your question is, "Yes, it can be done." You can link all the movies together, with menus in a tool like DVD Lab or you can create a multiple-titleset like this thread describes. I'm a little pressed for time right now, so I'm going ask you to scroll through the thread and find the link to maa's guide. Read it. Try it. And post your questions. If you don't have a clue, quote the guide and say, "I don't have a clue about what this means."

It's not as hard as it looks. And it's a lot of fun.

Good luck.