ADDChapter: 1.2.0.2 is OUT [Archive]

geffroman

31st March 2004, 05:24

I can't find a thread dedicated to this amazing little tool ADDChapter (http://posunplugged.com/jsoto/) ... A while back I asked 2COOL for a 2COOL Guide to help me add a blank chapter to the end of a movie (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69347) to which he out did himself again (Thanks 2COOL). The reason is simple. Every program we use from Rippers to Strippers to Compression software removes P-UPs like they are the worst thing to ever plague mankind. It makes sense because we don't want Hollywood telling us when we can or cannot use the NEXT button on our DVD remote... am I right...? you know I'm right ! :)

There is some fallout from this though. I find that about half the movies from Hollywood have a little 00'00'00'15 chapter at the end of the main title. When the credits of a movie come along and you click next you jump to this little blank screen for 15/30ths of a second and then to the menu(assuming you have already cleaned out the FBI Warnings and Logos that sometimes come after the movie). This is a good thing but as I said only half at best work this way and when this little chapter is not there navigation problems can arise.

OK, you say, what if that tiny chapter is not there? Well, when you click NEXT on your DVD remote, you jump to the NEXT TITLE not the menu, that's what happens. Unfortunately the next Title might be previews that you eliminated by deleting the Previews button on your DVD Menu with MenuEdit or DVDReMake (http://www.dimadsoft.com/menuedit/index.php) and compressed to Still PICS with DVDSHRINK. You thought those previews were GONE GONE GONE... but when the movie is over you pressed NEXT and got a "NO SOUND" chopped up version of the preview anyway.... Boy are you pissed now...!

In comes ADDChapter (http://posunplugged.com/jsoto/) to save the day...! This tool, that works in microseconds can add that little 00'00'00'15 chapter to your movie. That way when you get to the credits and press NEXT you go to the tiny blank chapter for 15/30ths of a second and then poof back to the menu...

If you have ever done this add chapter routine manually you know it is a nightmare of time and effort to make it happen. Give ADDChapter (http://posunplugged.com/jsoto/) a spin. It turns out Mr. jsoto is producing some great tools.

2COOL

31st March 2004, 08:08

Originally posted by geffroman
In comes ADDChapter (http://www.iespana.es/jsoto/) to save the day...! This tool, that works in microseconds can add that little 00'00'00'15 chapter to your movie. That way when you get to the credits and press NEXT you go to the tiny blank chapter for 15/100ths of a second and then poof back to the menu...When you press NEXT, after the 15 frames of blank, you actually start executing the post commands. Whatever is configured in the post commands determines what actually gets played next. Ideally, we all want our DVDs to be authored in a way that the menu really displays after but unfortunately, some come with post logos, FBI warnings, previews,etc. If that's the case, there are alot of methods now to bypass or even replace those post titles with blanks. For bypassing titles, I already have a guide on that. For replacing the titles with blanks...VobBlanker, TitleSet Blanker, MenuEdit, and DVDRemake come into play. Either of these methods will help on jumping to the menus almost immediately when the NEXT button is pressed. ;) Alot of progress have been acheived with new tools now since a year ago and to me, that's very EXCOOLENT! Thanks to jsoto and others for their concern and contributions for the DVD backup community! :D

Dimad

31st March 2004, 08:46

Originally posted by geffroman
little 00'00'00'15 chapter at the end of the main title. When the credits of a movie come along and you click next you jump to this little blank screen for 15/100ths of a second

Just a note: those 15 are frames count, i.e. in PAL it would be 15/25ths of the second, for NTSC 15/30ths.

geffroman

31st March 2004, 16:47

I have gone back to the problem I had the other day and tested the heck out of it with several DVDs. There seems to be a minor issue that is still causing me to mock strip to get normal functionality in all scenarios.

I am testing on multi episode DVDs both from Homicide Season Four and CSI Season Three.

I add chapter to each episode by selecting Auto Select or Manual (have done it both ways to be sure). I have tried it with "Append to Last VOB" & "One Cell per VTS" on and off. In all cases I end up with an added working chapter on each episode. If I burn to disc it plays and advances through all chapters in my Sony and my Apex.

Here is the gotcha... In IFOEdit I can advance through all original chapters with the chapter advance button. On the last original chapter the button grays out and cannot be advanced to the new added chapter. However, I can use the chapter pull down and select the NEW added chapter and IFOEdit does advance. If I mock strip the last chapter does NOT gray out the advance button in IFOEdit and can be advanced through to the end.

I should add that the data that has this symptom is fully recognized by DVDReMake which I believe checks VOB and IFO information against one another. However, if I run an EXPORT from DVDReMake of the affected data without doing a mock strip first the symptom is the same. IfoEdit will not advance to the added chapter with the chapter advance button but the chapter pull down can be used to advance to the new chapter. This is also where the chapter time changes from 00'00'00'12 to 00'00'00'15 as I mentioned the other day. If I run a mock strip now it will work fine and I get 00'00'00'15 added chapter in the end.

This affected data also opens and seems to functions in DVDShrink though I did not run it to completion and test that data..

The good news is that I run ADDChapter on a standard movie with one PGC in the title set (Something's Gotta Give) and everything is perfect - NO ISSUE!

My question is one of total compliance. What is different about this new added chapter that could cause this? And where will it cause me a problem?

It is a subtle issue but odd and I just thought I should share what I am seeing.

2COOL

31st March 2004, 20:53

Originally posted by geffroman
The good news is that I run ADDChapter on a standard movie with one PGC in the title set (Something's Gotta Give) and everything is perfect - NO ISSUE!Like with all tools and methods on the scene, there's still new scenarios that pop-up when a specific DVD is used that doesn't work as plan. There's a few that are 100% bug free. Anyways, jsoto's at a stage that at least he tries to target simple DVDs like single PGCs to make it work at a minimum. Thanks for your feedbacks geffroman and I hope jsoto has the right DVDs to test with and then make necessary updates/improvements. ;)

geffroman

31st March 2004, 20:57

Originally posted by 2COOL
Like with all tools and methods on the scene, there's still new scenarios that pop-up when a specific DVD is used that doesn't work as plan. There's a few that are 100% bug free. Anyways, jsoto's at a stage that at least he tries to target simple DVDs like single PGCs to make it work at a minimum. Thanks for your feedbacks geffroman and I hope jsoto has the right DVDs to test with and then make necessary updates/improvements. ;) Even if the answer is on Multi PGCs I have to do Mock Strip it's still much faster than the manual method... I will wait for jsoto to read my post and reply... If this is to be normal I will of course delete my post so as to not give an inappropriate impression to others...

jsoto

1st April 2004, 23:02

Hi all,

Sorry for the delay in answering, but I was traveling during a couple of days and didn't be on-line.

PUOPs can be in IFOs (Menu and/or Titles), which are removed by AddChapter, but also can be in VOBs which are not. I can add a check to do it, but it will take some time to be processed, so a progress bar must be included....

Well, before that I have to finish the new version... (AddChapter now allows to insert custom stills).

jsoto
-

jsoto

2nd April 2004, 00:46

Well, I only did a few tests (it is too late), so take it with care..., and please help me to test it.

EDIT: LINK DELETED. New link in a post below.

BTW, I think there is something more to do in the case of custom still insertion. If you do a mock strip, IFOEdit deletes the still time.... May be I have to change playback duration in VOB Cell or at least in IFOs.
Does anybody know which things I have to modify additionaly?

jsoto

geffroman

2nd April 2004, 01:15

Originally posted by jsoto
Hi all,

AddChapter now allows to insert custom stills.

jsoto
- Awesome... I'll test tonight... I tried the new version for the multi PGC in a titileset issue and still have the problem with IFOEdit not being able to advance to the added chapter. Are you checking into that... or should we just plan on doing a mock strip for multi PGC..?

NEW INFO: Did more testing on Multi PGC. As you know I have been doing a mock strip on Multi PGC to solve advance button being greyed out in IFOEdit. I thought that was all. After running finished back ups I find strange behavior in DVD Player.

6 disc set CSI...

Disc 1 & 2 have 4 episodes in 2 VTS, VTS-1 = 2 PGC & VTS-1 = 2 PGC
Episode 2 & 4, Second PGC in both VTS stops play at end of episode instead of returning to menu. All episodes share VOB-ID for ADDED chapter.

Disc 3 has 4 episodes in 1 VTS, VTS-1 = 4 PGC
Episode 2 & 4, Second PGC in both VTS stops play at end of episode instead of returning to menu. All episodes share VOB-ID for ADDED chapter.

Disc 4 has 4 episodes in 4 VTS no multi PGC to test

Disc 5 has 4 episodes in 1 VTS, VTS-1 = 4 PGC
Surprise and maybe the clue... All episodes return to menu properly. Each episode has it's own VOB ID for added chapter.
Will now re-do Disc 1, 2 & 3. Strip added chapter and test in player. If sucessful I will re-add chapters using separate VOB ID for each episode and retest in DVD Player.

Update: Success... I stripped added chapters from Disc 1. I ran ADDChapter again. This time I made sure "Use One Cell per VTS" was OFF. I did have to run a mock strip but when it was done it played perfectly in DVD Player. So, Multiple PGCs do NOT like added chapters to share a single VOB ID.

Looking forward to info on mock stripping issue for multi PGCs.

UPDATE - 12APR04: I retested CSI Season 3 Disc 2 with latest ADDChapter 1.1.0.3 with success. There are two multi PGC Title Sets. Both added chapter successfully and functioned perfectly WITHOUT mock stripping in IFOEdit, WinDVD & DVD Players (Sony & Apex).

Great work jsoto!

jsoto

6th April 2004, 01:11

Hi all,
Found a bug in AddChapter, fixed in 1.1.0.2
- program map entry didn't follow word boundary rules
(one byte per program, pad to word boundary with zero)
BTW, I don't believe this bug was the cause of Multi-PGC problems.
Same links:
AddChapter_exe.zip (http://www.iespana.es/jsoto/tools/AddChapter_exe.zip)
AddChapter_src.zip (http://www.iespana.es/jsoto/tools/AddChapter_src.zip)
jsoto

jsoto

12th April 2004, 17:53

Hi all,
Found a couple of bugs in AddChapter 1.1.0.2, introduced in v1.1.0.0. Fixed in 1.1.0.3
- VTS_VOBU_ADMAP table filled with wrong sectors for the new cells, except for the first one
- VTS_VOBU_ADMAP wrong lastbyte if "use only one blank" was checked.
Same links and the new ones:
AddChapter_exe.zip (http://www.posunplugged.com/jsoto/tools/AddChapter_exe.zip)
AddChapter_src.zip (http://www.posunplugged.com/jsoto/tools/AddChapter_src.zip)

Thanks to geffroman for point them out.

jsoto

geffroman

12th April 2004, 23:57

UPDATE - 12APR04: I retested CSI Season 3 Disc 2 with latest ADDChapter 1.1.0.3 with success. There are two multi PGC Title Sets. Both added chapter successfully and functioned perfectly WITHOUT mock stripping in IFOEdit, WinDVD & DVD Players (Sony & Apex).

Will try several other multi PGCs today but looks excellent so far.

Great work jsoto!

blueboyec

5th May 2004, 18:35

Can you use addchapter to replace the last few chapters (end credits)?

This would be great.

jsoto

5th May 2004, 19:38

No, you cannot.

Addchapter adds but not replaces.

jsoto

geffroman

6th May 2004, 01:29

Originally posted by blueboyec
Can you use addchapter to replace the last few chapters (end credits)?

This would be great. Use DVDReMake

jsoto

23rd May 2004, 22:40

Changelog
Vers 1.1.0.4 (22-05-2004)
Added: Ability to create different resolution and AR blank cells.

IMO, its really a bug. DAR, format and resolution of video cannot be changed in the same VTS. So, the blank cell should have the same attributes. Please note AddChapter will not check the custom cell attributes.

www.posunplugged.com/jsoto
www.iespana.es/jsoto

jsoto

EDIT:
I've also modified the tool BlankVob (http://www.posunplugged.com/jsoto/tools/blank_exe.zip) to include the new set of blank cells.

geffroman

17th December 2004, 04:03

I have been having a problem with ADDChapter on some DVDs.

Sometimes the last original chapter will not forward to the new chapter and the player just sits there and hangs... I can hit the NEXT button and things move on as they should.

This occur on Sony players as they are the pickiest about sticking to standards. But it does not happen on other players like Apex that seem to push on even if data is not perfect.

I recently had this problem with Smallville Season 3...

jsoto

17th December 2004, 08:54

Yes.... Sony, I know, I saw the same problem in VobBlanker, Sony players need the discontinuity bit in category cell byte.

I´ll fix it.

jsoto

mrslacker

17th December 2004, 21:19

My Sony drives me crazy. It is practically a standards checker. It was sensitive to all the subtle bugs in early DVD-RB too. I hear Denon is quite good with inconsistencies and deinterlacing perfectly under most circumstances, including bad authoring.

geffroman

17th December 2004, 23:24

The good thing about Sony is that it does help sort out bugs and helps me get things RIGHT... This way I know my discs will work no matter what maching I use in any room in the house...

jsoto

18th December 2004, 20:29

Well, AddChapter is creating the cells with 0x0a in Cell type byte, that means:
Seamless playback linked in PCI: Yes
STC discontinuity: Yes

I'm not absolutely sure if I have to change this value to 0x02, that means:
Seamless playback linked in PCI: No
STC discontinuity: Yes

Could anyone elaborate on the meaning of these bits?

BTW, VobBlanker, when blanking a Cell, is setting the "STC discontinuity" bit, but it is not clearing the "Seamless playback linked in PCI" bit.
IIRC, pgcEdit does the same

jsoto

mpucoder

18th December 2004, 20:37

My last post in this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86785) explains what seamless is. The bit is named wrong, it should just be "seamless", denoting how it was multiplexed.
Discontinous means the clock (SCR) resets.

blutach

19th December 2004, 00:42

I used to use Addchapter quite a bit until I discovered that if you set the Next PGN link to the same PGC number as the PGC you are playing, then in the last chapter, no matter how long it is, it will skip to the post commands.

No need to adchapter anymore!

Not saying that addchapter is bad - in fact, I think otherwise. Just this alternate method is also available and works fine - even on Sonys!

Regards

jsoto

19th December 2004, 03:41

Originally posted by blutach
I used to use Addchapter quite a bit until I discovered that if you set the Next PGN link to the same PGC number as the PGC you are playing, then in the last chapter, no matter how long it is, it will skip to the post commands.
I know, but it still is useful for other things like a custom "insert disc 2" or to create blank cells to join discs.

@mpucoder
Thanks for the explanation, (I had already read it). It is still not absolutely clear to me... For example, a SRC discontinuty is always a non seamless? Well, may be in a VOBid change a muxer can reset the SCR but the PTSs are continuous..
In any case, the blank cells we use (blankVob, VobBlanker and pgcEdit ones) always reset the clock and also are non-seamless, so the right value for the cell type byte is 0x02.

jsoto

mpucoder

19th December 2004, 03:54

Originally posted by jsoto
Well, may be in a VOBid change a muxer can reset the SCR but the PTSs are continuous..

Not exactly, but that's close. A seamless joint can be produced over an STC dicontinuity. This is how multi-angles merge and diverge.
But a seamless joint can't be made by just appending another vob. So setting the category to 2 is correct in this case, and the pause shouldn't bother anyone.l

blutach

19th December 2004, 03:59

Originally posted by jsoto
I know, but it still is useful for other things like a custom "insert disc 2" or to create blank cells to join discs. True, although rolz's method of adding an ending title clip for "insert disk 2" also works very well. It's good there are a number of alternatives, so users can use the tool they prefer best :)

I do love VobBlanker to blank cells and even with the issue I had earlier about reordering V/C IDs, VidChanger does a great job of bringing them back in order, if needs be (never had a problem with a set top playing them, even if they are out of order).

Thanks a lot for your work, Jesus. One suggestion - IMHO, VobBlanker has evolved well past a point where you could make it "donationware".

Regards

geffroman

19th December 2004, 04:00

Originally posted by blutach
One suggestion - IMHO, VobBlanker has evolved well past a point where you could make it "donationware".

I agree...

jsoto

19th December 2004, 04:13

IMHO, VobBlanker has evolved well past a point where you could make it "donationware".

Thanks for your words, blutach & geffroman, but I'm doing the SW for fun, I have no costs associated (I've a free web hosting), it is a pleasure to me to share it with you, and fortunately I have a good work. :)

If you like much the SW and need to donate I can suggest where you can send your money... :). There are a lot of organizations which need money and with humanitarian objectives.

jsoto

EDIT: links removed (a little bit OT). Put it in a more generic way

r0lZ

19th December 2004, 15:16

The Seamless bit is now cleared also in PgcEdit (v0.4.5), after a VOB/Cell ID remapping, or a Remove Cell (in the PGC Editor).

@Everybody: Thanks for the investigations!

jsoto

19th December 2004, 15:46

Vers 1.2.0.2 (19-12-2004)
- Added: Drag & Drop and "open with" abilities
- BugFix: Cell type value changed to 2 instead 10 in the added cells

jsoto

doomer2

25th March 2005, 22:38

I just checked out AddChapter, but it looks like it can only add a chapter at the end of the chain, not at the beginning.

I want to add a cell at the beginning so that I can then add a cell command to the new chapter that will link to the previous title. So if the user presses prev-chapter, I can seamlessly jump to the last chapter in the previous title.

Is there some way to add the cell to the beginning rather than the end of the chain?

Thx.

Dimad

25th March 2005, 23:15

This is possible with DvdReMake Pro. Actually it is sort of "undocumented" feature :) You can split first cell of the PGC with DvdReMake Pro into two halfs, then restore second half and hide first half. This way you will get a navigation working just like the original (DRMP does all modifications automaticaly) and a blank cell in front of the movie which you can replace with whatever you like.

jsoto

28th March 2005, 00:42

Originally posted by doomer2
I just checked out AddChapter, but it looks like it can only add a chapter at the end of the chain, not at the beginning.
Is there some way to add the cell to the beginning rather than the end of the chain?
Yes, AddChapter only adds cells at the end of the PGC.

It is not difficult to add a cell at the beginning combining some tools, but you have to be careful with the VM commands, because they can point directly to a program number or a cell number, which will be different after the cell insertion.

One method to insert a cell at the beginning of a PGC could be:
- Extract your PGC to a set of VOB files (using pgcDemux, i.e.)
- Rename the files
....
XX_2.VOB to XX_3.VOB
XX_1.VOB to XX_2.VOB.
- Use AddChapter to add a cell at the end
- Create a blank cell (with an unused VID/CID) with BlankVob naming it XX_1.VOB
- Use VobBlanker to replace the PGC with the new one. Because the new one has a "new" cell at the beginning, all cells will be moved one position.

jsoto

lovelegend

20th April 2005, 20:05

This is a great program, thanks jsoto for his effort! :cool:
And I have a suggestion, can you make it searching the folder for PGC and then list them all out? Coz I found it is inconvenient if I open DVD with several VTS's (I need to open VTS_01_0.IFO, add a chapter, then open VTS_02_0.IFO, add a chapter, and then open VTS_03_0.IFO, add a chapter, and then repeat it again and again... :( )...

jsoto

21st April 2005, 23:23

Err,
Are you using AddChapter to get "next chapter" button on the remote working in the last chapter? If yes, it is easier to use NextPGC link to point to itself.

In any case, I haven't been working in AddChapter since a long time, so probably I'm not going to modify nothing on it.

jsoto

lovelegend

28th April 2005, 20:40

Originally posted by jsoto
Err,
Are you using AddChapter to get "next chapter" button on the remote working in the last chapter? If yes, it is easier to use NextPGC link to point to itself.

In any case, I haven't been working in AddChapter since a long time, so probably I'm not going to modify nothing on it.

jsoto
Sorry jsoto, I almost forgot I replied this thread... :p
I don't quite get it how to use NextPGC link, do you mean adding a post command NextPGC link to PGC 1 (There should be a post command to jump to VMGM in order to jump to next PGC, then should I add this NextPGC link command before or after that?)?

r0lZ

28th April 2005, 20:59

No, it's not a Post Command. The NextPGC, PrevPGC and GoUpPGC links are values stored in the PGC. Most of the time, they are 0 (disabled).

VobBlanker modifies them automatically when you process a DVD. Look in the 'more settings' options.
You can also modify them with PgcEdit, in the PGC Editor, or use the "Enable All Operations" function.

The trick is to set the Next and PrevPGC values to the number of the current PGC. For example, for PGC 2, the Next and Prev PGC links should be set to 2. This way, the Next and Prev Chapter buttons will be enabled when the playback is respectively in the last or first chapter (or program) of the PGC.