New button isn't highlighted

[Spaceone]

I create new button in menu like that:
- with dvdremake I got background
- edited background with gimp (add text)
- with muxman create vob from background bmp
- with dvdremake change old background with this new
- in pcgedit created new button (color schemes are identical like those in original). I also tried creating new button in dvdremake, but result is the same.

Everything turned out ok (new button is active - when you click on it, it sets subtitles I want), but there is no highlights on it (when you move cursor and click on it). All others buttons in this menu are highlighted like in original, only my new button isn't. What else must I change to get highlight on it?
-----------------------------------------------------------
I also tried this to create button:
- with menuedit save backround for appropriate menu
- with subrip ripped subpicture for this menu
- in gimp created one backgourd (with text for new button) and one layer (new subpicture which includes new button) and saved in psd format (photoshop)
- Import all in dvdmaestro and created new menu
- in menuedit replace menu in original vob with this new one and copied color scheme from original and wrote all the links etc...
- and finished with ifoedit --> menuextras...

I've played arround with 4 colors in dvdmaestro, and there is no way to get at least similar colors like in original.

[r0lZ]

- in pcgedit created new button (color schemes are identical like those in original). I also tried creating new button in dvdremake, but result is the same.The problem is here. You should not use the same color scheme for a new button, unless you have already a button highlight for the new button in the subpic stream.

If you want real, complex highlights for your new button, you have to export, edit and remux the buttons highlights, included in the subpic stream(s). I'm not an expert on this, but there are guides on this topic here at Doom9. In this case, you will probably want to use the same color scheme for the new button.

But if you are satisfied with a transluent rectangle as highlight, you may simply create the button with PgcEdit and play around with a new color scheme:

- Note which color schemes are used by the original buttons. If one scheme is unused, you're lucky.
- Select your new button, and assign it that unused scheme number.
- Edit that scheme, and assign the same color index to the 4 Selection Color sliders. Use a visible color like yellow.
- Set the 4 Opacity sliders to mid range.
- Do the same for the Activation Color, but select another color.
- Accept everything and save the DVD.
- Test.
You will probably want to change the color and transparency values, to suit your needs.

[Spaceone]

Note which color schemes are used by the original buttons. If one scheme is unused, you're lucky.

I'm not that lucky. All 3 color schemes are used. I tried to assign first scheme to all original buttons, and second to new button, but I guess that isn't the right way, because new button still doesn't have highlights.
Is there perhaps any other solution regarding pcgedit?

[r0lZ]

It's not sufficient to assign a color scheme to your new button. You must also edit the scheme. Select a good color, with a visible opacity levels, and do that for all 8 color indexes. Most probably, the color index used by the new button has an opacity of 0, so you cannot see it.

[Kitt0s]

If you want real, complex highlights for your new button, you have to export, edit and remux the buttons highlights, included in the subpic stream(s). I'm not an expert on this, but there are guides on this topic here at Doom9. In this case, you will probably want to use the same color scheme for the new button.


now that's what i'v been trying to understand for weeks!
my problem is i remuxed and all, i got the subpic but i don't know what to do with it. i'v just added a new button and i want the highlight to be the same as all other buttons.

you said there are guides, could you direct me to one please?

[Spaceone]

It's not sufficient to assign a color scheme to your new button. You must also edit the scheme. Select a good color, with a visible opacity levels, and do that for all 8 color indexes. Most probably, the color index used by the new button has an opacity of 0, so you cannot see it.

Thanks for your help, but I understand you allready first time. I tried all combination, but button still refuses to highlight.

I want to add button to Legends of the Fall (Special Edition) (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00004WG2F/102-1645495-3836917?v=glance) . Is it possible that data for those highlight colors are stored somewhere else? Because I allready sucesfully added new button to another movie without any problem.

[r0lZ]

Hum, sometimes the main menu is reproduced twice in the VOB. The first part is shown when the menu is entered for the first time, with an intro. The second part is used thereafter. To be sure you have edited the right VOB cell, you should try to activate the button. Even if you cannot see it, you should be able to execute his command, by clicking at the right place. The highlights of the other buttons should disappear, too, when the pointer is over your new button.

[r0lZ]

now that's what i'v been trying to understand for weeks!
my problem is i remuxed and all, i got the subpic but i don't know what to do with it. i'v just added a new button and i want the highlight to be the same as all other buttons.

you said there are guides, could you direct me to one please?
I don't remember where I have seen that. Maybe not at Doom9, after all.

You must use an authoring program able to import the background and the subpics, and edit both of them. Then, you must remux them and the audio, probably with the same authoring program. IMHO, the difficult part is the edition of the highlights. And an animated menu is also difficult to edit.

You may find the answer to this question in the Authoring forum, maybe...

[Spaceone]

Yes, when I move cursors on new button, highlights on other buttons disappear, but new button don't get any highlights.

I'm intrested of those gprm(3) links. What are those? Maybe they have something to do with the way things get highlights.

Here is picture:
http://www2.arnes.si/~astale/gprm.jpg


And there are two sets of menus in vob (one with english and one with german names for buttons). I, of course, edited only english menu (for subtitles, where I want to add new button) . But I don't think that that fact has anything to do with highlight problem, because whenever I play dvd, i get only english menu, and never german.

[r0lZ]

As I can see in the illustration, there are 2 programs in the menu PGC. Have you edited both of them? (You have to select the cell to edit in the menu button viewer, before calling the editor.)

Of course, if you have two LUs, you should be sure that you edit the right one. Seems to be the case.

I'm puzzled now. But the subpic stuff is very complex. There may be commands in the VOB preventing the display of your button. Also, the highlights bitmaps are importants. You can examine (and export) them with SubRip. Maybe you will understand why your button doesn't show up?

[2COOL]

I also am not a subpicture specialist but I did a test by moving an original button's coordinate away to a different location. The original button when selected had a "image" subpicture next to the text. When I changed the coordinates, the image is not highlighted anymore. It seems that just creating a new button does not create a new subpicture, which we need for highlighting. The navigation still works but not the highlighting. Copying or creating a new subpicture might be beyond PgcEdit's capabilities.

I also tried it with my registered MenuEdit and it performs the same way as PgcEdit.

My 2 cents.

[Spaceone]

As I can see in the illustration, there are 2 programs in the menu PGC. Have you edited both of them? (You have to select the cell to edit in the menu button viewer, before calling the editor.)

There are two menus for subtitles. I wanted to place my button in first menu, so I edit first menu (program 1, cell 1).

I also ripped subpicture for that menu (when I tried secod method with menuedit and dvdmaestro) and I didn't see nothing special about it. See picture:
http://www2.arnes.si/~astale/100009.JPG

I added those black lines (without red background) + new black line (for new button) to a menu background (in gimp) and imported all in dvdmaestro (as I wrote before). And there was no highlights on any of buttons. As I said before, I did exactly same thing with other movie (it was Braveheart) and there was everything ok.

[sweetness]

i really don't want to take you on another path but try using DVDAuthorGUI.
see all those black line you would have to make each one it's own bmp. make two sets for each button. one for the highlight(ie. green square) and one for the selection (ie. red square.)
also use advanced options in the menu section in DVDAuthorGUI. and use a bummy titleset to make the process faster.
once your made the new menu import it with vobblanker. and fix with pgcedit.

[2COOL]

one for the highlight(ie. green square) and one for the selection (ie. red square.)You mean one for selection and another for activation.

[Spaceone]

see all those black line you would have to make each one it's own bmp.

If I understand you correctly...

For each black line i must create bmp, so I will have 10 bmp files + one more for new button?

And then I should import those bmps with "use bmp button" in advanced section of titleset menu in DVDAuthorGui?
-----

Ahh, never mind, I figured it out

[sweetness]

You mean one for selection and another for activation.
yeah, you're right. just DVDAuthorGUI use them(bmp) as highlight and select. kind of confused me.

@Spaceone,
don't really know if you need two bmp for each button (one for the selection and one for the activation. :) ) maybe eventhough the bmp is, lets say blue, pgcedit can change the color, contrast...
BTW did it work?

ps. on a off note, update your virus scanner. trend just came up with a virus update alert.

[Spaceone]

First results are positive.

I created only one button, just to try.Then in pcgedit changed color scheme (now is the same color like in original). If I then create another button in pcgedit, it doesn't get highlights, so I must create all buttons in dvdauthorgui.

But there is one problem.
Menu is in PAL 16:9 (pans-can) and when I create buttons in dvdauthorgui and then play dvd in powerdvd, highlights aren't over the text. I assume this is because dvdauthor thinks that bmp for background is 4:3. Is there any way to fix this? Only way I figured it out, is to place those bmps(=highlights) above text :).

[Spaceone]

Everything is tourned out ok, except for one difference.
In original I have two groups for buttons, now I have only one.

2 groups (original)
http://www2.arnes.si/~astale/2groups.jpg

1 group (new menu)
http://www2.arnes.si/~astale/1group.jpg

Should that worry me? :)

If I undestand correctly, group 1 is for 16:9, and group 2 is for 4:3...

[r0lZ]

Yes, the number of groups is important. If your menu is authored in 4:3, it should use only one group. But if it's a 16:9 menu, you should have a group for 16:9 display, and one for 4:3 letterbox and/or pan & scan. The group used by each mode is not hardcoded. It's an info in the nav packs of the VOB. Difficult to change that without an authoring software.

I hope DVDAuthor is able to deal with 16:9 menus and multiple groups, or you will have to convert the original menu to 4:3.

[mic]

"If I undestand correctly, group 1 is for 16:9, and group 2 is for 4:3..."

AFAIK, groups are for shared color sets.

[r0lZ]

AFAIK, groups are for shared color sets.No, that is the color schemes job. The button groups are used to align the buttons correctly in each display mode.

[mic]

No, that is the color schemes job. The button groups are used to align the buttons correctly in each display mode.
Sorry -- you know more then I do on a DVD's inner workings. I know in DVDLab they use button groups to maintain separate color sets, & I somehow got the [mistaken] impression the groups were retained in the DVD. Is this something specific to DVDAuthor & DVDAuthorGUI? Really am trying to learn, but don't want to hijack thread either. :D

[Spaceone]

Is this something specific to DVDAuthor & DVDAuthorGUI? Really am trying to learn, but don't want to hijack thread either. :D

It's specific to all dvds :)
In fact dvdAuthorgui regards menus as 4:3 and doesn't know nothing about 16:9 aspect ratio.

Big thanks to sweetness, for putting me on another path :), and of course r0lZ, for his tips and advices trough this thread.

[r0lZ]

There are 3 potentially confusing notions regarding menu buttons.

1) Button groups: as explained above (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=700122#post700122), they are used to position the buttons for the different display modes. Each group uses another VOB subpic stream, therefore the coordinates on screen must be different to align the buttons properly. Generally, only the buttons coordinates are different in each group, but it is theorically possible to use another command, color scheme, etc... in each group.

2) Color schemes: The colors and transparency levels to use to display a subpic are defined in the subpic stream of the VOB. This is true also when the subpic is used to display button highlights. But the color in the VOB is used only for the part that is outside the button area (outside the rectangle you can see in the button editor) of the currently selected or activated button. These colors and transparency are not currently editable by PgcEdit, MenuEdit or DRM. As far as I know, there are no programs able to deal with them. You have to reauthor the menus to change them.
In the other hand, the colors used when the button is highlighted or activated are defined in the nav packs of the VOB, via the color schemes, and the PGCs. These color schemes controls the color and transparency levels of the button area only ( inside the rectangle.) 3 color schemes are defined in the nav pack. One pseudo scheme is also assignable: scheme 0 represents the colors coded in the subpic streams, and can be used also to highlight a menu button. Since most of the time, scheme 0 is fully transparent, you have to use another scheme.
Also, the colors are not directly defined in the scheme. Instead, the scheme holds the indexes in a color lookup table defined in the PGC (in the IFO).
[EDIT:] See also this post (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=694285#post694285) for more infos on subpic and colors.

3) Button sets: Most of the time, when a menu is defined, the parameters are the same until the menu ends. But it is possible to alter some (or all) parameters from time to time, for example, to animate the highlights, or to change the button command after some time. Each time a parameter is modified, a new set begins. When a menu is authored this way, it is difficult to edit it, because you will have to edit all sets independently. PgcEdit don't handle multiple sets. If you edit the menu, all the sets are erased, and one global set is saved. In this case, you may loose the animation effect. Luckily, multiple sets are not frequent. Of course, if you try to edit such a menu, PgcEdit will warn you.

Button groups and color schemes are things defined directly in the DVD-Video standard. Button set is just a convenient way to name and present the menu authoring method explained above.

[mic]

:thanks:
Really more generous than I had hoped -- saved this for reference.

I had found this: http://dvd.sourceforge.net/dvdinfo/pci_pkt.html & the "btn_md word" table lists the groups, but no clarification.

I'd found some references to 2 different ways of handling button highlights, that I *think* relates to #3, Button Sets. And of course found references dealing with specific authoring programs.

Thanks again -- this was a BIG help!

[sweetness]

r0lZ, :goodpost: :thanks:

Spaceone,
I'm not that familiar with DVDAuthorGUI but i know you can use scripts to author, so maybe it can create 16:9 aspect ratio menus(or maybe not?)
The reason i suggested DVDAuthorGUI is because Muxman dosen't handle subs that are ripped with Subrip(.sst files) and edited to well. if you want it to be "perfect" demux (with pgcdemux) the authored menu that DVDAuthorGUI created (video, subs and audio) then put that through Muxman, creating a titlset that is 16:9. then use that to replace and import all the menu things.
ya, i know that's more work. also be careful about the subs position when creating it with DVDAuthorGUI and then again with Muxman.

maybe with later versions of Muxman all this can be avoided and made a lot easier. :)

[Kitt0s]

i don't want to open a new thread for this, so here we go:
i have added a new button to a menu, but it isn't highlighted as all other buttons.
i know i need to demux the menu's cell, then do something with the .sup file, but i realy don't know what to do with it..
so if any1 could explain it to me it could be great :)

thanks in advance!!!! Kitt0s.

[r0lZ]

See the second post in this thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=699293#post699293). It's a simple method to hilite your new button with a transluent rectangle.

[Kitt0s]

If you want real, complex highlights for your new button, you have to export, edit and remux the buttons highlights, included in the subpic stream(s). I'm not an expert on this, but there are guides on this topic here at Doom9. In this case, you will probably want to use the same color scheme for the new button.

if your talking abou this, then this is my question :P i know i need to demux the cell and edit the subpic but i dont know how!!!!!!
i used the same color scheme on the new button but there is no highlight on it..

[Spaceone]

In my case, if I used same color scheme on new button, highlights on it didn't show.
Every color scheme has colors for background, pattern, emphasis 1 and emhpasis 2. In my case, original color scheme for selected button was:

set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_3) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_2) 6
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_1) 3
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_0) 2

set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_3) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_2) 8
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_1) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_0) 0

If I set this color scheme for new button, it didn't worked.
It worked with this scheme
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_3) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_2) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_1) 6
set ::menued::color(1,sel_color_0) 6

set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_3) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_2) 0
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_1) 8
set ::menued::color(1,sel_opacity_0) 8

Don't ask my why, but it did.
So Kitt0s, try with some combinations. :)

[Kitt0s]

Don't ask my why, but it did.
So Kitt0s, try with some combinations. :)

don't get me wrong (wich i think you did :P) i CAN get the button highlighted, you know with just regular colors.. but i couldn't get it highlighted like the other buttons wich has like a sqare near them or something like that..

[2COOL]

but i couldn't get it highlighted like the other buttons wich has like a sqare near them or something like that..The new button needs it's own bitmap for highlighting.

[Kitt0s]

The new button needs it's own bitmap for highlighting.
i know! this is exactly my question!!! how do i add that new bitmap?!?!?

[r0lZ]

I don't think there is a good solution to edit the original subpic stream.

If you really want a custom highlight for your new button, IMHO, the best solution is to author a new menu from scratch, with, for example, DVD-Lab. You will have to recreate the highlights of the original buttons, too. Then, import the new menu in your DVD with PgcEdit's Import Menu function, fix the references to the menu PGCs, and recreate the original commands in the buttons. It's a lot of work, which requires some knowledges!

I have always used the simple rectangular highlight method. It's simple, fast and secure.

[goonix]

This is how I customize original menus.

Used programs:

PgcEdit
SubRip
DVDLab Pro
Graphic editor

Workflow:

1. Open the menu in PgcEdit and save the menu background as BMP.
2. Export the buttons.
3. Export the color schemes.
4. Export the PGC commands.
5. Extract the highlight picture with SubRip as BMP
- Use Pinnacle Impression format
- Color #1 white
- Color #2 black
- Color #3 blue
- Color #4 red
6. Edit the background picture and the highlight picture with your favorite tool (Change text, add or remove button). These changes have to be done in both pictures equally.
7. Load a dummy movie (1 sec black frame) in DVDLab Pro.
8. Load your menu background in DVDLab Pro.
9. Load your highlight picture as external sub-picture.
10. Use the Group Hotspot to define the hotspot rectangles.
11. Link all your buttons to the dummy movie.
12. Compile your menu with DVDLab Pro.
13. Import your modified menu with PgcEdit.
14. Import the saved buttons.
15. Import the saved color schemes.
16. Import the saved PGC commands.
17. Edit the button commands / PGC commands if needed.
18. Done

Sounds complicated, but I have done this several times and now I need only a few minutes for the whole process.

It is easy if you have only one menu and only one button group (4:3 menu). If you have more than one button groups (16:9 menu) and more than one menus it can be a lot of work and time.

goonix

PS: Maybe Jeanl finds the time to add a function to PGCEdit for exporting the highlight picture and importing the modified background and highlight pictures back. (I'm only dreaming, I know)

[Kitt0s]

goonix, first, thanks alot!! :P

second, i'm having some problems.. i exported all the stuff and edit the imgs.. now my problem is with DVDLab Pro, i haven't used it yet so im having some truble with it, could you maby explain it better for me plz ?:)

and btw, now that i edited the sup file, is there anyway to make the bmp a sup??

[r0lZ]

@goonix
:goodpost: Finally, a method to edit the button highlights! Thanks.

PS: Maybe Jeanl finds the time to add a function to PGCEdit for exporting the highlight picture and importing the modified background and highlight pictures back. (I'm only dreaming, I know)Yes, you are dreaming. It should be possible to extract the subpic as BMP, but reimporting it is really the job of an authoring program. Maybe it will be possible with Muxman, later...

[goonix]

It should be possible to extract the subpic as BMP...It will be a big step forward!


now that i edited the sup file, is there anyway to make the bmp a sup?In step 9 of my little guide you load the edited highlight picture as external sub-picture into the menu (in DVDLab). Here the BMP becomes a sub.

You have to play around with DVDLab to get familiar with it. To make a simple menu is really easy and there are a lot of good guides at the mediachance site.

BTW, if I only want to change one menu of a complex DVD with many different menus, I edit the menu, compile it in DVDLab Pro and use the "Replace block" function of DVDRemake Pro to change only this menu and preserve all other menus. So even this can be done with a small amount of work.

goonix

[Kitt0s]

ok i'l try..

when i tried loading vts03_menu1_109_c1.mnu (exported from the original movie) i got an error: Out of Memory.
and when i tried loading the exernal subp i got an error: The Extrenal subpicutre must be 720x480 for NTSC or 720x576 for PAL.
and the .bmp is 720x576!!!

[goonix]

Is the subpic size really 720x576?
I think the default size in SubRip is 720x574, but you can change this value to 720x576 within Subrip.

goonix

[Kitt0s]

lol my mistake :P ok i can load the subpic.. now its time to complie

12. Compile your menu with DVDLab Pro.

how do i do that?

[r0lZ]

vts03_menu1_109_c1.mnu is a file exported with PgcEdit, with the settings you can edit in PgcEdit. It's not usable in DVD-Lab.

[Kitt0s]

wahoooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thanks alot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P :P :) :)

just to let you know what i did, on DVDLab Pro, i just added the background and the external subpicture and complied, demuxed the menu's VOB, took the .sup and muxed it with the original menu VOB, then just went to PGCEdit and imported the shit:P

thanks alot goonix and everybody else!!!!!