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Old 22nd September 2002, 19:58   #1  |  Link
Flood
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Scenarist: Understanding Resume

Hi all,

I have a couple dvds I have authored using scenarist, and on my root/ptt menus I often place a "Resume" button, via Jump by Sub-Instruction -> Jump to: resume.

The intent, obviously, is to allow the viewer an additional method of resuming playback should they interrupt a title and decide to go on a menu browsing adventure.

This works fine in standalone players as long as the viewer came from a Title PGC, however if the disc has just been placed in the player and "Resume" is selected, odd things happen. On the standalone I usually test on, it has the same effect as pressing "stop", i.e. the disc stops playing completely.

Is there a known "correct" way of dealing with this? I could probably set a GPRM in the Title PGC's pre, and test for this when the resume buttons are activated, just to make sure playback has actually started, but I don't know if this is the best way.

Thanks!

Last edited by Flood; 22nd September 2002 at 20:46.
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Old 25th November 2002, 01:45   #2  |  Link
UTec
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Thanks for the insight Flood. By your comments, you have just answered my question about the "resume" function. As for your question, I'm no expert so I couldn't say for sure if setting and comparing GPRM's is the "best way" to control the behavior of the resume function.

However, my philosophy is "whatever works is best"

The way I do it is I set a GPRM3 to 1 in the pre of the main Title PCG (the movie PGC) and I clear GPRM3 in the post of that pgc. (I just happened to be using GPRM3 in this particular case, could be any unused GPRM of course).

The Root menu PGC (the main menu) Play button usually links to a short transition video (last PGC of VTS_1, English language domain where I put all the menu PGCs). The post of that transition PGC then links to the main Title1 PGC (movie). This is where I put the conditional branching commands:

1: if (GPRM3==1)GoTo 3
2: JumpVTS_TT Title_1
3: RSM, button=0

And that did the trick. It works perfectly both when I play the VTS titleset directly with PowerDVD XP and one the burned DVD-R
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Old 13th April 2003, 12:46   #3  |  Link
MickeyNBK
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I've searched the forum and found a few posts on this but I'm still lost.

So far I've seen where set resume (although resume is always grayed out) and where to jump to my movie. This doesn't seem to work for me.
UTec's explination seems to call for another added PCG and if I understand correctly, the menu should like to that then it should have a post command to send you into the movie. So where would I enter the conditional branching commands? Do I just type then in? I'm still new to Scenarist, I've been able to compile a few projects but I haven't worked with the GPRM commands yet.
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Old 13th April 2003, 17:21   #4  |  Link
UTec
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Mickey,

The Resume command (or any jump by sub-instructions commands) is not allowed in regular VTS domains, that's why it's grayed out. It is only allowed in Language sub-domains or in the VMG (Video Manager domain).

"UTec's explanation seems to call for another added PCG"

In some cases, yes a dummy PGC (an empty PGC with no video or audio in it) is needed for the sole purpose of inserting pre and post commands required for proper navigation and branching. But in this case, I didn't need one because I could use the "play movie intro" PGC to put the post commands I needed for this.

"So where would I enter the conditional branching commands?"

Since the "play movie intro" PGC is in the Language sub-domain of the VTS1 domain, the resume command is allowed so I put the conditional branches as the post commands of that PGC.

I put "set GPRM3=1" in the pre command of the main movie PGC.
I put "set GPRM3=0" in the post command of the main movie PGC.

When the movie starts playing GPRM3 is set to 1. GPRM3 will be reset to 0 only if the movie has played until the end.

"Do I just type then in?"

You can't type commands in Scenarist, all you can do is select them from drop down menus. This prevents you from using commands that are not allowed in a specific context which would result in a violation of the DVD specifications.
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Old 18th September 2003, 19:32   #5  |  Link
Badbonez
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Can we back this up a bit?

What does the RESUME function do? How is it used? What is the HIGHLIGHT BUTTON drop box for?
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Old 18th September 2003, 21:46   #6  |  Link
maa
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Re: Can we back this up a bit?

Quote:
Originally posted by Badbonez
What does the RESUME function do?
If you are watching the film and decide to press the menu button for some reason you would think you'd lose the film position right?
Well in fact you don't. By pressing the remotes menu button again you jump straight back to where the film left off.
Thats a hardware function - the player "knows" where it was and can "resume" to that position.

However if you want an on screen menu button to do the same (typically the PLAY FILM button) then you need to program the resume function with a few "ifs" and "buts" of command language.

I have a guide for an audio menu with DVD Lab and IfoEdit that uses the "resume" function if you change language during the film, it might help to understand. (or confuse you more) At least you'll see how the commands can be added in ifoedit:

Guide to a Multiple Audio Menu with DVD Lab and IfoEdit
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Old 18th September 2003, 22:39   #7  |  Link
Badbonez
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Thanks a lot Maa. Now I understand the function of resume, but I do not know IFOedit so your example was over my head. I'm using scneraist. Can anyone explain how I would set up a resume function in Scenarist?

I have a PLAY VIDEO button in my Main Title, if the user presses that the movie plays. Then, as I understand it, they might hit the Menu or Top Menu button, returning them to this menu. Now if they press the PLAY VIDEO button again, how do I make it so they will resume at the point they left off from? And what is the HIGHLIGHT BUTTON for?

Again, thanks for helping me understand.
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Old 22nd September 2003, 21:35   #8  |  Link
burnttoast
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UTec's way works great.The only problem i'm having is when using it with a project that has multiple vts and titles.This happens when playing on a sony dvd player and the cinemaster 2000 player.I play the main title(title 1) and return to the main menu before it ends.I then play a bonus feature in another vts(title 8).When i return to the main menu and hit the play button it resumes the bonus title(title8).It seems that the sony and the cinemaster store the last tile value somewhere and resume from that.
Does anyone know a way that you can set it so the resume only resumes title 1.
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Old 30th September 2003, 09:07   #9  |  Link
SurfDrifter
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Quote:
Originally posted by UTec
Mickey,

I put "set GPRM3=1" in the pre command of the main movie PGC.
I put "set GPRM3=0" in the post command of the main movie PGC.

When the movie starts playing GPRM3 is set to 1. GPRM3 will be reset to 0 only if the movie has played until the end.

Something that you must not forget is that IF your DVD has a Chapter selection menu, you have to create a dummy PGC for each button to set GPRM3=1 and then jump to the appropriate chapter...
If you don't do that, someone might start the dvd, go to chapter menu and select the button that corresponds to chap.1(or any other)...
The movie will start normally, but the GPRM3 would be still 0, so if he presses "MENU" and select the button that you have created as "resume", it will start the movie from the beginning
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Last edited by SurfDrifter; 30th September 2003 at 09:10.
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Old 30th September 2003, 10:51   #10  |  Link
Bish0p
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I belive the pre command still executes even if jumping to Part of a title.
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Old 2nd October 2003, 12:56   #11  |  Link
SurfDrifter
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I'll check it right now!!!

Yet, I'm authoring in DVDMaestro and I'm almost certain that since Maestro authors in its own unique way, that i'm forced to use all these command sequences.

Since you say that in Scenarist the pre-command is always executed, then this is great...

I'll go experiment!


EDIT: Just checked it and you're right!
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Last edited by SurfDrifter; 2nd October 2003 at 14:22.
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Old 14th October 2003, 09:59   #12  |  Link
drpaulng
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Understand the normal "resume" function first, then you can design any menu you like without causing "stop" problem.

"RESUME BUTTON" ON THE REMOTE CONTROLLER
The "resume button" is the same button on most remote controllers of DVD players, ie, the "menu button".

If you press the menu button in the middle of the movie, it would immediately goes to the menu. In the menu, you can link to other submenus such as subpicture menu, audio menu, ppt menu.... After proper setting of audio/subtitles etc is done, you want to go back to the movie, you simply press "menu button" again on the remote.

"RESUME BUTTON" ON THE SCREEN MENU
Many times, when you play a commercial movie, you find that there is a "Resume film/Resume/Play movie" button on the submenu. So you navigate to the button and press down the "enter/play" of your remote....it jumps back to the movie you left off last time.

So, this "resume button" on the screen menu would cause problem ONLY when you enter the menu without going through the movie part first (in most cases, it stops). Therefore, you can solve this problem by playing the movie first. The easiest trick is to design a short movie WITHIN THE SAME VTS and make it the "first play movie" or use a "dummy movie" with zero-time that jumps back to the menu. By doing so, the "resume button" on the menu would "react normally" because certain part of the movie within the VTS is played first before you can access the menu.

So, you can design in a lot of ways, just to make sure you play the "(dummy) first-play movie" within the same VTS first before the "resume button" is accessed. That would make the "resume button" reacts to something rather than "resume to nothing" and stops. The conditonal jump method is designed under this principle of "resume to something".

With no "(dummy)first-play movie", you may design a "resume button" linking to a dummy PGC with conditional jump like this:
1.If the main movie has been played, let the "resume button" doing what it should.
2.If the main movie has not been played, jump to the very beginning of the main movie.

...the rest of the detail syntax is on your own.
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Last edited by drpaulng; 14th October 2003 at 11:00.
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Old 14th October 2003, 11:10   #13  |  Link
maa
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Very true although I don't know how to make a dummy chapter within the VTS to get the resume to work the way you suggest - it does sound usefull though.

I just used a GPreg to check if the film was running or not.
-if not the main menu is called - this is also usefull if you have two or more films on the DVD and don't want to resume to the wrong film
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Old 14th October 2003, 12:44   #14  |  Link
drpaulng
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Yes, I agree. The way I put the "resume" function is by making a dummy PGC that has a conditional jump to the (1)resume function or (2)to the movie.

...the easiest way to solve "resume to nothing -> stop" problem, is exemplified with the "(dummy) first play movie" approach which I don't need, while the conditional jump method is the surest way advanced user would use.

It is the principle of avoiding "resume to nothing -> stop" problem that I was trying to tell. The rest of so many ways of how and what to do with the particular DVD to be authored is on one's own.
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Old 9th February 2004, 20:07   #15  |  Link
Mad_Max_73
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Quote:
1: if (GPRM3==1)GoTo 3
2: JumpVTS_TT Title_1
3: RSM, button=0
this works for me also but i've to set a counter on the movie title
like Utec says
pre mov GPRM3,1
post mov GPRM3,0

Doing so the resume works fine also on sub menu and chapter menu

Last edited by Mad_Max_73; 9th February 2004 at 20:27.
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