TitleWriter ver 4.21 - add DVD text/Menus/Automation - 19 May2007

[FallenAngel]

Just Uploaded Ver 2.63

If opening a disc for viewing only 1 warning will be kicked by _UNDO creator

BUGFIX: Unending loop if Happy Face was fixing Setup Menu# and Setup Menu# was last menu in VTS

Lindahl -- I have 4 pioneer jukes wired together -- their &*%!! cable connectors between boxes are cheap. Sometimes leading to all DVD_TEXT info for a single box (300 discs) being lost inside the DVD Manager.
When that happens I just Autoload all Discs and everything is happy again

[PBS]

add from command line?

hi,i would like to add menu from command line but can't figure it out, is it possible?
i can 'add menu' from the interface but wanted a way to add a generic menu to a dvd title that only has files playing one after the other..[no menus really]
from the command line...the generic menu works great..
[or any other simple way to add menus from command line]
any help appreciated..dvdauthor manual is @#$%!

[FallenAngel]

Yes -- Via the /M --- See Commandline.hlp file.
Unfortunately menu will be treated as an Original menu in all cases
I forgot to Update CLI handler for Menu Is Generic situation.

Wait a bit -- Will be fixed in Ver 2.64 -- currently tracking down something else

Thinking about what you might want that for:
Im guessing a bat file booting DVDSHRINk then TW
------ Do you realize you can Run DVDShrink as a subroutine Of TW via TW's GUI -- Completely automating DVDShrink>>TW >> AddMenu's,Add DVDTEXT (perhaps even burn) etc workflow into 1 initial setup stage and walk away.
You can also elect to process multiple DVD's in the same manner

To enable the above capability you need to tell TW where DVDShrink is (In Settings --Path to transcoder)

Then Click the Shrink Icon (TW's toolbar) and go with the flow
(There is considerably more error trapping in this mode then directly from CLI)

[ezryel]

Preview compliation once original menu readded?

Thank you for the great Tool Fallen.
I have used the viewhelp giude you posted earlier to readd menus using TW to a reauthered compilation. At this point I can't figure out how to play to compilation to make sure the menu works properly.

Can you assist?

Thanks

[FallenAngel]

? Readding originals or Generics


View like any other dvd compiliation -- Using say Showtime (Nero) ,or Ms -Media player --Found Powerdvd to be buggy for me but others use it.

In the guide Visualhelp You see my toolbar at the top -- it contains 1 clk links to both showtime and media player menushrink ifoedit etc
those tools are added via the programlist view

Read TitleWriterHelp file

heres the 2 links to software players from my programlist

"C:\Program Files\Ahead\Nero\ShowTime\ShowTime.exe" @DVDPATH@

"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" @DVDPATH@/video_ts/video_ts.ifo

I believe you need to have windows Media player 10

Your paths may differ (Shouldn't if you used defaults)

If TW can't find the program you selected an icon full of question marks appears on the toolbar in its place

[PBS]

using it to create menus from gbpvr

i want to use it so i can create menus for the titles i burn from GBPVR...
i can't seem to find ANY command line help for dvdauthor!
really all i'd need is the '--button' command syntax or how to create menu from command lines and i'd be set.. tho this would be simpler for users if i could do with this with one command from your program...
there's tons of help on the .xml method of dvdauthor,but none at all i can find on the command line options.. on dvdauthor website it says 'foo' for most of the syntax! grrr..is it in the source code? where did you find your info?
any help appreciated...i found out how to pipe ffmpeg -> dvdauthor so vob creation/authoring is in one step, no temp files
[ffmpeg and mencoder can both create the nav packets, in one step! no demux/remux+temp files!]

[fmpeg -i file.mpg -y -f vob -target ntsc-dvd -vcodec copy -acodec copy - | dvdauthor.exe -o tmp -t -f - ]

now if i can just figure out the command line menu creation i'll be all set..
any help greatly appreciated

[PBS]

oops

oops...i thought your prog used dvdauthor but it looks like not...
forgot which board i was on...doing lots of research..lol
i tried the /m switch, never would do anything to the files..
sorry for the off-topic-ness..

[FallenAngel]

Yes -- Just noticed /M got lost somewhere --tracing now
Wait a Bit If you still want it

[FallenAngel]

PBS :Okay fixed in attachment below -- Tested with 1 movie compiliation
For Generics you must have /GENERIC in CLI
And the If Generic ... checked in settings

[PBS]

trying now..

just gotit and trying now....could you give me a sample command-line example?

thanx for the quick fix...hoping this will turn out to be the answer i wanted..

[PBS]

excellent!

finally got it working...[had to play with commandline syntax] wee!
now how to make your 'generic' menu templates?
do you have a set procedure? [i want to do them on the fly eventually]
just wondering any special jump commands,etc that you need in there for them to work..
thanx a bunch!
p.s. here's my command line..[b4 i had a slash at end of menu dirs doh!]
******
titlewriter.exe /GENERIC /F G:\dvdtmp\tmp\VIDEO_TS\VIDEO_TS.IFO /M G:\dvdtmp\TitleWriterFiles\SimpleMenus\Menu4Movie
******
[very basic one without any renaming]

[FallenAngel]

I just created a dummy dvd vob file SHRINK to about 100mb, imported a an audiostream,subtitle 4 times
In DVDLab Pro imported the file,added a bunch of chapters, imported an audiostream,subtitle 4 times and authored a menu from scratch
No cell commands and individual button commands linked directly to targets (Not via a pgc) this is the most reliable menu KISS rule applies.

Authoring a custom menu on the fly -- Good luck You'll need it

For Multiple Vts menus -- In LabPro custom VMG and kept importing VTS menu created above --actually only the custom vmg needs made TW can multiply import vts_01 menu created above into all VTS (In settings)

Note: The actual result is a dvd compiliation It Must play and be compliant
Finally deleted all bup, and VTS_##_nn files (N above 0)
Voila a Menu "Template"

[PBS]

cool...on it

that's great..so i need the actual targets the buttons point to also? [.vob's]
i may just author with another package...so as long as i use the same stucture, [buttons point to titlesets] and have dummy target vobs,then it should be useable right out of editing?
now to find which progs i can use...i bet tmpg's dvdauthor will work just fine..
thanx for the help..i already have most of the code to make menu's on the fly.. now just to master the spumux .xml stuff and i'm set...

[i found examples of dvdauthor scripts for linux that do it all..but they apparently use an old version of dvdauthor i can't find,so syntax is a bust]
and there's BTV2DVD that does the same thing but i can't get it to work..[wants stupid 'cut' files from BTV,even tho i'm not cutting, and i don't use BTV]
i'm building the titles in one step by piping ffmpeg into dvdauthor, so no temp files and fast.
but can't use the .xml when i do this to build menus, and that's why i needed something like your program...
now i can build the menu on the fly with show titles,etc and have your program insert them real quick, and then burn from nerocmd from a batchfile... [all from tv remote]
so thanx...nice work...eventualy i'll start using the other features too...lol

[PBS]

TMPG dvdauthor works great!

looks like tmpg dvdauthor works just fine..i just delete the xxx1.vobs and .bups and it's good to go..
so anyone wanting to make their own templates it's as easy as authoring a title in dvdauthor with 1 movie per track, and a main menu...save and delete the bups and xxx1.vobs and you're all set...point titlewriter to the resulting files and author away!
now i'm off to automate the process with show titles and thumbnails..

[FallenAngel]

Yes thats usually the way it is - Because I designed it to look at the original compiliation the menu came from.

You can get fancy with templates
For example I have a Vmg Menutemplate where My springer (As a puppy) runs around the backyard chasing a ball -- stops and starts barking at he camera (Bubbles come from his mouth saying Well Get On With it) after a certain amount of time He turns around (Disgusted attitude and walks away) -- reloop to start

Its menus that rely on Post commands or other PGC's for target resolution where things get ambiguous

I went this route so as to be able to Readd menu's from Original Pre Shrink)
A Menu is A menu Is a Menu.

FYI -- If you want to get fancy:

Caution:
if Generic checked A Resume button in your menu may or may not crash if pressed before any Vts playback has happened.

If Generic unchecked TW will remap Audio/Sub commands/buttons to matching streams in Original Vob (Used to create menu)

Lets say the content of your ImMakingAMenu.vob originally contained an english5.1, french audio streams -- and your Audio menu An English and French Button
if you import with generic switch off and the compiliation contains only english5.1 then the french button will be killed same thing for subtitles

I have a Audio Menutemplate containing an English 5.1, English DTS ,French 5.1 buttons so with Generic unchecked (Compiliation only contains french) import will remap audio properly to a button that actually leads to the stream and kill the first 2 buttons

You might want to play/watch menu behavior with the Generic sw unchecked --TW is "smarter" in this mode