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PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/3/2007 1:41:47 PM

geoff_pell

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The PgcEdit Guide associated with this discussion thread is currently being updated and a link for the updated version will be added here in due course.

The current DVD and previous downloads work fine but there are a few technical errors that I prefer to correct.

There are also a few of illegal commands that I used, not realising that I could be shot for such an indiscretion.

The revised guide should be available by the end of April.

There is a new version of PgcEdit, out today, and the changes will be reflected in the updated guide.

The new version makes it impossible for us to use illegal commands and will be a great help for those of us with limited knowledge of DVD standards.

Your views on the posted guide and sample DVD files, are most welcome.

Geoff

< Message edited by geoff_pell -- 4/20/2007 4:42:54 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/3/2007 5:16:59 PM

Yvette_B

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Geoff! You must have connections with people in the post office. I have already received your Guide in the mail!

quote:

NTSC Containing sound and video content and what I hope, will also be interesting video content

I've already had a peek at it in the DVD player at home (the kids just brought it in and I had to look at it right away

) How did you do those cubes? Is that with Hollywood FX?

I also took a very quick peek at the guide. I had to leave for a meeting right now I but I had to have a look and then post a great big thank-you to you for all you have done!

It looks like you have put it together in a way that even I can understand it.

Thanks Geoff!

Post #: 2

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/4/2007 4:05:01 AM

geoff_pell

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Yvette.

I used Air Mail. I was amazed that it only cost £1.66, about $3. It should have arrived Wednesday, so it did rather well.

quote:

How did you do those cubes? Is that with Hollywood FX?

Yes it was Hollywood FX. There are two rotating, and orbiting, in the Austrian Intro clip.

I have not yet had time to post an explanation due to all the problems that I had with the download anomaly, that turned out not to be a file problem at all.

I intend to state that I shall be pleased to respond to any queries concerning content if anyone is interested.

Geoff

PS the PAL DVDs will be dispatched shortly.

Post #: 3

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/4/2007 4:29:35 AM

wires

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Hi Geoff,

I'm at work at the moment, but I downloaded and unzipped the file without any problems. DL time about 28 mins.

I'll take a look at the contents at home tonight.

Gerry

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Post #: 4

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/4/2007 5:53:22 AM

geoff_pell

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Thanks very much for that Gerry.

I thought that it was my DSL setup that had given me the problem. But proof was what I needed before including the PAL and Public versions.

I will try and get them set up today.

Geoff

Post #: 5

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/4/2007 11:28:00 AM

wires

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Hi Geoff,

Back at home now, have just downloaded and unzipped the PAL files.

This is one very impressive piece of work that you have produced.

Thank you very much for the time and effort that you have invested in this project.

Gerry

< Message edited by wires -- 4/4/2007 1:02:23 PM >

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RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/4/2007 1:06:28 PM

geoff_pell

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Thanks Gerry, that is good to know.

Let's hope it was worth it.

Geoff

Post #: 7

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/6/2007 1:52:18 PM

kathymw

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WOW Geoff.....I'm taking a coffee break from cleaning while watching the DVD. You did an awesome job!!!! I downloaded the pdf guide and had a look at that as well. I can't Thank You enough for all the time and effort you put into this.

This may sound funny, but you have a spot in my office closet. A file on the KATBUT build and now it had to move over a tad to make room for the PgcEdit Guide.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!

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RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/7/2007 2:02:18 AM

geoff_pell

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Kathy

Thanks for your very kind comments.

quote:

I downloaded the PDF guide and had a look at that as well.

Presumably that was just the three page guide to the basics of what can be seen and done with the working DVD.

The main 110 page document is included on the DVD in PDF and Word format.

There is a lot more that could be included in respect of the video content, but I decided to leave that for this discussion area, if there turns out to be any interest.

'Discussion' area, that sound stuffy. Fun and interest is hopefully what it is about.

quote:

This may sound funny, but you have a spot in my office closet.

You don't realise of course that here in the U/K a closet is somewhere you bung old things that you may one day need, but otherwise just leave and forget.

Only joking of course, I realise that in America meanings are frequently different. But it did make me smile.

Geoff

< Message edited by geoff_pell -- 4/7/2007 2:09:08 AM >

Post #: 9

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/7/2007 2:26:18 PM

Liz aka Spielberg Wan Be

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Howdy there, Geoff!

Just wanted to let you know that my DVD arrived in the mail today. I can't wait to sit down and watch it.

It is here safe and sound. Thank you so much! More to follow .....

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RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/7/2007 3:01:49 PM

RogRead

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Hi Geoff,

The DVD arrived today - thanks very much.

At first glance, I am stunned at the amount of work you have put into producing this project, and I look forward to spending some time (probably a lot of time) following it through and learning how to use PgcEdit properly.

Don't expect to see much of me on the forum for the next few weeks - I will be far too busy studying the guide

. Altogether, it looks like a monumental achievement for you.

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RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/7/2007 4:23:54 PM

womanmarine

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Geoff:

My DVD arrived today!!! Now to get to work. I am amazed at how much info you put on the DVD!

Thanks so much!!

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Post #: 12

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/8/2007 7:10:29 AM

geoff_pell

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Liz
Roger
Ruth

Thanks for your posts. I hope that you enjoy using the guide.

I shall may have limited time and access to a computer from 10th to 19th April. Therefore there is a small risk that I may be delayed in my input during that period.

Geoff

Post #: 13

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/8/2007 7:12:17 AM

geoff_pell

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Feedback update.

The DVD instructions may not be clear enough in regard to which files are to be used initially with the guide.
The DVD is a working sample. That is; by placing it in a stand alone DVD Player the DVD functions as it is intended to do upon completion of all the guide modifications.

To use the guide it is necessary to access the DVD as if it were a data DVD.

The files are all in sub folders in a main folder called 'PgcEdit Guide Sample', that should be copied to the Hard Drive.

The original Video_ts folder is to be found in the sub folder 0_Original.
DO NOT use the Video_ts folder in the DVD Root Menu, seen at the bottom of the image, as that is the Video_ts folder the DVD uses to playback the working sample.
Those files contain the completed version.

Before starting the guide the Video_ts folder in the 0_Original folder should be copied to the 1_Working Sample folder.

PgcEdit is then opened and the Video_ts folder in that 1_Working Sample is opened.

The 2_Main Menu to 5_Coding folders are initially empty and are there to hold completed modified Video_ts folders as one proceeds through the guide. That way any mistakes don't mess up all the modifications to date.

The guide explains this as one proceeds, but there is a possibility that the first stage was not all that clear.

I have over simplified the description to hopefully avoid any ambiguity.

The Download versions are the same except for the need to copy an additional file and burn a DVD RW to view the contents.

Geoff

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by geoff_pell -- 4/8/2007 7:35:23 AM >

Post #: 14

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/20/2007 4:50:35 AM

geoff_pell

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The latest PgcEdit has now been created, this Latest Version 8.1 can be downloaded using this link.

The new version makes it impossible to use illegal commands.

Many of my guide images are not quite accurate anymore and I am updating my guide accordingly along with a few corrections to errors that I made.

I would suggest using the new version in tandem with my guide.

Geoff

< Message edited by geoff_pell -- 4/20/2007 5:12:27 AM >

Post #: 15

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/11/2010 4:47:38 PM

alex

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Hello.

I'm making my way through Geoff's pdf tutorial on PgcEdit. I just went through the "Random" portion and found a few anomalies. I'm using pgcedit 9.3 and found that when I tried to use the "link pgcn link to pgc" it wouldn't let me as it seemed to be trying to use a menu pgc and wouldn't consider the guide's reference to the title pgc. It kept giving me "prohibited link". I did a workaround by adding a couple lines, pointing with a goto line to a jump to jumpvts_ptt and jumping over this pointer except when the test was true for the correct gprm. The standard jumpvts_ptt doesn't have an option for value. Only gprm and sprm. I also noticed that in the final version ts_video the same problem existed. The lines referencing links to pgc's 18, 19 and 20 were dark brown, indicating a problem. Did I miss something, or is this correct?

My goal in learning pgcedit is to take a lecture video with a dummy pgc and no menu's or buttons and make a menu with buttons that point to specific frames so someone would have at least some way of moving around the video. Any suggestions on what to study to get to this place?

Thanks : )

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RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/12/2010 8:59:33 AM

geoff_pell

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quote:

I'm making my way through Geoff's pdf tutorial on PgcEdit.

A bolt from the blue.

Hi Alex

Thanks for your interest in my PgcEdit Guide.

The guide took an awful long time to produce and there seemed to be little interest, if feedback is anything to go on, but I did start an update only to find upon completion that another update had been made.
To complete the update I would then need to start again and go through the whole process, using the Video_ts files I provided, and change all the PDF images that differed from the original.
The end result, given no apparent sign of interest, was that I gave up.

quote:

My goal in learning pgcedit is to take a lecture video with a dummy pgc and no menu's or buttons and make a menu with buttons

There are a number of ways of doing that as I see it.

Creating a new menu from nothing is supposed to be possible but I never got around to giving it a try as it went way beyond a far more simple way of doing it.

I would suggest that, if it is practical in your case, a new video (Video_ts file) is created along with a new menu, custom designed for the required DVD.
The menu could be an image with areas suitable as buttons, buttons with a square or oblong shape can easily be created using PgcEdit and sized and placed over any part of the image as I did in my quiz.
The buttons can be highlighted any colour and density. (mine were hidden in the quiz)

Such a menu could initially be created with a single button.

The video content would require a separate clip (Return to Menu) for each of the frames as you describe them.
Should a frame be an image it's length of display could be controlled. (There will be a minimum period of clip length anyway)

quote:

I just went through the "Random" portion and found a few anomalies

I took advantage of certain PgcEdit functions that were included, but not strictly to DVD standards, to get a 100% random result.
There is, or was, a 'Random' option in PgcEdit but I found it followed a repetitive routine at that time.
The later editions of PgcEdit have been improved but now only the correct uses are included.
(Some of the commands did give an alert but functioned O/K for the type of project demonstrated and were not a problem at all.)

Please Note

The above comments are based upon my memory from 12 to 18 months ago.
I normally like to check out anything that I say first but I am not 100% sure of all the facts.

I would be happy to 'check out' anything regarding this matter if it would be of any help.
(That could be done in the Forum, or you could simply contact me by PM if preferred.)

Geoff

Post #: 17

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/12/2010 7:14:04 PM

alex

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Hi Geoff.

Thanks for the reply. I can see your guide was a lot of work. Thanks for doing it : )

I have Sony movie studio but when I tried to "make movie" it took a one gig vob file that was already DVD compliant (part of a 4 gig video) and turned it into 1.63 gig. I don't know where the bloat came from.

I believe I could take the original video which is broken into 1 gig vob pieces and combine them and then break them apart into individual pieces where I want markers and add them to a menu as individual titles. I don't know enough about what programs to use or whether they would be broken into 1 gig files again by a DVD burner, which would be fine as long as they work. I think the one gig thing is a fat32 kind of thing. What program would tell me if there are multiple titles combined now? I can get to exact frame numbers with Sony movie studio to use as a reference. Can I edit the Celltimes.txt to create multiple cells (if there's only one now) that can be called titles and referenced with buttons? Can I create a button to start DVD play at a certain time if there's only one cell? It seems cells are referenced as a unit with a start and stop time or frame even though they're contiguous. It would seem possible to fudge a pgc to intercept a cell at an intermediate point without splitting it up. I don't see in PGCEdit where I could do that. If it were possible to alter the Entry VOBU, Last VOBU start, Last VOBU end, etc. one could completely alter the cell characteristics, length, start and stop points. I know I'm ignorant, but it would seem that if one could randomly define start and stop frames one could instruct the DVD player to play what one wanted. I haven't seen yet any cells overlap each other. Like start one title/chapter/object from one through ten and another from five through fifteen of the same video.

How would I start from scratch and create a new video?

What do you think about Unofficial DVD Specifications, or DVD Structures by Example? What else would you recommend for study?

I don't mind doing the work if I could get a couple pointers in the right direction. If you have the time I'd appreciate your input : )

Thanks again : )

PS: Your return address "Failed".

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Post #: 18

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/12/2010 8:28:33 PM

kf_daddy

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I know Geoff is an expert on PGCEdit and I tried to study it at one time but it was beyond my limited time and brainpower to learn it. So that's when I upgraded from the Studio menu maker to Adobe Encore. Encore will do anything that you can see in a commercial dvd. That includes hidden buttons, easter eggs, all that stuff.

It sounds like what you want to do is make chapter playlists. For example, if you were making a tutorial dvd that had 10 chapters. You could set it up to play 1,3,5, and 9, or 2,3,7,5, 1, and 8. That's not a typo, you could play them in any order, as many ways as you like, as long as you have room to put buttons on your menu.

But before you can make playlists, you have to set chapter markers.

I don't know anything about Sony Movie Studio but you might want to look for chapter playlists, or just playlists.

Also, the standard for dvd vob files is 1GB or around 1,048,000,000 bytes, give or take. You will never see anything larger than that on a dvd. So the 1.63GB size is not right and probably won't work if burned to a dvd.

I'm always on the lookout for old movies. Sometimes I find them in PAL format, xvid, or avi. What I do is use TMPGEnc Xpress to convert them to dvd compliant mpeg-2 NTSC files. From there it's a simple matter to create a basic or fancy menu and burn a dvd.

Joe

Post #: 19

RE: PgcEdit Guide Feedback - 4/12/2010 8:52:27 PM

alex

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Hi Joe.

Thanks for the response. So, the menu then comes from Adobe Encore, and then you can manipulate as desired. I'll have to look it up.

The material is autoplay, and I think it won't fast forward. I assume that might mean more tables or something to do that, so it might be why that was a user prohibited operation.

I understand movies that the copyright has expired on are a collector's item.

Happy Hunting : )

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Post #: 20