Play ONLY chapter and return to menu (if chapter selected)?

[beartums]

I'm using dvd Maestro and still pretty much a newbie. I have had no problem with many of the things I want to do, but I still am trying to figure this out.

I want the movie to play all the way through if I select it from the main page. However, if I select a chapter from the chapter menu, I want it to play only the chapter and return to the chapter menu. I've had no problem creating command sequences that store the selected chapter before playing it (so if gp1=0 then I am showing the whole movie, if gp1>0 then I know I have selected a chapter), but whatever I try doesn't work.

I've tried using a command sequence at the end of each chapter to check the status of GP1 and return to the menu if >0 or resume if =0, but the resume always puts me back at the beginning of the movie (rather than at the beginning of the next chapter. If I omit the resume then I get a black screen after the command sequence runs. An ideas?

Also, is there such thing as an overlay menu that could show over the playing movie (NOT just a motion menu -- that's no problem) so I could change options while the movie is playing without having to go back to a menu?

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[cona812]

I've tried using a command sequence at the end of each chapter to check the status of GP1 and return to the menu if >0 or resume if =0, but the resume always puts me back at the beginning of the movie (rather than at the beginning of the next chapter. If I omit the resume then I get a black screen after the command sequence runs. An ideas?

don't use "resume".

1: Jump To [#1] if (GP1 > 0)
2: NOP

[beartums]

Thanks for the response. However, that doesn't seem to work on mine. While it doesn't execute the jump (which is correct, because i'm playing the entire video), the dvd just stops executing after the NOP

Does this work for you? maybe I'm doing something else wrong.

thanks.

[cona812]

I've never this with Meastro. But you can try this:

1 Jump To Movie1[#1] if (GP0 > 0)
2 ADD GP0 , 1
3 Jump To Movie1[GP0]

With GP0 to store the chapter.

Cona

[cona812]

Mistake......
You need 2 registers! One for the test and another for the chapter.

1 Jump To Movie1[#1] if (GP0 > 0)
2 ADD GP1 , 1
3 Jump To Movie1[GP1]

[Cornucopia]

Just create an alternate playlist and have the buttonclick activate the "Playlist1_ChapterX", as opposed to "MovieX_ChapterX".

Have done this many times, works great and you don't have to mess with GPRM/SPRM registers.

If you haven't done Playlists before, you can access it by click in the bottom right area of your Movie Pane (should have an Icon that denotes Playlists).

HTH,
Scott

[beartums]

Thanks cona and Scott. I appreciate your help.

Cona, I already stumbled upon your solution about 4:00 this morning. You're absolutely right. It's a good suggestion and almost perfect. There is just a very slight stutter in the audio when I do it, which I would like to avoid -- though it is probably better to just put chapter breaks at a moment with less significant audio activity.

Scott, I have no experience with playlists. The icon (on the status bar, right? Looks like a 4x4 Go board surronded by << and >>?) doesn't seem to do anything. Maybe there is some other setting I'm supposed to set.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll keeep working on it.

Eric

[cona812]

This is normal. With cellcommands the playback between them isn't seamless. It is possible with programs supporting "real" seamless branching, but they are to expensive (even when your autoring with programs like scenarist or Meastro they are).
If you want the break between the cells nearly seamless you have to take care that the buffer isn't runnig out on playback. You can try to encode with VBR with lower bitrate for the first and last GOP's of each chapter. This is possible for example with CCE (Bit allocation), I for my self never try it but if you want to try you can post your experience here.

Cona

[beartums]

Thanks Cona. I assumed it was normal and it does make sense. I might try your idea on the encoding, but more likely I'll just give up on this approach for now. It's not necessary (not even preferable, really), it's just something I was trying to learn how to do. With some other content it might make more sense.

thanks again,
eric

[Cornucopia]

Should work just by clicking on it.

Here's what you're looking for:



and when you click, here's what it should turn into:



Scott

[beartums]

Wow, thanks for the screenshot, Scott. That is the button I have been clicking on, but it does nothing for me. Maybe this is because my movie is a single clip with chapters rather than a collection of shorter clips? I'm not sure. In any case, I could be wrong, but I suspect that this method would probably give the same slight stutter that the Cona's solution has.

Thanks for the input though. Lots to learn.

eric