muxman v.r15 with chapters

[volam]

I use the free muxman v. r15. I tried to build chapters but do not know how. the word "no chapters" at the bottom still did not change. can s.o. help? thanks alot

[borax]

Chapters in the free (GUI-) muxman version are added as a file of frames.
Select 'File' - 'Import Chapter' from the menu and use a simple ascii file with one frame number per line:
1000
2000
3000
...

[volam]

Thanks for your response. I checked the description of the pro version, it supports karaoke. Do you know what kind of function it can do for karaoke? I am trying to transfer LD Karaoke to DVD. It is a very lengthy process, if muxman can help simplify it I will buy the pro version.

[borax]

Sorry, no idea. You can try to contact mpucoder (or at least search for the info) in the doom9 forum.

[volam]

I clicked "file" and then "import chapter", I still did not see the ascii file. can you explain more in detail?

[manono]

Create a text file and name it Celltimes.txt. Inside have the frame numbers in the format borax gave you. If, for example, you want a chapter every 5 minutes for an NTSC DVD, then have the first line be 9000. Increment that by 9000 for each additional 5 minute long chapter, up to but not going over the length of the movie. If, for example, the movie is 103 minutes long, the last chapter will be 180000. Open that in File->Import Chapter. You'll see it and the number of lines you wrote + one (for the first chapter at the very beginning) will show up as chapters at the bottom of the Muxman screen.

[volam]

Thanks for your help but I need more help here. How to create a text file? and can I create chapters at different time intervals?

[manono]

Hi-

How to create a text file? Well, I usually do it by highlighting the folder where the video files are and then File->New->Text Document.

Can you create the chapters any place you want? Yes, but you'll have to figure that place by the 29.97fps frame number that Muxman requires. I gave you a simple way to create them before. If it were I, I'd create a 29.97fps AviSynth script file and scroll around in VDubMod taking note of the frame numbers of the major scene changes where I might want to create chapters 5-10 minutes apart. But unless you know some AviSynth you won't be able to do that. If your source is an AVI, you could open it in VDub(Mod) and scroll around looking for the frame numbers where you'd where you'd like to create those chapters, and then convert the 23.976fps frame numbers (if that's the source framerate) to 29.97fps frame numbers by multiplying each by 1.25. It'll take some figuring for each chapter point, but in principle it's not all that hard.

I don't know your source or how you converted it to DVD, but you have to know either the frame numbers or the times where you'd like to create chapters, and then convert them properly.

[volam]

My source is mpeg2. Can you explain 2 things:
-How to create a text file for muxman, and
-how to create different chapters.
thank you.

I'm not a pro so it will tale me some time to absorb this skill.

[manono]

Can you explain 2 things:
-How to create a text file for muxman

I already did.

-how to create different chapters.

I already did. Perhaps borax or someone else can take over. Evidently I don't write clearly enough.

[borax]

Just try my Gui for dvdauthor. It can control MuxMan (Set a tag at MuxMan for 'authoring engine' in the permanent default settings) and you have a 'visual' chapter editor.

[volam]

Hi Borax,
I don't know how to "set a tag at Muxman....", but I did get in the permanent default setting and chose Muxman for authoring engine. Then I tried to use Muxman, still did not see the chapter editor.
Could you explain more how to do this. thanks alot for you help.

[borax]

...chose Muxman for authoring engine.
Ok. That's half the job.
Now just have a look to the guides:
http://download.videohelp.com/gfd/Help/GettingStarted.html
http://download.videohelp.com/gfd/Help/ChapEditGFD.html

[volam]

Hi Borax,

I ran a test with a 200mb video clip and you software. The goal is to create 3 chapters. after creating dvd I got a 200mb vob file in the videots folder. It seems to me no chapter was created because when I clicked to skip chapter it did not happen. I can't figure out what else I have to do? Please help. thank you.

[borax]

...200mb vob file in the videots folder. It seems to me no chapter was created

The vob file itself has no 'chapters'. These are encoded in the ifo files. If you want to check the chapters, you have to open the complete VIDEO_TS folder (or the video_ts.ifo file in this folder) with a soft DVD player (MPC, PowerDVD, WinDVD...). Or configure one of these programs in the default settings in GfD. Then you can check the DVD also with a click on 'Show DVD' in the GfD main window.

[volam]

Hi borax,
I got the chapters done.
I tried to create a text menu for the chapters so that I can get to any chapters with just a click at the chapters on the menu screen. So far I coud not figure out how to do this. I wonder if your software can perform this type of function.
Thank you so much for your help.

[borax]

Yes. You can create a list of chapters. But not on the main menu. You need to activate 'Use Titlesets' and open the titlesetmenu. There you may add your chapter list.
Have a look here:
http://download.videohelp.com/gfd/Help/MultiVTSExample.html

[volam]

I got the title menu done. thanks again.
Does your software support foreign language in the text menu?

[borax]

Let's say partly. There is some wired problem with some foreign language characters:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic310993-90.html#1761607

But in prinzipal, it works.

[volam]

Hi Borax, is there any way to have more than 18 button in the titleset menu? I need 26 buttons.

[borax]

If you use 4:3 menus, you may have up to 36 buttons on one menu. Using 16:9 menus only 18 buttons are possible, if you use either letterboxed or pan+scan. Using both modes only 12 buttons remain. This is a dvd spec. limit. There is no way out. But you can add an additional menu on your titlesetmenu, there you may add the other buttons (like two menus with 13 buttons for chapters and 2 buttons for navigation between the menus).

[volam]

I'll tryit. Thank you.

[volam]

Hi Borax, before I try it I have another question- is it possible to make the titleset menu 4:3 and the video 16:9?

[borax]

Yes. No problem. I use only 4:3 menus personally. So far all players I've tested can handle different aspect ratios between menus and movies.

[volam]

Hi Borax, I am able to put 26 buttons ( no more than 26 because I want wide/long buttons) on the blue screen. The problem is the 4 buttons at the top and at the bottom are cut by the two yellow squares. I haven't burnt it out, so I don't know how it looks like on the tv screen.
Before we hit the weekend, I have another question. If I want to create 16:9 menu, How can I add another menu to the titleset menu?
Thanks alot for you help. Enjoy the weekend.

[borax]

Hi volam,
I was sailing the whole day and it was pretty nice! But the weather will change tomorrow, so no problem to talk here.
Concerning buttons outside the 'safe area': It depends on your TV screen, how much will be cut due to overscan. If you want to add a menu it is quite easy. Make sure you have activated 'Advanced mode' in the default project settings. Open your titlesetmenu and add a menu just like you would add text or images (either by using the tools bar, selecting 'Insert' - 'Menu' from GfDs menu or right click on the menu background and choose 'Insert: Menu'). The button will be created automatically (where you click with the mouse). You can use the default settings in the 'add menu' dialog. If you double click on the new button (for the submenu) GfD will ask you if you want to load this menu. There you can add chapter buttons as on the titlesetmenu.
You can also use the project explorer or select the 'Go to' function in GfDs menu to navigate between the menu pages.

[volam]

Hi Borax,
I can't believe that I still can't make my movie. I hope that you know the solution for this problem.

I ran a test with a short video clip, then burned it out onto disc. eveything was fine, I got the main menu, titlesetmenu, chapters working properly with a home dvd player. HAPPY.
Then I worked on my project. I created a large 6gb video-ts folder. I checked it using vlc player, everything was fine. Then I used 1clickdvd to burn it out (automatic compress to 4.3 gb). I kept all the settings the same as when I ran the test. I finally got a movie with no main menu, no titlesetmenu. I think this problem doesn't have anything to do with your software. But do you know any solution for this? Thank you very much.

[volam]

I found a way to burn out a disc that works properly. But then I ran into another problem that I think has something to do with your software. It looks like that everytime I chose "create dvd" only one copy (with main menu, titlesetmenu) is made. A duplicate disc from this copy or the video-ts folder will not have main menu and title
set menu. Is this correct or there is something else I still don't know?

[borax]

Sorry, I don't understand your question.
1. If you want to shrink your 6GB to 4.3GB, you can do it with gfd itself. There is a shrink function build in: http://download.videohelp.com/gfd/Help/requant.html
Avoid '1 click software' like 1clickdvd

2. ...everytime I chose "create dvd"...
Each time you chose "create dvd", GfD deletes all the contents from the DVD\VIDEO_TS folder and creates the ifo, bup, vob files new for the current project. You may burn the VIDEO_TS folder as many times you like.
If you want a new movie, the 'old' one is overwritten (or you choose a new 'Output directory' for the project in GfD).
3. To burn your DVD, I would really recommend imgburn (which can be started from GfD if you set the correct path in GfDs permanent settings).

[volam]

Hi Borax,
1/ I use dvdshrink to compress video-ts before burning. This works very well. However, I will try your gfd to see which process is faster.
2/ I know that I can burn the video-ts folder as many times as I want. But only the very first copy has main menu and titlesetmenu screens, after that all other copies only contain the main movies with chapters. I already tried many times and got the same result. Is this the way it is supposed to be or am I doing something incorrectly?