DVDLab Pro Question

[gwoiler]

Does this program give the option to pick "End Options" at chapter and track ends? Specifically, I need to pause at a chapter end. High end Authoring Apps do it and the new kid on the block DVD Composer does it. High end programs cost tooo much and Composer still lacks many features and is not as easy to use as DVDLab.

Thanks for the answer, .....Glenn

[GeorgeW]

What do you mean by pause at chapter end? Go to a different menu? Or do something else?

[gwoiler]

There are options at the end of a chapter that some programs give you, such as a simple pause at the end of a chapter until the play button is pushed. It is a function that is very usefull. Pause means pause. It could be a timed pause. It could then go to a menu. But in higher end programs these options are at least available.

[GeorgeW]

DVD LabPro lets you go to another menu or title or chapter or change the audio stream or several other things at the end of a chapter.

[gwoiler]

so then, a "pause" whether timed or indefinite is not allowed?

[GeorgeW]

Well, I know how I could do a "Timed" or "indefinite" pause until the viewer hit play, but I would have to branch to a menu that has a timeout or play/resum button.

Can you show me the PAUSE command in DVDComposer (you mentioned it can do it). Maybe after seeing how DVDComposer does it...

EDIT:
nevermind, I see a radio button in DVDComposer, so now I'll just try one, and view the the DVD Structure to see what they are doing...

[gwoiler]

DVD Studio pro does it too. Its just too expensive and on a MAC! The only other apps I have used is Roxio, yuk, TMPG Author... limited, and very soon I will try the app within Liquid Editiion. DVD Composer looks very appetizing exept it needs to mature a bit and they just might have a winner.

[GeorgeW]

ok, good news is it's just a simple STILL time at the title CELL level. Looks like DVDComposer limits you to up to 99 seconds, but you can go at least up to 254 seconds (or infinity).

The bad news is I can't see how to set a cell's STILL time in DLP.

The good news is that there are low-cost tools to let you accomplish the same thing
-DVD Remakepro
-PGCEdit (free)


p.s. there might still be a way in DLP, I just don't see one at the moment

[sync]

There are options at the end of a chapter that some programs give you, such as a simple pause at the end of a chapter until the play button is pushed. It is a function that is very usefull. Pause means pause. It could be a timed pause. It could then go to a menu. But in higher end programs these options are at least available.

I'm curious about why it is useful. I would think it would be confusing.

[gwoiler]

I just made a presentation DVD. It replaces a slide projector. The DVD starts with a slide and pauses. I am talking and I hit play when I want the next slide to appear. It disolves in because it is from a video clip where all the slides are 3 seconds and dissolve from one to the next. So there is a chapter point before each dissolve. It looks great, and I can customize it easily instead of having slides made. There are other options I am sure. Or else Myestro... I think it is called, or was it Spruce... would have never had this feature. The best things about a very good authoring app is that you don't run into a wall trying to make it do something.

Glenn

[sync]

You can insert VM commands at a chapter point. That might be a way to do what you need.

[GeorgeW]

the VM commands won't let you access the cell "Still" time (at least I can't find it). As I mentioned earlier, you can use the VM command to branch to a particular menu (which could be setup to "pause" and resume where you left off either at a specified time using a timeout, or using a menu button to allow the viewer to hit play when they are ready).

[sync]

My understanding is that everything that happens on a DVD is done through VM commands. Is there a way to find out what VM commands DVDComposer uses to do this pause?

[GeorgeW]

as I mentiuoned earlier, it's using the CELL's STILL Time, and not a VM command. It shows up under a different category in DVDRemakePro and PGCedit (i.e. not a Pre or Post or Cell VM Command -- it's a separate value outside of those commands from what I can see).

[sync]

My point is that every command or function ultimately gets translated into VM commands.

[GeorgeW]

if you can open up one of your dvd's with pgcedit, check a cell's still time. change it to some value to see if that will translate to some vm command. I can't seem to see the underlying VM command for that column (at the CELL level).

If it is being converted to a vm command, then we might be able to add it at the chapter/cell level (but I just can't find out where it's getting converted)

[sync]

I guess the still time of a cell would be considered a property and therefore wouldn't translate to a VM command.

[gwoiler]

You are seeing how DVD Composer does it. Next week, when I am back at work, I can make a small DVD with DVD Studio Pro, put some pauses on chapters and track ends, and I could check it or send it to you. You just have to tell me what file in the VIDEO_TS folder you are looking at. Will a text editor open it? I have never learned anything about VM commands nor tried to edit the file that has all the menu commands. I guess I have been a user ever since I stopped having to write an autoexec.bat file.

[RMaddog]

maybe it's to simple just the hit the pause button after the frame has come in. Play button then pause button. I mean you say you have to hit the play button to advance it so why not just hit the pause button a couple seconds afterward???

[gwoiler]

I was waiting for someone to say that...
You try it. How many times will you have to back up, and it will mess up your presentation. Believe me, having it pause is the only way to go. When you are talking in front of a group of people, your not going to remember to hit the pause.... every time. And, if this a feature that some suthoring apps have, then why is it such a big deal to program in to a new app? I have seen some presetations that have more than just a few seconds before the pause. There might be an animation or something and while that is playing you are talking and your back might be to the screen. So,,,, pause please!

[GeorgeW]

I have seen some presetations that have more than just a few seconds before the pause. There might be an animation or something and while that is playing you are talking and your back might be to the screen. So,,,, pause please!

Believe it or not, this is doable in DLP because you have to branch to your "between" animation (unless it's part of the title). So at the end of a chapter, you can just branch to a motion menu, and then wait for the viewer to hit the play key to pick up where you left off (using a case list or counter list or something to keep track of what chapter should play next)

[gwoiler]

So at the end of a chapter, you can just branch to a motion menu, and then wait for the viewer to hit the play key to pick up where you left off (using a case list or counter list or something to keep track of what chapter should play next)

Well. actually not. When it pauses, I want it on that slide, or still because I am talking through it and referring to it. if I have to make all these branch menus, I might as well learn how to write the language in the file that runs all this. I would rather have a program that gioves me the features that make it simple. Thats why we have a GUI. If DVD Studio pro can do it on a MAC, then DVDLab "could" add this feature if they want to. It should not be that hard. ANd when it comes to features, once it is therre for you, other users will find nifty applications for it. So you can't have too many features just because some folk don't know what to do with it.

[GeorgeW]

Unfortunately, setting the "Still" time for a CELL is not available in DLP at the moment.

I agree that it could be a useful tool to have in DLP. Maybe they will add it to a future release.