Menus for different albums

[kernmartis]

Hi,

I want to make a DVD video album for my digital photos. I want to have each album as a different video file in the menu. Can anyone suggest which software can do this.

Regards,
Kern

[Bjs]

Really depends on how you want this .

This appears to be a guide ... again , bugger .

2 more guides on two different methods on this will be up after xmas

Software :

Dvdauthorgui
Muxman or rejig
Vobedit
Easyphototools
Paint program (the gimp - its free)
Batchdemux
Pcgedit
Imagetools (simpler interface than nero)

May want :

Dvddecryptor - rip logo from commercial dvd , unless you have something else that includes audio (required by dvdauthorgui)

Besweet - convert any audio (prefer all audio to match , ie , 48khz as ac3 with matching bitrate , no lower than 96 .

For the pro's , dvdslideshowgui , the way to master piece's .
(best for resizing , but rubbish otherwise , always stuffs up at end)

Ok , but I like doing it my way ... which takes longer , and all the people I have done these for keep coming back , and I get paid well for doing these .

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Most programs create slideshows , which are nothing more than mpeg files .

Too create them another way , my way , is a master piece , and takes way too long for most people , and even sends me to sleep .
4500 pics on one dvd will drive anyone nutts , unless you get paid to do them .

www.easyphototools.free.fr , will allow you to create mpegs , with timings , and some motions , like slide left and others .

These can then be muxed into vobs using either rejig or muxman .

Did I forget to say "its freeware" .

Create a folder for each slideshow you want to produce , and place each mpeg you create into the next folder .

You may need to run batchdemux on them the extract the m2v video file for later muxing into vobs .

It is here , rejig or muxman will be told to export the required files too , so as to keep them from getting all mixed up .

This takes care of the slideshows ...

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Create a menu using any paint program you like .
You may wish to have more than 1 menu , depending on you needs .
Remember , if its pal , you menu's size needs to be 720x576 .
Save as bmp or jpg formats only .

On the menu's , add slideshows names , try to position them nicely , and use an appropriate font and size , some fonts look like crap .

This is the menu's done ...

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Dvdauthorgui , import first title , I mention using something like dolby's logo , or any other small title , as dvdauthorgui requires one to start with .
It must be demuxed into video and audio streams , use vobedit , open vob file , demux mpeg , wait , then demux audio , should be ac3 0x08 if you use the dolby logo .

Import first title into dvdauthorgui , the dolby logo's files .

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Goto menu's , create m2vs .
You need to do this for each background menu you created .
After , you import them .
Menu's , add new title set menu .

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Depending on how many slideshows you named in each menu , add 1 button for each title that has been named .

When you add your first button , make sure to link it to the correct title , which would be title 2 , but for now , link all buttons to titles too title 1 .

You may have also add cross reference buttons by name , those that can be used to go between menu's , these need to be also linked to other menu's correctly .

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Before authoring to folder , recheck menu and button links , under menu , edit existing menu , choose menu , check , repeat till you have double checked them .

Save project now .

This is incase you made an incorrect link in menu , save's having to recreate the whole thing again .

Now , author dvd too folder .

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Pcgedit :

Open authored dvd .
Now you will import vst titles (your slideshows)

Part 2 :

This gets tricky as I dont know the number of menu's or titles you will have , but some pointers .

Under "first play pgc" , you need to add atleast 1 pgc's for each menu you have , it just makes it easier to keep things cleaner .

Title 1 , should be fine all on its own .

Check menu 1 out , lets say titles 2 to 14 have buttons there ...
Then set post commands for titles 2 too 14 to 30 08 00 02 00 C0 00 00
This sends them to pgc2 .

Goto pgc2 , pre command set to 30 06 00 01 01 83 00 00
This jumps to root menu .

Menu 2 , say , has 15 to 26 title buttons .
Set post commands for titles 15 to 26 too 30 08 00 03 00 C0 00 00
This sends them to pgc3 .

Now to get it too kick too menu2
Goto pgc3 , pre command set to
30 06 00 01 01 83 00 00
and
71 00 00 0B 01 00 00
This jumps to root menu with options .

Go to RootM of VTSM 1
We need to add
post command
00 A1 00 0B 00 01 00 02 (if - then statement)
30 05 00 02 00 01 00 00 (get to menu2)

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Buttons :

Before anything else , remember dvdauthor was told to link all buttons to play title 1 ... yes .

Right click on first menu that has a little "b" on it with a number in front of it , this indicates buttons found .

Choose bovs .

Click first button , if it is meant to play title 2 , the first slideshow , remember title 1 is that logo thing , then command is
30 02 00 00 00 02 00 00 .

Button 2 , if it gose too title 3 (second slideshow) , then command is
30 02 00 00 00 03 00 00 .

Button 3 , if you guessed correctly will be 30 02 00 00 00 04 00 00 .

It should be easy now , just repeat till all menu buttons have been corrected , do this for each menu that has buttons in them .

Dont touch the button that go between menu's , they should be fine .

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Any more menu's and titles can be easily seen as to how to edit the commands form the above info , its not that hard , just save the dvd .

You can tinker in pcgedit all you like , but I would save the dvd now , play test it , if fine , burn with image tools , it is now considered safe for you to go nutts and tinker with it all you like ... you atleast have a copy already burnt .

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If during "play test" , "checking for menu or playback problems" .
No audio heard during logo play - install ac3_filters package .

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If all is well , burn with nero or any other app you like .
Imagetools is best , simpler interface , places files correctly .

If all is not well , return to pcgedit , and check commands used are correct ...

Burn to dvd-r , 4x is best for all player comapatability .
Keep content under 4.3 gig as well .

If over 4.3 gig , use dvdshink to adjust it down to correct size , then burn .

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Also checkout my guides , esspecially the pcgedit info in them ...

If you need help , pm me ...

thats all tonight , pcgedit editing overload ... must get coffee .

Check out my guides in the guides section of the forum ... more coming soon .