Would like to add chapters to commercial dvd

[Smells_Like_Feet]

Is there a tool that can be used to add chapters to a commercial dvd? I am looking for a piece of software that can do the following:

1. Open a ripped dvd from my hard drive.
2. Allow me to either import a chapter list or select frames for chapter insertion via a preview window.
3. Update all necessary files (IFO/BUP/VOB) with just the new chapter locations, leaving all other functions alone (including the original chapters & chapter selection menus).

In essence, I want to have the newly created dvd function exactly as the original except for the added ability to jump to the new chapters during video playback. I am not interested in adding the new chapters to the chapter selection menu, but the original menu buttons should point to their original respective chapters.

Does such a piece of software exist? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.


- Smells_Like_Feet

[AlanHK]

PGCEdit. See http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/doc/PgcEdit_manual_3.htm, "Chapter Editor".

[Smells_Like_Feet]

Thanks for the suggestion. I was able to find the Chapter Editor in PGCEdit and apparently add chapters to VTS, but I cannot figure out how to specify the timecode for the added chapters.

Any more help?

- Smells_Like_Feet

[Smells_Like_Feet]

Any help using PGCEdit?

[manono]

VobBlanker has a Cell Splitting feature which allows you to add chapters fairly easily. You can scroll the video, choosing where to add the new cell.

Alternatively, demux the video using PGCDemux, edit the Celltimes.txt to add new cells (chapters) where ever you like, and then remux using Muxman. Then open the original DVD in PGCEdit, highlight the video in question, go File->Replace VTST Titles, and follow the instructions from there to replace the original video with the new one with extra chapters. That only works though, if there's only one title in that particular VTS.

[AlanHK]

Thanks for the suggestion. I was able to find the Chapter Editor in PGCEdit and apparently add chapters to VTS, but I cannot figure out how to specify the timecode for the added chapters.

Sorry, it looks like the functionality is more limited than I thought -- you can certainly delete chapters, and change them to pre-existing points, but apparently not insert new ones.

[Smells_Like_Feet]

Thanks for the suggestion manono. I will have to try VobBlanker and see if the Cell Splitting feature will accomplish what I am after.

AlanHK, maybe the Chapter Editor is limited, or maybe I just don't know how to do it correctly. Thanks anyway for your posting.

- Smells_Like_Feet

[manono]

Hi-

The process is fairly similar to cutting out material as described in this guide:

http://dvdguides.netgeekhosting.com/guides/prevcut/

but instead of hitting the "Prev/Cut" button, you're hitting the "Split" button, and insteading of marking 2 places to indicate the begin/end cut points, you're just marking one where the new chapter point will be set. And as mentioned in VobBlanker, you'll have to check the scenes menus carefully afterwards to make sure they still do what you want, and maybe edit in PGCEdit. The add chapter procedure is described in detail in the guide included with VobBlanker.

[spiritgumm]

VobBlanker has a Cell Splitting feature which allows you to add chapters fairly easily. You can scroll the video, choosing where to add the new cell.

From my experience, Vobblanker only lets you split one cell into two. I'd like to split up a single-cell, 25 minute "extra" (no scene selector menu to worry about) into 9 chapters. That means having to re-processing it repeatedly (at least 3 times to get up to 8 chapters). Instead I used TDA to make chapter points and an edit, and tried substituting it back with Vobblanker, but Vobblanker deleted all the chapter points. There must be a setting telling Vobblanker not to do this when replacing. I checked off the boxes in the "Replacing" settings but it didn't help.
I also tried replacing the "extra" (Replacing VTS title) in Pgcedit, but there's another "extra" associated with it, and Pgcedit will only replace the same numer of "TTNs". I did copy the 2nd "extra" into my folder with my newly modifed "extra" and gave it all new ifos, but PGCedit still only sees one TTN in the folder, and won't allow the subsitution.

I'm curious if anyone know what "programs" are needed in PGCedit for adding chapters.
On a tangent, Vobblanker seems to have changed the default audio to the director's commentary audio on this particular dvd. It's always something.

[jsoto]

VobBlanker does not change the number of cells when replacing, so what you can do is:

- Add 7 new cells (blank) with pgcEdit to your 25 min PGC, using a new VID/CID.
- (Optional, but recommended to be standard). As pgcEdit creates a new VID in each new cell, and you'll need the same VID in all of them, use VIDchanger (quite old, but works) to make the VID of the new cells the same as the one of your big cell, and the CellID to be consecutive.
- Now, use VobBlanker to replace the 8 cells (one big and 7 blank) with the DVD you had compiled with your 8 cells.

jsoto

PS: I have in my TODO a multiple split in only one VobBlanker process.

[jsoto]

On a tangent, Vobblanker seems to have changed the default audio to the director's commentary audio on this particular dvd. It's always something.

Check if the language indexes of your replacing PGC is the same than the original. If not, remux again using exactly the same order.
jsoto

[GeorgeW]

DvdReMake Pro can easily add chapters to an existing (non copyprotected) dvd on your hard drive. Very handy tool to have for other tasks as well -- but unfortunately it is not free ($50).

Here is their guide for adding chapters: DvdReMake Pro Adding Chapters

Regards,
George

[spiritgumm]

On a tangent, seems to have changed the default audio to the director's commentary audio on this particular dvd. It's always something. -dave

Check if the language indexes of your replacing PGC is the same than the original. If not, remux again using exactly the same order.
jsoto

The audio that's effected is for the main movie - the "extra" only has one audio track.
Actually I think this is happening in Pgcedit, not Vobblanker. The original dvd (after previews) goes straight to playing the movie. After blanking, the video just plays the movie with normal audio.
However, after running it thru Pgcedit so that it will start with the menu instead, that's when the Commentary audio plays by default. I wonder if that's how subtitles sometimes get switched "on" by default.
I followed the same fix routine for subs - adding a precommand for Audio - but this works TOO well. If you're watching the movie with the commentary on, then visit the menu, when you resume the movie it's back to regular audio. It should still be playing the commentary. I don't recall if the same happens with subtitles. It's a small glitch, but I wish I knew how to prevent it, rather than fix it.

Hey jsoto, I wasn't sure how to use Pgcedit for your suggestion, so I used the Addchapter program at your site, which changed the number of cells in the "extra," then I replaced it in Vobblanker with my "extra" with appropriate chapter points.
Can Addchapter be used to specify actual time-points? Would save several steps for all concerned.

[jsoto]

I should have specified VobBlanker (or my incorrect use of it) in this particular dvd changes the main movie audio default. The "extra" isn't effected since it has only one audio track.

I cannot imagine how VobBlanker can change the default audio, except in the following case, as a side efect of blanking an intro:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=615651#post615651
To avoid this VobBlanker has a setting "Clear audio/subs status when blanking/stripping". Uncheck it (if you have it checked)

so I used the Addchapter program at your site, which changed the number of cells in the "extra," then I replaced it in Vobblanker with my "extra" with appropriate chapter points. .

Good! That's other way (easier, I think). I had forgot this application...

Can Addchapter be used to specify actual time-points? Would save several steps for all concerned.

No, time-points are defined by the cells, and they are created when muxing.
jsoto

[spiritgumm]

I cannot imagine how VobBlanker can change the default audio, except in the following case, as a side efect of blanking an intro:

Sorry, I edited my above post (whilest you were replying) after deducing that it's occuring in Pgcedit, not Vobblanker.

I know Chapteredit requires demux/remuxing to do it's chapter editing, but does TDA do this too?

[jsoto]

[Sorry, I edited my above post (whilest you were replying) after deducing that it's occuring in Pgcedit, not Vobblanker.?

Don't worry. In any case the side effect of blanking PGCs described in this thread also affects pgcEdit.

I know Chapteredit requires demux/remuxing to do it's chapter editing, but does TDA do this too?

Don't know what Chapteredit or TDA do internally, but a true "mux/demux" is not really needed to edit chapters. However, all the Nav packs have to be re-written, to change their VID/CID, elapsed time, etc. So, the process is time consuming in any case. This is what VobBlanker does (only splits in two cells, for the moment.)

jsoto

[jsoto]

Here is an alfa version with multiple split per cell. Still not tested deeply...
http://download.videohelp.com/jsoto/betas/

Development thread here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=120140

jsoto

[spiritgumm]

Cool! Can we determine the location of the split/chapter?

Btw, inre to my retail dvd, after blanking and setting it to start with the menu, I saw an audio stream setting =1 on the "break" page, so I changed it to 0, and that resolved (eliminated) the Commentary default perfectly.

[jsoto]

Cool! Can we determine the location of the split/chapter?

Currently, from the GUI, you have to select the GOPs where the split/s are going to be done. You can save them (in fact, the whole project) in a project file
Split points are internally (and in the project files) managed as sectors (relative to Cell start).
I'm wondering if it has sense to add, as a shortcut, an "import", to accept a text file with the split points based on frames or seconds...
jsoto

[spiritgumm]

I haven't tried deleting all chapters in PGCedit, but if one can do that, and then add all-new ones in the new Vobblanker (which is what it looks like you can do now), isn't this the miracle we've been looking for?!?

Inre to the original poster's question, if you change all the chapter times and add more chapters to a retail dvd (just the movie), then try to reinsert with Vobblanker, can you adjust the retail dvd Chapter Menu to follow the new chapters? When I re-authored a retail movie in TDA, then tried to re-insert it, for some reason I have a problem with a an extra cell being created between two chapters...unless TDA is causing this.

[jsoto]

Not sure about the procedure you're describing... Are you adding chapters and, after that, replacing with VobBlanker?
vobBlanker in replace mode does not change the number of cells of the replaced pgc in the IFOs. So, if the replacing pgc has more cells, VobBlanker joins the lasts cells in only one, and if the replacing one has less cells, VobBlanekr will add blank cells to complete the number of cells of the replaced pgc.

jsoto