Creating a Menu for Multiple MPEGS/Titles

[Cargodog]

Guys, need some help...

Ok, I'm not new to burning/ripping/etc... However, I've decided to start getting a bit more creative in my VCD making...

What I'm trying to do is to create a VCD with 3 Episodes of my favorite show. So what I'd like to create is an entry menu with picture, sound, and the options of Episode I, Episode II, Episode III (you get the idea).

Now, each one of these episodes is it's own MPEG (so I'd be dragging three MPEGs into the VCD. My problem lies with HOW DO I CREATE A MENU WHICH WILL SELECT WHICH MPEG I WANT TO VIEW (Episode I, II, or III).

I've read and printed off about 30 pages of help guides. Primarily with TSCV. I also have TMPEncand VCDImager. I've read Martini's guide and the help guides here on making menus. But all the menus address CHAPTERS versus Titles... And in all the cases talk about SINGLE MPEG VCDs versus multiples...

I've searched the forums and still cant seen to nail down an answer...

I'm really excited about getting this all set up. Could the expertise point me in a direction to a guide on titles, or explain it... I assume that the answer is probably staring me right in the face, but I guess I cant see the forest for the trees...

Thanks, try to keep the flaming to a dull roar.


Cargdog :P

[Cargodog]

Hmmm, maybe I am an idiot after all...

Should I simply be setting under the main menu the Select Ref 1, 2, & 3 to point to the seperate MPEGS?

I'm at the office right now so I can t try it out...

If anyone could confirm this I would appreciate it...


Sorry
Cargodog

[Mr Walker]

If you got more than one mpg-file the easiest way to do a menu must be in Nero. just select vcd and drag your files to the compilation, you can choose what frame of each mpg that would waork as a screenshot in the menu. Nero is only able to make still-menu, But when you do a motion-menu in TSCV the quality of the moving parts in the menu isn't very good.

[Vejita-sama]

MR Walker - I've made some excellent motion (and still) menus w/ TSCV. What was the resolution of your source, resolution of your captured screen, and quaility of your source?

With that said, Nero might be the 'easist' but it's very very basic. If it does everything you need, then great please use it. But you have more options w/ TSCV.

Cargodog - try reading up on the XML file structure used by VCDImager. VCDEasy and TSCV are really just GUIs for it. It's actually pretty easy once you start to play with it. Normally I have TSCV make a 'template' script for me and then edit as I feel is necessary.

[zeppsstteerr]

Hi there, TSCV will do a fine job for you. In a nutshell...
1st - In your favorite photo editing program create your intro menu using a photo or artwork as say a background image and then use smaller still images from each episode with "episode 1", 2, etc... as a label next to the image. You can even mux in sound so your intro is not silent. You'll then patch this in TSCV to make an mpeg compliant still menu.
2nd - Load the intro into TSCV and then load all three episode mpegs.
3rd - Highlight the intro mpeg(you're in the "menu" tab now)and at the bottom right you'll see the "selection reference" area. Here's where you set where you want to go.
4th - Depending on how you want the final product to run you can then click on each individual episode mpeg and set the "timeout" for the next episode or back to the intro mpeg. It's up to you.

All this will take some time and there's a learning curve involved as with everything. I use Daemon Tools and when I'm done authoring I create a .cue/.bin, load it in my "virtual" drive and use WinDVD to check my work before burning to disc. I then do my first burn to CDRW and check in my standalone before writing to CDR. Hope this helps.

[Cargodog]

Everyone,

Thanks so much for the fast replys. I know that I can always count on the guys here to point me in the right direction.

I don't think that I'll use Nero as I want to have audio along with the picture to snaz it up a bit...

Zeppsstteerr, If I set my photos all up in say Photoshop 6.0 (my background pick and any thumbnails for the 3 episodes, music, etc), do I need to ensure that I set the image size to a VCD compliant resolution, or will TSCV convert it on the fly? Finally, if I do set the image quality, can I set it to 704x546 (or whatever the highest setting is) and still create the disk as a VCD versus a SVCD as I though the highest quality that a VCD would go to would be the 340x288 (or there abouts)...

Thanks again, last question I promise (fingers crossed).


THANKS GUYS!
Cargodog