XML Generator for VCDImager

[digvid]

If anyone is interested, I wrote a very simple interface that generates XML files for VCDImager. You might find it useful if you make archival copies of DVD to (S)VCD, and like to have a simple menu structure at the beginning, chapters throughout the movie, and a still at the end that says, "Insert Next Disc," or something like that. It does not do encoding or create any type of mpeg file--it just generates XML. The XML it generates makes your disc work like this:

There is one main menu that can be a video or still. After 60 seconds if you don't press any key, the menu times out and starts play at the first chapter. If you press the play or the next button at the menu, the first chapter is played. If you press a number key, the corresponding chapter is played. At any point during the movie, if you press a number key, play jumps to that chapter. Also, if you press the prev or next buttons, play advances to the previous or next chapter. At the end of the disc is a video or still that could say "please insert disc 2 of 3" or something like that. The menu and the still at the end are both optional. To add chapter points, you have to know the frame numbers from the original source video. Also, you can save a project to a project file and reload it later, as well as saving the XML code.

If anyone is interested in this, just let me know and I will email the utility to you. It is, of course, free.

- digvid

[MadMax_911]

E-mail it to me and i will test it...

[digvid]

Okay, let me write a brief readme file for it, and I will send it to you!

- digvid

[Shuggie]

Can you send it to me too? I've been looking for something like this.

Also can you point me in the direction of some good documentation on the structure of the XML needed for SVCD?

[digvid]

I'll try to send it to you tonight. Really, I think the best source for info on SVCD structure is this message board. Just do a search on "SVCD", "XML", "vcdimager", and "chapters" or something like that. This should bring up numerous examples and discussions about XML structure. Of course, the vcdimager "bleeding edge" web site and ftp download site are also good sources. There are so many different ways of structuring an svcd disc, that it can be confusing. Pay particular attention to posts by vitualis and hvr, as hvr is the author of vcdimager and vitualis seems to have quite a bit of experience as well (you probably already knew this though).

- digvid