DVD Lab Pro - post-audio stream change command possible?

[Xoanon]

I have three basic menus in VTS 1 - a Main Menu, an Episodes menu and an Extras menu. I have six Movies (TV episodes in this case), and Movie 2 has a commentary track.

The Episodes menu allows you to play each Movie individually and the End Link of each one returns to the Episodes menu.

From the Extras menu, I have a commentary option for Movie 2. I have a "commentary button" linking to a VM command, which sets the audio stream to audio track 2 and then plays Movie 2. However, after commentary playback, I want Movie 2 to return to the Extras menu, but as outlined above each Movie's end link is the episodes menu.

Basically, how can I get the DVD to return to the Extras menu only if the commentary has been played, but return to the Episodes menu if the regular audio track has played?

I hope I've made that clear, and thanks for any help anyone may have.

[_Al_]

Create playlist, right click connection window /add/playlist, double click that playlist icon in connection window and put there just movie2 in it, link that playlist it as you wish. This way you crete another virtual title that has different jumps, possibly different vm commands etc., but in reality there is still only one movie2 burned on that DVD.

Playlist can create different playback variations for your titles.

[Xoanon]

Thank you. So I create a VM command to set the audio to Track 2, then link to this playlist?

[slicebogey]

You link from inside the connection board in the program. it'll give you a layout of your whole dvd with each episode and the menus. you just draw a line link from the video (commentary) to the menu you want it to be directed to after it's finish playing. as shown below:

[_Al_]

You do not have to do it manually, writing a command, do it in connection window

grab the tool "+" that creates links and for playlist "end action" join that little circle in playlist icon with menu you wish it to return to, drop that line on that menu.
Now, you can also choose what button will be highlighted in that returned menu (extras menu) , make sure you click on playlist and then click that "default button" underneath connection window and choose "don't change" or specifically number of that button in extras menu you wish user will see highlighted. It is common practice that, that button is the same button that movie was called from. I think that it was DVD Lab Pro does default but I'm not sure. Maybe default is alwas button number one, so be careful.

[Xoanon]

You do not have to do it manually, writing a command, do it in connection window
grab the tool "+" that creates links and for playlist "end action" join that little circle in playlist icon with menu you wish it to return to, drop that line on that menu.

Oh I know, but to play the commentary I need to have a VM command before the playlist, to make sure the second audio tracks is selected, right?

[_Al_]

Sure, yes, there is many ways to do it, do it like you can, just remember you have to set audio track #1 always somewhere else, for example into PRE command section , into each menu.

EDIT: but these things, like setting audio tracks, is better to change always in PRE command section for each title. That would mean you'd need to dedicate some memory, some GPRM that would act as a flag, you'd set that flag leaving for playlist title and simple script would control that value and set that audio to one or two BUT immediately that GPRM had to be reset at the same time for that default one track. That script would be in each title in PRE command section. I'd use PGCEdit for this.

Why? Because people use next on their remote controls so jumping manually to other title would be with audio track two selected, not sure what happens when track is selected for two and there is none present.

[Xoanon]

Sure, yes, there is many ways to do it, do it like you can, just remember you have to set audio track #1 always somewhere else, for example into PRE command section , into each menu.

How do I do that, I have never done it before?

And using the SetSTN (audio=X) option, should X be 0 the first track and 1 the second track? Or does using 1 refer to audio track 1?

[_Al_]

0 first track, 1 for second ...

honestly, i do these things in PGCEdit, it is done in seconds in there, DVDLab Pro has VM command editor , you have to know exact syntax which I refuse to remember or visual block editor, but that one does not include setting audio track, it is for basic linking only .....

If you know that exact syntax (or you use test-fail method, that script editor will accept only correct syntax) just write it there, set audio track 2 in PREcommand section for playlist (movie2 extra) and always set track #1 in all your menus (PREcomannd section also)

[Xoanon]

OK, so I have:

- Commentary button in Extras menu. Clicking the button links to a VM command, setting audio track 2 on and then jumping to Playlist containing just Movie 2
- Playlist links back to Extras menu with PREcommand menu setting switching audio track back to 1 (this PRE command is on Main Menu and Episodes menu also).

Will that do it? I guess I can burn and check later.

[_Al_]

It should work, it is not 100%, as I explained above, but it should work.

You can directly write commands into PREcommand section (right click icon in connection window, edit VM commands, EDIT)

You do not have to burn and check your dvd, you can just write VIDEO_TS on your HDD. Project/ compile DVD. . You drop that VIDEO_TS ico on MPC-HC player for example and it will play it. So you can test it before burning it.

Check some options over there (compile DVD) , you can replace titles for just some images checking box "test compile", DVD Lab does it for you, so you compile it very quickly then, where you test navigation on your PC

[Xoanon]

As an added measure, I have disabled manual changing of audio streams on all episodes. Not sure how to use GPRM settings. I will compile and test in Power DVD and see if it works. Thanks for your help so far!

[_Al_]

That I would not do, if something is messed up in that track scripting, user can fix it. User cannot choose track 2 if it is not there for example. I'd definitely left this alone. It is actually cool when you have a title and discover there is commentary track using your remote control etc. Users hate prohibited operations.

[Xoanon]

OK I have disabled that. Will render and let you know soon.

[_Al_]

That test could be done in seconds if you choose "test compile" in Compile DVD window. Instead of creating couple of Gigabytes volume for DVD you just mux some Megabytes. It takes no time then.

[slicebogey]

GavSalkeld

i'm not clear on what you're attempting to do. what do you need to happen? where are you attempting to direct the commentary? are you attempting to align audio with video or do you want the audio only to play with the commentary? b4 i switched over to mac dvdlab pro was my main source for putting dvds together. i still occasionally use it for certain projects.

You do not have to do it manually, writing a command, do it in connection window
grab the tool "+" that creates links and for playlist "end action" join that little circle in playlist icon with menu you wish it to return to, drop that line on that menu.

Oh I know, but to play the commentary I need to have a VM command before the playlist, to make sure the second audio tracks is selected, right?

[Xoanon]

You can directly write commands into PREcommand section (right click icon in connection window, edit VM commands, EDIT)

OK, so I rearranged slightly and did this:

- Extras menu has a 'commentary on' button for Movie 2 (the only Movie with commentary on a second track)
- Pressing this button links to a playlist containing just Movie 2, and I have set PRE command on this playlist to setSTN (audio=1) to play the commentary

However, I did a test compile and every time Movie 2 is playing with the program audio (track 1) and not the commentary (track 2). Why would this be?

[slicebogey]

To have Movie 2 align with audio (track 2) and not audio (track 1), from the Movie 2 tab highlight by clicking once on audio (track 1) and then right click and delete the audio (track 1) then drag the audio (track 2) up to Movie 2. The two should now be linked if I read correctly what you're attempting to do. Hope this helps

Good luck

You can directly write commands into PREcommand section (right click icon in connection window, edit VM commands, EDIT)

OK, so I rearranged slightly and did this:

- Extras menu has a 'commentary on' button for Movie 2 (the only Movie with commentary on a second track)
- Pressing this button links to a playlist containing just Movie 2, and I have set PRE command on this playlist to setSTN (audio=1) to play the commentary

However, I did a test compile and every time Movie 2 is playing with the program audio (track 1) and not the commentary (track 2). Why would this be?

[Xoanon]

OK, so I have made a playlist to play Movie 2 on its own (for the purposes of a commentary). However, setting line 1 in the PRE script on this playlist to setSTN (audio=1) in order to play the commentary (audio track 2 on Movie 2) just does not work. It plays the correct Movie 2, but with the default audio track. Why on earth is this not working?

I have tried everything to simply have a menu button that, upon being activated, plays a single Movie on my project with the second audio track playing. It would have been easier to just encode Movie 2 twice, once with normal audio and again with commentary, and have separate links.

Why didnt what I did above work?

[slicebogey]

Did you demux the audio from Movie 2 first? When you first load Movie 2 in the program it gives you 2 options: one is to demux and one not to demux. Then you can delete the audio (track 1) to add audio (track 2).

OK, so I have made a playlist to play Movie 2 on its own (for the purposes of a commentary). However, setting line 1 in the PRE script on this playlist to setSTN (audio=1) in order to play the commentary (audio track 2 on Movie 2) just does not work. It plays the correct Movie 2, but with the default audio track. Why on earth is this not working?

I have tried everything to simply have a menu button that, upon being activated, plays a single Movie on my project with the second audio track playing. It would have been easier to just encode Movie 2 twice, once with normal audio and again with commentary, and have separate links.

Why didnt what I did above work?

To have Movie 2 align with audio (track 2) and not audio (track 1), from the Movie 2 tab highlight by clicking once on audio (track 1) and then right click and delete the audio (track 1) then drag the audio (track 2) up to Movie 2. The two should now be linked if I read correctly what you're attempting to do. Hope this helps

Good luck

You can directly write commands into PREcommand section (right click icon in connection window, edit VM commands, EDIT)

OK, so I rearranged slightly and did this:

- Extras menu has a 'commentary on' button for Movie 2 (the only Movie with commentary on a second track)
- Pressing this button links to a playlist containing just Movie 2, and I have set PRE command on this playlist to setSTN (audio=1) to play the commentary

However, I did a test compile and every time Movie 2 is playing with the program audio (track 1) and not the commentary (track 2). Why would this be?

[Xoanon]

Movies and audios are separate - M2Vs and AC3s.

[_Al_]

I just test it in DVD Lab Pro what you are trying to set up, I replicated the same problem, ..., the problem is DVD Lab Pro is placing dummy PGC in VMG, not VTS, to set audio track in there is illegal ,

You used to add VM command before. I told you you can make it easy just to include VM command in PRE command section for playlist. But strike that, sorry for confusion. DVD Lab Pro places that in VMG domain.

Solution:
You go back an add VMcommand but in VTS (right click in connection window/add/add VM command/in VTS domain), this is important, it has to be in VTS domain. It is going to work then.
So you link extra menu to that VM command PGC you create and then you link that command to playlist

[Xoanon]

You go back an add VMcommand but in VTS (right click in connection window/add/add VM command/in VTS domain), this is important, it has to be in VTS domain. It is going to work then.
So you link extra menu to that VM command PGC you create and then you link that command to playlist

I did that but it is still playing Movie 2 with audio track 1 and not track 2. Its so annoying
Do you need more information on my layout/VTS setup?

[_Al_]

I put it in zip folder, DVDLAB project, ..., it is PAL project though, there is video, both audios, so you can launch that project and look at it. I included VIDEO_TS also.
movie button plays track1, playlist button plays track 2

[_Al_]

download this one, that one above is mixed up

[Xoanon]

It seems to be working now. I deleted some videos in VTS 2 and put them into VTS 1 (not sure if that was the problem) but now it is working.

Thanks to everyone for their help; if it comes up again on another project, I will post back here. But let's hope its OK lol.

[slicebogey]

Glad it worked out

It seems to be working now. I deleted some videos in VTS 2 and put them into VTS 1 (not sure if that was the problem) but now it is working.

Thanks to everyone for their help; if it comes up again on another project, I will post back here. But let's hope its OK lol.

[Skiller]

Why? Because people use next on their remote controls so jumping manually to other title would be with audio track two selected, not sure what happens when track is selected for two and there is none present.

I suggest to avoid having a viewer jump to another title manually via the next button on the remote one should set appropriate VOB PUOs which disable the next button for the last chapter of a title (and additionally the previous button for the first chapter of a title).
VOB PUOs are different from the IFO PUOs – they can be set on a per-cell base while IFO PUOs act globally across their dedicated PGC.

VOB PUOs can be edited very easily using the VOB PUO plugin for PgcEdit.


Why would one want to avoid this? Well, because like this the viewer skips all the commands that might be attached to the menu button calling that title, and it may be confusing for the viewer, too.