free dvd authoring tool

[Sakuya]

I found out that DVDAGUI does not open MPEG files for the menu. I tried selecting an MP2 file for the menu's audio but when it was authoring, it said it was not recognizable.

Edit:
I ran the MP3 through TMPGEnc and came up with an MP2. I burned it to DVD. My DVD player does not support MPEG audio so there's no sound. That's why everything I make has to be AC3. But then when I made the AC3 background music, it wouldn't play.

The MP2 background music played on my other player that do support MPEG audio.

[burnman99]

hmm Sakuya, i have used both .mp2 and .ac3 and got them to work. My DVD player had a problem with the .ac3 but not the .mp2 go figure. But with Power DVD both versions played fine. Have you tried AVICodec to see what is on the .mp2 files?

Rog

[Sakuya]

For some reason, I just used TMPGEnc to convert a JPEG of the menu along with the MP3 as the audio. I got an MPG file. I demultiplexed that and then converted the MP2 to AC3. That way, it worked. Pretty weird. I guess I will use that method now.

Anyway, is something wrong with the size of the menus? It is said that it can only work successfully if the JPEG size is 720x480. However, when I play the menu on the TV, it looks a bit stretched. Is there a way to correct this?

For TMPGEnc DVD Authoring, I use size 720x534 and it looks fine. But sadly, DVDAG does not support that size. I have NTSC.

Edit:
Also, is it possible to have both italic at one time and bold at another time for subtitles? I have set 2 different styles in Sub Station Alpha but when I input it in DVDAG and burn, the italics disappear and leave me with only the normal font.

[liquid217]

to preserve the aspect ratio, edit your image with a resolution of 720x540. This is a 1:1 aspect ratio. Then, when you are finished, simply resize it to 720x480. Doing this will preserve the aspect ratio, and things will look correct on your tv. Keep in mind this is exactly what tmpgenc dvd author has to do (resize the image).

And no, there is no way of having both italics and bold fonts at the same time with spumux. (at least, not at this time anyway)

[Sakuya]

Thanks. I'll try that! But how would buttons fit into all of this? Do I design the buttons to be compliant to the 720x540 menu or the 720x480 menu?

[Sakuya]

Anyone? Would anyone please help me with this? I have created the menu at 720x540. It has an outlined text. I created a set of buttons so when I navigate the menu, the text will be highlighted. So, I resized the menu only to 720x480. How do I find out the calculations in order for the buttons to fit where they're supposed to fit? Since the menu is now 480 pixels high, the buttons (they have not been resized) do not fit into the text outline on the menu so I cannot get my calculations.

[liquid217]

Im not really understanding what the problem is. Now that the menu has been resized, simply size the rectangle/button around the text that you created in your image editor.

[Sakuya]

I have provided some screencaps of the button part of the menu. The orange picture you see is part of the menu. You can see some black outlines of the text that is meant to be selectable. When I use my remote to select one of the episodes, the outline of the text will be filled in using the button I have also attached. The problem is:

The button fits 720x540 menu. However, after I resized the menu to 720x480, the button no longer fits in the outline of the text.



The button's height suits the 720x540 menu. But when I resized the menu, the button no longer can fit in its designated place. The button's height is 30 pixels. But the designated place on the menu has been resized from 30 pixels to something smaller than that.

[liquid217]

ahh, you are using the bmp button importing. Simply resize the vertical portion of your bmp. take the vertical resolution (in this case: 30) and divide by 1.125. In other words, resize your bmp (which is now 199x30) to 199x27
I never considered someone trying this with my gui (text based buttons using bmp importing), although there are much more practical tools you can use. I believe that both dvdstyler and gui for dvdauthor use text based buttons (which will do this automatically for you)

[Sakuya]

Thanks. Well then, I must need to measure the number of pixels above the button as well as to the left of the button and input it into DVDAGUI. Which menu do I measure? The resized one or the original one?

[mgh]

Why the erratic behaviour?
I am using liquid's gui
I am using it for converting my TV captures to miniDVD.
Problem--
I load about 350 MB worth of caps into the gui-authors fine
i try to author with more caps-the caps which authored fine earlier give errors! Why?-think problem with DVDAuthor not gui!/
Sometimes the authoring is OK, some times not-with same m2vs and mp2s.
why?

[liquid217]

Sakuya, since you are doing this all yourself, you are on your own. I can tell you that you won't need to do anything with the horizontal resolution, only the vertical. Just a guess, but if you reduce the button by 3 pixels, you would need to move each button up by 3 pixels, then 6 pixels for the 2nd button, etc. As I said, it might be better for you to use another frontend.

@mgh, Do you have a log/error message?

[mgh]

To liquid 217
There is no problem while mplexing
Happens while creating vobus
log just says error
message is error 6

[Sakuya]

Thanks for the help. I got the positions fine on the TV. However, all of the buttons have a peach line at the bottom when there was no such thing in the original.

[liquid217]

mgh, if it is a runtime overflow error, the problem is the gui, but I have not been able to duplicate this error. I think I have located the problem and have made a test version. Try using this updated gui (replace the existing one) and try to author your project again. Let me know if it does/doesn't work.
http://users.adelphia.net/~liquid64/dvdauthorgui0.992test.rar

[mgh]

mgh, if it is a runtime overflow error, the problem is the gui, but I have not been able to duplicate this error. I think I have located the problem and have made a test version. Try using this updated gui (replace the existing one) and try to author your project again. Let me know if it does/doesn't work.
http://users.adelphia.net/~liquid64/dvdauthorgui0.992test.rar

Not only worked-but speeded up the authoring. Thanx for taking so much trouble.
Just for info
The project was one intro titleset+8 titlesets varying from half a minute to 6 minutes-total little over 20 minutes.
Intro-leading to menu for balance titlesets-titlesets selectable individually but playing through and back to menu
Have been having random problems with earlier authorings for similar projects-generally solved by joining the m2vs and mp2s-creating vob with ifoedit and then using your gui.
I think that you have traced the problem because authoring is speeded up noticeably.
Thanx a ton

[Sakuya]

Um...just one more question about the button thing. You said that DVDAGUI will automatically resize my 720x480 menu on the TV so that it will look proper again, right? Well, would the buttons be resized along with it?

[liquid217]

I didn't say dvdauthorgui would resize anything. An image with a resolution of 720x480 is not a square pixel image. (meaning it will look stretched horizontally) Your dvdplayer, when played back, will resize it to a typical 4:3 aspect ratio, along with the subpictures. (subpictures meaning buttons). I won't pretend to know the gory facts in dealing with aspect ratios and various resolutions. There are many guides on this site that explains these things. You might want to start here:

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/174200.php

[Sakuya]

Thanks, I got it working. How do I change the subtitle's colors?

[liquid217]

AFAIK, spumux does not contain any provision for changing the subtitles rendered color. However, you should be able to go back, and use ifoedit to change the pallette color. I have never done this, but there was a thread about it recently: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=238846

[borax]

Change Subtitle Colors (for spumux muxed subtitles):

Load the corresponding VTS_XX_0.IFO in IfoEdit (XX ist the number of your titleset - normally VTS_01_0.IFO)

Click on the line: 'VTS_PGCITI -Video Title Set Program Chain Information Table'
Click on the appearing [+] and then on the line: 'VTS_PGC_1'

Scroll down to the color table (usual address: [000000a5])
Double-click on the first line: 'Color 0 Y Cr CB'
Usual values (from spumux-dvdauthor): 235 128 128 [eb 80 80 ]
Change the values to the desired filling color* of the subs

Double-click on the second line: 'Color 1 Y Cr CB'
Change the values to the desired outline color* of the subs

Save then VTS_XX_0.IFO file

*Colors have to be entered in hex in YCrCb color space. You may use my simple converter (excel sheet) to convert from RGB to YCbCr. Please note that the sequence in this excel sheet is YCbCr and not YCrCb as in IfoEdit

http://www.boraxsoft.de/other/RGB_YCBCR.zip

[tin2tin]

Slideshow4dvd-functions.

With this code it is possible to make a slideshow of images for dvd use. Maybe it would be a usefull feature to either of the GUI projects. It's written for use in avisynth and can be rendered in virtualdubmod/quenc/freeenc or whatever you might prefer - the last two doesn't deliver sound but m2v or mpv.

These functions lets you:
- Import an imagesequence title001(...)title999(must have the same ratio).
- Scale the imported images within a safe area defined by you.
- Add a background image(which defines the final ratio of you render ex. 720x576)
- Alter time of exposition of the single images and alter time of dissolves.
- Add music which will be faded out with the last image.
- Save a txt file with a timecode for each new image for direct import to g.f.d.a. or .d.a.g. as a way to fast add a new chapter pr. new image to the m2v or mpv.

Just alter the values to your needs in the top of the script and render you slideshow.

I hope you'll find it usefull!

Tin2tin

# Slideshow4DVD (using avisynth)
# With safearea scaling, dissolve and export chapters to txtfile.
# To use for dvd authoring.
# Included code by dividee, tsp and tin2tin
# Collected and arranged by tin2tin.
# Special thanks to the Doom9 forum and the avisynth people.


# DEFINITIONS
# Import of stills with a 001...00x ending. The stills must have the same sizes. 
fname="C:\teststills%.3d.jpg"
n=10					# numbers of stills
SafeH = 500 # resizing stills within width and height
SafeW = 680

# Import of background image - the proportions of this will be the proportions of the final film.
bname = "c:\Backgroundtester.jpg"
SafebH = 576 # resizing background within width and height
SafebW = 720

# Import of audiotrack to be faded out with last still
audiotrack = "C:\musictester.wav"

# Values for the dissolves between stills.
exposition=100			# Should be even. Includes overlap.
overlap=20				# Frames of dissolve.
rate=25				# Framerate.

# The filename and location of the exported txt file with chapter values for each still.
chapfile = "C:\chaptertester.txt"



# PROGRAM
Imagereader(fname,1,n,rate)
imagef = SafeSize (n,SafeW,SafeH,rate)
imageb = Imagereader(bname,1,1,rate)
imageb = loop(imageb,n)
imageb = SafeSize (imageb,n,SafebW,SafebH,rate)
addback (imagef, imageb, n)
DUP_FRAMES(exposition)
AssumeFPS(rate)
trim(0,exposition*n)
TRANSITION(0,exposition,overlap)
trim(overlap,exposition*n)
AudioDub(last,wavSource(audiotrack))

fadeout2(overlap)
p = chapters("", 0,n,rate, exposition, overlap)
writefilestart(chapfile,"string(p)")
ConvertToYV12()


# FUNCTIONS
# code by tin2tin
Function chapters (string s, int stop, int n,int rate, int exposition, int overlap)
 {
  pak = convert2smpte(((exposition-overlap)*stop),rate)+ chr(10)
  return (stop == n) ? s : pak +  chapters(s,stop+1,n,rate, exposition, overlap)  
 }

function AddBack(clip imagef, clip imageb, int dur)
 {
  b = imageB
  f = imageF
  x = (width(b)/2)-(width(f)/2)
  y = (height(b)/2)-(height(f)/2)
  c= overlay(b,f,x,y)
 return c
 }

function SafeSize(image, int n, int SafeW, int SafeH, int fps) 
 {
  a = image
  h =  int(Height(a) * (float(SafeW)/float(Width(a)))) 
  a = (Width(a) > SafeW) ? a.LanczosResize(SafeW,h): a
  w = int(width(a)* (float(SafeH)/float(Height(a))))
  a = (Height(a) > SafeH) ? a.LanczosResize(w,SafeH): a
 return a
 }

#code by tsp - cf=current_frame,fr=framerate 
function convert2smpte(int cf,float fr) 
 {
  hh=int(cf/3600/fr)
  mm=int((cf-hh*3600*fr)/60/fr)
  ss=int((cf-hh*3600*fr-mm*60*fr)/fr)
  ff=int((cf-hh*3600*fr-mm*60*fr-ss*fr))
  smpte=string(hh,"%02.0f")+":"+string(mm,"%02.0f")+":"+string(ss,"%02.0f")+"."+string(ff,"%02.0f") 
  return smpte
 }


# code by dividee:
function DUP_FRAMES(clip clip, int count)
 {
   clip + BlankClip(clip,length=clip.framecount*(count-1)-(count/2))
   ChangeFPS(framerate*count)
   Trim(0,(count/2-1)) + last
 return last
 }

function TRANSITION(clip clip, int start, int expo, int overlap)
{ 
  return ( start >= clip.framecount-expo ? 
  \	   Trim(clip,start,0) : 
  \	          Dissolve(Trim(clip,start,start+expo-1),
  \		    TRANSITION(clip,start+expo,expo,overlap),
  \		    overlap))
}

[borax]

Nice idea, but I think this should be done with in an own application (it has more to do with an 'Avisynthgui' for a special purpose). The resulting mpeg file can then be used with any dvd author program.

[Sakuya]

How many chapter points are allowed? I have 21 and I've never had a maximum of 5 until now. So...

[tin2tin]

Just wanted to say thank you, Borax!

Your GUI(beta 0.75) is super - thanks!


Tin2tin

[Sakuya]

I'm also wondering, liquid, how your new language tags work. I have a subtitle stream, so I just click "Add Sub Tag"? What happens when I have two audio streams? How can I configure for each one?

By the way, I just used the newest release to author. After it authored, right at the end 99%, it said there was an error. However, despite that, I have the newly created VOBs. That's weird. I'll send you the log for bug inspection.

[liquid217]

Documentation on the language tag feature can be found in the readme.
http://users.adelphia.net/~liquid64/readme.html#extra

[Garibaldi]

Could you guys pm me when you have put your DVD Authoring programs on the internet? I would love to try it out!
Thanks,
Garibaldi

[tin2tin]

Maybe if this could be compiled for windows, this might be an easy way to add slideshows to your GUIs?
Linux DVD slideshow

Greetings,
Tin2tin

[kohoge]

@Sakuya
SupRemap is good for editing Subtitle colors. Tab 2 you open the IFO, and Tab 3 you can open the VOB and it will show what colors are being used.

@liquid217
MaestroSBT has great font smoothing. I'd like to know how to get MaestroSBT subs muxed with DVDauthorGUI?

Also, can you use "create m2v still" to produce a compliant JACKET_P? If so, you might warn people, but let them continue to make a m2v still even thought the JPG size is wrong.