DVD slideshow GUI - development thread.

[tin2tin]

3 new slideshow videos:

A funky one:


Same but with an audiograph:


And a mesmerizing one:

[KAD7770]

Hi, I've been trying to burn a dvd of my slideshow (867 pics plus music) and I keep getting "syntax error at line 301"
after
"preparing photos"
"opening encoder for main film"
HCenc0.23" window pops up
"converting file" window pops up
and then "vsfilter" window pops up saying "syntax error at line 301"
convertion is still in process after this window has popped up
also the info line says TextSub Cant't open C:\...


What can I do ?

[tin2tin]

You could try to unselect subtitles in the Project Settings window, but I suspect the real reason is that it's too many slides for you RAM/hardware to handle, so I would suggest that you should render/export 100-200 slides at a time and then edit all of them together afterwards.

BTW if you're using the default timings then 867 photos will play for around 65 minutes - are you sure you'll get someone to sit through that long a slideshow?

[mrkb80]

I am having troble installing the program. I think it has something to do with the site where one of the files is downloaded. I get the error below seen in the attachment.

[tin2tin]

@ mrkb80
Are you using the latest DVD slideshow GUI 0.9.3.8?
Are you on Windows 7? I do not have win 7 and can't test the installer on that os.

I've been mailing back and forth with another user on Win 7 who had troubles installing DSG. Here's what I wrote to him:

Sounds like win 7 is more restrictive on the installation. Did you do the right-click 'install as admin...'?

You could try to download and install the various programs one by one.
Run the installer and unselect all programs but not dvd slideshow gui.

If this installs okay then download and install:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/avisynth2/files/AviSynth_Alpha_Releases/AVS%202.6.0%20...7.exe/download

If this installs okay then download and install:
https://www.videohelp.com/download/ffdshow_rev3611_20101006_clsid.exe

If this installs okay then download and install:
https://www.videohelp.com/download/Xvid-1.2.2-07062009.exe

If this installs okay then download and install:
https://www.videohelp.com/download/SetupImgBurn_2.5.2.0.exe

If these things installs okay - you should be able to run DSG without too much trouble.

Let me know if this works out - most of those files are new'er versions that the ones included in the installer.

His reply:

I downloaded the files you sent below EXCEPT the 3rd .exe as I said earlier.

I don't know why that xvid link didn't work for him - it works fine for me.

I then downloaded the GUI.exe and I didn't select the files I already had downloaded from your email.

The full program ran, then some errors. I let Win7 detect any solutions to the problems and I automatically ran the progam in WinXP (Service Pack 2). The program runs fine now.

As mentioned I do not have win 7, so I do not know what I let Win7 detect any solutions to the problems and I automatically ran the progam in WinXP (Service Pack 2) means in details, but maybe some of you guys sitting on Win 7 can tell me that?

[tin2tin]

Here's a sneak preview on a new feature:
MiserableLife has been working on a YouTubeUploader which works well with DVD slideshow GUI.

I've uploaded a tutorial on how to upload music and a slideshow in HD to YouTube.

Watch the tutorial here:
http://blip.tv/file/4342993

And here's the resulting upload(watch it in 720p!):


Music by:
Kevin MacLeod
http://incompetech.com/

[KAD7770]

You could try to unselect subtitles in the Project Settings window, but I suspect the real reason is that it's too many slides for you RAM/hardware to handle, so I would suggest that you should render/export 100-200 slides at a time and then edit all of them together afterwards.

BTW if you're using the default timings then 867 photos will play for around 65 minutes - are you sure you'll get someone to sit through that long a slideshow?

I know it's a looong slide show but it's for us at home... and some close friends who know that they'll get to see a lot of slides...
btw I still have the problem with 190 slides. Plus (what I forgot to mention before) I have on slide show which is completely rendered and burned on dvd and runs on the dvd player but- it was not the final version it actually was only a test version of the slideshow...
and I checked my RAM/hardware: I have 4 gB of RAM and 20-30 of free space depending on which harddisc I choose...

[tin2tin]

Did you try this?

You could try to unselect subtitles in the Project Settings window,

[KAD7770]

Did you try this?

You could try to unselect subtitles in the Project Settings window,

Oh yes, I have tried it, makes no difference...

btw, it's fantastic how quick you respond to the messages

[tin2tin]

I don't understand that you get the same error when the subtitle checkbox is unchecked?

You state that:

and then "vsfilter" window pops up saying "syntax error at line 301"
convertion is still in process after this window has popped up
also the info line says TextSub Cant't open C:\...

Because when the subtitle checkbox is unchecked, then there is no function(vsfilter) added to the script to load subtitles(textsub)...?

A couple of other idears for you:
Grab and install the latest avisynth and see if that changes anything.
Render your slideshow in parts(of ex. 100 slides) and use MediaJoin(free) to join the resulting mpg's.
Alternatively you can try to export to .avs and render that file in ex. Super to mpg.
.... and use Gui for dvdauthor, DVDauthor GUI or DVD styler to author a dvd with the slideshow.

[mrkb80]

Thanks for windows 7 install tips. They worked.

I am now getting an error when I try to burn a slideshow to DVD. The error occurs after the preparing pictures:

"Chapters loaded unsucessfully - aborting!"

I think Hcenc.exe opens, reads in a file, complains about a zero bit or something along those lines, then closes and dvd slideshow shows the error above.

I know everything works because I tested it sucessfully with 10 slides, the only differance is this has 280 slides and is in NTSC 1080p. My computer should have enough space, RAM, and CPU.

Any ideas?

[tin2tin]

Thanks for windows 7 install tips. They worked.

I do not have Win 7 - could you help me to write up a quick How-To I could refer to if anyone on Win 7 runs into the same problems as you did?

I am now getting an error when I try to burn a slideshow to DVD. The error occurs after the preparing pictures:

"Chapters loaded unsucessfully - aborting!"

I think Hcenc.exe opens, reads in a file, complains about a zero bit or something along those lines, then closes and dvd slideshow shows the error above.
I know everything works because I tested it sucessfully with 10 slides, the only differance is this has 280 slides and is in NTSC 1080p. My computer should have enough space, RAM, and CPU.

First of all NTSC 1080p is not for making dvds. The 720p and 1080p resolutions are for HD/BluRay and resulting discs will not be playable on a standalone DVD player - only on BluRay standalone players.

The 1080p is more that 4 times as big as SD resolution which equals a slideshow of more that 1000 slides in SD resolution, so this will need a lot of RAM to be loaded into the memory before the avisynth script can be converted to a videofile.

I have no idear how much RAM you would need to render a 280 slideshow in 1080p... but it will be a lot...

I'll have to check up on if there is some problem on the chapters(HCenc doesn't use chapters - they are used for authoring in tsmuxer if it's a HD res), however my trial period on virtual BluRay drive has ended and I'm not sure if I'll be able to test it without this software - and I am not going to pay for other software to make freeware... so I'll have to investigate on that.

What version of dsg are you using?

[tin2tin]

"Chapters loaded unsucessfully - aborting!"

That's because HCenc has crashed.

With 3 GB RAM the maximum number of slides I can export in DVD resolutions without HCenc/Avisynth crashing is around 300.

If you use 1080p resolution I would imagine you would only be able to render 300/4 = 75 slides...?

Here's a tutorial on how to make multiple slideshows on a single DVD

What's the maximum number of images in DVD resolution you guys have exported succesfully with how much RAM?

[Since I do not have Windows 7 I still would like have a write up on how you people have installed DSG on Windows 7 succesfully. Anyone?]

[iforwms]

This looks like a really nice piece of software. I am struggling to find an option to go from one picture to the next without any transition effect. Is this possible?

Sorry if this has been covered already, nothing came up in the search.

-Ifor

[tin2tin]

Select 'Cut' as transition.

[tin2tin]

New 720p slideshow:

Impersonators at Sunburst Convention

[tin2tin]

DVD slideshow GUI 0.9.3.9 has been released:
- Youtube Uploader by Miserable Life
- OldTV PostEffect
- AudioGraph PostEffect
- Various bugfixes.

A tutorial on how to upload mp3 music/slideshows to YouTube here!

[argusvidicon]

Thank You Very Much! I found the software a month or so ago and found the November 2010 update today. I love the software and the update has made me love it even more. It is just incredible. I have used many such programs and this is my favorite over even Roxio, and I though that was really great. This is simply the best. Thank You again.
I tried to install it on a friends computer but many things went bad, I'm wondering if it was their video driver motherboard situation. My computer in Windows 7 and I had to buy a cheap video card to get Windows 7 to work correctly. On my friends computer the first photo seems to play for about the first third of the slideshow. Outputting an mpg video came out black. Burning a DVD came out black and or would not play at all. My computer just loves this software. I wish everyone knew how to build a decent computer. I'm not sure what is going wrong with my friends computer and the software. I will work on it some more, but they always seem to have problems of some sort. I only have a 2gb processor and 2gb of ram, but everything works great for me. They have a slightly better computer but for some reason the software is doing some weird things.
Thanks,
Argus Vidicon

[tin2tin]

On my friends computer the first photo seems to play for about the first third of the slideshow. Outputting an mpg video came out black.

Sounds like at bad audiofile might corrupt the slideshow. So check if he/she used an audiofile and if so try to render a slideshow without any audio.

Oher than that it could be useful to know os, dsg version, if dsg installed correctly, number of slides and aspect ratio.

[tin2tin]

Purosoftware has released a nice tutorial on the basic functions of DSG in spanish:
http://www.purosoftware.com/graficos-presentaciones/09-dvd-slideshow-gui.html

Here's a link for a google translation to english:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=es&tl=en&u=http://www.purosoft...&prev=_t&twu=1

[george84]

Hi tin2tin

Thank you for this new version. I checked the bug with color levels and it seems to have disappeared. Congratulations.

There is a minor problem. I imported my old projects (Version 933) and then I saved them, but in saved .dsg file it still says 933.
Is this intentional?

Regards
Walter

[argusvidicon]

tin2tin,
"Oher than that it could be useful to know os, dsg version, if dsg installed correctly, number of slides and aspect ratio. "
Windows XP Pro
both versions being used are 0.9.3.9
Software installed correctly
number of slides is 37
aspect ratio hasn't been any problem, however they are various and they are 453X604, 640X480, 648X484, 600X450, 87X130, 43X130, 800X600.

Many thanks for the swift reply. I will gather as much info as possible this weekend. One good piece of info is that the exact same photos and audio file were used in my test at home where I never have problems with much of anything. I figured the test at home would be useless if I had not done it that way. Since all my machines rarely have problems all I will; say about my own machine for now is IBM NetVista 830529U 2Gb Intel 2Gb RAM Windows 7, and a cheap Sparkle Video card to get full function out of Windows 7.
As for the machine having the trouble the OS is XP Pro. The machine is an eMachine W1640 Intel Celeron 3.20Ghz 2Gb RAM svc pack 3.
I am working on my end to come up with as much testing on this problem as possible. Wait till you here all this!
I worried that the problem computer was going to be a headache, so we installed the software on my friend's laptop. Same exact problem results. I was very frustrated.
Although I believed I was using the same exact files on my machine as the one on the problem machine somehow it was not true. The files (folder) I'd been using was exact and it had been emailed to me when I discovered the software. For my purpose of trying out the software. The contents of the folder being exact I believed then there to be a problem on the friend's computer. After the frustrating install on that laptop I got stressed out and used a free program I think anyone would just love called "TeamViewer" to transfer the folder directly from their computer to mine here at home. When I did the test here on my computer where everything always works perfect, to my surprise I got the same problem results. Apparently somehow one of the photo files is corrupted or whatever. I tried the audio file switch and match, and came to the conclusion that the problem was not a bad audio file. I examined the contents on each folder in comparison and they are exact, so I don't know what image file (from the problem computer) is disrupting the software. I have transferred my working folder to their computer and am waiting for them to run a test with that folder containing the images and audio.
Thank you for the help and I will continue to search for the problem on this end. Although viewing the two folders side by side in Windows 7 does not help me find the corrupt file that is creating the problem. I will hurry the other party to run the test with my folder, and at that point I can't imagine understanding from the results what file is corrupt, if that is eventually the problem.

[argusvidicon]

Luckily the bad or corrupt image has been discovered. And this has resolved the problem. Thanks again for the new version. However I can't help to wonder and worry how one would discover which image in say 280 photos imported to a project was the bad one. I have thoughts of running the folder through something like Pixillion Image Converter as a safe-guard. Does anyone have a method for discovering which image file could be causing a problem? Since the bad file did accept the import how would one know which one is or would be the problem? The file causing these problems has been discovered to be a bitmap file. Apparently I had previously converted that file to jpg, but did not remember. So that is why I had no problems with my folder/file. I also found that one can simply open the bmp file in paint and save as jpg. After the import to the software you can see the file extension of each image, so maybe it's wise to avoid a bmp file? I'd appreciate any thoughts on that. I've attached the disruptive bmp file incase someone wants to test it.

[tin2tin]

@ george84
Thanks for letting me know that I've succeded in fixing that bug now. the 0933 number in saved files only changes when the save/load routine changes - and it hasn't since 0933 - which means that all files newer that 0932 can be loaded.

@ argusvidicon
You're right when loading that image into avisynth with ImageReader("BMP.bmp") it throws an error saying: 'Ebmp reader can't handle compressed images'. Can I ask in the avisynth developers in Doom9 forum to take a look at that image and the loading routine - so they maybe will be able to fix that?

[argusvidicon]

tin2tin, you may certainly do anything you want that will help you with your program. I love the software so much that I may begin collectin photos myself. Until now I have not been much concerned with even owning a digital photo camera. I have a few flask video camera with photo capabilities and will now, because of this software start snapping a few occasional stills 0F MY OWN. This evening or tomorrow I plan to experiment with importing AVI material along with stills to see how the software reacts. I also see where as the background capabilities include AVI. I find myself wanting to ask you a touch of detail in relation to the actual reference to AVI capabilities. AVI has come to have several meanings from Microsoft DVAVI to XviD, DiviX...etc. What can you say is the most appropriate meaning of AVI format when the meaning it concernet to DVD slideshow GUI 0.9.3.9 ? I will first attempt XviD FFmpeg encoder 640X480 4:3 2496kbps 48k 256kbps
and then DivX same parameters except 720X480 3:2.
I would love to have detailed info on the correct AVI to use for project file import as well as for use in background.
P.S. I see that the software is supposed to accept BMP, so I will continue to wonder what was strange about the BMP that failed and sometimes crashed the software. I hope I don't get another file like that by mistake. Also concerning AVI video file import, I just want to mention that it seems like most of the cheap consumer pocket flash video camera are using the .mov file format. What does that make you think? I am a video professional and understand formats and conversions but average people don't use software like Super or Xilisoft. If I wasn't a user of eRightSoft Super I would attempt to import the video file that my cheap flash camcorder provided me with, that being .mov
I hope anything I do can help you as you have helped me. Feel free to suggest anything for me to try here on my end.
Argus Vidicon
argusvidicon.com

[argusvidicon]

On another note it may be helpful that I have posted here mention of software such as Super and NCH Pixillion Image Converter and NCH Switch Audio File Converter. These software programs are free and may be of some help to someone. I will say that I do a serious clean-up of my program folder for several links that NCH installs along with the free software offerings. It's just a little cleaning up and well worth having these programs.

[tin2tin]

@ argusvidicon
I've now posted on doom9 about the BMP problem: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=1459099#post1459099

On importing avi.
I hope the file checking routine of dsg will avoid importing avi's it isn't able to import. One thing to be aware of is that you'll have to make sure that the framerate(fps) of the imported clip is the same as you project setting(in the Project Settings window) or else the audio will be played either too fas or too slow. You'll have to dig into the doom9 forum to find ways to convert ex. 25 to 29.97 - this is complicated stuff, that's why I left that out of DSG.

DSG can import .avs scripts too. So if you got some other video file format you could also try to write a quick wrapper in notepad/avsp like this:

directshowsource("path of your file here")

And save that as .avs and try to import that into DSG.

In this video I show how to work with AvsP(avisynth scripting from DSG) and also how to trim video clips:
http://blip.tv/file/3938863/

On opening quicktime in DSG with Avisynth - take a look at this plugin: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=156777&highlight=quicktime

[BTW. Don't be affraid to use new section a little more often while you type - it may make your posts a little easier to read ]

[argusvidicon]

@ tin2tin, I tested an input of my XviD and DiviX files (10 seconds) both were accepted and worked. The front of each clip however was affected by what looks like the old solarization effect form the 80's. I've forgotten what they call it now. fps was matched and the auido was OK. Converting the files to AVI before import is natural for me and no problem, I am used to it.
I have attached the sample, and will try a different video clip today to see if it reproduces the same effect.

[argusvidicon]

I am very pleased with the various output options and dropping the generated files into GSpot reveals impressive technical specifications.

[tin2tin]

With this Avisynth plugin you can import most video formats/codecs in DSG.