DVD slideshow GUI - development thread.

[Spies]

@ Spies - The only way is to export as .all and use Gui for Dvdauthor to import all the files from DSG, however the subtitles will not be looking very good(low res quality).

Thanks, but why are they low quality? Is this due to the way dvd players render them?

[argusvidicon]

@tin2tin - I feel terrible asking you to spend time on this for me. The first few messages I'd gotten were really bad, but I might be getting closer. Maybe there's something I don't have installed? Or I'm getting close, but that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Here's what I'm getting at this point. Only one error I hope, something about Unknown encoder 'libfaac'
This is much better than the first few message I got. Can you se anyhting I'm doing wrong by seeing this?

C:\FFMPEG>ffmpeg -i "C:\FFMPEG\Boost Mobile TV Spot.avs" -f mp4 -vcodec libx264
-level 41 -refs 2 -deblockalpha 0 -deblockbeta 0 -coder 1 -subq 6 -me_range 21 -
r "29.970" -b 5120k -bt 8192k -bufsize 15000k -maxrate 16000k -g 300 -threads 8
-acodec libfaac -ac 2 -ab 128k "boost.mp4"
FFmpeg version SVN-r25512, Copyright (c) 2000-2010 the FFmpeg developers
built on Oct 18 2010 04:06:45 with gcc 4.4.2
configuration: --enable-gpl --enable-version3 --enable-libgsm --enable-pthread
s --enable-libvorbis --enable-libtheora --enable-libspeex --enable-libmp3lame --
enable-libopenjpeg --enable-libschroedinger --enable-libopencore_amrwb --enable-
libopencore_amrnb --enable-libvpx --arch=x86 --enable-runtime-cpudetect --enable
-libxvid --enable-libx264 --extra-libs='-lx264 -lpthread' --enable-librtmp --ext
ra-libs='-lrtmp -lpolarssl -lws2_32 -lwinmm' --target-os=mingw32 --enable-avisyn
th --cross-prefix=i686-mingw32- --cc='ccache i686-mingw32-gcc' --enable-memalign
-hack
libavutil 50.32. 3 / 50.32. 3
libavcore 0. 9. 1 / 0. 9. 1
libavcodec 52.92. 0 / 52.92. 0
libavformat 52.83. 0 / 52.83. 0
libavdevice 52. 2. 2 / 52. 2. 2
libavfilter 1.52. 0 / 1.52. 0
libswscale 0.12. 0 / 0.12. 0
Input #0, avs, from 'C:\FFMPEG\Boost Mobile TV Spot.avs':
Duration: 00:00:29.89, start: 0.000000, bitrate: 0 kb/s
Stream #0.0: Video: rawvideo, yuv420p, 720x480, 124291 kb/s, 29.97 tbr, 29.9
7 tbn, 29.97 tbc
Stream #0.1: Audio: pcm_s16le, 48000 Hz, 2 channels, s16, 1536 kb/s
Unknown encoder 'libfaac'

C:\FFMPEG>

[tin2tin]

There are all sorts of ffmpeg compiles out there with some codecs/options disabled. Try to use the ffmpeg included in dvd slideshow gui.

[argusvidicon]

@tin2tin YES ! file converting no error as I see yet conversion not finished but it is PROCESSING. You are most helpful. As simple as you said, and now I owe you a beer. The Win 7 page you linked made it easy to Shift right click a folder and run cmd from there, I put my avs and video file in the folder and pasted the cmd line and there it goes.
Not only is the DSG a fantastic program for what it's supposed to be, but let it be known that having it on your computer will open doors for so much more. This thread may be the most valuable URL I've experienced on the internet. The help and guidance I have gotten from here is incredible, and no matter how confused someone might be no one even has a smart-ass comeback to make us feel stupid. That is priceless!
I can't remember the last time I made a DVD Slideshow. Try getting this attention from Adobe. Don't get me wrong I love Premiere and Super, but each day I use them less and less, thanks everyone!

[argusvidicon]

Just completely incredible. I ran a :30 TV Spot and everything worked just as you said it would. First run I didn't know where the file output to because I didn't set an output path, just the name.mp4. so it went here - C:\Users\Charles Evans\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\DVD slideshow GUI. Second time I put a desktop path, and there it is. I am very happy, and now I will set up a 4 minute file and let it run. This is exactly what I asked for, and you have taught it to me. I just don't know what to say.
My .avs file has the front few seconds trimmed, Left, bottom, and right cropped, and resized back to 720X480. They say "In a perfect world" this must be it created by tin2tin. It did seem thiugh I had to use DirectShowSource, maybe because my video file is VOB. copied to DVD from a VHS tape. An old segment (the first ever) from a 1983 TV Show we did before collage. Now that brings back memories.

[argusvidicon]

@tin2tin The information you gave me in post #1285 has been a perfect joy. That being for an mp4 output How could I get the others that you use for the DSG. the format you posted in #1285 was straight forward, I'd like to give the others a try. I may send my conversion software programs on a long vacation if I can get a collection of the other outputs in that Command line format. That would be really useful to me. I don't know how to write software, but you've taught me to use those CMD lines and now I'd like to use the other output formats in the same method.

[tin2tin]

New York Fashion Week with DVD slideshow GUI:

[tin2tin]

Discovery: The Last Mission – A DVD slideshow GUI Photofilm



For Discovery, a farewell spin
Space shuttle Discovery’s next mission will be to awe and inspire those who visit it at the Smithsonian Institution. NASA’s workhorse shuttle was retired after completing its trip last week to the International Space Station — that?s 39 missions covering 5,750 orbits, 150 million miles, and almost a year in space since it first lifted off in 1984. It’s name was inspired by the exploring ships of the past, including one that plied the Hudson Bay in the early 1600s seeking a northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. Discovery carried some of NASA’s most-distinguished astronauts, including Eileen Collins, the first female commander, Sergei Krikalev, the first Russian to fly on a shuttle, and Senator John Glenn, who returned to space at 76. In its last mission, Discovery dropped Robonaut 2, the first dexterous humanoid robot in space, at the space station.
www.boston.com/bigpicture

[tin2tin]

DVD slideshow GUI 0.9.4.1 is out
0.9.4.1
New:
- Restore to Factory Settings
- ImgBurn updated
Bugfix:
- Burn starts ImgBurn
- Animation and negative transition durations made images "jump".Get it here: www.dvdslideshowgui.tk

[argusvidicon]

What could be more exciting? tin2tin, what a heck of a guy! I just have the most fun with the DSG.

Installation went well as upgrade on a XP Pro and also as a fresh install on XP Pro. Installation on Win 7 produced a tiny Error during the process which involved the DSGding.ttf font. I stole the font from the XP Pro install and will attempt to toss it into the Win 7 machine. It's no big deal for me because I haven't used the feature that depends on that font anyway. Here's the font http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21985720/DSGdings.zip
Here's the error message in Win 7, I just chose "Ignore"

I haven't yet added or installed a font in Win 7, guess I'll learn today.
I tried the new "Restore To Factory Settings" option and it worked well, also it was refreshing to see the current version of ImgBurn placed during the install. In the past I had to re-install ImgBurn after DSG to get current. LIGHTNING UK will no doubt continue to produce a new version every month as usuall, but as of today the DSG did not roll me backwards.
I like to save a few personal custom presets and drop them in from time to time and I like the factory restore for going back to square one.

P.S. Manual font install to Win 7 went just fine as frog hairs.

[tin2tin]

I've just reuploaded 0.9.4.1 with a little change in the installer. Now it shouldn't try to install the font if it is allready installed. Let me know if this solves that error on Win 7.

[argusvidicon]

The error remains, I believe did not previously have that font. The manual install is very simple. I don't see this as a major problem so long as new friends can gain access to the font and drag it into the fonts folder. http://dl.dropbox.com/u/21985720/DSGdings.zip

[golemik]

Hi
I merge (with TSSplitter) my mts file from camcorder with slideshow file from Ulead Video Studio 11- file AVCHD *mpg (and i change extension to mts).
I wish change Ulead to DVD Slideshow GUI but when i export in DVD Slideshow to mp4 I can't merge file (is another codec)

Can You add export to 1920x1080 -mpg-ts?

Thanks for fantastic soft.

[tin2tin]

You can export as .avs(lossless) from DSG and convert(render) that file with Super og FFmpeg to whatever format you like.

[tin2tin]

Translation help needed:
https://translations.launchpad.net/dvdslideshowgui/trunk

[tin2tin]

Nice DVD slideshow GUI course tutorials:
http://drmedia.pbworks.com/w/page/38580279/DVD-slideshow-GUI

[eepstein]

Hi,

So far this looks like a fabulous program. I can see that the project file is in plain text and I believe that I could automate the construction of these project files with different sets of photos, transitions, and effects. However, I can't see to find any command line support that would allow me to load a project file and automatically start rendering it.

Is this possible?

I have something similar working in Linux, but it is not optimal and does not produce anything with the quality and performance of your tool. For instance the Ken Burns effect is choppy and the transitions are not as smooth.

In any case, kudos for such an awesome program.

[tin2tin]

However, I can't see to find any command line support that would allow me to load a project file and automatically start rendering it.

Is this possible?

No.

I have something similar working in Linux, but it is not optimal and does not produce anything with the quality and performance of your tool. For instance the Ken Burns effect is choppy and the transitions are not as smooth.

DSG has been reported to run fine under Wine, however that's some time ago and I don't know if that has changed.

[eepstein]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I am not using WINE. I have a separate Windows 7 Professional 64bit that I have been working with your program. On the Linux boxes I use a couple of different programs to achieve the same effects through automated scripts.

The lack of command line options to automate the loading and rending of project files is a bummer

We are still very impressed with it though and how quickly and nicely it does the animations and transitions. Fantastic Job. We have an Adobe guy here in the office and he was kind of blown away by how easy your program was and the results it achieved :P

If I could humbly suggest you take the command line functionality as a feature request sometime down the line?

[tin2tin]

Windows 7 Professional 64bit

There are some Avisynth 64bit builds out, you could try one of those to improve the speed of DSG.

The lack of command line options to automate the loading and rending of project files is a bummer

DVD slideshow GUI, is GUI meaning that it's an interface using command line tools and in that sense one might just use those command line tools directly and on top of this it will be too time consuming for me to add that functionallity.

[tin2tin]

Stanley Kubrick's Chicago, 1949 - A Slideshow:
Before he started making movies, Stanley Kubrick was a star photojournalist. In the summer of 1949, Look magazine sent him to Chicago to shoot pictures for a story called 'Chicago City of Contrasts.'


BTW: I need some help on updating the DVD slideshow GUI Translations:
https://translations.launchpad.net/dvdslideshowgui/trunk

[tin2tin]

@ eepstein I hope you'll bring the command line ability to good use, because my guess is that you'll be the only one using it. However here a patch which (hopefully) will let you open and export .dsg files from a command line.

Download this patch and place it in the DVD slideshow GUI program folder and let it overwrite the old version: http://download.videohelp.com/tin2tin/DVDslideshowGUI.exe

The command line syntax is like this:
"path&DVDslideshowGUI.exe" "path&filename of the DSG project file" "path&filename of destination file with extention"

ex. (one line)
"C:\Program Files\DVD slideshow GUI\DVDslideshowGUI.exe" "C:\Program Files\DVD slideshow GUI\MyProject.dsg" "C:\Users\tintin\.DVDslideshowGUI\MyVideo.mpg"



The extention of the destination file is the pointer of what format you'll be exporting to.
NB. some formats still demands manual entering of info like flv and txt.

Please report back if it works okay.

Sorry for beeing curious, but what are you going to use it for?

[eepstein]

I sincerely appreciate the patch. That was very kind of you to do so.

It does work. Automatically loads the dsg and exports it to a file. It does however automatically play after construction with mplayerc which has no option to close after playing. I tried changing to it VLC which does, but man, does your program check for mplayerc.exe

I have win32 ports of PS and Grep though so the behavior works. Our current work is done on headless CentOS boxes. All I have to do is keep checking for the mplayer.exe process which indicates successful export and kill it (I can even pass a WM_CLOSE to it for gracefulness). If mplayerc is not closed down, DVDSlideshowGUI does not close down and the subsequent call to the program will crash on ffmpeg.

By grepping the PS every so often for mplayer it provides a fairly reliable way to tell that export was completed. This will occur on Win32 boxes that nobody has access to anyways and they would just be running as servers.

As for your curiosity.... it is hard to say with a NDA in force. However, what I can tell you is that I am automatically downloading sets of photos via an XML feed each night and I need to create videos from them and upload them to YouTube. Our current process uses DVDSlideShow 0.8.2. It works alright, but not nearly as fast since it seems to do all the animations and transitions with ImageMagick through its own calculations. It does not use avisynth, and since it is on Linux.. not many options for video. The whole thing is a ~50k line BASH file too For what it does, it does it well. I just cannot get the Kens Burns options on the program correct to get rid of the jitter. If the animation zooms outside of the picture, by even a pixel, it causes the animation effect to oscillate by about a pixel. That is the jitter. Considering it is 50k lines long and I am not a BASH programming expert, fixing that code has proven fruitless, as well as attempts to find the right recipe for the parameters.

I am sure you are looking forward to the day when there will be open source version of FFMPEG and the like that can take advantage of CUDA or CUDA like support on the video cards and offload processing to the GPU. I know it will be awhile before that hits Linux

Your program does all the animations and transitions PERFECTLY in all of our tests. Output quality is high and the time to construct a video is much faster.

As for the YouTube uploading.... we have whole other servers dedicated to just that and I am sure you have had your own experiences with the eccentricities of the YouTube API.

Once again,

Thanks for the patch.

Ed III

[tin2tin]

I sincerely appreciate the patch. That was very kind of you to do so.

It does work. Automatically loads the dsg and exports it to a file. It does however automatically play after construction with mplayerc which has no option to close after playing. I tried changing to it VLC which does, but man, does your program check for mplayerc.exe

VLC will not work in DSG because Avisynth scripts can't be played in VLC.

I have win32 ports of PS and Grep though so the behavior works. Our current work is done on headless CentOS boxes. All I have to do is keep checking for the mplayer.exe process which indicates successful export and kill it (I can even pass a WM_CLOSE to it for gracefulness). If mplayerc is not closed down, DVDSlideshowGUI does not close down and the subsequent call to the program will crash on ffmpeg.

I though I've swiched all the auto starts of mpc after rendering off. I might have missed some - what format are you exportiing to?

I am sure you are looking forward to the day when there will be open source version of FFMPEG and the like that can take advantage of CUDA or CUDA like support on the video cards and offload processing to the GPU. I know it will be awhile before that hits Linux

YOu could try to update avisynth to the 2.6 beta - I think it's faster and I haven't updated ffmpeg in a while, so there might be improvements there too - however the commandline options might have changed...

Your program does all the animations and transitions PERFECTLY in all of our tests. Output quality is high and the time to construct a video is much faster.

Thanks.

[tin2tin]

Hmm, I might have uploaded the wrong version. The previous version did open mpc after render when using it by a command line. Try this one instead:

Download this patch and place it in the DVD slideshow GUI program folder and let it overwrite the old version: http://download.videohelp.com/tin2ti...ideshowGUI.exe

The command line syntax is like this:
"path&DVDslideshowGUI.exe" "path&filename of the DSG project file" "path&filename of destination file with extention"

ex. (one line)
"C:\Program Files\DVD slideshow GUI\DVDslideshowGUI.exe" "C:\Program Files\DVD slideshow GUI\MyProject.dsg" "C:\Users\tintin\.DVDslideshowGUI\MyVideo.mpg"



The extention of the destination file is the pointer of what format you'll be exporting to.
NB. some formats still demands manual entering of info like flv and txt.

[tin2tin]

I'm working on an ebook on DVD slideshow GUI. You can take a sneak peak here: DVD slideshow GUI Ebook Any thoughts or suggestions?

[tin2tin]

The latest version of the DVD slideshow GUI eBook here:
http://objavi.flossmanuals.net/books/dvdslideshowgui-en-2011.04.28-08.56.48.pdf

Feedback appreciated

The layout will change. So far it's ca. 40 pages on the interface options.

[tin2tin]

A nice tutorial on DVD slideshow GUI on PURO (google translated from spanish).

[tin2tin]

wxBasic has been updated. Really good news indeed!

It's the easy way to make standalone applications with the nice wxWidgets.

Check it out here:
http://wxbasic.net/news_1105

DVD slideshow GUI is coded in wxBasic.

[tin2tin]

A TV Studio slideshow:

Watch it here.

A TV Studio setup with DVD slideshow GUI.
http://www.dvdslideshowgui.tk

Music: http://incompetech.com
Video: http://Movietools.info