GFD - unable to add subtitle

[Ovi]

I am unable to author a dvd using GFD while adding a subtitle. Dvd creation batch file ends giving an error message "*ERROR spumux crashed (stackdump)".
The dvd however gets created if I remove subtitle addition.

I reproduce the log file below:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

f:\DVD\Temp>Time: 1/16/2007 9:31:57 PM

(shrink and) mux video and audio files
INFO: [???] mplex version 2.0.0 (2.2.3 $Date: 2004/01/13 20:45:26 $)
INFO: [???] File f:\Test\Test.m1v looks like an MPEG Video stream.
INFO: [???] File f:\Test\Test.mpa looks like an MPEG Audio stream.
INFO: [???] Video stream 0: profile 8 selected - ignoring non-standard options!
INFO: [???] Found 1 audio streams and 1 video streams
INFO: [???] Selecting dvdauthor DVD output profile
INFO: [???] Multiplexing video program stream!
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Video stream e0 (f:\Test\Test.m1v)
INFO: [???] VIDEO STREAM: e0
INFO: [???] Frame width : 352
INFO: [???] Frame height : 288
INFO: [???] Aspect ratio : forbidden
INFO: [???] Picture rate : 25.000 frames/sec
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 1120000 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Vbv buffer size : 40960 bytes
INFO: [???] CSPF : 1
INFO: [???] Scanning for header info: Audio stream c0 (f:\Test\Test.mpa)
INFO: [???] MPEG AUDIO STREAM: c0
INFO: [???] Audio version : 1.0
INFO: [???] Layer : 2
INFO: [???] CRC checksums : no
INFO: [???] Bit rate : 32768 bytes/sec (256 kbit/sec)
INFO: [???] Frequency : 48000 Hz
INFO: [???] Mode : 0 stereo
INFO: [???] Mode extension : 0
INFO: [???] Copyright bit : 0 no copyright
INFO: [???] Original/Copy : 0 copy
INFO: [???] Emphasis : 0 none
INFO: [???] SYSTEMS/PROGRAM stream:
INFO: [???] rough-guess multiplexed stream data rate : 1411696
INFO: [???] target data-rate specified : 10080000
INFO: [???] Setting specified specified data rate: 10080000
INFO: [???] Run-in Sectors = 89 Video delay = 13019 Audio delay = 0
INFO: [???] New sequence commences...
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 4096 frame=000000 sector=00000000
INFO: [???] Scanned to end AU 159470
INFO: [???] STREAM e0 completed @ frame 159470.
INFO: [???] STREAM c0 completed @ frame 265786.
INFO: [???] Multiplex completion at SCR=574113206.
INFO: [???] Video e0: buf= 237568 frame=159470 sector=00446637
INFO: [???] Audio c0: buf= 1024 frame=265786 sector=00101052
INFO: [???] VIDEO_STATISTICS: e0
INFO: [???] Video Stream length: 893037636 bytes
INFO: [???] Sequence headers: 11013
INFO: [???] Sequence ends : 1
INFO: [???] No. Pictures : 159470
INFO: [???] No. Groups : 11013
INFO: [???] No. I Frames : 11013 avg. size 18911 bytes
INFO: [???] No. P Frames : 42144 avg. size 9371 bytes
INFO: [???] No. B Frames : 106314 avg. size 2726 bytes
INFO: [???] Average bit-rate : 1120000 bits/sec
INFO: [???] Peak bit-rate : 2094800 bits/sec
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 70916 Buf max 136389
INFO: [???] AUDIO_STATISTICS: c0
INFO: [???] Audio stream length 204124416 bytes.
INFO: [???] Syncwords : 265787
INFO: [???] Frames : 265787 padded
INFO: [???] Frames : 0 unpadded
INFO: [???] BUFFERING min 15 Buf max 779
INFO: [???] MUX STATUS: no under-runs detected.
DVDAuthor:pumux, version 0.6.12-alpha-2992-GfD-5.
Build options: gnugetopt iconv freetype
Send bugs to <gfd@boraxsoft.de>

INFO: Locale=C
INFO: Converting filenames to US-ASCII
INFO: Detected subtitle file format: subviewer
INFO: Opened iconv descriptor. *UTF-8* *ISO-8859-1*
INFO: Read 679 subtitles
ERR: New_Face failed. Maybe the font path is wrong.
Please supply the text font file (arial.ttf).
WARN: subtitle font: load_sub_face failed.
STAT: 0:01:39.010
7 [main] spumux 2936 handle_exceptions: Exception: STATUS_ACCESS_VIOLATION
52723 [main] spumux 2936 open_stackdumpfile: Dumping stack trace to spumux.exe.stackdump
erase "f:\DVD\Temp\Test.mpg"
echo.

f:\DVD\Temp>Time: 1/16/2007 9:34:34 PM
*ERROR spumux crashed (stackdump)
*ERROR spumux crashed (stackdump)

Thanks in advance for any help.

[borax]

I think that's the problem:
ERR: New_Face failed. Maybe the font path is wrong.

Could you check the following:
If you open the Subtitle Format dialog, can you see the font: arial.ttf
in the Font face selection listbox?
If no, there seems to be some problem with the windows function to locate the fonts directory. If yes, it is a problem with spumux (then spumux cannot locate the fonts directory).
You can use the 'CreateBatch' function in GfD and edit the Spu1Sub1.xml file. There you can edit the line:
font="arial.ttf"
and add the full path to your arial.ttf file.
Another possibility is to use another program to convert the subviewer subtitles to the binary sup format (with txt2sup or SubtitleCreator or ...) and use the sup file in GfD.

[Ovi]

Thanks for your prompt reply.
All my system fonts including arial.ttf are visible in the Subtitle Format dialog. Nevertheless, as suggested, I used the 'CreateBatch' function and added the full path to arial.ttf file in the Spu1Sub1.xml file. The result is still no go - spumux crashed:

ERR: New_Face failed. Maybe the font path is wrong.
Please supply the text font file (D:\windows\fonts\arial.ttf).

Then I used Txt2Sup and generated the sup file and used it in GFD. The dvd got created without error. But when I play the dvd, neither VLC nor Media Player Classic shows any subtitle, even after enabling the subtitle options in both the players. Interestingly, when I open the dvd in DVDShrink, the subpicture is very much there.

Shall greatly appreciate any further clue.

[borax]

No idea why spumux cannot find the font... But I'm no cygwin specialist.
Concerning Txt2Sup:
I think you have used the wrong (or no) palette.
In Txt2Sup set a tag at the checkbox: I dont have any Ifo... then Txt2Sup will use a default palette.
I've just tested it and the default palette is:
Color 0: 00 80 80
Color 1: 55 80 80
Color 2: AA 80 80
Color 3: FF 80 80
(Txt2Sup shows this info after finishing)
This palette can be used in GFD too.
You may download it here:
http://www.boraxsoft.de/other/Generated.zip

In GfD within the Video+Audio files dialog, add your SUP file and add the palette (the Generated.pal file) with the 'open' icon right next to 'Special Colors'.

[AlanHK]

Just in case it is a font problem, try a different font. Arial is a horrible font anyway, but because it starts with "A" it get to be the default in far too many applications.
Of the standard Windows fonts, Verdana or Tahoma are better choices.

See http://screenfont.ca/fonts/today/interim/ for a discussion of subtitling fonts.

[Ovi]

After using Txt2Sub and creating the DVD, I had followed Txt2Sub instructions and had edited Colors 0, 1, 2 and 3 of VTS_PGCITI \ VTS_PGC1 of VTS_01_0.IFO with Ifoedit. The results I reported previously were only after this.

However, I created the DVD once more using the Sup file and adding the Generated.pal file in GFD. Making use of the other clue, I changed the font to Tahoma. Still VLC and Media Player Classic didn't show subtitles.

Then I used Nero ShowTime to play the DVD. ...and a big surprise .... the DVD played showing subtitles perfectly.

I am perplexed. Both VLC and Media Player Classic show the existence of the Subtitle track in their respective context menu but are failing to render the actual subtitles on screen while Nero ShowTime is successful.

[borax]

I don't know why VLC and Media Player Classic do not show the subtitles. But you can try to check the resulting DVD with pgcedit (for the structure) and/or dvdsubedit for the subs actually.
BTW: Both VLC and Media Player Classic are not the best 'subtitle players'... You can try it with PowerDVD or WinDVD, as these programs are much more 'similar' to a stand alone DVD player.

[Ovi]

I do not have much expertise on dvds or videos. Nevertheless, shall try pgcedit and dvdsubedit and find out whether I can comprehend anything.
I do not have PowerDVD or WinDVD. I will of course burn a disc and try it out on my stand alone DVD player to see whether the subtitles work.
I greatly appreciate your help. Can you guide me to any site where I may get help on the spumux error issue?
Thanks a lot once again.

[borax]

For pgcedit and dvdsubedit you can get much help here in this forum. For the spumux issue, you could ask at the dvdauthor users mailing list: http://sourceforge.net/mail/?group_id=59028
But usually the people there use linux, so do not expect much help with windows related problems...

[Ovi]

Thanks for your reply.