creating a DivX menu

[shankie]

I've been using Pinnacle Studio 10 for a while with some success. Now I need to create a DivX DVD with 100 chapters. I bought DivX Author and imported 12 test AVI files. I tried auto-generating a menu. I expected 1 page with 12 links. I got a title page with 12 pages under it.

1) what am I doing wrong in DivX Author?

2) should I be using a different software to create something with 100 chapters?

3) Can anyone direct me to some tips to get through this a bit faster?

thanks!

[guns1inger]

You only really have two choices for easy Divx authoring at the moment. The current version of Tmpgenc DVD Author will do DVD and Divx authoring. Divx Author is pretty much the same program with the DVD authoring removed. As things go, authoring doesn't get much simpler than this.

I don't know about Divx authorng limitations, but DVD is limited to 99 chapters per title, so it would not surprise me if 100 chapters for Divx can be done in a single title.

Having re-read your post, I suspect you have a terminology problem. Each avi is a title, not a chapter. Chapters are markers within a title. If you have 100 avi files, and just want links to each avi (and not points within them) then you don't want chapter menus.

[shankie]

Having re-read your post, I suspect you have a terminology problem. Each avi is a title, not a chapter. Chapters are markers within a title. If you have 100 avi files, and just want links to each avi (and not points within them) then you don't want chapter menus.

I'm as rookie at this as one can get. I've only blundered through home movies so any help and guidance is appreciated!

I bought Tmpgenc DVD Author 3 and I'm still not getting the results I expect. I'm adding 100 separate music videos (AVI) as tracks to my DivX DVD project. When my DVD is played, I would like the opening screen to list all 100 tracks (that's TDA3 terminology).

1) When I auto-generate the menu, I get a title page with links to the tracks. But instead of the track playing, I have to click PLAY. How do I link to the track and when selected it just plays?

2) I placed 36 AVI tracks for testing. One of the menu templates allowed 24 links. Is there a way to get more links? I tried adding a text item and linking it, but I see no where to link to a track. Help section doesn't have anything on Link editing. The ideal situation would be to list the numbers 1 through 100 on the very first page and link all of them to respective tracks.

3) I haven't gotten this far yet, but when I add AVI tracks, the disc space bar guage at the bottom of the screen advances. Does this take into account the compression capability of DivX?

thanks!

[guns1inger]

Put all the avi files on one track and they will become chapters. This might solve your menu problem.

There is a limitation to the number of items on a menu for DVDs (36 for 4:3 menus, and I believe 18 for 16:9 layouts), and I assume there is for Divx menus as well. I don't know what it might be though. You really need to read the help files/manual that comes with the software. You may have to make some changes to the auto layout to get closer to what you want.

if you are creating a Divx disc, then the guage will be giving you size based on the compression settings you have entered.

[TBoneit]

100 titles on one screen? I think you are pushing it. If you manage the titles will be so small as to be unreadable or so short in length as to be useless.

I suggest you rethink your goal and how to achieve it. For AVI's why re-encode to Divx instead of just burning as a data disc and playing in something like a Philips 5960? Or turn into a true DVD with less clips per DVD?

First off, Why are you autogenerating a Menu. GO custom and make the choices you wopuld like not what some programmer likes.

The space bar is accurate. It has already taken the compredded size of the files into account.

You have an ultra Divx Player? Or the menus and chapters won't work. So you could try breaking your full DVD up into 4 .divx files with 24 each + 96 per disc.

Example one .divx for The Pretenders, One for ZZ Top, One for the B-52s and so on. Or one for the 60's, one for the 70's and one for the 80's or one for 1975 another for 1976 and so on.

[shankie]

100 titles on one screen? I think you are pushing it.

I can just use numbers. That would fit fine.

why re-encode to Divx

That's what was requested. I need to compress some 350 minutes to fit onto 1 DVD disc.

Why are you autogenerating a Menu

Lazy, speed and new to the software.

GO custom

I'm trying that, but it does not appear the software allows that. I cannot find how to link extra buttons to given AVI's. I do read the help section, but I don't see diddly on linking.

You have an ultra Divx Player? Or the menus and chapters won't work.

Is there a difference between DivX and Ultra DivX? Assuming yes, where do I find feature or spec comparisons?

I appreciate there are alternatives, but that's not an options for me. I know this is possible. It's been done before... only not be me. That's a hurdle I need to cross.

thanks!

[guns1inger]

If your player is not Divx Ultra certified then it will ignore all the menus and just give you a file list. On a PC, you would have to use the Divx Player to get the menus working. Go to Divx.com for more info. Sorry for assuming you were past this stage. I should have pointed it out at the start.

[jagabo]

http://www.divx.com/certification/

[shankie]

I finally got a hold of another company's version of a DivX DVD. Much to my surprise, it is nothing more that 150 AVI files. On my DivX DVD player the initial screen is a crude menu where I can scroll down and select a track. I can also punch any track number and that track will play. Put the disc in my computer and it plays with Windows Media Player.

What I expected was image image files like on a normal DVD. Did I miss something here? Is there such a thing as compressing AVI files in a DivX format and just copying them onto a DVD? Or did the line up all 150 AVI tracks and keep "twisting the compression screws" until they all fit?

thanks!

[jagabo]

What I expected was image image files like on a normal DVD. Did I miss something here?

Yes, to get fancy menus you need both a Divx Ultra certified player and Divx Ultra authored files with menus.

Is there such a thing as compressing AVI files in a DivX format and just copying them onto a DVD?

Yes, this is what everyone did before there were Divx Ultra certified players and authoring software. Actualy, it's what most people still do. I have no interest in pretty menus. I just want to see a list of files.

[shankie]

>>I have no interest in pretty menus. I just want to see a list of files<<

I have a DivX disc sample by which I will emulate. The root menu is a simple blue box titled SMART NAV I. The filename menu appears to only accept 11 characters of the filename plus the track numbers 1,2,3,4,5,etc. on the right hand side.

Is that a standard built-in menu designed by DivX or by the manufacturer? Is there any way I can manipulate that menu in such a way without doing a full-blown DVD menu? I'd like to fit more characters in a smaller font if possible.

Thanks!

[mats.hogberg]

That's probably the menu system built into the player. Nothing you can do about it. However, if your player is DivX Ultra certified, you can use TDA3 or DivX Author to author a DivX disk, and create a custom menu.

/Mats

[TBoneit]

Keep in mind that Even UltraDivx player will most likely require you to select the .divx file and play it to get to the divx files menu.
Autoplay would be nice however I suspect that would require only one divx file per disk to work and an ultra ultra certified player.

[shankie]

What's the general consensus regarding DivX vs Xvid around here? DivX is a standard and Xvid is open source. Do all DivX players play Xvid? Just curious....

thanks!

[mats.hogberg]

Do all DivX players play Xvid? Just curious....thanks!

Yes. Never generalize, but they are enough similar to be decoded by the same codec.
Silly players may look at the FourCC, and balk at "XVID" (even if it'd play) but then it's just a matter of changing the FourCC to "DX50" or "DIVX".

/Mats