Replacing one DVD menu with another?

[ericf]

I have a friend who has asked me if I can put a menu from one DVD on a second DVD. I think it's the same movie though.

Can anyone tell me if this is possible and, if so, what programs to use?
Do I have to re-connect/re-build the commands to the VOBs?

Can such a menu work without any edits? Or is it impossible for the new menu to work without edits on the new DVD?

Thank you.
ericf

[rkr1958]

If the titles have approximately the same running time you could use Vobblanker to replace the titles on the DVD with the menus you want to keep with the titles from the other DVD.

I did something similar once with Vobblanker when I have a title that have a/v sync issues. I replaced it with one that didn't.

[manono]

Hi,

It would probably be easier to replace the movie than the menus. That is, rather than put a new menu on the movie, I'd put a new movie on the menu. Then, if you're lucky you may not have to change any menu commands.

I'd open the DVD in PGCEdit and then replace the movie by highlighting the movie and going File->Replace VTST Titles. You'll have to first reauthor the movie you'll be putting in there using DVD Shrink. That way it's the movie alone, with no menus or anything else on the DVD.

This guide explains another way of doing it:

http://www.digital-digest.com/~blutach/adding_back_menus/adding_back_original_menus.htm

Again, you'll first have to reauthor the movie to lose the original menus.

[FallenAngel10]

You could use Titlewriter

[tinker]

If you are replacing menus between two DVD, than one simple tool is DVDRemake. Just copy and paste menu PGC.

[Alex_ander]

... put a menu from one DVD on a second DVD. I think it's the same movie though.
Can anyone tell me if this is possible and, if so, what programs to use?

It is always possible with DVDRemake, I often do it for moving menus from video manager to a VTS (sometimes needed at joining DVDs) or inserting a new menu built separately.

Do I have to re-connect/re-build the commands to the VOBs?

Yes, at least the button commands.
Here's how I do it.
1. Remove all video blocks from old menu PGCs with delete key.
2. Add menu PGCs copied from a VTS (or VMG) in another DVD project (or from another domain in the same project).
3. Replace pre-/post commands in added menu pages with old ones (copied by list from old menu PGCs).
4.Edit button commands.
5.Edit commands used for addressing menu pages (since their PGC numbers have changed).

[ericf]

Thanks for all the answers!

I'm not sure I understand it all but I will try to do this using the re-author method.
Thank you, manono. This isn't really something I want to do but since my friend asked if I could do it...

I don't know anything about DVDRemake. And so I don't understand the instructions you gave me for editing the button commands, Alex_ander. Do you do all the steps you've mentioned in DVDRemake? Especilally points 3-5 are difficult to understand.

I am not a total newbie but I've only tinkered with DVDs to add subtitles to them.

Thank you again.
ericf

[Alex_ander]

I don't know anything about DVDRemake. And so I don't understand the instructions you gave me for editing the button commands, Alex_ander. Do you do all the steps you've mentioned in DVDRemake? Especilally points 3-5 are difficult to understand.

Yes, everything is done inside DVDRemake.
I'll try to give more detail.
p.3 When you add a new menu PGC (copied from another disc), it gets next PGC number and comes with its own pre-commands list, post-commands list, button commands and color schemes. To keep navigation working you want to use old commands instead of data from another DVD. Pre- and post- commands are still in the PGCs you 've deleted blocks from, so it is easy to copy them and paste ('add copied' command) to the new PGC's lists instead of data from another DVD.
p.4 Then (assuming both menus have the same number of buttons, with same numbers) you take old button commands (e.g. by opening old DVD in one more project for reference) and use them in new menu.
p.5 As mentioned, new menu PGCs have numbers different from old ones, so to provide access to new menu pages, you edit commands mentioning PGC numbers of old pages (those PGCs are still in menu domain but have no video blocks) by changing the mentioned numbers. It is easy to find all those commands since they are all inside current VTS. They can be found in menu (empty) PGCs pre-command lists or pre-command list of movie PGC(s).
One more thing that sometimes needs editing is setting menu category. If an old menu PGC had a category like 'root menu', 'chapters menu', it should be moved to the new menu PGC.

Yes, re-authoring is much easier, but when it is important to use some special menu, the solution is different.

[ericf]

Thanks, Alex_ander.
I don't know when I'll be doing this but I do appreciate ou taking time to explain how it can be done.
Thank you.
ericf

[rkr1958]

Give Vobblanker (replace title) a shot ... piece a cake if it works with your title. If it doesn't it won't take you long to find out.