GUIforDVDAuthor-How Can I Change the Starting Frame For Auto Animated Menus

[Laysan_A]

Hi,

I'm using GUIForDVDAuthor to create an episodic dvd with animated buttons - one for each episode. I really like the convenience of this program's automatic creation function, but it just so happens that the starting frame for the animation is right smack at the beginning of the intro - which is the same for each episode. Kind of defeats the purpose of having animations. All four are exactly the same.

I cannot figure out how (or even if I can) change the starting frame for auto generation. Can anyone help. I think I could manage to make them myself, but who doesn't like convenience?

Anyone know?

Thanks!

[borax]

Sorry, there is no convenient possibility to use another starting frame yet. The most easy possibility is to start the advanced chapter editor, move the slider to a suitable starting frame and save a clip. Then use this clip as animation. I will think about using a later starting frame automatically. But there is one restriction: The starting frame must be a GOP sequence header (usually an I-frame). Therefore it is a little bit complicated.

[Laysan_A]

Thanks very much borax.

Yeah, I've not done any video editing yet. I've read a bit about it, here and there, but there are a lot of variables to remember, and my memory for these kinds of details isn't what it should be.

Thanks for the tip about the advanced chapter editor. I've been trying to figure out the steps in the process: trying to understand the avisynth script, the d2v files, and dgindex, to see where I could most easily insert my changes in the process. I'm still not sure how it goes. I think the clips are generated, then the d2vs, then the avisynth is run to achieve the final m2v. I had thought about inserting my own clips in the temp file, after renaming them to match the originals, but I can't figure out where the exact timing of the video sequence is determined - in the original clips, or in the d2vs. My sense is that the timing of the final clips is important in relation to the length of the sound clip in the loop, and if it doesn't match exactly the menu won't play. If the instruction for the length of the m2vs is in the d2vs then it seems it shouldn't matter how long the source clips are - this would make it much easier on my poor skill level to do.

Anyway, thanks again borax.

[borax]

There is another problem involved here:
In order to speed up the indexing process for dgindex, I copy the necessary part (usually only some seconds to minutes) from the mpeg file in a temp mpeg file and use this as source for the animations, not the whole movie. Therefore it is not very easy to create an offset here (in the avisynth script), but it would be possible. You need to set up a longer animation time in GfD (like 90 seconds), create the scripts (Click on Create DVD) with 'Edit author.xml file before DVD creation process' turned on. In the editor load the script for the concerned menu (like MMScript.avs). Shorten the total length of the animation (like from length=2700 to length=1800). For each line with titleX=MPEG2Source... use a Trim(YYY,0) statement (with YYY = starting frame). For the given example here YYY would be something like 900 (30 second for a 30 fps NTSC stream).

Example line:
title1=MPEG2Source("C:\Test\Test1_avs.d2v").Conver tToRGB32().Crop( 0, 0, -0, -0).bilinearresize( 90 , 72).Trim(900,0).Loop()

Click 'Save and go'

But it would be probably more easy to use the Advanced Chapter Editor. Just start it from the Video and audio file dialog, move the slider to the starting frame and save as clip. Back in GfD, right click on the animation (the avisynth picture). In the following dialog at the bottom you can change the animation file. Click on the 'Open' icon, select 'Outdir' as Search folder and find the clip you have just saved in ChapEditGFD. That's all.
The major advantage for this way is, that you can find your starting frame 'visually'.

[Laysan_A]

Thanks borax. That sounds MUCH easier, but will I have problems getting the timing to match the audio loop and what about frame matching (I need to start on an I and end on, what, an I minus 1, or is it another I frame)? Am I just creating complexities where none exist?

[spamiaint]

It might be easier to trim it in an external program, you will have a different animation for the button than for the titleset, but it's a bit easier to do. MPEG Streamclip lets you select sections by I-frames for easy removal, and doesn't recompress the source when you save.

[borax]

but will I have problems getting the timing to match the audio loop and what about frame matching

No problem. The menus are reencoded in each case. ChapeditGFD will only let you start with an I-Frame for the clip. And if the Clip is to short, it will just restart earlier (because of the Loop() at the end of the statement) and if it is longer, it gets cut down to the given length (length=XXXX - first line in the script).

Am I just creating complexities where none exist?

Yes. But it is always better to anticipate complexities and be happy to sort them out as the other way round

[Laysan_A]

Thanks again, borax, and btw, GFD is GREAT! Thanks!