Inserting one .mkv file into the middle of another .mkv file

[Cinderwolf]

Sorry for the lack of detail in the title for this post. Last night I had taught myself how appending with mkv files works within the MKVtoolnix itself, but that was a simple matter of "introfile"+"episode1"+"credits" and the appending feature took care of the rest (had to fine tune the subtitles in the 2nd and 3rd portions, but that was remedied quickly enough).

My problem today is another series I have that wasn't created traditionally: Intro and credits are separate mkv files and the episodes are their own separate files like before- but this time the first 2 minutes of each episode airs and THEN the "intro.mkv" plays, then the remainder of "episode1.mkv" plays, followed by the "credits.mkv" (chapter information in each "episode" file tells VLC where switch between the episode, intro, back to episode, then to credits.

What I want to do is make the entire episode whole again as one singular file (my Plex system doesn't handle files like this and I'll never see either the credits or intro if I try watching it thusly).

Does the "append" in the MKVtoolnix only "join" the first file to the second at their respective "beginning-to-end" or will it "insert" the intro where it's supposed to be?
If not, how can I accomplish the insertion of one .mkv audio/video/subtitle stream into the middle of another with the same effect of appending?


Just to put it out there so it's on the internet: I hate when files are created like this... -sigh-

[jagabo]

Split (Output tab, Splitting, Split mode...) the file where you want to insert the other clip. Then append the three clips. Be aware that you can only split on keyframes, and there may be as much as 10 seconds or more between them. So you may not be able to insert exactly where you want to. You may end up having to edit/reencode the videos.

[Cinderwolf]

Hmm... I wondered if I'd have to potentially have them re-encoded. I'm really starting to loathe anyone who splits them like this... -sigh- Thanks for the suggestions though! I managed to view the chapter info to see the exact timecode but it split with a difference of about two seconds so it isn't right.
I'll see if I can't come up with a better re-encode somehow.

Thanks again!

[videobruger]

You didn't use "Before chapters" as splitting mode?


[Attachment 44182 - Click to enlarge]

[sneaker]

He's talking about "Ordered Chapters". It's useless to try with simple splitting. The only way is to first split and then join (like jagabo said). And of course you may run into the usual splitting/joining complications (different headers, OpenGOP, lack of keyframes ...)