XML: Someone please oversimplify it for me, a stupid idiot

[homerpez]

Hello.

I've read time and again the "tutorials" on this, they seem to be for programmers only.

Here's what I understand, as I see it.

If I have ONE VCD movie, and I want to have SEVERAL entrypoints, I need to use something like VCD2XML, and generate an XML document. Then, after the "Sequence" Tag where the movie resides, I just have to put in something like:

<entry id="Chapter1">0.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter2">15.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter3">30.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter4">45.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter5">60.00</entry>

I assume in seconds... and this magically makes entry points where I can use the "Track" buttons to go back and forth, or type in a number on the remote, and skip between them.

Then I have to run vcdxbuild (or something) to make a .bin image and .cue image (I still don't know where the .cue goes)...

It's frustrating... sometimes "read the docs" explains little or nothing to someone who has no starting point.

Can someone help give me a starting point?

[TTooL]

If you want to make chapters download TSCVv05b from my site.

[hvr]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
I've read time and again the "tutorials" on this, they seem to be for programmers only.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
well, at least the manual has been written by a programmer only

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
If I have ONE VCD movie, and I want to have SEVERAL entrypoints, I need to use something like VCD2XML, and generate an XML document. Then, after the "Sequence" Tag where the movie resides, I just have to put in something like:

<entry id="Chapter1">0.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter2">15.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter3">30.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter4">45.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter5">60.00</entry>
I assume in seconds... and this magically makes entry points where I can use the "Track" buttons to go back and forth, or type in a number on the remote, and skip between them.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
well, this highly depends on your player firmware.... some honour them some don't...

those who don't can usually be conviced into this behaviour by emulating it with appropriate PBC structures which come close to what you'd expect (although it's not perfect....)

see also vitualis' posts about chaptering and vcdimager

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
Then I have to run vcdxbuild (or something) to make a .bin image and .cue image (I still don't know where the .cue goes)...
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
running vcdxbuild.exe with the .xml file as argument creates the .bin and .cue file in the actual directory... this assumes, that you are calling it from the command line...

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
It's frustrating... sometimes "read the docs" explains little or nothing to someone who has no starting point.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

well, this should show, that it's not easy at all to write good documentation... it's sometimes even more difficult than writing the code

[artbatista]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-06 09:10:24, homerpez wrote:
Hello.

I've read time and again the "tutorials" on this, they seem to be for programmers only.

Here's what I understand, as I see it.

If I have ONE VCD movie, and I want to have SEVERAL entrypoints, I need to use something like VCD2XML, and generate an XML document. Then, after the "Sequence" Tag where the movie resides, I just have to put in something like:

<entry id="Chapter1">0.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter2">15.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter3">30.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter4">45.00</entry>
<entry id="Chapter5">60.00</entry>

I assume in seconds... and this magically makes entry points where I can use the "Track" buttons to go back and forth, or type in a number on the remote, and skip between them.

Then I have to run vcdxbuild (or something) to make a .bin image and .cue image (I still don't know where the .cue goes)...

It's frustrating... sometimes "read the docs" explains little or nothing to someone who has no starting point.

Can someone help give me a starting point?


</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

If it's any help, I am new at XML too (less than 24 hours), but with HVR's gracious help I was able to do the following, which closely approximates what you want plus a little more.

To get the entry points to work correctly you need to demux the MPG file and remux in BBMPEG (there's a how-to on this site somewhere).

Please note that this file is for a SVCD. Good luck

Art

================================================== ==========
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE videocd PUBLIC "-//GNU//DTD VideoCD//EN" "http://www.gnu.org/software/vcdimager/videocd.dtd">

<videocd xmlns="http://www.gnu.org/software/vcdimager/1.0/" class="svcd" version="1.0">

<info>
<album-id>ROSWELL</album-id>
<volume-count>1</volume-count>
<volume-number>1</volume-number>
<restriction>0</restriction>
</info>

<pvd>
<volume-id>ROSWELL01</volume-id>
<system-id>CD-RTOS CD-BRIDGE</system-id>
<application-id></application-id>
<preparer-id/>
<publisher-id>Arturo Batista</publisher-id>
</pvd>

<segment-items>
<segment-item src="mainmenu.mpg" id="menu"/>
</segment-items>

<sequence-items>
<sequence-item src="intro.mpg" id="intro"/>
<sequence-item src="OTM.mpg" id="main">
<entry id="chapter1">0.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter2">180.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter3">360.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter4">540.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter5">720.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter6">900.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter7">1080.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter8">1260.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter9">1440.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter10">1620.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter11">1800.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter12">1980.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter13">2160.00</entry>
<entry id="chapter14">2340.00</entry>
</sequence-item>
</sequence-items>

<pbc>

<selection id="select-menu">
<bsn>1</bsn>
<prev ref="play-intro"/>
<next ref="play-ch01 "/>
<default ref="play-ch01"/>
<timeout ref="play-intro"/>
<wait>10</wait>
<loop jump-timing="immediate">1</loop>
<play-item ref="menu"/>
</selection>

<playlist id="play-intro">
<prev ref="select-menu"/>
<next ref="play-ch01"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>1</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="intro"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch01">
<prev ref="play-intro"/>
<next ref="play-ch02"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter1"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch02">
<prev ref="play-ch01"/>
<next ref="play-ch03"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter2"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch03">
<prev ref="play-ch02"/>
<next ref="play-ch04"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter3"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch04">
<prev ref="play-ch03"/>
<next ref="play-ch05"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter4"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch05">
<prev ref="play-ch04"/>
<next ref="play-ch06"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter5"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch06">
<prev ref="play-ch05"/>
<next ref="play-ch07"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter6"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch07">
<prev ref="play-ch06"/>
<next ref="play-ch08"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter7"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch08">
<prev ref="play-ch07"/>
<next ref="play-ch09"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter8"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch09">
<prev ref="play-ch08"/>
<next ref="play-ch10"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter9"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch10">
<prev ref="play-ch09"/>
<next ref="play-ch11"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter10"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch11">
<prev ref="play-ch10"/>
<next ref="play-ch12"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter11"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch12">
<prev ref="play-ch11"/>
<next ref="play-ch13"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter12"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch13">
<prev ref="play-ch12"/>
<next ref="play-ch14"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter13"/>
</playlist>

<playlist id="play-ch14">
<prev ref="play-ch13"/>
<next ref="select-menu"/>
<return ref="select-menu"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<autowait>0</autowait>
<play-item ref ="chapter14"/>
</playlist>

</pbc>
</videocd>

[hvr]

btw, your example should have been done with selection lists:

• when the sequence the referenced entry point belongs reaches the end, the <next> target is used, which would restart the sequence from the next chapter
• for compliant playing devices, the prev/next buttons would jump to the next defined entry point for items in playlists, before getting on with the <next> target
• selection lists allow to differenciate between a user pressing the next-button (<next&gt and the play-item being played to the end (<timeout&gt; and in addition to that, for selection lists compliant devices ignore entry points.

[Truman]

here is a little example with a selection list. Thank to ttool, now I know, how it should look.

.....
<sequence-items>
<sequence-item scr="D:\test\test.mpg"id="sequence-0">
<entry id="entry0-0">0</entry>
<entry id="entry0-1">300</entry>
<entry id="entry0-2">600</entry>
<entry id="entry0-3">900</entry>
</sequence-item>
</sequence-items>
<pbc>
<selection id="selection-0">
<bsn>1</bsn>
<prev ref="end-1"/>
<next ref="selection-1"/>
<return ref="end-1"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<play-item ref="entry0-0"/>
<select ref="selection-0"/>
<select ref="selection-1"/>
<select ref="selection-2"/>
<select ref="selection-3"/>
</selection>
<selection id="selection-1">
<bsn>1</bsn>
<prev ref="selection-0"/>
<next ref="selection-2"/>
<return ref="end-1"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<play-item ref="entry0-1"/>
<select ref="selection-0"/>
<select ref="selection-1"/>
<select ref="selection-2"/>
<select ref="selection-3"/>
</selection>
<selection id="selection-2">
<bsn>1</bsn>
<prev ref="selection-1"/>
<next ref="selection-3"/>
<return ref="end-1"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<play-item ref="entry0-2"/>
<select ref="selection-0"/>
<select ref="selection-1"/>
<select ref="selection-2"/>
<select ref="selection-3"/>
</selection>
<selectin id="selection-3">
<bsn>1</bsn>
<prev ref="selection-2"/>
<next ref="end-1"/>
<return ref="end-1"/>
<wait>0</wait>
<play-item="entry0-3"/>
<select ref="selection-0"/>
<select ref="selection-1"/>
<select ref="selection-2"/>
<select ref="selection-3"/>
</selection>
<endlist id="end-1"/>
</pbc>
</videocd>

And for a starting point look here:
http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic?topic=51946&forum=10

[homerpez]

...duh...

I don't get it.

SOMEBODY MAKE A PROGRAM!!!!

[homerpez]

Wait... someone did... TSCV!

I tried it out, and it does seem to work as advertised, even with a non-standard VCD!

I did have a problem with my last one (said there was an error in te .cue file when I opened in NERO, but it did make the .bin properly)...

One question, though...

I noticed that on a test CD I did yesterday with totally random entrypoints (which worked), that if you let it play beyone and entrypont or two, then press "Skip Forward", it will jump to the next entrypoint from where you skipped last, NOT from where you are!

I apologize if this is a common problem asked about often (sounds like it), but is there any way to fix? I could always just use TSCV to make an XML file, then edit it and use vcdxbuild or something, I would think?...

[Truman]

There is no way to fix it. But if you use selection instead of playlist, you can use the numeric keys of the remote control.