HOWTO : Creating menu-mpg's using still's (for VCDimager)

[Betamax]

Hi,
Can anyone tell me which procedure I must follow (just how, which apps to use, etc) to create an interactive menu for use via VCDimager.
I allready know the formats, but when I use for instance 704x576 (PAL) as still for VCD2.0, how must I create the MPeG?
I don't need to know how to create the menu itself in VCDimager, it's just the creation of the MPeG's. I already have searched this site (at a glance) without success...

Anyone, please help...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Betamax on 2001-09-08 06:17:28 ]</font>

[digvid]

Have you tried Nero 5.5.4.0 (www.ahead.de)? You can drop bmp, jpg, etc., files in it, choose "image writer" as your output device, and write a .nrg file to disc. Then you can use VCDImager's utility, vcdxrip to extract the mpeg stills. If you run "vcdxminfo --generic-info" on them, it will show you the stats--ntsc or pal, resolution, and it will even state that it is an mpeg-1 or mpeg-2 still. One final note about Nero: In order for the .nrg file to be good, you also have to include an mpeg video. I usually encode a very short video and name it dummy.mpg and use that.

Good luck!

- digvid

[Betamax]

On 2001-09-08 07:40:26, digvid wrote:
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use VCDImager's utility, vcdxrip to extract the mpeg stills. If you run "vcdxminfo --generic-info" on them, it will show you the stats--ntsc or pal, resolution, and it
Good luck!
- digvid
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NO! This is not a good option.
Currently I'm writing a GUI for VCDimager. The intension is that I (and the users of my app) easely (and simple) can create a menu-page for usage with VCDimager without using apps like Nero.

Thanks anyway..

[kitty]

I believe there is a mailing list or board for VCDimager GUI developers. You should e-mail hvr for more info.

[Vejita-sama]

The GUI you want is TSCV (www.ttool.org) it allows you to add menus (motion or stills), seamless chapters, intro/exit MPEGs, etc. etc.

It's still beta but I've never had any 'major' problems with it. Just read the guides first and it's pretty easy.

[Betamax]

On 2001-09-08 10:40:23, Vejita-sama wrote:
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The GUI you want is TSCV (www.ttool.org) it allows you to add menus (motion or stills), seamless chapters, intro/exit MPEGs, etc. etc.
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Daa...
Didn't I already mention that I'm developping a GUI my own? Why the hell would I then go using someone else's GUI for VCDimager?

[Vejita-sama]

Actually you DID NOT mention that in your first message (see below).

<quote>
Can anyone tell me which procedure I must follow (just how, which apps to use, etc) to create an interactive menu for use via VCDimager.
</quote>

If you ask which apps to use I take that to mean "Which apps to use" not "I'm making my own program and would like to know...."

[digvid]

Betamax -

I guess I'm not quite sure exactly what it is you want to know. Could you please clarify. Also, I think that Vejita-sama and I both had good intentions in answering your questions, so there is no reason to be hostile.

If you are writing a GUI for VCDImager that would allow us to easily create menu-mpeg-stills, there are plenty of people (including me) who would love to test it, give feedback, etc. So just clarify what you want to know and we will try to help!

- digvid

[Betamax]

Sorry , it was not my intension to be impolite.

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Actually you DID NOT mention that in your first message
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No, not in the first one but it was in the reply that came after at the message of 'digvid'
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Currently I'm writing a GUI for VCDimager. The intension is that I (and the users of my app) easely (and simple) can create a menu-page for usage with VCDimager without using apps like Nero.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
What I'm looking for are s/w, tools, ways that I (and any user of my app) can/must use(/do) for creating a still-mpeg, using a plain JPeG or other type of image.

HVR (author of VCDimager) advised me for the MPeGtools at OpenSource, but they all are for Linux (which I don't have) and even are not compiled yet (my vc++ doesn't understand code for other compilers).

So, I'm still with many question -->> like this

Sorry and Tx.

[kitty]

The GUIs for VCDimager have it easy to a degree because they can format input to VCDimager to do the low level work (don't get me wrong, TSCV does AOLT of work to get inputs to VCDimager, it is NOT trivial to do menus & chapters).

Still menu creation has not matured to this point. The people doing MJPEG tools have some code going around and there is an alpha tool floating but most of this is in source code. A good C/c++ programmer could format this into Visual C++ but it will take work & understanding of what is going on. A package which reads GIF, JPEG, & BMP into memory would be handy too.

We understand your frustration as many of us want a good still creation program without buying Nero, burning then ripping, etc.

Da Kitty

[legman]

I suggest you look at tscv then. You can copy the way that ttools does it. That badd ass mf! lol

He uses tmpgenc to encode a bmp to mpeg. Mpeg still. That is what you want. Right?

I suggest you get a bit more experience with actual encing before taking on this endevor. There ia much to know about mpeg2 and complientcy. 3:2 pulldown., pack sizes, off sets and such. Get it wrong, jsut a tad, and several people will have mpegs that won't play properly.

You will never top tscv anyway. This proggie is da bomb! And it's free too.

Best of all, the author never is impolite or looses his patience.

[Betamax]

On 2001-09-08 16:56:47, kitty wrote:
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Still menu creation has not matured to this point. The people doing MJPEG tools have some code going around and there is an alpha tool floating but most of this is in source code. A good C/c++ programmer could format this into Visual C++ but it will take work & understanding of what is going on. A package which reads GIF, JPEG, & BMP into memory would be handy too.
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This is what I intend to do.
As soon my current project (basic app that can be used for creating XML for VCDimager) is working proberly, I'll start the converting of MPeG-Tools into VC++. After that I'll create a GUI of it as well, and if necessary/possible I create a DLL too so other users (like I and my GUI for VCDimager) can use it into any app directly. It will take some time (the conversion) but now I know what to do.
Tx. Kitty, but for a start I use TMPEGenc to create stills.