Non-sequential PGC

[VRYK]

A video contains a single Title 1 which consists of two PGCs; the first is an introduction to the main film which latter is located at PGC2.
PgcEdit posts the following message: “Title 1 is flagged as one_sequential_title in the Title Play Map table. However, due to the Title characteristics or its PG playback mode, it is probably not safe to declare it so. .....”
The PGC Editor shows PGC1’s PG Playback Mode as Sequential and Next PGCN link as 2.

In fact, playback of the main film exhibits the characteristics of a non-sequential PG. Is there a work-around for this problem – e.g. by creating a separate title for the main film?

[r0lZ]

Yes. Clone the 2nd PGC, and when prompted, ask to create a new Title number. You'll end up with Title 1 (with 2 PGCs) and Title 2 with only the main movie PGC. Now, delete the second PGC in Title 1. Change the post-commands of Title 1 to jump to Title 2.
You may also have to modify the chapter buttons or other jumps to change the target Title number.

[VRYK]

Many thanks for your solution to the problem.

> delete the second PGC in Title 1<
I couldn’t find how to actually delete the PGC – instead I killed its playback. The one_sequential_title warning continues to appear for Title 1 – should I declare it as not one_sequential? The main thing is that the main movie is now playing normally.

[r0lZ]

If you are sure that the PGC is now totally uncalled (no commands or NextPGCN link point to it), use DVD -> Delete uncalled PGCs. It will be deleted automatically.

You can also delete it manually. You need to move it at the end of the VTST domain with Domain -> Remap PGCs, then delete it with Domain -> Delete last PGC. Then use Info -> Find Jumps to Nowhere to be sure that no jumps to the now non-existent PGC remains in the DVD.

When the PGC has been deleted, you can fix the not-one_sequential flag.

[VRYK]

Many thanks – the video is now playing correctly.

I should like to revert to a problem encountered when creating a new menu. The background and subpic images were created in PS Elements with the same canvas size (720x576 pixels). When re-introducing the subpic BMP image into DVDSubEdit, the latter posts an error:
“Error: The bitmap size should match the picture size for this DVD”.
The image displayed in DVDSubEdit has in fact been cropped horizontally. I don’t understand how this could happen.
Incidentally, although there is just one button in the menu there are two subpics.

[r0lZ]

Not sure why you got that error. Anyway, save the original bitmap and modify it without changing its dimensions. That should work.

A 4:3 menu has always a single subpic stream, and a 16:9 menu must have 2 or even 3 subpic streams, corresponding to the allowed display modes.

[VRYK]

Thought I had found the answer to both the size conflict and the presence of two subpics. The format box on the left of the DVDSubEdit window was set to 16:9 Pan & Scan. Anyhow, I modified the subpic and set the format to 4:3, but I still get the same error message. DVDSubEdit returns each time to 16:9 Pan & Scan – doesn’t seem to like 4:3.

[r0lZ]

The 16:9 p&s is only the display mode of the current subpic. You should select the other subpic with the same content (or the other subpic stream) to see the 4:3 subpic. (DVDSubEdit changes the display of the video accordingly.)

Anyway, the display mode doesn't matter for importing a subpic image. If the original one is 720x576, you should be able to import a 720x576 subpic image. To be sure, as I suggested, export the original subpic, and modify it. It's easier than importing a new image made from scratch.

[VRYK]

As you suggested, I selected the other subpic, but the aspect ratio remained 16:9 p&s. Using Automatic CLUT and with the ratio set to 4:3, the exported subpic was 720x480 pixels, which I changed to 720x576 canvas size and added a black highlight area. Still got the same error message.
“Error: The bitmap size should match the picture size for this DVD”.
Re-exporting the subpic, the latter had changed to 720x480.

I repeated this several times (including after reinstalling DVDSubEdit (v. 1.52)), but with the same result. I also tried using the IFO CLUT- but to no avail.

[r0lZ]

You are trying to replace a NTSC bitmap with a PAL bitmap. That cannot work. If the original subpic is 720x480, you MUST use that dimension.

[VRYK]

The menu image bitmap file, which I took from the video, is 720x576 pixels.

[r0lZ]

[...] the exported subpic was 720x480 pixels [...]

?

[VRYK]

Sorry for the apparent confusion here.
My statement which you quote in your reply refers to the subpic file which I re-exported (save current subpic as a bitmap) from DVDSubEdit after having imported it (Replace current subic with BMP file), whereas the menu image bitmap file refers to what my previously cited guide refers to as the “menu image”. This appears to be the whole problem for DVDSubEdit which finds that the two files have different dimensions. I captured the menu image from the video and since it is 720x576 pixels the video must be PAL.
I don’t understand why DVDSubEdit wants to redimension into NTSC the subpic file I created in PAL and afterwards complains that the menu image and supic files have different dimensions.

[r0lZ]

I don't understand either. What does PgcEdit prints in Domain Stream Attributes of that menu? NTSC or PAL?

[VRYK]

PgcEdit’s Streams attributes window shows NTSC (720x480). Accordingly, I modified the menu image to 720x480 and that fixed the problem. Thanks so much for your help. The menu image was created in VobBlanker by playing the video and saving a BMP image. It remains a mystery for me why this image saved as 720x576 – this convinced me that the video was PAL.
Incidentally, the far-right column of the attributes window (“PAL only:”) has Camera selected. What does this mean ?