TitleWriter ver 4.21 - add DVD text/Menus/Automation - 19 May2007

[FallenAngel]

Where do I get v.2.7 beta? Please give link.

Same Upload link as Titlewriterfiles says Beta in the filename

Okay -- In your snapshot the "Thumbnail Error" filename is not the same as the first line after Video_ts (How this happened I have no idea -- Unless you have hand edited folder/filenames after tw import/or while TW was running -- Obvious Bad Thing -- I would swear this was impossible any other way)

The Thumbnail viewer uses Pgceditpreview (which is very finicky about file names/paths as are many other programs)

Don't use special characters &*()_ etc just alphabet and underscores KISS

Microsoft really dropped the ball on allowing ambiguous file paths without supporting them cleanly in CLI's

I Now believe you have completely destroyed your compiliation at some point with all this mucking about. Pgcedit/Vobblanker/TW and hand editing filenames/paths

While I realise you just want the chapter menu you may have tinkered/destroyed the menus (Since you failed) long before TW even starts and TW's importing garbage. That plus the filename ambiguity is making things impossible.

You tried to Put the cart before the horse (changing internal menu behavior/content before you got them compiled and running and got burned)

And keep trying to fix something thats totally broke -- chasing your tail

I see what you want to do and where you are going
It just isn't this hard

Just did the whole smear via tw in under 15 min for 3 movies-- With good DVDShrunk source files and clean ripped menus
Imported Menus via TW
Happyfaced each Menu (To make sure navigation was clean)
Changed Play buttons in VMG to point to Root menus (Via Copy/Paste)
Then first command in each Vts root menu to point to Chapter Menu (Via copy/paste)

So the play "buttons" in switcher go directly on playback to chapter menu for each movie
Which I think is where you want to go.

You have 2 options at this point

Reripp All (if using MenuShrink to reduce size) or (To get clean menus ("templates")-You only have to rip all ifo's and vts_??_0.vobs for TW)
TW -- Undo changes (I'm fairly sure your DVDShrunk files are still good) Close TW
Delete TW's _UNDO folder
Rename DVDShrunk folder (Eliminate "technically" bad characters
Ignore Pgcedit/Vobblanker completely (since you failed with them) -- You can get where you want via DvdShrink, MenuShrink, and TW's GUI
You can MenuShrink the menu's pre TW import Pre DvdShrink (To reduce size)
And reimport menus Via TW

or

Undo in tw and use the Menu4Movie as is (Don't change the individual import menu for each Vts) (it ain't pretty but it always works)
(you could change the play to point to Main Vts root (which is a chapter selector) if you please)

Let me Know --Bye
FAllenAngel

[rock_king_my]

v2.7 & Still crashing ...

Hi<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
<o> </o>
Ok, found version 2.7.<o></o>
<o> </o>
I think I prefer the first option as I don’t have to re-rip all the movies:<o></o>
Re-rip rip all ifo's and vts_??_0.vobs for TW to get clean menus ("templates")<o></o>
By this I assume vts_01_0.vob but not vts_02_0.vob, vts_03_0.vob, etc.<o></o>
TW Undo changes, Close TW, Delete TW's _UNDO folder <o></o>
Ok easy
Rename DVDShrunk folder<o></o>
It’s now called ZZZ_DVDSHRINK_TW
Ignore Pgcedit/Vobblanker completely<o></o>
Ok, will ignore them
You can MenuShrink the menu's pre TW import Pre DvdShrink (To reduce size)
Do I have to do this? Each scene selection page (for all movies) are NOT animated anyway & got NO background music so I assume they are small enough as there are
And reimport menus Via TW
Sounds easy
<o></o>
I tried to do the above but NOT importing the original menus for each movie & NOT using MENUSHRINK at the moment but I imported menu4movie template like before. Tick the boxes & Save Changes & now I got error message as shown in Screenshots 12 & 13.
<o></o>
It looks worse this time as last time it didn’t crash when I clicking Save Changes. Same with v2.6.
<o></o>
<o>Can you explain what these crash/error messages mean?</o>

Regards.

[FallenAngel]

Okay just uploaded another 2.7Beta hopefully finally fixed Pgceditpreview crashing and locking up TW.

I don't think the gods like you -- might even say they hate you

By this I assume vts_01_0.vob but not vts_02_0.vob, vts_03_0.vob, etc.>>

Why would you assume that -- it would only work if the orig menus for each movie are in vts_01_0.vob

I hope you didnt rip the ifo's and vobs into the shrunk folder -- that would screw up everything

The Only time you see that happen On add menu with a generic is when something in the Shrunk folder is badly toasted (haven't seen it myself ever with DVDShrunk compiliations) --try opening the Shrunk compiliation in DVDShrink if it crashes the compiliation is gone ---
if dvdshrink accepts it goto reauthor mode and make a new clean 3 movie compiliation from the old. (If dvdshrink crashs --its gone) then clean out the trash compiliations.

Personally I'd start all over from scratch Delete everything -- Rerip everything from orig disks and go from there. You are working way to hard to fix potentially/almost certainly damaged goods.


PS in you screenshots you are showing the error window --its pretty useless to anyone outside of Microsoft -- I'd rather see the last entries in Tw's log window

[hello people]

Nosing in here...but I'm about to start using TW. I have a DVD that has no menus or chapters or anything.

I downloaded all the files for TW. Is the next step to install those?

Can you TW program ad a menu so I can allocate chapters to the DVD?

thanks

[FallenAngel]

I downloaded all the files for TW. Is the next step to install those?

Just extract from the zipped folders -- add a shortcut to titlewriter.exe somewhere

Can you TW program ad a menu so I can allocate chapters to the DVD?

Your question is a tad fuzzy
-- TW will just use existing chapter points in "movie" to map chapter calls when importing menu of your choice

Or yes it adds a menu -- but cannot add chapters to a "movie" that does not have them (thats an authoring step)

So it adds a menu to reach chapters that already exist

You can probably get some sort of chapters in using IfoEdit >> Create Ifo's --- Pre TitleWriter

[gonwk]

Hi folks,

@FallenAngel, is there a "Dummy Proof" instruction on how to use TW. I am going besirk ... and the more I read the more confused I get.

All I am trying to do is make a simple menu for 3 Video clips (DVD Compliant) that I have. You know burn the dvd with menu ... put it in my dvd player and choose which clip to play.

Thanks!
G!

[gonwk]

Hi FallenAngel,

I keep trying to figure this thing out ... now that I think I got some head way ... the program crashes on me with "ntdll.dll" as the cause of it.

I don't know what I am doing wrong.

Can you or anyone else shed any light.

THANKS!
G!

[djkilla]

If I only add a title/name to a DVD and nothing else, do I need to have 'DVD_Text Sorting' checked/on?

'DVD_Text Sorting' is only needed if a second text line is added or other additional text is added correct?

Is 'DVD_Text Sorting' necessary?

-D j K i l l a-

[FallenAngel]

djkilla --

Yes you need it for any modern player
(I have a Sony DVD player -- Model StoneAge that doesn't like sorting) -- I think it was just a design bug in that player alone)
Thats why I added the option -- Just leave it on (Ticked)

You lose some functionallity in DVD menu selectors/loaders of Jukes and multidisk players where sorting isn't present.

Gonwk--
Simply open DVDShrunk compiliation folder -- Click first line (In Select Menus to add to compiliation view) Browse to Menu4Movies Click Add Menu Click Menu is Generic --click Save Changes
--- or do you mean you are making your own Menu Ala DVDLab etc

Can someone automate TitleWriter program to become as easy as RipIt4ME. I guess I better say "Dummy Proof" it for some of us (ME).

Don't think its possible -- Ripit4Me is a crunch processor -- Tw is essentially a paste like editor -- Most editing requires user selection amongst virtually infinite paths

Ver 2.7 will contain an option that if a ripped folder is opened -- And DVDShrink icon is selected
TW will start DVDShrink (reauthor mode) -- when shrink is done readd orig menu back (All as a single click) and create DVD-Text from shrunk Target filename
(It turns out that about 95% of the time this is what I end up doing)

[gonwk]

Hi FAllen Angel,

THANK YOU MUCH for your Wonderful Program (TW 2.7Beta). Your pointer helped me and it worked yohooooo!

Thanks Again!

G!

[gonwk]

Hi Fallen Angel,

I have a Question ... Is it Normal for this to happen ... I just opened one of my ISO files with VLC Player ... and an ODD thing happened ... before the movie to start to play it momentarily showed the "MENU4MOICES" display that I had used while using TW. I clicked it ISO few times using VLC ... same thing happened so in my Panic I went to REMOVE the TW program from ADD/REMOVE of my XP Prof window ... and I did not see the program so I highlighted the folder that it had TW in it and I wanted to delete the "Executable" file and everything ... and I decided to try the VLC program and some other ISO ... and this time it cleared itself.

Can you shed some light on this Weird Phenomenon?

Thanks!
G!

[FallenAngel]

When using a Generic the Generic Menu Switcher should come up first (and stay up)-- You can't Start Play with movie 1 with a SimpleMenu.

Did you tick Menu Is Generic???


TW does not "Install" just Unzip and use --- To remove just delete the folder TitleWriterfiles

Is it Normal for this to happen ... I just opened one of my ISO files with VLC Player ... and an ODD thing happened ... before the movie to start to play it momentarily showed the "MENU4Movies" display that I had used while using TW.

No idea
Do you mean it showed the TW main Page (TW doesn't associate any file with itself) or the Menu4Movies menu
Was TW closed at the time?.
What is "VLC" player


The ver 2.7Beta (At the download site) has some bugs (it is a Beta)
Just wait a bit -- I have 2.7 release ready(I think) and new simple menus -- Currently updating Help files from rtf to HTML

[r0lZ]

What is "VLC" player

http://www.videolan.org/

[gonwk]

Hi FAllen Angel, disregard my earlier comment ... whatever it was it cleared itself ... so I am not sweeting anymore ... THANKS!

@ r0lZ, I like VLC Version 0.8.1 over the newer one ... since it allows me when I right-click to pick the VLC Media Player to play with. When I downloaded version 0.8.5 it took away that option!!!!!!
I don't understand why they would do away with that feature!?!?! It almost sounds like Microsoft ... when upgrading they tend to take away some of the old goodies!

G!

[Vaios]

Hello
Is there a guide somewhere for titlewriter?
What I want to do is join 3 minidvds from a dvdcam in dvdshrink but also keep the menus. What`s the easiest procedure for this ?
And which of the three zip files should I download?
Thanks a lot ....