AC3 files

Widetrack wrote on 10/9/2008, 5:55 PM
Trying to load AC3 files rendered by Vegas along with MPEG-2 audio in DVDA''s audio tracks.

in the Project Overview window, I Click on the little green Video media icon below the menu into which it's loaded, and on the right, the Media Properties window appears. I click the Track Media button there and see "video" and "audio 1" listed. I can click on the field to the right of the Video field, and select the video file I want.

this is good.

But when I click on the field to the right of the "Audio 1" field, I can't see any of the AC3 files.

How do I make DVDA see these AC3 files so I can get them into the project? I've set the audio to AC3 in the properties dialog. Are there other settings I need to set?

Comments

Widetrack wrote on 10/9/2008, 6:26 PM
Ok.

Figured out a workaround.

If you click on a video file in the Project Overview window, so the timeline for that file comes up, you can actually drag the audio file onto an audio track! Bingo. Go know;.

BUT...be sure you name the audio file EXACTLY the same--except for the 3-letter extension--as the video file. Otherwise DVDA will get all huffy and not let you use the AC3 file you want to use.

In this case, I'd rendered a version xx.2 of the video file but since I'd made no changes to the audio track, I left it named without the "xx.2".

What a relief that DVDA kept me in my wrong-headedness from using that badly-named audio file!

I can only imagine the price I'd have paid down the line for doing that. Now, under the protection of DVDA, I've already paid the price of having to fiddle around all afternoon just to execute this simple move. So I know I'll be fine down the road.
bStro wrote on 10/9/2008, 7:36 PM
There are a few ways to attach an audio file to your video, and I wouldn't consider any of them "workarounds." They're simply the standard ways of doing it.

1. The method you found: Navigate into the video and drag your audio file onto the timeline's audio track.

2. Navigate into the video, go the Media Properties window, and select the Audio track you want to set. Then click the arrow to the right of that setting, choose Replace, and browse for your audio file.

3. As you mentioned, give your audio file the same name (other than extension) as your video file and put it in the same directory -- and DVDA will automatically attach that audio file when you add the video file.

By the way, #3 is the only method which requires that your audio file have the same name as the video file, so I'm not sure where you're coming from. I've never had any problem with DVDA using differently-named audio files with the other methods.

Rob
Widetrack wrote on 10/9/2008, 7:59 PM
Rob:

Thanks you for the reply.

You said:
"2. Navigate into the video, go the Media Properties window, and select the Audio track you want to set. Then click the arrow to the right of that setting, choose Replace, and browse for your audio file."

When I do this, I don't see ANY AC3 files, regardless of their names.

Also:

"3. As you mentioned, give your audio file the same name (other than extension) as your video file and put it in the same directory -- and DVDA will automatically attach that audio file when you add the video file."

That sounds right. Unfortunately, in this instance, I'd already loaded video without having even rendered audio. So when I did render the audio and went to load it . . . you know the rest.

And,
"By the way, #3 is the only method which requires that your audio file have the same name as the video file, so I'm not sure where you're coming from. I've never had any problem with DVDA using differently-named audio files with the other methods."

Nor am I aware of your origin.

When I tried dragging any differently named audio file to an audio track, I got the "slash in a circle" sign, and if I accidentally put the cursor over a video track, the original video loaded again.

BTW, if it matters, I'm using 4.0.
bStro wrote on 10/9/2008, 9:22 PM
When I do this, I don't see ANY AC3 files, regardless of their names.

What do you have selected in the "Files of Type" box? When I have either "All Media Files" or "Dolby Digital AC-3," all available AC3 files are listed.

Screenshot

When I tried dragging any differently named audio file to an audio track, I got the "slash in a circle" sign

No idea what to tell you. I do it all the time without issue. I can only guess there was some reason other than the filename.

BTW, if it matters, I'm using 4.0.

Not really. I've been using DVDA since 1.0 and have never seen the odd behaviors you're describing.

Rob
Widetrack wrote on 10/11/2008, 10:19 PM
Rob:

I've tried it with every available "Files of Type" setting. Still no go. but today i deleted all references to the video files from my project, then loaded them again, being sure the audio and video filenames were the same.

Worked just like you said, thank you.

"Not really. I've been using DVDA since 1.0 and have never seen the odd behaviors you're describing. "

guess I'm just lucky.
musicvid10 wrote on 10/11/2008, 10:31 PM
Just a silly question, are your project properties in DVDA entirely consistent with the file type you are trying to put on the timeline?
Widetrack wrote on 10/21/2008, 8:13 AM
musicvid: you asked: are your project properties in DVDA entirely consistent with the file type you are trying to put on the timeline?

They are.

But I just found that choosing "all files" in the dropdown list of the open menu causes the AC3 files to appear in the dialog. (using DVDA 4.0, BTW)