I tried that. "Next" does not go to the next chapter, it restarts the current one. At least, this is what it does in the Preview. I'll try it with a real DVD player to confirm.

Wm, I don't think it will work in most set top boxes either. The problem is that the way the project is set up you are trying to use the "next" button to go not to the next chapeter, but to a different asset (even though it is in fact the same media with different in and out points).

I don't know if this would work, but try creating the stack of chapters as a playlist. I think the "next" button will take you to the next asset in a playlist, but I've never done it so I'm not sure.

I don't know if this would work, but try creating the stack of chapters as a playlist. I think the "next" button will take you to the next asset in a playlist, but I've never done it so I'm not sure.

Yes, but you can't loop each asset ... let me see, what can be done ...

Well, I just created a test project, and I can easily do at least half of what you want to do.

I put the same MPEG file into the project multiple times. I set the in/out point for each instance. I then set the End Action for each instance to link back to that same instance, thus creating the loop. I played the project, but when I pressed the menu or next key, the menu key took me back to the main menu, and the next key did nothing. So far, I have simply duplicated your frustration ...

Now, here's the way to get 1/2 of what you want: For each instance of the asset, go to the Remote Buttons section of the Media Properties inspector and open up the Menu property. There you will find the Command property set to "Link" and the Destination set to "Most Recent Menu." Change the Destination to link instead to the next instance of the media asset. Now, when you press the Menu button, you will get an immediate jump to the next "chapter."

Now as for the next button, you can choose to disable that, thus forcing the user to always use the menu button.

A completely different solution to this problem is to render each "chapter" as a separate MPEG file. Put these files in play order using DVDA4's "Order DVD Titles" feature. On most DVD players (although not all) pressing the next button will go to the next titleset, so the next navigation will work. Set up each media to loop and use the menu button trick above, and you will get everything you want, although a few players may not be able to do what you want.

Finally, if you already have everything rendered as one MPEG file and don't want to break everything into separate MPEG files, and if you want the ultimate in compatibility (i.e., so that ALL DVD players will play the file) and if you have enough space on your disc, you can actually force DVDA to include each instance of your original MPEG file as a separate file. Most of the time this happens to people by accident and they wonder why their project size has ballooned. The "trick" is to simply add a subtitle track to each instance of the media. You don't have to add any subtitles or do anything other than add the track. DVDA will then create a new VOB for each instance of the media rather than just provide different pointers to the same VOB. At this point, you can use the method given in the last paragraph.

Well, my idea was wrong. I did a little test, and if you set the end action of each asset to itself, the asset will loop when played from a normal button, but if you make a playlist of the assets and play from the playlist button, each asset jumps to the next and they do not loop.

Is it a "Must Have" to use the NEXT button to go to the next chapter? If you can use a different button, you can add a BOV (requires DVDA4), and tell the user to use the right/left arrows to go next/prev. You can setup the BOV's to be "invisible", and also auto-activate...

OK, here's an example project, complete with media, that does everything you want. It requires DVDA4 and uses two very simple scripts. The one "trick" is to use a short piece of "dummy" media that immediately follows your media (I used a 0.5 second black MPEG clip). Attach a script to run when this media starts (since the media never runs, it actually doesn't matter what media you use). The titleset of the "dummy" media will be available in the SPRM register, but only when you press the next button. Otherwise the SPRM shows the titlset of your media. The script tests for that and either loops back to the original media and chapter, or branches to the next chapter.

This link is good for seven days or 100 downloads:

Example Loop Project

[Edit] Well, close, but no cigar. I just took one extra step and burned a test DVD. Apparently there is a bug in DVDA4 and it operates differently than a real DVD player. If you download the project, it does exactly what I claim if you play it in DVDA 4.0a's preview, but if you prepare the project and play it with WinDVD or burn it to a test DVD and play that on a set-top player, it doesn't work.

I'll spend a few more minutes on this and see if I can come up with another approach. I'm sure it can be done.

One possibility might be to use menu pages rather than chapters -- these can loop indefinitely, but I've never checked player compatibility -- to be honest it never occurred to me before.

Otherwise unless you used BOV of some sort (maybe even hidden) you're stuck with a script processing at a set time, like at the end of the vid clip, and wouldn't get an immediate exit.

Totally guessing, might play with something like a 2nd chapter with an autoactivate BOV, but I'm not sure the commands you'd insert, if possible, to cause a loop at the end of the 1st cell or chapter. I'd think that if you just reordered the chapters to effect a loop, you'd just wind up restarting the loop when Next pressed.

I played briefly with putting the media into menus and displaying it that way. I couldn't figure out how to get control over the in/out point. Thus, once everything is in one media asset (i.e., a single MPEG file), the problem is difficult. If you put each into a separate asset, it gets simple (because every MPEG file becomes a separate titleset), but not all DVD players will go to the next titlset when the chapter advance button is pressed.

I'm still thinking about this. Also, I submitted my project to Sony as a bug report, since the DVDA 4.0a preview mode did not match the behavior in the prepared project. Perhaps as part of that tech support exchange I'll come up with an alternate method.

Interesting challenge.

BTW, John, it looks like the same bug is in DVDA3 - in the DVDA3 preview, if you have linked media, the "next chapter" button will advance to the next media, something that neither of my settop players will allow (they show the red circle with the diagonal line through it).

if you have linked media, the "next chapter" button will advance to the next media, something that neither of my settop players will allow (they show the red circle with the diagonal line through it).

That may not be the same thing. As I described in my earlier posts, quite a few DVD Players will not allow the chapter advance button to move to the next titleset. Instead they insist that you use the menu button and navigate via menus. However, most do allow this, and since DVDA doesn't know what the heck your DVD player can and cannot do, and what part of the DVD spec the designers of that player decided to implement, DVDA gives you a preview (in this case) based on what the way the majority of the DVD players operate.

The bug I ran into had to do with the point at which a state variable (SPRM register) gets set by the player. DVDA sets it prior to execution of the "start" script for that asset, whereas it appears that all DVD players set it afterwards.

You're much better at code than I am, John, so if it's of any interest to try changing pre to post commands to test out an idea, PgcEdit can do that. Won't change DVDA of course, but something else to try.

http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/beta/
http://download.videohelp.com/r0lZ/pgcedit/index.html

Here's a combination of DVDA4 and PGCedit. The idea is to add a CELL command to create the loop, and NEXT will bypass the CELL Command.

I used the sample Vegas Project, and compressed with a very low bitrate to keep the size down. This link will be good for 7 days, and is 11.2mb.

http://tinyurl.com/3bnl4a

PgcEdit can do that

If you go WAY back in the posts on this forum, you'll find a rather elaborate workaround to the fact that DVDA 1.0 didn't let you program end actions. It used this tool. Very difficult process, but it worked. I don't think I'd recommend anyone do this.

I have spent quite a bit of time thinking about this and pursuing the idea of putting the media into menus (works, but it creates new media for each instance, thus making the project size balloon), and also Playlists (doesn't work).

The one thing that I am 99% certain would work would be to set the navigation timer (SPRM 9) and then test that, in an end action script, to see if it matches the actual play length of each media asset. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like DVDA 4.0a can set this timer directly, and I haven't found a way to do it through any command in the interface (even though the timer can be tested). Thus, I'm pretty sure it is possible to create a DVD that will do what Wm originally requested, but I don't think it can be done in DVDA 4.0a. This timer can be set in DVDLab Pro (SetNVTMR command).

Here's a combination of DVDA4 and PGCedit.

VERY nice. The Cell command does the trick very efficiently. Much simpler navigation than what is possible with the DVDA tools.

Nice Boston promo. I lived on Beacon Hill and in Cambridge a quarter century ago. Brings back lots of good memories.

In my experience, not all DVD Players work the same way regarding the navtimer -- some will honor the time and branch accordingly, while others will never make the branch as defined in SPRM10. It's a hit-miss depending on the DVD Player you are using -- I would recommend NOT using the navtimer to "time" a section of video...

DVD LabPro makes this task easy because it allows you to add VM Commands at the CELL level. But you can still do it with a combination of DVDA and PGCedit (see example I posted above).

You guys are amazing! I can't believe the effort you've put into this. It is very much appreciated.

I did find a reasonable work around - I created a single hidden button on each media clip, and set that button to go to the next clip. The button on the last clip goes back to the menu. Each clip has an End Action that goes back to the start of the clip. This allows the user to hit the Enter or Play key to advance to the next clip in the sequence and works well enough. I also disabled the Next button so that the DVD player would display an error if it is used.

This is a little tedious since each End Action has to be set, but it works. I'm not sure I can deal with doing this for all of the "clips" that will be in this project though, so I'll take a look at PGCedit. It's good to know that there is a reasonable tool out there that doesn't cost a fortune.

William

some will honor the time and branch accordingly, while others will never make the branch as defined in SPRM10.

Good point. However, my idea was simply to test SPRM9, and use that in a script to determine whether to loop or branch. In pseudocode:

if SPRM9 = length of media then loop
else
goto next chapter

A script at the beginning of each media instance would set SPRM9=length of that media segment.

Anyway, it is moot since Wm has got his project running, and you've provided by far the best "ultimate" solution.

"A script at the beginning of each media instance would set SPRM9=length of that media segment"

Wouldn't you set it to zero?

Clever idea, that, if it works.

George, if do I understant that one builds the project in DVDA without the looping and then adds it with PGCedit?

Thanks,
William

Wouldn't you set it to zero?

It counts down.

Thanks John -- sorry, I didn't see your post before I made my last post. 25 years ago I spent alot of time in Harvard square -- ahhh, the good 'ol days...

The thumbnails I used in the sample download were on purpose -- I actually worked in the Hancock building, and also in the International Place buildings in the second thumbnail.

The actual video clip was the sample *.veg file that came with Vegas (I was pleasantly surprised when I opened up the sample project, and recognized just about everything in the short clip).

"George, if do I understant that one builds the project in DVDA without the looping and then adds it with PGCedit?"

Yes, that is how the example was done...

1st off Thanks!

I have an EXTREMELY difficult time with the code [keeping track of registers etc.]. If or in case it helps other folks, open the DVD in PgcEdit, scroll all the way down to the bottom entry on the left, right click on it & select Edit PGC. You'll see chapt on the left - follow the row over to the column: Cell Cmd... Note these values, as well as those in the column Seamless joint. Hit cancel & check the same values for the 2nd to last line on the left. The bottom one has the magic.

Less important but might be of interest if 1st time inside, try stepping through the trace mode.

Again, thanks - If you knew how long it took me to go thru it and find the alteration you'd see what I meant by this being difficult for me. :?P