Help with Smart Prepare in DVDA3

Paul_Holmes wrote on 5/4/2005, 8:58 AM
I've prepared a DVD to C:\DVDVolume, then realized I hadn't activated a link from the first-play movie to the first menu. I then went to "Make DVD", "Prepare" and it tells me "No smart prepare data available." I was hoping not to have to go through the whole compile again.

Can anyone tell me how "Smart Prepare" works and how to activate it? I've read the help files and the manual but I guess I just don't get it yet?

Comments

johnmeyer wrote on 5/4/2005, 9:16 AM
1. You need to prepare to exactly the same directory that you used in your previous prepare.

2. You want to make sure that you do NOT delete SPREPARE.SPSS file that gets created in the same folder that also contains the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders.

Paul_Holmes wrote on 5/4/2005, 9:24 AM
Thanks for the reply, John, but it seems that's exactly what I'm doing. I prepared the DVD to C:\DVDVolume. After the prepare I have my AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS folders under C:\DVDVolume, plus the SPREPARE.SPSS file. Now when I go to prepare again and point it to the same folder it still says "No smart prepare data available."

Maybe I'm overlooking some small thing yet.
Paul_Holmes wrote on 5/4/2005, 11:16 AM
Ok, figured out my problem with Smart Prepare. When I compiled the last DVD I compiled it to a folder that already had a video_ts and audio_ts from another DVD with an old SPREPARE.SPCC file. This last time I compiled the full DVD to a fresh empty folder, then made some changes and it worked! Great thing, this Smart Prepare!
johnmeyer wrote on 5/4/2005, 1:02 PM
This last time I compiled the full DVD to a fresh empty folder, then made some changes and it worked! Great thing, this Smart Prepare!

Yeah, that was what I was trying to get at in the first of my two "tips." You have to prepare to exactly the same directory. What's more, DVDA3 will often try to create a new directory, which is the same name as your original prepare directory, but with a number after it. If you don't watch out and change this, it will do a full prepare again.