1. You have to insert the subtitle in DVDA on a subtitle track, not a video track.

2. If you use the same video twice (or more often) in DVDA, and add the subtitle to one instance and not to the other, it will double the size.

Hi,

Thank's for your replies!!! Appreciated.

I simply added a subtitle track in DVDA. Then I imported the subtitles from a text file. However, immediately after adding the subtitle track the size expands about as much as the video clip is long on the timeline...

Strange! Do I insert the subtitle track somewhere in a wrong place?

I'm grateful for ANY hints what I'm doing wrong. The problem MIGHT be between keyboard and the chair...or then not...

Christian

I can't reproduce this. I created a new project in DVD Architect 5, dropped an MPEG file onto the main menu and the project size jumped to 2.3GB. Double-clicked the button to navigate into the MPEG file and pressed the (+) button to Add Subtitle Track and the project is till 2.3GB. I manually added a subtitle and it's still 2.3GB. I'm not sure why you are seeing this behavior.

~jr

Re-read my original post, especially about using the media more than once. That is the usual cause of having projects double in size. DVDA lets you reference the same media multiple times without actually copying the media to disc more than once: only the navigation logic is altered. However, if one use of that media contains subtitles, and the other uses do not, then DVDA must create multiple instances. The way around this is make first add the subtitles, and then copy that instance of the media to the other parts of the project. The reason for this behavior is that the DVD specification uses VOB (Video Object Files) to hold the video, main audio, subtitles, angles, and secondary audio channels. When you add one video and it's corresponding main audio channel, that creates a VOB. If you use that same pair somewhere else in the DVD, new navigation logic is created, but it references the same VOB, so there is no discernible increase in the project size. However, as soon as you add angles, subtitles, or secondary audio channels, the DVD specification requires a new VOB, and the project size skyrockets. So, add the subtitles first and then add the navigation logic.

I assume you are inserting subtitles by first clicking on "Insert Subtitle Track" (in DVDA) and then either importing a text file that contains your subtitles or else pressing "T" to insert a text event and then typing your subtitle text into that.

John,

Wow, you just hit the nail (in the middle). What you explain is exactly what happens for me. Your explanation is very clear and easy to undestand. I just hope the DVDA documentation would be as clear. I could not find anywhere in the manual anything about this. Your explanation should be a part of the manual.

The question now remains, how do I (with least editing) achieve my goal.

As I wrote, I have multiple instances of this main video in the project. One instance plays the whole video, the others one chapter at a time. Obviously, I have built already all the navigation. I would like to have the (same) subtitles for both the play-by-chapter and for the "play-the-whole-movie"... So far, without adding subtitles, there multiple instances only creates one VOB that is used for them all.

So - how shoud I proceed? Must I remove all instances of the main video file, next Insert a subtitle track (but where?), and then add the video again? This is a little confusing. Must I also add the subtitles separately for the "play only one chapter" references? Must all navigation be deleted (or will be deleted) when all references to the video file are removed.

I suddenly feel like a rookie - even if I have been editing video for a long time. Persons like you make this forum such a nice place to turn to.

Could you kindly enlight me how to proceed?

Gosh - how can DVDA be this un-intuitive!!!

Regards,

Christian

EDIT: Ok - now I deleted the play by chapter part, and now my project is again back to 4,4GB even with the subtitles added. How do I now copy and use this same media to build a menu that plays only one chapter at a time - without again doubling the DVD size? I cannot find a way of doing it... :(

I haven't gotten into subtitles, but I'll make a stab. How about saving the project with a different name, then work on the new name project for adding chapters. You still have the same material to work with but are completely different projects.

Lynn

How do I now copy and use this same media to build a menu that plays only one chapter at a time - without again doubling the DVD size?
Darn good question! I just played with this, and you definitely cannot simply try to duplicate the same exact subtitle for each usage of the media because DVDA has no way to track both to make sure each is identical (and it would take forever to do this). Also, I didn't find any way to Ctrl-C (Copy) then Ctrl-V (Paste) the instance of the video that contains the subtitle and then use it a second time in another menu.

However, I think I hit on a "trick" that may work just fine: Use a Playlist using just one media in the playlist.

As you know, DVDA has a playlist feature that lets you present the user with multiple different ways of playing the same sets of media, but in different orders. Using this feature, the media is NOT stored on the disc more than once. Normally, you put several videos in a playlist, but there is nothing to stop you from creating a playlist that consists of just one entry.

I just tried this out. I put an MPEG-2 file on the main menu. I then created another menu and dropped the same file onto it.. As expected, the project size stayed the same. Then, I added a subtitle to the timeline for MPEG-2 file on the first menu. As expected, the project size doubled, just as you have seen. I then deleted the media from the second menu and the project size went down to its original size. I tried, but couldn't find a way to duplicate this first MPEG-2/subtitle entity by dragging/dropping (event while pressing the Ctrl key which is the Windows way to force a copy instead of a move).

I then tried my idea and added a Playlist to my second menu, but when adding it, at the point where I was presented with the list of all the media in my project, I only clicked on the one item I wanted, namely the media from the first menu to which I had already added a subtitle. I then previewed the project and during preview turned on the subtitle. Sure enough, I got the subtitle in both the original and in the playlist version.

The beauty of this approach is that you don't have to do anything to the project you have already created, so you will be done in just a few minutes. Also, if you need to alter/change/add to your subtitles, you do that just once in the original media, and those changes will be carried forward in all the other Playlists you create (you can add lots of Playlists). You will, however, have to add logic in your navigation buttons to turn subtitles on and off -- something you have to do anyway, whether you use a playlist or not. This is covered pretty well in the manual and in the on-line help.

The only downside to this approach is that you cannot have different chapter stops within the playlist than what you have for the original media. This is true of all of DVDA's extra navigation features: Playlists, Music Compilations, and Picture Compilations. Hopefully that downside will not be a showstopper, and this workaround/fix will let you proceed.

There is a person who posts with the handle MPM over in the DVDA forum. He seems to know more than just about anyone about DVDA -- certainly more than me -- and perhaps he will have other ideas if this doesn't work for you.

Good luck!

[Edit] I just read DaveT2's post. He found out how to copy/paste and it appears to work great. I learned something there, but was glad I didn't figure that out myself because I wouldn't have "discovered" the playlist idea. I say this because with the copy/paste approach, if you need to later make edits to chapter stops or subtitles, you will have to delete all your copies and start over because as soon as you do ANYTHING to the subtitles OR the chapter stops in any of your copies, that immediately will trigger the DVDA logic to create a new VOB, and the project size will double.

From help menu:

Create a menu that returns to the scene selection menu after playing the selected scene/chapter
Add a title to the menu you want to use as a scene selection menu.

Select the title's button in the workspace or select the title in the Project Overview window.

From the Edit menu, choose Copy. The button is copied to the clipboard.

From the Edit menu, choose Paste. A copy of the button is added to your menu.

Even though you're creating multiple copies of your title, the title will be saved to the DVD only once. Multiple titles that use the same video, audio, and subtitle tracks will only be saved once on the disc. For more information, please see the Optimizing Your Project topic.

Repeat step 4 for each scene you want to be able to play from the menu.

Set the in and out points for each button:

a. Double-click the button in the workspace or double-click the title in the Project Overview window to open it.

b. In the Timeline window, position the cursor where you want the button to begin playback and click the Set In Point button or drag the in the time ruler.

c. Position the cursor where you want the button to stop playback and click the Set Out Point button or drag the in the time ruler.

Repeat step 6 for each button.

Create a scene selection only DVD
This procedure assumes your title includes scene/chapter markers. You can add markers in the Timeline window.

From the File menu, choose New.

Select the Single Movie icon , and then click OK. The Open Media dialog is displayed.

Select the video file you want to use, and then click OK.

In the Project Overview window, right-click the video and choose Insert Scene Selection Menu from the shortcut menu. The Insert Scene Selection Menu dialog is displayed.

In the Page title box, type the title you'd like to be displayed on the new menu.

In the Links per page box, specify the number of links you'd like to have displayed on each page. For example, if your video includes fifteen scene/chapter markers, typing 5 in this box will create a scene-selection menu with three pages.

Click the OK button to create the menu and pages. You can then edit the menu as necessary.

In the Project Overview window, select the menu page (i.e. Scene Selection (Page 1)) and click the Set DVD Start button .

Hi,

Thanks a zillion for all comments. I probably need later to add some subtitles, so I prefer the playlist approach.

BUT - its a big but - it is possible to play an mpg file FROM a chapter marker, but how do I stop the playback and return to the scene selection menu at the end of the selected chapter???

I cannot find a way to just play (in a playlist) just a part of the file. I can start the playback from a certain chapter, but how to stop at the next chapter marker.

This drives me nuts.

Christian

PS: Again, any comments are more than welcome, my project is now due already 24 hours, and counting....

Follow the instructions from the HELP menu, but make an IN and an OUT Point.

Just to explain, if you look at any of the media files in DVDA, they all have an IN time and OUT time. The default is beginning and end of the media file, but you can make them whatever you want. When it hits the out point, it follows whatever you have set as the END action.

Dave T2

If you want separate in/out points, you have to use DaveT2's approach. You can't set in/out points for playlists. His approach will work, but as soon as you change even the slightest thing about your titles, chapter stops, etc. for any of the duplicated uses of the media, your project will explode in size. Just make sure to check project size before/after each adjustment.

Thanks - your guidance helped me to achieve my goal; to add subtotitles to the same media, that shows independently of how you play it (one chapter at a time - or the whole movie). And keeping the project size as is. Without your help I would have probably given up.

Appreciated - great forum - great people :)

However, I now learned that playlists can only play a media file FROM a certain chapter, but always to the end. In this case they cannot be used. Ok, the other approach is still possible:

So I additionally learned how to add the subtitles and how to copy the button (referring to the media with its structure, or subtitles) to be used in other menus. I knew from before how to set the start and end point for these, but the subtitle thing totally mixed me up.

The sad thing (that I also learned) is that if I want do just even correct a misspelling in one subtitle, I have to delete the complete navigation structure and rebuilt the menus from scratch!!!

This is - taking in consideration the "PRO" prefix for this software - not very professional - in my opinion. I'll bet many others can share this opinion...

Why on earth can't playlists have also out points so that the playback of a media file can both start AND stop at chapter markers??? Would this be a good thing to add on the feature request list. With my experience so far - I would wote for it. I am not looking forward for lots of useless editing when correcting of adding subtitles later to this project...

Anyhow, thank you all for your time and kind help!

Christian

I've had much the same frustrations as you trying to build a Play All, Play Each Only kind of DVD. I initially took an alternate approach of making each chapter a separate title and linked them through their end actions. That worked OK in my case as each chapter really was a quite separate video so the slight pause at the end of each one didn't matter. What would have really helped was a way to re-order the physical order of the files in the DVD. DVDA appears to offer this functionality but it never did what I needed it to.

I can see why building a DVD is such a complex process and it's one I'm still getting my head around. Certainly planning and more careful planning is the key. I think most of us underestimate the time and cost of building a complex DVD.

Bob.

> The sad thing (that I also learned) is that if I want do just even correct a misspelling in one subtitle, I have to delete the complete navigation structure and rebuilt the menus from scratch!!!

To correct a misspelling in a subtitle,

Double click the movie clip on its menu, to open up a timeline.

Locate the misspelt subtitle and click it on the preview screen so that it is highlighted (the sizing frame and handles should appear if you have "Sizing Tool" selected)

Click "Edit Text" or F2 key to highlight text and make alteration.