Thanks. I'll try that :)

Btw, if anyone want to use my modified "Batch Render" script, you can find it here:
Batch Render4.cs

There are a few other improvements (IMHO), including the use of CD Tracks as regions. I've found them to be a nice feature when breaking up a video into "YouTube sized" bites, as I can easily keep track of how long the individual pieces are with the "CD Track Time" timecode format.

It should work in Vegas Pro 9 and 10, I have no idea about Vegas Pro 8

Sorry I don't have an answer on exporting markers from Vegas, but you could transfer the markers from the Vegas project in less time than rendering if your in a time crunch.

The Cursor Position display at the bottom right of the Vegas timeline is "hot". If you doulble click on it, you can copy the marker positions from Vegas to DVD Architect.

Right Click on the Cursor Position box on the Vegas timeline and ensure that the time display is the same format as DVD Architect.

Move the cursor on the Vegas timeline to the first marker by clicking on its tab.

Double (left) click on the Vegas Cursor Position box.

Control C to copy it contents.

Alt Tab to the DVD Architect Project.

Select the appropriate title.

Double (left) click the cursor position display just above and on the left end of the timeline.

Control V to paste. The cursor moves to the position on the timeline.

"M" to set marker.

Repeat.

Usually, a couple dozen markers can be moved quicker than rendering the project again.

I have a fairly high tolerance for tedium.

John, i've used that method more times than i care to think about. It is pretty fast though.

I have a copy of the Export Markers script on my server.
I'd post it here but it is rather long, sorry cannot find a link to it.
It was written back in 2003 and I haven't used it in ages so I'm uncertain if it will still work. If anyone wants a copy drop me a PM.

Bob.

I've used Vegas for over 10 years and never knew about that markers-exporting trick.
Thanks be unto you!!

You can also insert an all black track at the top of your project - this will render as fast as possible. Bring it into dvda as a second track and load the markers from it.

Yes, I did this recently. You need to install the free script (that I can't seem to find) that allows you to export markers for DVD Architect.

1. Name the file correctly. If your rendered file is MyMovie.mpg the marker file should be MyMovie.mpg.sfl

2. Save the marker file into the same folder as the mpg file. This is important. It you add it later it won't work.

3. Manually reload the markers in DVD Architect

' You need to install the free script (that I can't seem to find) that allows you to export markers for DVD Architect"

Does anyone know what happened to it?

As I said before I and obvioualy others have a copy of it. I searched the scripting forum to no avail, I've Googled it to no avail. It would be really great if everyone could get it because when you need it, it is a real time saver.
There's no authors name in the file so I guess it is free to share.

Bob.

I re-did the script because many of the setup variables need to be changed under certain circumstances. However, here is the original script (which I did not write).

John Meyer

/**



Objective:

==========



Script to generate *.sfl file from Vegas timeline markers, which can then be imported into 

DVDA as chapter points.  (File format same as that saved by Vegas.)



Note:

=====

1)	The sfl file **MUST** use the MPEG file as basename, eg. "myfile.mpg.sfl".

2)	If string length (including null byte) is not word aligned, ie. odd bytes, then pad

	with another null byte to make it even bytes.

3)	Chapter point need to fall on an I-frame, so actual frame used will depend on

	how DVDA search for I-frame.  If there is ever an option, choose search backwards.



History:

========

8/12/2003 WL	v1.0.  Creation.  Supports DVDA v1.0d.

9/12/2003 WL	v1.1.

			-	Vegas don't write blank label.  Script generated blank labels, but

				was accepted by DVDA.  Modified script not to write blank labels.

			-	Do not write LIST section if there are no labels.

			-	Do not create SFL file if there are no markers.

			-	Support for NTSC.

28/12/2003 WL	v1.2.

			-	Modified to auto detect PAL or NTSC from project setting to set frame rate.

				Only supports 25f/s and 29.97f/s.

1/1/2004 WL		v1.3

			-	Modified to match ruler format with video format.  Required for *.stl

				and *.chp.

2/1/2004 WL		v1.4

			-	Problem with some DVDA NTSC chapter points being 1 frame off near end of

				tape, so used double for markerTC and round up to nearest integer, but

				still no good.  Work-around is to add 1 frame for each NTSC chapter points.

			-	Check for maxMarker.

			-	DVDA requires chapter length be >= 1 sec.  Check when creating markers

				in another script.

24/7/2004 WL	v1.5

			-	Modified to be more modular.  Similar to wl_mksfl_dvda (sfl by dvda).

			-	Found problem with Vegas v4 and v5.  *Sometimes* the chapters are displayed

				at the right place as viewed on the time line, but is actually referring to

				the previous frame as shown by the timecode, and the same timecode is used

				to create the SFL and CHP files.  So the picture from the previous chapter

				is used for the chapter point.  Found problem when doing PAL DV.  The

				workaround is to also increase chapter points by 1 frame for PAL also.

8/8/2004 WL	v1.6

			-	Due to Vegas frame problem discovered in v1.5, need to add another frame for

				NTSC, ie. frameOffset=2 for NTSC.



**/



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

import System;

import System.Text;

import System.IO;

import System.Drawing;

import System.Windows.Forms;

import Sony.Vegas;



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//

// Constants

//

var NULLCH : byte = 0;

var maxMarker : int = 300;

var PALFrameTime : double = 1764;				// 25 frames/sec

var NTSCFrameTime : double = 1471.47;			// 30000.0/1001.0 = 29.97....



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

//

// Global variables

//

var	frameTime : double = PALFrameTime;

var formatMsg = "unknown";



//

// DVDA seemed to have problem with NTSC chapters points off by 1 frame near the end of tape.

// So adding 1 frame offset for NTSC chapter points.  0 for PAL.

//

var frameOffset : int = 0;



//

// Files

//

var desDir = "F:\\home\\dv\\apps\\sfoundry\\vegas\\sfl";

var srcMpgFname = "*.mpg";

var desExt = ".sfl";

var desFullFname = desDir + Path.DirectorySeparatorChar + srcMpgFname + desExt;



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function initVar() {

	var frameRate = Vegas.Project.Video.FrameRate;



	if ( frameRate == 25 ) {

		frameTime = PALFrameTime;

		frameOffset = 1;

		formatMsg = "PAL, 25fps";

		Vegas.Project.Ruler.Format = RulerFormat.SmpteEBU;

//		MessageBox.Show(formatMsg);

	}

	else {

		frameTime = NTSCFrameTime;

		frameOffset = 2;

		formatMsg = "NTSC, 29.97fps, TC=non-drop-frame";

		Vegas.Project.Ruler.Format = RulerFormat.SmpteNonDrop;

//		MessageBox.Show(formatMsg);

	}

	return null;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// Button subclass that shows a save file dialog when clicked



class BrowseButton extends Button {

    var myResultBox = null;



    function BrowseButton(resultBox) {

        myResultBox = resultBox;

    }



    protected override function OnClick(e : EventArgs) {

        var saveFileDialog = new SaveFileDialog();

		saveFileDialog.Filter = "DVDA Chapter File (*.sfl)|*.sfl|All Files (*.*)|*.*";

		saveFileDialog.DefaultExt = desExt;

        saveFileDialog.CheckPathExists = true;

		saveFileDialog.CheckFileExists = false;

//

// saveFileDialog.AddExtension is confused because file already has .mpg extension, so

// disabling this option.

//

		saveFileDialog.AddExtension = false;

        if (null != myResultBox) {

            var filename = myResultBox.Text;

            var initialDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(filename);

            if (Directory.Exists(initialDir)) {

                saveFileDialog.InitialDirectory = initialDir;

            }

			saveFileDialog.FileName = Path.GetFileName(filename);

        }



        if ( System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK == saveFileDialog.ShowDialog() ) {

            if ( null != myResultBox ) {

				if ( Path.GetExtension(saveFileDialog.FileName) != desExt )

					saveFileDialog.FileName += desExt;

                myResultBox.Text = Path.GetFullPath(saveFileDialog.FileName);

            }

        }

    }

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// Form subclass that is the dialog box for this script



class getFnameDialog extends Form {

    var browseButton;

    var fileNameBox;

	var noticeBox;



    function getFnameDialog(baseFileName) {



        this.Text = "Create DVDA chapter file using timeline markers";

        this.FormBorderStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FormBorderStyle.FixedDialog;

        this.MaximizeBox = false;

        this.StartPosition = FormStartPosition.CenterScreen;

        this.Width = 580;



        var buttonWidth = 80;



		fileNameBox = addTextControl("DVDA chapter file", 6, 480, 10, baseFileName);

		noticeBox = addTextLabel("Caution: must use mpeg file as basename, eg. myfile.mpg.sfl\n", 6, fileNameBox.Bottom+5);



        browseButton = new BrowseButton(fileNameBox);

        browseButton.Left = fileNameBox.Right + 4;

        browseButton.Top = fileNameBox.Top - 2;

        browseButton.Width = buttonWidth;

        browseButton.Height = browseButton.Font.Height + 12;

        browseButton.Text = "Browse...";

        Controls.Add(browseButton);



        var buttonTop = noticeBox.Bottom + 16;



        var okButton = new Button();

        okButton.Text = "OK";

        okButton.Left = this.Width - (2*(buttonWidth+10));

        okButton.Top = buttonTop;

        okButton.Width = buttonWidth;

        okButton.Height = okButton.Font.Height + 12;

        okButton.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK;

        AcceptButton = okButton;

        Controls.Add(okButton);



        var cancelButton = new Button();

        cancelButton.Text = "Cancel";

        cancelButton.Left = this.Width - (1*(buttonWidth+10));

        cancelButton.Top = buttonTop;

        cancelButton.Height = cancelButton.Font.Height + 12;

        cancelButton.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Cancel;

        CancelButton = cancelButton;

        Controls.Add(cancelButton);



        var titleHeight = this.Height - this.ClientSize.Height;

        this.Height = titleHeight + okButton.Bottom + 8;

    }



	function addTextLabel(labelName, left, top) {

		var label = new Label();



		label.AutoSize = true;

		label.Text = labelName;

		label.Left = left;

		label.Top = top + 4;

		Controls.Add(label);

		return label;

	}



	function addTextControl(labelName, left, width, top, defaultValue) {

		var label = new Label();

		label.AutoSize = true;

		label.Text = labelName + ":";

		label.Left = left;

		label.Top = top + 4;

		Controls.Add(label);



		var textbox = new TextBox();

		textbox.Multiline = false;

		textbox.Left = label.Right;

		textbox.Top = top;

		textbox.Width = width - (label.Width);

		textbox.Text = defaultValue;

		Controls.Add(textbox);



		return textbox;

	}

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function openSFL(desDir, srcMpgFname) : FileStream {



	if ( !Directory.Exists(desDir) ) {

//		Directory.CreateDirectory(desDir);

		throw "Directory does not exist:\n\n" + desDir;

	}

	var fs = File.Create(desFullFname);

	return fs;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	closeSFL(fs, binw) {



	binw.Close();

	fs.Close();

	return null;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	writeRIFF(binw, sectsize) {



	binw.Write( "RIFF".ToCharArray() );

	binw.Write( sectsize );

	return null;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	writeSFPL(binw) {



	binw.Write( "SFPL".ToCharArray() );

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	writeCUE(binw, markerTC : double[], markerCnt) {



	var	zero : double = 0;

	var tc : int;

	var counter : int = 0;

	var sectsize : int = (markerCnt * 24) + 4;



	binw.Write( "cue ".ToCharArray() );

	binw.Write( sectsize );

	binw.Write( markerCnt );



	for (var i : int = 0; i < markerCnt; i++) {

		counter++;

		tc = System.Convert.ToInt32(System.Math.Round(markerTC[i]));

		binw.Write( counter );

		binw.Write( tc );

		binw.Write( "data".ToCharArray() );

		binw.Write( zero );

		binw.Write( tc );

	}

	return sectsize;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

// Do not write blank labels.

// If all labels are blank, do not write this section.



function	writeLIST(binw, markerLabel, markerCnt) {



	var counter : int = 0;

	var sectsize : int = 0;

	var elemsize : int;



	binw.Write( "LIST".ToCharArray() );

	binw.Write( sectsize );



	binw.Write( "adtl".ToCharArray() );

	sectsize += 4;



	for (var i : int = 0; i < markerCnt; i++) {

		counter++;

		if ( markerLabel[i].Length > 0 ) {

			elemsize = markerLabel[i].Length + 4 + 1;

			binw.Write( "labl".ToCharArray() );

			binw.Write( elemsize );

			binw.Write( counter );

			binw.Write( markerLabel[i].ToCharArray() );

			binw.Write( NULLCH );

			sectsize = sectsize + 8 + elemsize;

			if ( (elemsize % 2) > 0 ) {

				binw.Write( NULLCH );

				sectsize++;

			}

		}

	}

	return sectsize;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	writeSFPI(binw, srcMpgFname) {



	var sectsize : int = srcMpgFname.Length + 1;



	binw.Write( "SFPI".ToCharArray() );

	binw.Write( sectsize );

	binw.Write( srcMpgFname.ToCharArray() );

	binw.Write( NULLCH );

	if ( (sectsize % 2) > 0 ) {

		binw.Write( NULLCH );

		sectsize++;

	}

	return sectsize

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	rewriteSize(binw, CUEsize, LISTsize, SFPIsize) {



	var	RIFFsize : int = (12 + CUEsize) + (8 + SFPIsize);



	if ( LISTsize > 0 )

		RIFFsize = RIFFsize + (8 + LISTsize);

	binw.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin);

	binw.Seek(4,SeekOrigin.Current);

	binw.Write( RIFFsize );



	if ( LISTsize > 0 ) {

		binw.Seek((12 + CUEsize) + 4, SeekOrigin.Current);

		binw.Write( LISTsize );

	}

	return null;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function	makeSFL(mrkEnum) {



	var markerCnt : int = 0;

	var totMarker : int = 0;

//	var markerTC = new Array();

	var markerTC : double[] = new double[maxMarker];



	var markerLabel = new Array();

	var	sumLabelSize = 0;

	var RIFFsize : int = 0;

	var CUEsize : int = 0, LISTsize : int = 0, SFPIsize : int = 0;

	var nowMarker;



	while ( !mrkEnum.atEnd() ) {

		totMarker++;

		if ( markerCnt < maxMarker ) {

			nowMarker = mrkEnum.item();

			var nowMarkPos = Marker(nowMarker).Position;

			if ( nowMarkPos.FrameCount == 0 ) {

				//

				// DVDA auto creates chapter at 00:00:00:00, and creates only one if overlapped.

				//

				markerTC[markerCnt] = nowMarkPos.FrameCount * frameTime;

			}

			else {

				markerTC[markerCnt] = (nowMarkPos.FrameCount + frameOffset) * frameTime;

			}

			markerLabel[markerCnt] = Marker(nowMarker).Label;

			sumLabelSize += markerLabel[markerCnt].Length;

			markerCnt++;

			mrkEnum.moveNext();

		}

	}



	if ( markerCnt == 0 )

		throw "Error: no markers defined on Vegas timeline";



	var fs = openSFL(desDir, srcMpgFname);

	var binw = new BinaryWriter(fs);



	writeRIFF(binw, RIFFsize);

	writeSFPL(binw);

	CUEsize = writeCUE(binw, markerTC, markerCnt);

	if ( sumLabelSize > 0 )

		LISTsize = writeLIST(binw, markerLabel, markerCnt);

	SFPIsize = writeSFPI(binw, srcMpgFname);

	rewriteSize(binw, CUEsize, LISTsize, SFPIsize);



	closeSFL(fs, binw);

	return totMarker;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

function findSelectedTrack() : Track {

	var trackEnum = new Enumerator(Vegas.Project.Tracks);



	while (!trackEnum.atEnd()) {

		var track : Track = Track(trackEnum.item());

		if (track.Selected) {

			return track;

		}

		trackEnum.moveNext();

	}

	return null;

}



//----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

try {



	var	totMarker : int = 0;

	var	missMarker : int = 0;



	initVar();



	// Show the script's dialog box.

	var dialog = new getFnameDialog(srcMpgFname + desExt);

	var dialogResult = dialog.ShowDialog();



    // if the OK button was pressed...

    if ( System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK == dialogResult ) {



//

// Also need to check extension here in case user bypassed browse button.

//

		desFullFname = Path.GetFullPath(dialog.fileNameBox.Text);

		if ( Path.GetExtension(desFullFname) != desExt )

				desFullFname += desExt;

		desDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(desFullFname);

		srcMpgFname = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(desFullFname);



//		MessageBox.Show(desDir.ToString() + "\n" + srcMpgFname.ToString() + "\n" + desFullFname.ToString());



		var track = findSelectedTrack();

		if ( null == track )

			throw "Error: no selected track";



		var mrkEnum = new Enumerator(Vegas.Project.Markers);

		totMarker = makeSFL(mrkEnum);

		if ( totMarker > maxMarker ) {

			missMarker = totMarker - maxMarker;

		}



		MessageBox.Show(

			"Done." +

			"\nFile:	" + desFullFname +

			"\n" +

			"\nFormat:	" + formatMsg +

			"\nTotal markers:	" + totMarker.ToString() +

			"\nMissed markers:	" + missMarker.ToString()

			);

	}



} catch (e) { 

  MessageBox.Show(e); 

} 



 

John, I'm so glad you can't stay away from this group :-)

Mike