Treating Multiple Clips as Chapters

PeterMac wrote on 1/30/2004, 8:08 AM

I apologise if this has been asked before. It probably has, but since I've never needed the technique, it's doubtless escaped my notice.

I have a number of separate, short clips, produced in Vegas and in MPEG2 (DVD) format suitable for DVDA. I want to use those clips as if the beginning of each one was a chapter point in a continuous footage. Thus, when one clip ends, its neighbour should start. Likewise, if I use the next and prior buttons on the remote, the action should jump to the next or previous clip as the case may be.

This doesn't happen and attempts to navigate always end up at the root (main) menu.

Anyone have any ideas, short of stitching all the clips together in Vegas actually to make one continuous clip?

(If anyone does know how to do this, would they also be kind enough to consider the case where some or all of the short clips do have real chapter points)?

Many thanks

-Pete

Comments

GaryKleiner wrote on 1/30/2004, 10:41 AM

Use the Mpegs in a "Music" Compliation.

Gary

johnmeyer wrote on 1/30/2004, 10:53 AM

You are finding out about DVDA's dirtly little secret: It doesn't let you do this obvious and common type of project. You can, like gkvideoguy suggested, simply create a music compilation, but then you don't get menus or top level navigation.

This DVDA deficiency is called lack of "end actions." It has been criticized, and discussed for a year now (yes, it has been a year since DVDA first came out), and Sony still hasn't bothered to issue a patch, workaround, or even a utility that could be used after the fact to correct the lack of end actions.

I did develop a technique for patching the navigation files that will give you exactly what you want. It takes about fifteen minutes to do, once you get the hang of it, assuming you have 5-10 individual movies. This post will take you to a description of the technique:

End Action Workaround

I'm not particularly proud of this -- it is pretty geeky stuff -- but it works.

PeterMac wrote on 1/30/2004, 12:44 PM

Thanks to both of you. John, I'm checking out your workaround right now.

All the best

-Pete

PeterMac wrote on 1/31/2004, 6:07 AM

John

I maybe shouldn't say this here, but while I was casting around for anything that would allow me to avoid getting too involved with IFOEdit (meaning I'd rather perform brain surgery on myself with a Black & Decker drill) I came across DVDLab. This is an authoring tool like DVDA, but actually works the oracle. It's produced by one-man-band MediaChance, whose work has often impressed me in the past, and might interest you.

-Pete