DVD Chapters

From Tovid Wiki

Single video file with multiple, specific chapters

Assuming you have an mpg file, dvd_movie.mpg, ready for attaching a menu. You have played the movie and noted the times where you want chapters.

For example, the five chapters will be at:

• 00:00
• 8 minutes, 5 seconds
• 27 minutes, 47 seconds
• 46 minutes, 58 seconds
• 1 hour, 4 minutes, 3 seconds

[edit] Using todisc

If you are using todisc you can have this done for you by the script by supplying chapters on the command line. You can use the -chapters option 2 ways.

• -chapters 6 will automatically make 6 chapters starting with 00:00:00, each 1/6 of the video.
• -chapters 00:00:00,00:08:05,00:27:47,00:46:58,01:04:03 will make the supplied chapters as listed above.

For multiple videos supply the arguments as a list, one string for each video

• -chapters "00:00:00,00:08:05,00:27:47,01:04:03" "00:00:00,00:04:34,00:11:23.341,00:24:15:56" "00:00:00,00:23:05,00:54:16,01:26:34,01:45:52"

The above chapter strings have been quoted for readability, it is not necessary when doing the actual command.

Or for automatic chapter points:

• -chapters 6 4 8

[edit] Using makemenu/makexml

If instead of using todisc you are going the makemenu/makexml route, do:

  makemenu \
  "Chapter 1" \
  "Chapter 2" \
  "Chapter 3" \
  "Chapter 4" \
  "Chapter 5" \
  -background screenshot1.jpg \
  -align east \
  -out MainMenu

This gives you a menu that has five buttons on it.

Now do:

    makexml \
    -menu MainMenu.mpg \
    dvd_movie.mpg  \
    -out movieout

Then: Change two areas in the resulting xml file:

First, you get a single button line, thus:

   <button>jump title 1;</button>

Replace that single line with one button for each chapter, thus:

   <button>jump title 1 chapter 1;</button>
   <button>jump title 1 chapter 2;</button>
   <button>jump title 1 chapter 3;</button>
   <button>jump title 1 chapter 4;</button>
   <button>jump title 1 chapter 5;</button>

Second, replace the default chapter list with your own:

  <vob file="dvd_movie.mpg" chapters="00:00:00,00:05:00,00:10:00,00:15:00,00:20:00,00:25:00,00:30:00,00:35:00,00:40:00,00:45:00,00:50:00,00:55:00,01:00:00,01:05:00,01:10:00,01:15:00" />

Change the line above to this:

  <vob file="dvd_movie.mpg" chapters="00:00:00,00:08:05,00:27:47,00:46:58,01:04:03" />

Lastly: Run makedvd in the regular way..