Help with Play All in Encore 2.0

Alex DePew

Alex DePew

Señor Schmarty Pants
The set-up
I am putting together a DVD for a kids fencing tournament. The tournament was an hour long and has 18 chapters. I edited the footage in Premiere Pro 2.0, encoded the file as a wav and .m2v and imported that and menus I created into Encore. The structure of my DVD is that the main menu gives you the option to 'play all bouts' or 'select individual bouts'. The play all should, well obviously just play the whole file. The select individual bouts takes you to the first of four sub-menus listing the bouts.

The problems
I can't get all play to work the way I want. I searched google and read a few tutorials on this specific issue but for Encore 1.5. I imported the whole timeling from Premiere Pro as 1 large 3.3 GB file. Their solution was to set the end action of one timeline(they has several files and each had their own timeline) to be to play the next timeline. So I created several timelines by dividing up my file by chapter into several timelines (very time consuming and probably not the right way). I then followed the tutorial. I got it to work but the problem is now there is a black screen and a pause before the next timeline starts. What am I doing wrong? I feel like this is a simple problem, but I can't get it solved. I just want the DVD to play straight through without any abrupt pauses when they select play all and have the individual bouts be selectable as well. I tried setting up the play all linked to another timeline that had the one file with no chapters and that worked but it saw it as another 3.3 GB that needed to be on the disc. I am using single layer discs and it won't fit.

Please help me Obi Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.
LeiaHologramGrab5.jpg
 
I would put all the files together in your NLE and encode them as one file. So when you select play all it would play the whole timeline. Then set the chapter points at the beginning of each bout. Although the DVD would keep playing from that point on. Just make sure you set your menu buttons so a user can return to either the root or title menu at any time.

So you'll only have the 1 large file, put on 1 timeline in Encore. Your submenus would be links to the different chapter points.

I'm not an expert with Encore...but that's how I author my wedding DVD's. Hope this helps.
 
Sacksnack said:
I would put all the files together in your NLE and encode them as one file. So when you select play all it would play the whole timeline. Then set the chapter points at the beginning of each bout. Although the DVD would keep playing from that point on. Just make sure you set your menu buttons so a user can return to either the root or title menu at any time.

So you'll only have the 1 large file, put on 1 timeline in Encore. Your submenus would be links to the different chapter points.

I'm not an expert with Encore...but that's how I author my wedding DVD's. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this does help. I'll try it now. But does this allow you to have the chapters selectable as well? In other words, can I have both the play all and sub menus referencing the chapters marks then either returning to the menu or continuing on to the end (either is fine)?
 
You can assign buttons to chapter points. So your submenu might have a thumbnail or motion button showing John Doe's bout...and that might be chapter point 12. Link that button to chapter point 12. So in selecting that button the video would start playing at that point in the video...which would be the beginning of that bout.
The problem is that the video would continue to run from that point until the end of the timeline. Not really a problem...very much like every DVD movie I own...when I go to "Scene select."

I would just set the menu buttons...so at any time by pressing root menu...you would return to that submenu. And selecting title menu would return you to the main menu.

I set all my chapter points in Encore, and their corresponding thumbnails. I also check my button routing like a madman. It can drive a man insane.

I just got Encore 2.0 and I haven't used it yet...time to get the rust off.
 
1. Make Playlist That Contains all Timelines You Want to Play
2. Make a Button labelled "Play All"
3. Link Button to Playlist

If you're still stuck, look in Encore manual under playlists.
 
note: in Encore 2.0 you can also set "End actions" to individual chapters.
Just click on a chapter marker and edit teh properties.
you can use this to be more flexible about forcing returns to the menu.


- Mikko ... found this one by accident "...oops".
 
Thanks everyone. I now almost have it! I got the two buttons two work. The play all plays straight through and the chapter select plays the chapter then returns to the menu. My problem is that there is a pause in the play all between the chapters. It freezes when it hits the end of one chapter and gets to the next. I am using one timeline with 18 chapters. My computer is more than fast enough. This damn program is trying to kill me!:badputer:

Any ideas? This happen to anyone else? Is it the transcoding maybe? I tried exporting as m2v and avi (the avi was 14gb).
 
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Alex, you only need to worry about 2 things to get what you want.

1. End actions for timelines
2. The Override option for buttons.

That's all you need, apart from seperate menus, as you have already said you wanted. There's no need to create one large file, in fact, if you do you will NOT be able to have individual timelines linked to buttons and then return to a menu once each one is finished playing.

Setup all your appropriate timelines. Have the end action of the first be the first chapter of the second. The end action of the second is the first chapter of the third and so on until you have the last, which should go back to the main menu.

A link from you main menu will bring you to the Scene select menu (you need to create if you haven't) and all the buttons on that menu will go to specific timelines. In order to have the timeline ignore its end action and return to the Scene menu, you need to set its overide option. you can have the override go to any part of the entire DVD. In my scene select menus, the first button's overide goes back to the scene select menu and highlihgts the second button, so there is no need to move around to play the next one. The second buttons overide goes to the third button and so on.

With one large file, you CANT do that. You can go to a chapter point, but since it is one file in one timeline, that timelines end action will take you back to the main menu (or wherever), but the end of one section itself will not bring you back to a menu, because they are no longer in seperate timelines. The is no way to set anything like a chapter point or "marker" to tell Encore to return to the menu, it must be done through end actions, and therefore all your media needs to be in seperate timelines.


Hope that helps.
 
Rapier,
Sorry to call into question, but are you sure?
Because I managed to (accidentally) assign an end action to a CHAPTER in Encore 2.0 a few weeks back. Caused a bit of confusion later when I checked the disc.
With the timeline selected you of course can define it's end action, but it apears that in Encore 2.0 you can also select a chapter and define it's own end actions. Not sure how Encore manges to do this, bu it's not like it's followed standards before either.

- Mikko
 
Thanks guys for the responses. I have all the menus and actions working as I want. All I am having trouble with is the darned (sp?) freeze frame at the chapter point.

In Encore 2.0 it lets you set the end action of chapter markers. So I took my one timeline from Premiere, set the chapter points with an end action of playing the next chapter. Then for the scene select I performed an override to return to the menu under which it originated. I am guessing (and blindly at that) that my problem may have something to do with either Encore being not properly installed, transcode settings (I am retranscoding now to try this theory out) or that tiny unicorns shitting in my computer.* Not shure how unicors would get in my computer, but man I know they could wreck shop in there.



*Joke stolen from Dane Cook and modified for the situation.
 
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mikkowilson said:
Rapier,
Sorry to call into question, but are you sure?
Because I managed to (accidentally) assign an end action to a CHAPTER in Encore 2.0 a few weeks back. Caused a bit of confusion later when I checked the disc.
With the timeline selected you of course can define it's end action, but it apears that in Encore 2.0 you can also select a chapter and define it's own end actions. Not sure how Encore manges to do this, bu it's not like it's followed standards before either.

- Mikko
Click to expand...


I'm using 1.5 I should have specified. They may have allowed that in 2. I'm gonna look it up. If they did, that is gonna kick ass.

That function alone will be worth the upgrade. I hope you're right.

If you are, thanks a friggin ton dude :thumbsup:


EDIT: I think we are talking apples and oranges though. Even if you can assign an end action to a chapter point, without an override function, every time it hits that spot, it's going to go to a menu. Right?

Hell. Now my brain hurts.


EDIT EDIT: From Adobe:

Chapter Playlists

Use Chapter Playlists to create different play orders without duplicating content. The disc space saved can enable the use of lower compression for higher quality video.


Now my brain really hurts.
 
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Alex DePew said:
Thanks guys for the responses. I have all the menus and actions working as I want. All I am having trouble with is the darned (sp?) freeze frame at the chapter point.

In Encore 2.0 it lets you set the end action of chapter markers. So I took my one timeline from Premiere, set the chapter points with an end action of playing the next chapter. Then for the scene select I performed an override to return to the menu under which it originated. I am guessing (and blindly at that) that my problem may have something to do with either Encore being not properly installed, transcode settings (I am retranscoding now to try this theory out) or that tiny unicorns shi*ting in my computer.* Not shure how unicors would get in my computer, but man I know they could wreck shop in there.



*Joke stolen from Dane Cook and modified for the situation.
Click to expand...


http://www.creativecow.net/articles/kurkoski_tim/play_all/index.html


That's a link to a 1.5 tutorial that may help.


Mikko: What they did was allow you to FINALLY put more than one video clip in a timeline. By doing that, you can use the chapter point method you mentioned. That kicks ass.

Go get this and read page 6.

http://www.adobe.com/products/encore/pdfs/encore_nfhs.pdf

Thanks for the mega heads up dude!
 
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I see chapters with end actions the same as multiple chapters. - well, except that they are one continious chapter. :)


Though with Encore not telling us how it works, we have no idea where the program chains of thw DVD standard go, for all we know it may actually be making new timelines at every chapter, who knows.

- Mikko
 
Rapier,
I think Alex had originally set it up the way you described but was having trouble with the the clips pausing, or showing a black screen at the end of each timeline. He wanted them to play straight through when play all was selected. That's why I suggested one big file.

I'm going to have to start messing around with Encore again...I haven't used it since my last wedding in September. And I just got 2.0. If Mikko is right about assigning chapter end actions It'll be a joyous occasion.
 
Sacksnack said:
Rapier,
I think Alex had originally set it up the way you described but was having trouble with the the clips pausing, or showing a black screen at the end of each timeline. He wanted them to play straight through when play all was selected. That's why I suggested one big file.

I'm going to have to start messing around with Encore again...I haven't used it since my last wedding in September. And I just got 2.0. If Mikko is right about assigning chapter end actions It'll be a joyous occasion.
Click to expand...

This is my first version of Encore so I didn't know it was special until I read the tutorial on creativecow that is for 1.5. The chapter thing works, I just can't get it to not have a freeze frame between chapters in play all.

It does seem like a cool function and not having to set several timelines is really time saving.

I'm still hoping to work this out. I need to get this DVD business taken care of! I've been messing around with this for too long and need to get burning the copies. I have Herofest work to do!

Thanks again everyone for the help! This is why this site is so great!
 
Alex DePew said:
This is my first version of Encore so I didn't know it was special until I read the tutorial on creativecow that is for 1.5. The chapter thing works, I just can't get it to not have a freeze frame between chapters in play all.
Click to expand...


Well, you have to remember that you are changing tracks on the DVD, and there will be a pause at it switches, just as there is a pause between tracks on a CD. If that is giving you fits, fade to black at the end and from the beginning of each clip. That way, you won't see the pause.

I think I finally got the root of what you are wanting, after SacSnack described it the way he did. There really is no way of avoiding that pause, unless you do as he suggested and make it all one long file. The pause is almost an artifact of the transition between. I gues by default, Encore simply holds the last frame until the next track is ready to go. Which makes sense. The only way to get around it is by having the last frame of one be exactly the same as the first frame of the other, and the only way to get that is to go to black.

Sorry it took so long for me to get the gist of it.

But hell, I learned about a new feature that's gonna benifit me, so I'm happy.

Best of luck.

:thumbsup:
 
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