 History of DVD-lab PRO
For DVD-lab Standard version click here.
Date is in: DD.MM.YYYY
There are two major versions of DVD-lab: Standard and PRO. The PRO version targets more advanced to pro users and will require a bit more knowledge about the DVD authoring but it will allow you to create DVD structure as you dream.
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Note: This is an incomplete and beta software. Each new beta has new additions but also tons of fixes, many of them in multiplexing and compiling. Never use anything else than latest beta, each older beta has much bigger chance to produce unplayable or incompatible discs. Expect that even the most recent beta has bugs.
You can participate in betatesting (only) through www.mmbforums.com in DVD-lab PRO section. If you don't want to participate in beta testing, the safest way would be to wait for official release.
PRO Beta 16/ RC4 ( DVDlabProRC4.exe 6 MB)
September 29th, 2004
Fixes:
- When adding audio to menu the timeout should change to 0
- Chapter placement error redux
- Increased buffer for File Open dialog in assets and Slideshows (more items can be selected at the same time)
Changed
- Timeout renamed to Duration
Added
- Add manually Audio Marks
- Display Layer Break Range in Movies
PRO Beta 15/ RC3 ( DVDlabProRC3.exe 6 MB)
September 27th, 2004
Fixes:
- Better support for "Always Field Structure" a.k.a "Field-Based" -only MPEGs
- Panorama was always 4:3
- Direct compile "Save as" screws the file
- Chapters may be incorrect/corrupted in some pulldown(?) cases
PRO Beta 14/ RC2
September 21th, 2004
Fixes:
- Insert to project with segmented movie works funny way
- sometimes when frame index exist the chapter cannot be added at the desired position
- DVD-lab accepts AC3 even if it doesn't start with correct header. Such file cannot compile. DVD-lab must inform you about this during asset import and optionally offer fixing the AC3 file.
- Direct Compile shows wrong chapters (shifted by one)
- Once you close Output window in LabTalk it cannot be opened (there is no button for it)
Changed
- Each VTS can have its own Audio/Subtitle language
- The current audio language displays in the audio bar.
Added
- Button Cut and All object cut into Render Motion intro (buttons will appear after intro or all objects will appear after intro)
- Object Styles bin. Here you can store the color and texture info for quick recall
- Subtitles, added few new Text Styles now based on vector outlining for crispier text.
- Subtitles added Base line alignment for multiline bottom subtitles (either from bottom or from top)
- Display real PGC number in connections
- Import chapters from Edit Studio (eds_chpt)
- Menu Category aka Menu ID to indentify VTS menu as subtitle, audio etc... works with PowerDVD and that's probably it - very hard to find a player that supports it.
PRO Beta thirteen RC1
September 15th, 2004
Fixes
- chapters will be put to i-frame that is either before or after the desired position - whichever distance is closest, this creates even better accuracy and chapters now fall to the exact frame
- chapter import for PAL framenumber not working, need prevent also from entering wrong frame/timecode out of range
- delayed menu buttons in VMG don't work (buttons have no link and the cell2 and 3 playback time is always as cell1)
- On Sony, still menu + audio menu will keep displayed whatever was previously on screen (menu or movie last frame) instead of the correct background - this bug was apparently introduced after beta 11
- Regional Coding browse button is non-functional.
- Search addresses should be corrected
Changed
- Import chapters can import from text file having only frames
- Import will remember/select apropriate timecode format
- Export chapters now use frameindex (if exist) to export correct chapters from frame number in format HH:MM:SS:FF
- Panoramic menu now loads a sample project
- Delete Component with Del button.
Added
- chapters to report
- Consolidate project - it will export the dal file and all external audio/video files used in project to a new location or write to CD/DVD (using CopyToDVD) for archiving. The paths in dal file will be set as relative so such project can be transferred to another computer.
- Added ability to run/compile the project directly from the Consolidated Archive CD/DVD
PRO Beta Twelve
September 8th, 2004
Fixes
- subtitles muxing crashing
- various other muxer related fixes (crashing, lockups, audio problems)
Addded
- Burn with CopyToDVD option
- Volume Name in Compile dialog if you check Auto Start recording
- If you have CopyToDVD, autostart recording will use that
- Generating Reports: File Overview and Link & Commands report, good for quickly describe project in e-mails or forums.
- HTML Report with images - a whole project logic description, including images that you can use for tutorials
PRO Beta Eleven
September 3th, 2004
Fixes
- 352x240 is wrongly interpreted in IFO VTSI_MAT, but others resolutions are fine (however ifoedit shows wrong resolution on all, (see also KB article 41)
- loading pre beta 8 project may attach random command to some chapters (shows as blue diamond or blue chapter mark) which will ultimatelly perfectly screw the playback of the movie - (will be fixed, but for now watch for these blue chaptermarks on old projects and remove them - right click on chapter - Clear Chapter Command)
- pressing Menu button on remote on project that has no VTS menu may crash player - a dummy menu should be added in this case with RSM command to prevent player crashing
- subtitle timing is incorrect for longer subtitles.
Changed
- Seat as first button will not move the button below all other objects only below all buttons
- setting Subtitle Stream or Audio stream from menu now always restarts the menu to prevent lockup on some players
- Movie Branch renamed to Movie CLone & Branch
- Movie Clone & Branch Object can now access single segments from Movie Segment Object, allowing to play just one segment from Movie Segment or create a "segment movie playlist"
- VM root menu sets subtitle to OFF only first time.
- Chapter import now specify what time format you are importing and does DF2NDF conversion
- Timecode in Preview displays GOP before the time
Added
- Copy Colors From (menu) in Color MAP to allow copy colors from any other menu
- Calculation of size based on DVD 5 or DVD 9
- Advanced project = VMG, VTSM + Movie
- Added for Subtitle/Audio links from menu to go to next/prev/first page after setting the link
- Added Set GPRM and Link to a menu button for creating Audio/Subtitle Managers and other funky things
- Added Splice Movie at a Chapter - will make the chapter return where movie returns
- Connections can now be removed from main window as floating window (and back). This is great for organizing workplace on multiple monitors where you can now have main application in one monitor and move the whole connection window to second monitor.
- New menu Clonning option allows to create a clone menus and allow to set how objects are being cloned (color, position, effects..). Changing object in one clone menu will automatically change it for all other clones. Absolutly great for switched menu etc...
- Switched menu wizard now allows use the Cloning + other enhancements such as changing color of selected items etc.
- Added Manual chapter entering (like import, but doesn't ask for file)
PRO Beta Ten
August 18th, 2004
Fixes:
- All subtitle imports except DVDMaestro produce wrong time (+few sec) because I thought they use frames in timecode, but they use cents
- Subtitle export is also wrong because of the above - it should convert frames back to cents
- on some systems context submenus dissapear faster than you are able to click on the items (menu window, right click)
Added
- sst (Scenarist) subtitle import (Don't mix it with StreamSub Text)
- shows in subtitle dialog what project system is PAL/NTSC
- For pal added Timecode conversion if source comes from NTSC DF timecode
- SON and SST subtitle lines will be automatically formatted to two or three lines if the text is longer
- Apply to all Subtitles added in Subtitle position dialog
- Some clarification about Project Size (renamed to Menu/Slideshow Size) and added Accept Movie Sizes combo which could accept all sizes as currently or add more size restriction, for example accept only Full D1.
PRO Beta Nine "b"
August 15th, 2004
- Some unfortunate bug found when testing subtitles.
1. The DF to NDF was applied also to PAL subtitles (!) making them off sync with time,
2. DF to NDF didn't calculated the frames properly, making some subtitles start up to few sec late and also possible making start time bigger than end time - a good reason for subtitle freezing on player.
The 9b fixes both these problems.
PRO Beta Nine
August 15th, 2004
Fixes from beta 8
- asset popup menu appears offset to side
- deleting items from project window will not update the total size in statusbar
- change size in menu x-maximum was wrong
- subtitle bitmaps are not deleted from temp (for debugging purposes)
- subtitle freezes on player or the timing is wrong
- if demuxing before compile because you added additional audio to MPEG, this audio is then removed from Movie (should stay there - that was the whole purpose of demuxing)
Added
- Place object tool in Connections that will add new menu/movie to the position of mouse cursor
- Importing PSD file to menu will now tell you what should be the file size to fit: 720 x 540 (4:3) or 960 x 540 (16:9)
- Added Next PGC/Prev PGC/ Go Up
- Ability to set subtitle margins from all sides (you can basically now position subtitles anywhere)
- Ability to force demux all files before compile
PRO Beta Eight
August 11th, 2004
Fixes from beta 7
- subtitle language show always English when loading project
- demux can't open the file if it is already open in preview
- DTS in WAV is now recognized
- Memory requrements trimmed down (about 2.5 x times) from beta 7. As a result of this only first 50 menus in each VTS are allowed to have delayed menu buttons (cells) for motion menu
- zoom in menu changed by mouse wheel has not been remembered
- Motion menu ES/PS is recognized by extension only, should test if *.mpg may be perhaps ES
- Some muxer crash on DVB files with >50 frames in GOP
Added:
- Menu objects now can have a bitmap fill with various effects for metal etc..
- 2-New bevels in Effect - a realistic Metal Bevel and Plastic Bevel
- Some of the bevels and glass effects had been renamed and also the order changed, this may affect loading of some old project (a different effect will be used than previously choosen)
- Check for overlapping subtitles and End<Start
- Added offset tool to subtitles, allows also progressive offset
- Ability to create DVD without Abstraction Layer for low-level authoring. DVD-lab will not insert any of its abstraction commands and you have to support DVD playability only with VM Commands.
- duration of slide is now from 1 - 3600 sec., slides have automatically set UOPS for FW/BW (in slideshow you suppose to use Next and Previous)
PRO Beta Seven
August 4th, 2004
Fixes from beta 6
- transitions for widescreen menus don't work correctly (always 4:3)
- movie without vts menu still CALLSS Root Menu in POST
- zoom out + F2 is messy
- force activate button should not be used if cell 3 in delayed menu exist
Added
- Intro Effect in Render Motion - create intro+motion that can be later used in delayed buttons menu.
- delayed menu cell 2 can loop or continue depending if the end link exist.
- objects in menu are now bit "sticky" when you click on them which prevents from accidental moving it.
- added delayed buttons feature to VMG
- if you use mpg file with AC3 stream or use mpg/vob and add more audio or subs the compile will first offer to demultiplex these files in order to be able to successfuly continue.
- if mpeg file has already PCI and DSI packets, it is then used as VOB during compile (to solve the audio problem on "DVD-ready" mpegs without demuxing)
PRO Beta Six
July 20th, 2004
Fixes from beta 5 to beta 6
- Subtitles are always ON by default (on some f... players, I mean buggy players)
- if Title button has no link it may point to nonexisting object.
- There shouldn't be Set Subtitle and Set Audio on VMG menus. From VMG you cannot set SPRM2
- Paste Attributes lock clipboard
- movie branch doesn't wotk with M+ remote menu link
- switched menu wizard on vmg doesn't work as it should
-deleting video track should delete all audio tracks not only first one.
Additions
- UOPs
- Force select displaying subtitles
- Ability to set loop point for hollywood style motion menu (delayed buttons). The menu become: (initial entry motion) + (loop region with buttons)+ end (optional)
- add vm command to title cells
- ability to adjust position of existing chapters with a mouse
- simpe "editing" of movie by setting Skip Regions. Good for removing commercials for example. The regions that will be set this way in a movie window will be skpped during playback.
- Movie Segment object for simplified adding many small mpeg files to one Movie object. The mpeg files will be joined during compiling and chapter point will be added at beginning of each segment. (only one audio and no subs in Movie Segment)
- ability to replace video track with new file while keeping the chapters and audio (drag new file to exisiting track and you will be prompted to replace). Note, this way also the chapter thumbnails will be kept the old one.
-Added Light Haze and Bold Color Haze in Menu - Effects
-Added Open last project on the Intro Default Project dialog.
PRO Beta Five C (DVDlabProB5c.exe 5.5MB)
Jun 23nd, 2004
A quick release from Beta 5a and beta 5b.
- Fix for unexpected crashing
- Subtitles are back
PRO Beta Five
Jun 22nd, 2004
Installation: DO NOT install over previous DVD-lab standard version. Install in separate directory. You will be able to run it fine, but there will be missing backgrounds, objects, transitions and styles. You can copy these folders from DVD-lab installation. When windows asks you during copying such message : "This Folder already contains a folder named Objects", click YES.
Fixes in the beta 5 from beta 4:
- 16:9 allows only one subtitle (ID problem in IFO), same as in beta 3
- Build image from compile window use default string for Volume Name
- 16:9 menus can be viewed only on wide screen, on 4:3 screens the menu is non-functional
- too long or too many audio titles will eventually crash compiller (VOBU count)
- import VTS doesn't write correct number of VTS in VMGM_MAT and VMG_VTS_ATRT
- VM Commands inconsistently shows decimal and hexadecimal numbers wherewer it likes (should use only decimal by popular vote).
- If user press Cancel on Button VM command, last command is not returned.
Additional features and improvements
- fully working multi-aspect 16:9 menus. Now widescreen menus works on 4:3 as well. New settings in properties to separately select the display mode (LB or PS) for widescreen menus on 4:3
- slide duration extended to 1800 seconds
- memory increased to handle larger GOP sizes for TiVO and DVB streams
- Decoder buffer size checking
- new Panorama menu.
- See and add VM commands for shadow VTS root
- See and add VM commands for Title Button
- See and add VM commands for First Play
- Connection window can be split to two independent rows, each displaying different part of the workplace (each with different settings)
- Direct Compile tool. Enables you to load last compile, change just few things (for example video files) and then compile again without going to interface. Good for repeating simillar projects that always needs to change only few things.
- Return to last menu object. Linking a movie to it will return to the last viewed menu in this VTS or VMG menu.
- Case List. Depending on the value of GPRM it can link to various movies, menus, VMG menus or objects
- Support for ShuttlePRO2 and ShuttleXpress controllers (I will later publish the key settings)
PRO Beta Four
Jun 1st, 2004
Note: During installation of the B4 it will claim in the install box it is beta 3 - sorry for that, I forgot to change the installation. Once installed check the about box, it should say it is beta 4.
Installation: DO NOT install over previous DVD-lab version. Install in separate directory. You will be able to run it fine, but there will be missing backgrounds, objects, transitions and styles. You can copy these folders from DVD-lab installation. When windows asks you during copying such message : "This Folder already contains a folder named Objects", click YES.
Fixes in the beta 4 from beta 3:
- audio title not working properly (same audio plays on multiple titles, problem with large lpcm files)
- no warning if user doesn't use same number of subtitles in all movies in one VTS, solved by adding dummy subtitles
- motion menus on PAL/NTSC still not working correctly - highliting shows for brief time then dissapear which disallow for navigation from the menu
- Adding Audio/Subtitle/Resume Stream selection to a VMG menu button will crash (typo error)
- The Import VTS appears to allow to edit VM commands - but it shouldn't
- On VMG menu buttons it appears as if you can link to any chapters of any movie, but that's wrong. From VMG you can connect only to movie start. Only a VTS menu can have access to chapters.
- Sometimes when you scroll in movie and then add chapter it adds the chapter a bit later
- remote menu button link should not be able to set for script objects
- empty branch object will mess up compilation.
- PAL motion menu renders with 29.97 fps
- VM editor allows adding invalid condition Type 3 comparing SPRM and constant: if (SPRM8 == num) etc. (SPRM can't be on left side, neither it can be compared with constant)
Not yet addressed known bugs:
- on 16:9 all subtitles are set to play first subtitle stream
Additional features
- added *.SSA and *.SON subtitle import.
- Edit VM command in Menu Buttons
- Snap to Grid in Connection window
- Create Image file during compile
- Create DVD-9 image files during compile with automatic layer break
PRO Beta Three
May 1st, 2004
Fixes in the beta 3 from beta 2:
- Language combos shows more items than there are languages
- Some pulldown videos don't create chapters
- Transitions had swapped blue and red color
- SetHL-button 0 not allowed on Microsoft based software players
- Multiplexer, playback of pulldown files
- Chapters are wrong on pulldown files
- Audio on complex menu will not compile (but compiles on simple menus)
- More than 1 audio title will crash compiler.
- Highliting trouble on some pal players with motion menu
- DTS not all bitrates works correctly
- Sync issues with subtitles DF/NDF see bellow
Additions, changes
- The previous Play list is now renamed VTS Play list and doesn't allow bridge anymore (may be later completelly removed for redundancy)
- Added Play list that can address any movie from any VTS without a need for bridge
- Zoom out in Connections
- VTS Import is back, now you can import up to 3 external VTS's
- Added Non-Drop Frame and Drop Frame in subtitles dialog to "fix" the sync problem
- Sort assets by name or by type
- Add/Remove object to/from component
PRO Beta Two
Apr 19th, 2004
Installation: DO NOT install over previous DVD-lab version. Install in separate directory. You will be able to run it fine, but there will be missing backgrounds, objects, transitions and styles. You can copy these folders from DVD-lab installation. When windows asks you during copying such message : "This Folder already contains a folder named Objects", click YES.
Fixes in the beta 2 from beta 1:
- Muxer problem during placing navigational parameters
- Messed FP, VMG->Movie links if movies are added zig-zag to various VTS's
- Test Compile shown wrong images in multi VTS
- Render motion Pre-buffering bug (workaround...it is some MS compiller error)
- Scene Selection menus works only for VTS1
- Audio in slideshow can't be shorter than slide time
- Audio slideshow can't be longer than 151 sec
- Muxer elementary shows "End" and then exits
- Wrongly calculated sectors if no VMG present (GetVTS sectors in Ifoedit will correctly uncover this)
- Remote menu button not saved
- CallSS VMGM pgcn resume_cell 0 => 1
- Muxer crashes during compiling due high bitrate peak
- VTS are not enterred in VMG_VTS_ATTR
- subtitle not working for PAL
- (build 2) - LabTalk window changed the main menu - rebuilding project fixed this (MS compiler does these things sometimes)
- Added Condition Splitter object, splits the link to two objects depending on the condition (Globar Parameters GPRM)
- Added a table view in connections - it can shows items in a table where you can also change end links etc..
- Added Audio-Only Title. This is a "Movie" with only audio track, not video, optionally you can add a title screen to it (such as name of the song....) that will be displayed during the audio playback. You can also set "chapters", here called Marks and have multiple audio there.
- Ability to override the Global settings for each VTS - each VTS can have different aspect for menus and also different system.
- VM commands shows also default inserted DVD-lab commands
- Right click on Properties first select the item and vts then shows the menu
- Quick VTS select button in connection link bar that shows which VTS is currently selected, Also a bit tighter connection between the Project tree control and Connection window.
- Added Film Strip wizard (much like scene selection wizard)
- Added Region checking smart component
- Added Regional Coding setting in Tools menu
PRO Beta One
Testing
As you see below the amount of changes is huge.
I would suggest to start testing the important stuff: compilling various movies, elemntary, multiplexed, vob, then try varius type of menus - motion menu, still menu with audio, motion with audio, looping or one shot only etc... I am sure there will be many small things all around, but the important stuff needs to be tested first.
Reporting:
Please go to www.mmbforums.com and find the appropriate forum to report any DVD-lab PRO beta bugs, problems - anything.
Note: This version is made always to expire in 30 days. It is a beta version and I don't want any beta versions to have long lifetime since then they are messing with future testing.
All the features of DVD-lab Standard plus:
- True Multi-VTS authoring tool (design exactly what you want)
- 8 audio channels
- 8 subtitle channels. Import from sub and srt formats (both bitmap and/or text only). A simple subtitle editor is build-in DVD-lab but also EditStudio (4.13+) now have a subtitle marks with ability to export to DVD-lab - this is probably the best way to set the correct and precise in/out subtitle points with hearing audio.
There are various subtitle settings for position, outline, smoothed outline and text, shadow, dialogue (itallic in one line, normal in second) etc..
- Clear difference between VMG (top level) and VTS menus
- Play Lists object. Play movies in any combination one after another without putting them on disc twice. You can have more than one playlists in each VTS and they can each call the same movies in any combination. You can also link playlists with other objects, other playlists and link also other objects to playlists. Funky.
- Counter List object. Each time you call this object it will jump to the next item in its list (Movies, Mensu and VMG menus). The items will then follow its own end link. If there is no more items to jump the counter resets and go to the link specified by its own end. So simply drawing connection from its end to its start will make the Counter list repeating over and over. A good example would be a DVD that each time when returns from some movie will show slightly different menu.
- Random List object. Each time you call this object it will jump to the random object in the list (Movies, menus, VMG Menus)
- Movie Branching object. This object "clones" a movie and allows you to play it in a different sequence of chapters. You may play only some of the chapters and play chapters in any order. For example you create a movie but you would like to play also alternative shorter version that doesn't play chapter 2 and 6. You create Movie Branch object and then select chapters 1,3,4,5,7. Now you can work with it like with a normal movie. From your menu you can play the original movie or play the shorter, branched version.
- VTS Bridge object. This is a special linking aid that allows you to connect any two objects from different VTS together. There are absolutely no limitations with VTS Bridge - any object can be linked with any other object.
- Link assist in connections. When starting to draw links in Connection user will see exactly which object can't accept such link. This is a good help especially in multi-VTS.
- Some nice optional color helpers in connection to see what object belongs to what VTS
- Ability to create and edit lab-TALK scripts Eventually all DVD-lab commands will be exported to script API which will enable to create a self creating projects, smart components, plugins for object manipulation down to the pixel level etc...
The lab-TALK is internal interpreter language. You can also easily translate the script to your compiler language such as C++ because the lab-TALK and a plugin SDK uses the very same API. This will speed up the plug-in and also make it non-editable.
- Ability to create and edit Smart Components (component with embedded script that runs when you add the component)
- Highlite button. Ability to higlite a paticular button on a menu to which object links
- A Link Explorer bar in connections shows links from currently selected object, ability to Higlite button on any End links
- Render Motion can export to AVI with using codecs and also directly render to MPEG 2 (internal ISO engine).
- Dynamic-FX are dynamic textures (such as plasma, fire, smoke) for menu objects that will dynamically move when used with Render Motion. They can be combined with motion thumbnails to create even greater effects. In a static menu you can still use them as funky texture fills.
- Crossfade End-Start in Render Motion where you can specify the overlap number of frames. This will at the end of motion cross-fade to the beginning which will create sort of seamless motion background.
- Ability to add text notes to Connection layout
- Change Order of Items in Project (Movies, Menus, VMG Menus...). This also determines order of each item (in their respective domain) as they will be written to DVD. With this you can fine-tune the smoothness of playback (for example you re-order movies in the same way as they are logically linked so DVD laser doesn't have to jump across the surface therefore the link will be performed faster). Kind of geeky, but logical.
- Title button can be linked to VMG, movie, or root menu
- Menu Button link. Addition to the Title button now each object in a VTS (Movie, Menu) can go to its own menu when user press Menu button on remote For example if a playing movie is interrupted by MENU button (on DVD remote) it can go to a specific menu. Same for Menus, you can specify where to go from which particular menu on a "Menu button" event.
- Handling of Adobe Encore PSD menu files - the layers set in PSD as subpicture will be changed to Invisible Normal (ready to accept a link), the video placeholders object will accept a video still from Preview and they will also appear as motion objects in Render Motion.
- For hard-core programmers ability to write your own Virtual machine DVD script commands to PRE and POST commands of objects. This is one of the best DVD script editors you can find, with syntax coloring, automatic syntax checking as you type and auto-suggestions . Also it has ability to reverse machine code to a script.
- A command script only object
- Chapters are now numbered from 1 :-)
- Combination button (they carry not only the button face but also a subpicture with them)
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