internal software errors

[Jeff Bellune]

[gksmiler] “My project consist of one long avi file, and the whole thing will (just) squeeze onto a single 4.7GB DVD after transcoding (the project size is 4.65GB) when the project is built.”

If the 4.65 GB is reported by Windows Explorer, then it is too large for a single-layer DVD. If that is the size reported by Encore, then you are still really pushing the envelope.

1. Is the 4.65 reported by Encore prior to actually transcoding the file? Try a “transcode now” operation before building and see what size is reported by Encore.
2. Do you have any ROM content?
3. Are you using the Automatic transcode setting?

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Guy Kingston]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks so much for the quick reply.

I have transcoded and the project size is 4.69 (not the 4.7 I mentioned earlier). I used the Automatic settings as i didn’t understand the manual options.

I haven’t inserted a disc into my DVD drive but I have selected 4.7 GB as the disc size in the Disc panel. This reports there is 5.359 MB free.

I haven’t used any ROM content but the Disc panel does say 526 KB are used for ROM, which I guess is the minimum that gets burned to every disc anayway.

If I set the disc size to 8.54 GB (and keep my project size as 4.69 GB) without inserting a disc into the DVD burner I still get the same error mesages when I run Preview.

I don’t have this problem with other projects but this is my first experiment with chapters.

Guy.

[Jeff Bellune]

Automatic transcoding is good. That shouldn’t be the problem.

You mentioned the Chapter Playlist. Do you have only one or do you have a Chapter Playlist for each chapter? Do you have any Chapter End Actions set? We may have to dissect your project a bit.

First, though, would you mind trimming about 10 minutes off the end of the main timeline and trying to Preview again? If it makes you more comfortable, do a Save As and rename the copy of the project and then experiment with the copy.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Guy Kingston]

Hi Jeff,

OK, I’ve taken 10 minutes off the timeline – this gave me about an extra 450MB free space but the same old errors popped up when I ran Preview.

I have one chapter playlist containg 4 chapters.

End actions:

Chapter 1 end action is to go to go the menu and hopefully highlight Chapter one. I have been careful to choose a menu end action.

Chapter 2- ditto except the menu item it goes to is Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 – ditto

Chapter 4 – no end action set.

Guy.

The Mind Your Own Business Podcast – the Business Owners’ podcast

[Jeff Bellune]

If I understand how your project is set up, and what you want it to do, there is a procedural error. I don’t know if it causes the Preview problem, but your disc won’t work like you think it should.

1. While a Chapter Playlist is playing, the end actions for the listed chapters don’t execute. So there is no point in linking the individual chapter buttons to the playlist – they will all do the same thing, which is play all the chapters in the order they are listed in the playlist.
2. With the Play All button linked to just the timeline, all you will get is the first chapter played back and then the end action will execute and take you back to the menu.

With Chapter End Actions set like you have them, the Chapter Playlist should be your “Play All” target. The chapters in the playlist should be listed in order, including the last chapter. Then give the Chapter Playlist an end action to go back to the menu.

Fix the disc navigation and then see if Preview works any better. If not, then the next thing to investigate is the software and codecs that are installed on your system.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Guy Kingston]

OK, I have removed all the chapter end actions and linked the Chapter Playlist to the Play All button instead of the Timeline to the Play All button. But when I run Check Project it reports an Orphan timeline error.

With this arrangement it still reports an error when I try to run Preview.

Just to recap what I am trying to do: I have one avi file that is transcoded. I have marked four chapters on this. I want to have one menu with a play all button that plays (obviously) everything. Then, on the same menu I want to have four chapter buttons each playing only its chapter and then returning to the menu without automatically playing the other chapters.

When I first set this up, before I used a Chapter Playlist, each time a chapter played it just continued playing on into the next chapter. But, at least Preview worked then 🙂

Guy

The Mind Your Own Business Podcast – the Business Owners’ podcast – http://www.myobpod.com

[Jeff Bellune]

Guy,

I’m sorry if I am getting down to basics here. There is still some confusion on my part on what is set in your project and what isn’t.

Rebuilding the project from scratch may be easier than trying to go through all possible places where this or that may be set wrong. If you haven’t saved your menu as a .psd file to the Library, please do so now.

Then start a new project:

1. Import the .avi file as a timeline.

2. Add the menu from the Library via the New Menu button at the bottom of the Library panel.

3. Set each chapter in the timeline (except the last one) to have an end action to return to the menu. Ultimately, each of the individual chapter buttons on the menu will link to the appropriate chapter in the timeline. This will produce playback of each chapter with a return to the menu.

4. Create a single Chapter Playlist with all 4 chapters listed in order. Give the playlist an end action to return to the menu. This will be used for your Play All function.

5. Link the Play All button on the menu to the Chapter Playlist.

6. Link each of the chapter buttons on the menu to the corresponding chapter in the timeline. That will eliminate the Orphan Timeline error during Check Project. Disable Sync Button Text and Name for each menu button unless each chapter in the timeline is named appropriately. That will keep Encore from changing your button text when the link is established.

That’s it. You’re done. Preview, Check and Build.

HTH,
Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Guy Kingston]

No worries about getting down to basics!

I have rebuilt the project from scratch, as you suggested. I have also tried building an entirely new project using chapters. Unfortunately, both still report the same errors at the Preview stage.

I have also re-installed Encore but this hasn’t fixed it either.

Guy.

The Mind Your Own Business Podcast – the Business Owners’ podcast – http://www.myobpod.com

[Jeff Bellune]

Do you have:

1. Any Matrox hardware installed?
2. Any Canopus hardware or software installed?
3. Any downloaded codec packs?
4. Any flavor of DivX or XviD installed?
5. Any software DVD players?

Sorry if I missed any answers in your earlier posts.

Do you have Premiere Pro 2 installed? If so, can it play back your avi file without error? Encore 2.0 and PPro 2.0 share the same playback engine.

Other things to try:

1. Clean and then delete the Media Cache Database. The controls for that are under Edit>Prefernces>Audio/Video Out. Test preview after cleaning, and if you stil get the errors delete it and try again.

2. Also under Edit>Prefernces>Audio/Video Out, uncheck Automatic for the Video Playback item. See if that helps.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Guy Kingston]

Hi Jeff,

I’ve been away for a couple of days, hence the short delay in responding.

I am only having problems with projects that have chapters. As a test I deleted all the chapter stuff (chapters, buttons and chapter playlist) from my two projects. I also deleted the timelines then simply dragged the avi files onto the remaining Play All buttons then ran Preview. Hey Presto! They worked. But, of course, with no chapters.

I have tried the cleaning and deleting of the media cache and unchecking Automatic for Video Playback.

In answer to your numbered suggestions:

1 I don