Is it possible to script a "play-list" in DVDSP?

[Svenisak]

I have a project that consists of lots of short clips that needs to be playable either individually or with "Play All"-like functions. Think of it as a kind of encyclopedia for DVD players, and you're not too far off.

I know that this has been touched upon before. However those solutions (aswell as the one in the manual) doesn't work for me for two main reasons;
1) Each clip must be playable by several individual play-lists.
2) Each clips "jump back" destination needs to be dependent of which button (on which menu) originated the playback. (therefore, the "End Jump" parameter in the "Marker Inspector" is out).

In order to get around the "99-track" limit, I need to collect all the clips on one (or several) track(s) and then use "Chapter Markers" to initiate playback of the individual clips.

Giving buttons scripts with the following functionality would be the ideal solution.
For individual playback:
1. Jump Track 1:: Marker 1 ("At end of play go to step 2")
2. Jump Menu "X" ("Substitute "X" for the menu from where playback was initiated. Preferably with the initiating button highlighted")

For playlist playback:
1. Jump Track 1:: Marker 1 ("At end of play go to step 2")
2. Jump Track 1:: Marker 8 ("At end of play go to step 3")
3. Jump Track 1:: Marker 4 ("At end of play go to step 4")
............................................
99. Jump Menu "X" ("Substitute "X" for the menu from where playback was initiated. Preferably with the initiating button highlighted")

Of cause, these simple scripts doesn't work, but they might give an idea of what I'm looking for.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheNightPhoenix]

Maybe I Don't get what your looking for, but can you not achieve this using the story function?
It seems like a very standard "story" set up.

 

[Svenisak]

Maybe I Don't get what your looking for, but can you not achieve this using the story function?
It seems like a very standard "story" set up.

Yes it would, if it wasn't for the 99-Story limit, which doesn't even come close to the number of stories that would be required. The DVD specification allows for 10.000 scripts in a project and I would need almost all of them.

That is the reason why I think that some kind of scripting solution is the only way to go.

 

[Svenisak]

Perhaps my query wasn't totally clear in my first posting. Please bear with me if this detailed description becomes a bit long.

Consider this premiss: I've got a track (called Track 1) containing three clips (clip 1-3). I've also got two menus containing three buttons each. (Please note that this is a hugh simplification. The real project contains thousands of clips and thousands of menus.)

I want to be able to do two things:

1) Play (for example) "Clip 2" by clicking on a linked button in either menu. The problem with using the End-Jump setting in the Marker Inspector is that the return destination is hardwired. I need the End-Jump to return to "Menu 1" if playback was initiated from "Menu 1", to "Menu 2" if playback was initiated from "Menu 2", a.s.o.

2) Play the Clips in a different order than they appear on the track. For instance, "Clip 2", then "Clip 1", then "Clip 3" and then, gain, the End-Jump destination need to be dependent on the originating menu.

I've done some testing using different methods:

ALT 1 (Button linked to "Track 1:: Clip 1". Marker End-Jump as "Menu 1::Button 3")

This will play "Clip 2" and then return to "Menu 1" with "Button 3" highlighted. However, since the End-Jump is hardwired and consequently returns to "Menu 1" regardless of whether playback was initiated from "Menu 1" or "Menu 2" this alternative can't be used.

LOG:
User activated: Button 2
Jumping to Track: Track 1 - Clip 2
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 1
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 3
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 1
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 3 (Angle Number) register changed: 1
SPRM 1 (Audio Stream) register changed: 0
---Here "Clip 2" plays---
Marker end action executed
SPRM 8 (Highlight Button) register changed: 3072
Jumping to Menu: Menu 1 - Button 3

ALT 2 (Button linked to "Track 1:: Clip 1". Marker End-Jump as "not set")
This will play "Clip 2", then "Clip 3" and then do nothing. Obviously this alternative can't be used either.

LOG
User activated: Button 2
Jumping to Track: Track 1 - Clip 2
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 1
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 3
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 1
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 3 (Angle Number) register changed: 1
SPRM 1 (Audio Stream) register changed: 0
---Here "Clip 2" plays---
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 1
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 3
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 1
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 3
---Here "Clip 3" plays---

ALT 3
This time I set up a "Story" that plays "Clip 2", then "Clip 1" and "Clip 3" with "Clip 3s" End-jump set as "Menu 1::Button 3". Again, this alternative can't be used. Firstly the End-Jump is hardwired. Second, there are only 98 stories available in a project. Remember that I neeed thousands.

LOG
User activated: Button 1
Jumping to Story: Story 1 - Clip 2 Entry
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 2
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 5
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 3 (Angle Number) register changed: 1
SPRM 1 (Audio Stream) register changed: 0
---Here "Clip 2" plays---
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 2
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 5
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 1
---Here "Clip 1" plays---
SPRM 6 (Title PGC) register changed: 2
SPRM 4 (Title Number) register changed: 5
SPRM 5 (VTS Title) register changed: 2
SPRM 7 (Part of Title) register changed: 3
---Here "Clip 3" plays---
Marker end action executed
SPRM 8 (Highlight Button) register changed: 1024
Jumping to Menu: Menu 1 - Button 3

I then tried making a couple of very simple "Scripts".

ALT 4
Script:
1. Jump Track 1::Clip 2
2. Jump Menu 1::Button 3

LOG:
With Marker End-Jump as "Menu 1::Button 3" the logresult identical to ALT 1.
With Marker End-Jump as "not set" the logresult identical to ALT 2.

ALT 5
Script:
1. Jump Track 1::Clip 2
2. Jump Track 1::Clip 1
3. Jump Track 1::Clip 3
4. Jump Menu 1

LOG:
With Marker End-Jump as "Menu 1::Button 3" the logresult identical to ALT 1. (Except that SPRM 4 now reads "register changed: 4".)
With Marker End Jump as "not set" the logresult identical to ALT 2.. (Except that SPRM 4 now reads "register changed: 4".)

It seems clear that, with these simple scripts, only line 1 is acknowledged. All the rest are ignored. I was under the impression that performing a series of consecutive actions (perform line 1, then line 2, a.so.) was the most basic function of any scripting system. But apparently not so with DVDSP!

Is there any way to "translate" the logresults from ALT 1 and ALT 3 into scripts? As far as I can see, this would be the ideal (if not the only) solution.