AutoMKVchapters, an automation tool for easy creation of all kinds of chapters

[Daiz]

Current version: 0.8.5
Download here



AutoMKVchapters is a program for the easy creation of Matroska chapter files based on AviSynth Trim() commands. It can easily generate chapter files with ordered chapters, multiple editions, linked segments etc with powerful template system.

Features:

• Automatic chapter time generation
• Powerful template system for automated chapter creation
• QPfile generation for x264 to ensure keyframes at chapter start times

Planned features:

• Template creator GUI
• Commandline capabilities

Since the program is a work-in-progress, there might be some bugs. If you find any, please report them here.

Also, no documentation has been written for the program yet, but the usage is quite straightforward.

1. Browse for an input .avs file
2. Write template name to the "template" box
3. Press "Create chapters"
4. Press "Save"

Things to note:

• You will be asked to save a tag file if you have more than one edition. You must mux this tagfile in the matroska file to have edition names.
• Currently the program will crash if the input file doesn't exist.
• All the trims must be written in the same way, Trim, trim or TRIM.
• Template files are only loaded from the program folder. There's no need to include the .txt extension.
• All the Trims must be in the same line for the program to work.
• You might have to add some additional trims compared to normal since for example quite many series have no ads between intro & OP or part B & ED.
• The program might not be 100% frame accurate at times - it might end up one frame too late. So far the efforts to make it 100% accurate have been less than fruitful, and this is as accurate as it gets right now. Please report if you're getting constantly multiple non-accurate chapters points.

Template files are required for the chapters to be created. Example template file:
http://underwater.pastebin.com/f2f99d942

Template file parameters explained:

In the info group:
editions - number of editions
lang - three-letter language code
country - default chapter country
inputfps - input fps (basically the framerate you perform the trims on, usually 29.970 for TSes. Actual framerate is calculated using (fps*1000)/1001, so 30 is actually 29.970 etc)
outputfps - output fps (framerate after ivtc, no vfr support)
createqpfile - Determines whether the program will ask you to save a qpfile or not

In editionX group:
name - the edition name
default - is the edition default or not
ordered - is the edition ordered or not
chapters - how many chapters the edition has
Xname - name of the chapter
Xchapter - number of the autochapter (autochapters are the automatically created chapter times based on the trims, so the first Trim() contents are the first autochapter and so on
Xstart - if you do not define Xchapter, you can define the start time manually. This is mainly intended for segment linking.
Xend - same as above, except for the end time.
Xsuid - the segment UID of the chapter, for segment linking. Requires the edition to be ordered.
Xhidden - determines whether the chapter is hidden or not. If the chapter is hidden, this chapter start time isn't shown as a navigation point.

Program window explained:

The edition list:
ID - edition number
Edition name - exactly what it says
D - is the edition the default edition [Y/N]?
O - is the edition ordered [Y/N]?

The chapter list:
Chapter name - exactly what it says
Start time - chapter start time
End time - chapter end time
H - is the chapter hidden [Y/N]?
SUID - external segment UID
E - the number of edition this chapter belongs to

So, that's about it. Feel free to test it, give feedback, comments, feature request, etc.

EDIT: Added program window explanation.
EDIT2: Added things to note.

[FredThompson]

Are you aware of CoreCodec's DVD Menu Extractor? https://svn.matroska.org/svn/matrosk...dMenuXtractor/

Seems a logical set of code to use with DVD source.

Something like DVD Rebuilder could be used to create the basic set of trim() commands. It's not the best option but maybe there is a way to save a lot of time through automation if you want to use the default chapter points of a DVD.

[DjJuvan]

With this program is it possible to include playback of external video? Like, if i dont want opening sequences in every episode, i just exclude it and link it in every episode. If you want to quick-watch the whole series, you just rename the OP/ED sequence and it wont playback in any episode.

[Daiz]

Holy shit, someone actually replied? But yes, as the opening post states:

It can easily generate chapter files with ordered chapters, multiple editions, linked segments etc with powerful template system.

Ordered chapters and linked segments are the thing you are talking about. I've used it myself for the exact purpose.

Anyway, I guess I should update this soon since I've added a couple of features. I only need to work in the CLI interface as well and it'll be good to go.

[DmonHiro]

Wait, are you saying that you can make ordered chapters with this thing or did I misunderstand?

[TheFluff]

ordered chapters is sort of the entire point with it

[Daiz]

As TheFluff said, it's pretty much one of the main points of the program. I use this every time I do anything related to ordered chapters. On some normal releases I've used this for I've also included a second ordered chapters edition with no OP/ED just for the fun of it and because doing something like that is so ridiculously easy with this.

[Zergrinch]

Does this come with a video preview window?

[Daiz]

No. This is an automation tool, which calculates the chapter points based solely on the .avs file. It then uses these calculated chapter points along with your template file to create the actual chapter file.

[mastrboy]

any date on the planned features mentioned in post 1 ?

I could really need the "Commandline capabilities" for batch processing...