4

• Identify points where mixed-angle tracks can start
• Configure a DVD@CCESS operation to launch once the viewer reaches the marker point
while playing the title
• Set a jump to another element in the project once the marker reaches its end. This is
most often used by scripts that are set to play a portion of the stream and then return
to another place in the project.
There are three ways to place markers on your track:
• You can manually place the markers along the track’s timeline.
• If you are editing your video using Final Cut Pro 3.0.2 or later or Final Cut Express, you
can place the markers as part of the editing process. These markers are automatically
imported into DVD Studio Pro when you import the video asset. See Adding and
Configuring Markers in Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express for more information.
• You can import a text file that contains a list of markers.
With all three methods, you can always edit the markers’ position and attributes as needed.
About Marker Placement
Markers can only be placed on Group of Pictures (GOP) boundaries. Because of this
restriction, you cannot precisely position a marker on the exact frame you want to—you
often need to set the marker either a little early or a little late. The length of the GOP
depends on the MPEG encoder’s settings (NTSC systems commonly use a GOP size of
15 frames and PAL systems commonly use a GOP size of 12 frames). This means that,
unless you embed markers with a video editor, you may need to set a marker as much
as 6 or 7 frames from where you’d like.
If you import markers from a timecode list, the markers are moved to a GOP boundary
when they are imported. The Track pane in DVD Studio Pro Preferences lets you choose
how the markers are placed. See Track Preferences for more information.
If you import a video asset edited with a version of Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express that
supports chapter markers, the integrated MPEG encoder automatically adds GOP
boundaries at the marker frames, so the markers end up positioned exactly where
intended.
394 Chapter 17 Creating and Editing Tracks