importing layers into dvd-lab pro 2

[PharmBoy]

I have been working on a motion menu for dvd-lab pro.
I import the movie without problems and I mad some nice text layers in photoshop.
I import the layers to put on top of the movie but when I test it only the first of the 4 layers is seen. When I press down the second is only seen. The button is set to visible.

I can fix it by going to my link color options and selecting a color and moving the slider over and bring up the opacity of the color. While this works it really takes away from the beauty of the text I created. I want the text to have bevel,contour and all those things that photoshop can do. When I select the color it thows that on top of the text and I lose my look.

Hope this makes sense and I would really like to fix this.

[guns1inger]

The blending options from photoshop do not get carried over to DLP. DLP sees the layers as sub-pictures (or overlays), which are restricted to 4 colours or less in the DVD specification.

If you want to keep the bevels etc that you have applied in photoshop, you have to flatten the text layers that have these effects applied. These will no longer be sub-pictures, and therefore buttons after being imported.

I usually work in one of two ways, depending on the type of menu I am building.

1. Still Menu (general): create the background and text in photoshop, applying blending options etc as required. Once I am happy with the menu, I duplicate the text layers that will be buttons, then set them to invisible (click off the eye in the layers palette). I then merge all visible layers, turn the invisible layers back on, and save ready for importing. Once this is imported, the standard state for buttons is the merges version, and the sub-pictures become the buttons.

2. Motion Menus and Still Menus (specials) : basically the same approach, but without the sub-picture layers. I usually either do the text in the NEL, or import it from photoshop into the NLE so I can have it fade in/move about etc. I then import the video into DLP, and use Wing Ding fonts to create pointers to the options, which then become the buttons. There are tons of Wing Ding type fonts that cover pretty much any shape that you could want, and the make for interesting menu pointers.

Finally, if you really want a special text effect to show which button is being accessed, you could look at using buttons with a completely invisible state, and using Cell based Switched Menus to change the underlying menu image. This doesn't work with motion menus, but can be effective with still menus.

[PharmBoy]

Thank you very much

I was thinking of doing option 2 in adobe premiere by making a movie and fading out options not selected etc.
(not sure what NEL, NLE is)

Hadn't thought of option 1 which is a great idea as well

Unfortunately I am not proficient enough for the Cell based Switched Menus

Thanks again

[guns1inger]

NEL is a type. NLE is Non-Linear Editor - Vegas, Premiere etc.

If you want to have smooth motion menus then you will have to learn about cells. Think of them as chapters for menus. Create a motion scene that fades into the menu. You would divide this into two cells. Cell one has the motion, cell 2 has the menu section. The first time it plays, you start at the beginning, play through cell 1 and into cell 2 without a break. After you make a choice from the menu and play a clip, you return to the main menu, but to cell two, so you don't have to sit through the video again.

Done well it looks very slick and professional. And it gets past the pause that happens if you try to do the same thing with two parts - the motion and the menu - as separate items.

If you try to motion switched menus (as opposed to delayed cell menus) you will be in for a pause as the user moves up and down the selections. Depending on the size of the clip it can be distractingly long. Option 2, as described in my previous post, was for delayed cell type menus, not tradition switched menus. I believe cell based switched menus can only use stills.

To clarify:

Switched menu : a menu structure where each menu state requires it's own menu to be created, and the menus change automatically as the user moves through the selection. Can be still or motion.

Cell based Switched menu : as above, however each state is stored in different cells of the same menu. Faster to change between options as there is less seeking. Can only use still menus.

Delayed Cell Menu : allows for two cells to be used to create a looping point in a motion menu. Returns to the menu can be to the second cell to prevent constant replaying of the introduction motion clip. Using cells, as opposed to two assets, gives a seamless transition between clip and menu.

[PharmBoy]

Thanks for all of the time spent on the post!!
Hopefully it answered mine and others questions.
I guess when I thought of cells, I figured I could render something in Premiere and feed it into a still menu but cells will allow for so much more. Again Thanks