Easter Eggs/Hidden Menus.

[cactusjack310]

Hi, I'm pretty new to DVD authoring and I've searched on the site but I really don't know what to look for, so I thought I would ask here. Is their any DVD authoring programs out there that I could make easter eggs or hidden menus with? For example, having a symbol or words pop up during a video and you could hit enter on your remote and you'll be able to see a video that's not there if you would just play the video DVD regularly or making a hidden menu pop up by pushing a code on your remote. Does anyone know what I'm try to say? Any help will be appreciated!

[igalan]

As far as I know this is not possible with most home user authoring packages, only more professional packages will allow you do do this. I'm pretty sure that DVD WS, Pinnacle Studio 8 and VideoWave 5.1 won't allow you to do this.

[bugster]

If you want an 'easter egg' on a menu screen, surley all you need is a button linked to your hidden video. Make this button the same colour as the background (when not selected) and you have an 'easter egg'.

[cactusjack310]

If you want an 'easter egg' on a menu screen, surley all you need is a button linked to your hidden video. Make this button the same colour as the background (when not selected) and you have an 'easter egg'.

I think I might try that, it seems like a good idea! Thanks!!

[Vejita-sama]

I've done some things like this with DVD Maestro. But I also used TSCV to make 'easter egg like' things for xSVCDs. You just need to think ahead/about it.

A selectable menu with no button for example, or an extra PCG that doesn't play as part of the main movie, assign a non-sequential track number (eg. 235) and have the peson use the remote to enter/goto this track/position, etc. etc.

[igalan]

Maybe it's also possible to create an animated menu that is the whole video, and add transparent buttons (with DVD Workshop for instance).

[gadgethead]

This post is almost a year old!

Has anyone got any ideas about how to make hidden menus / easter eggs with other newer software such as...

Ulead DVD Picture Show 2
Nero 6
Vegas Video 4 (although this is hard software to use)?

[housepig]

Has anyone got any ideas about how to make hidden menus / easter eggs with other newer software such as...

Ulead DVD Picture Show 2
Nero 6
Vegas Video 4 (although this is hard software to use)?

well, Vegas isn't an authoring app, I don't know how full-featured Nero 6 is, and I don't know if DVD Picture Show is a full authoring app either, or a specialty one-trick-pony.

I do know that I've put hidden buttons on discs with DVD Lab with no problem whatsoever.

[northcat_8]

It's really not that hard. All you need to do is make a black button on a black background and place it on the menu in such a place that you would normally pass by it or not even know it is there. For example to the left of the main movie thumbnail.

You can create just about anything you want all you need is some artistic talent to color the button to blend in with the menu image, so that it doesn't look out of place and that would be a hidden menu or easter egg.

Really you get to most easter eggs by pressing up down left right on the remote, there is no difference here. You know for example, if you put an easter egg in the upper right hand corner or something, and you have a typical 2 x 2 thumbnail arrangement on the selection meun, a person would start on the upper left when the menu first came on then would press right to get to the second thumbnail. So to get to the easter egg he would have to press either up or right depending on where you put it to get to the egg.

You must be careful though, placement is important, putting them too close together will create a problem and will cause the normal menu's and thumbs to not function correctly.

[gadgethead]

Which software do you recommend. I'd prefer something easy as I dont want to mess around for too long.

[housepig]

Which software do you recommend. I'd prefer something easy as I dont want to mess around for too long.

perhaps Easter Eggs are not for you, then!

[gadgethead]

But I need Easter Eggs! What would happen if the wife saw what the buck got up to on his 'last' night out?

I need a SIMPLE method to put easter eggs in a VCD photo CD!

[housepig]

But I need Easter Eggs! ...I need a SIMPLE method to put easter eggs in a VCD photo CD!

first off, I don't know if the VCD photo CD format will support easter eggs in the first place.

secondly, you've got the simple method - place a button, whose normal state is invisible or the same color as the background, in an out of the way place where it won't be stumbled upon. link that button to your hidden content.

if you really want to hide stuff - make that hidden menu have a hidden menu, and so on and so on.

[spiderman2k1]

I must say I really do not like Easter Eggs/Hidden Menus. WhenI pay for a DVD or video game. Why do i have to look for some thing or put a wacky code in. IF you want to put some extra's just put them im 99 percent will not both looking for easter egg's.

[mem_user]

DVD Workshop 2 will allow for eastereggs/hidden menus. Its been designed in so its not a trick you have to try to accomplish. Check out Ulead's website. It suppose to be coming out real soon.

Jason

[gadgethead]

Jason,

I have downloaded Ulead DVD Movie Factory 2 (trial version) and I cant seem to be able to create any Easter Eggs. The best I could do was have say 2 chapters per menu and construct a 3 chapter VCD.

However, anyone can easily tell that you can access chapter 3 by pressing the next button!

Anyone have any other ideas?

[mem_user]

Gadgethead,

It's not Movie Factory 2....its DVD Workshop 2 which has not been released yet. Its their professional DVD authoring program.

Jason

[rallynavvie]

I can tell you how to create hidden menu options using Photoshop/Encore on a DVD, but I cannot tell you how on a VCD (if it's even possible). Why was this posted in the DVD authoring forum?

[troyvcd1]

DVDLab does this very easily. They even tell you how to do this in the users manual.