Menu Question/Pinnacle Studio 8

[dvdguy24]

I'm doing a concert dvd where I have a "Song Selection" menu - and I want each song title under the thumbnail button but it looks like Studio can't have different text on each page - is there any way to trick it so that I can do this? I tried to just use text as buttons as that would fit on one page, but the chapter numbers aren't right - I had them all in a straight line going down the page and the first song would say it was chapter 4, and the next one would say chapter 1 - so I tried thumbnail buttons and they went in order so I could use them but I need help with the text.

Thanks!

[presto]

I noticed a long time ago that with Pinnacle Studio it is not easy to do something as simple as a list for a menu! Think about that! You want to make list and it turns out to be a big headache! And on top of that I complained loudly about this over a year ago.


As you have found out you can't put them straight up and down. What you have to do to get the numbers to come out right is to stair-step them. You can try to make the stair-steps so small that looks like they are aligned to the left but it is not easy.

I don't understand why you are having trouble changing the text under a thumbnail. I haven't used Pinnacle in a while because of idiotic bugs like the one you just discovered but I don't recall having any trouble changing the text under thumbnails.

Click on the menu and a window will pop up with the menu on it and an area to the right where you can edit the menu. There are two little triangles with a number between them. It is probably on 1. To the right of that is a box. Change the text in the box and hit ENTER. Now use the little arrow to change the number to 2 and then change the text and hit ENTER.

etc etc

[presto]

(Also, not all menus have text below the thumbnails so choose one that does or edit the menu to add text box's. You have to hit the Edit Menu button to do this)

[kisrum]

I admire your bravery for even trying this. The Pinnacle 8 Menu feature is a minefield.

I know its not what you asked but TDA has a free trial period and a very straightforward menu building function.

[dvdguy24]

thanks for the advice - i've been using this software for 3 years and HATE it - but I do love the options it gives me - great concept, terrible software. i'm waiting until I have enough money to buy something GREAT though. I have no problems changing text, but I want it to be different on each PAGE of the menu - that's the problem - if I change something on page 2 - it's the SAME on page 1 - you know? I can do it with templates, but not the ones I make

[presto]

if I change something on page 2 - it's the SAME on page 1 - you know?

Even if you do it the way I suggested?

[Redd]

Studio's text buttons or thumbnail buttons will go from left to right. Top left will be 1, and so on across to the next row down.

if I change something on page 2 - it's the SAME on page 1 - you know?

Are you setting each chapter after you make it? Even if you don't have a thumbnail, set it anyway.

I admire your bravery for even trying this. The Pinnacle 8 Menu feature is a minefield.

Nuts! If you take the time to learn the tool, it's fine.

Sure it's true that Studio can be a little quirky, but so is any consumer level NLE. Just look at any of their user board forums. They all have their strong points and weak points.

[dvdguy24]

I'll give it another shot and let you know how it goes. I really do appreciate the help. Honestly, you are right, MOST if not all consumer level software like this has it's problems - i've tried them - hopefully i'll get something better soon.

[dvdguy24]

Ok, I went back and instead of using thumbnail buttons (and I mean the ones that would show video) I tried to do my original idea and just use text as "thumbnails" - I lined them up very strangely - not really the look I was going for - and it looks as though I have to set them before putting the text - that seemed to work. Studio is sort of acting funny about it - but it's working nonetheless. I may try to re-arange them without trouble...but i'm saving my work every 10 minutes.

[dvdguy24]

oh, here's a shocker - I just put them in a straight line and they are still numbered correctly - going from top to bottom. I guess I should set them before naming them.

[Redd]

I guess I should set them before naming them.

Whatever works.

[PMorton]

The normal order for buttons is left to right, then down. To change the text, when you design your menu, enter "chapter #" in each text box (or Studio will enter it for you in some cases). Then when you assign your chapter points, edit the "chapter #" to whatever you want. Or if you just want the text to be "chapter" + the chapter nunber, just leave it as is.

[dvdguy24]

ok, well I waited 6 hours to find out that it is 99% perfect. The first song - while the text is there on the menu and it IS a chapter, cannot be selected from the menu - everything else can, but the first title just sits there like it's not a button. It works perfectly in the "dvd preview" - but after it's rendered - it's nothing. I don't know why I put up with this - but I just downloaded another famous "patch", and I guess i'll try it again.

[dvdguy24]

you guys are going to think i'm crazy - but see, when I was looking at the content it created - (I don't let pinnacle burn the disc - I let it create the content - and then I burn my dvd elsewhere) I was using my mouse as the remote - which is common....and see, I was pointing at the middle of the song names to see the highlighting - and while that SHOULD be fine, I checked that first title/button again, and pointed to it all the way to the right - under the first word of the song title - and a LITTLE underline showed up - not a full bar *I'm using the "Underline style" of highlighting* - so, it doesn't look RIGHT, but at least you can see that you're selecting it and i'll settle for that unless this patch fixes it completely. Great software huh....

[Redd]

Great software huh....

Studio 10 Plus has a release date of October and it's using the Liquid Edition engine. Think about it.

[dun4cheap]

Well you have text under it and once you get the hang of it it is pretty simple. Albeit, Studio 8 had quite a few bugs as far as the DVD Authoring. However Studio 9 was better and as Redd who frequents the pinnacle forums has said Studio 10 which will be sporting the the all stable LE engine so many of us have high hopes for Studios future.