How to make buttons in Maestro using the keyboard ?

Hi all,

Is there a way to draw the buttons in Maestro typing in the coordenates ?

I ionly know how to draw buttons with the mouse, and as at the moment I am willing to make a menu with 19 buttons, and I can't align them properly with the mouse, I need to type in the coordinates so I can get all buttons EXACTLY precised positioned;

It seems that Maestro doesn't accept buttons created in DVDmenu studio;

The coordinates field in Maestro keeps gray shaded and doesn't allow typing into it (?);

Thanks,
Andre

[p0rnLiME]

Maybe you will find that answear in the manual that came with dvdmaestro.

Maybe you will find that answear in the manual that came with dvdmaestro.

Thanks for your help. PornLime. but I am, how can I say, a bit dumb and I don't know how to read manuals, only monitor screens, so I still welcome messages from other helpful people like you

[freestyler]

You need to create a separate subpicture as opposed to just drawing buttons on the default "white" subpicture. The coordinates only tell you the location of the button region you just made.DVD Menu Studio does a great job of exporting menus for DVD Maestro. You should read the manual (on the screen preferably) for DVD Menu Studio and look up subpictures to find out what they are and how they are used, they will make your life easier with regards to those buttons you're trying to align.

There are plenty of easier and cheaper software packages than DVD Maestro, what type of authoring do you do?

You need to create a separate subpicture as opposed to just drawing buttons on the default "white" subpicture. The coordinates only tell you the location of the button region you just made.DVD Menu Studio does a great job of exporting menus for DVD Maestro. You should read the manual (on the screen preferably) for DVD Menu Studio and look up subpictures to find out what they are and how they are used, they will make your life easier with regards to those buttons you're trying to align.

There are plenty of easier and cheaper software packages than DVD Maestro, what type of authoring do you do?

Thanks for really useful post
Actually, I know what are subpictures, and I have DVD Menu studio but, as far as I realized - maybe I am doing the wrong way ? - Maestro accepts only the subpictures created in DVDMS, NOT the BUTTONS made in that aplication !
So, as far as I understood, I still have to manually draw the buttons around each subpicture, which isn't precise at all;

Am I wrong ? is there a way to make Maestro also accept the buttons from DVDMS, and not only the subpictures ?
I have read (on monitor screen.....<g>) all the guides available here, and all of them says that buttons have to be drawed, with the mouse, manually, at the Maestro itself, around the subpictures imported from DVDMS

I've been mainly converting shows from VHS to DVD, using multi-track (5.1, DTS, etc);

Thanks so much;

Andre

[ImaWeTodd]

Is there a way to draw the buttons in Maestro typing in the coordenates ?

Draw the button highlight

Click on the button highlight so the handles appear

Use arrow keys to move the highlight
Use ctl+ arrow keys to resize


I believe this allows complete control

Is there a way to draw the buttons in Maestro typing in the coordenates ?

Draw the button highlight

Click on the button highlight so the handles appear

Use arrow keys to move the highlight
Use ctl+ arrow keys to resize


I believe this allows complete control

Thanks, it helps, but, actually, I'd like the text itself to be the buttons, not a rectangular drawed by the mouse, any ideas ?

I know that, in DVD Menu studio, I can set the test to be the subpicture, but Maestro doesn't understand it as button, just as subpicture..(?)

Thanks,
Andre

BTW, I do have the manual, in PDF format, so I can read on the monitor <g>, but the menu explanation takes about a hundred pages, I've been reading, but if I get the chance of finding something more "straight-forward", it'd help

[ImaWeTodd]

My short understanding of Maestro Menus....

Text, Graphics, whatever.. have to be created in another program.

All you get is a background picture and a highlight subpicture.

If you want for example to have text that changes color when you highlight it, you would draw it in say photoshop, use it as the background in the maestro menu, draw a highlight rectangle around the text, then manipulate the button selection colors while button preview is set to selection color.

Give it a try. Move all the color sliders to the left, then move some to the right. You'll start to understand how it works.


I'd come to your flat to help, but I haven't the time. :P

[crusty]

The easiest way is to use photoshop. When you import into Maestro you must only have 2 layers your background and as layer 1 and the rollover or matte as layer 2. In photoshop start with just your background and type in and position your text to where you want it as the final position on your DVD menu. create another layer and place it on the top of the layer stack in Photoshop fill this layer with black (you could also use red,blue or white) Now go to your text layer and cntrl+left click and you will get an accurate selection of all the text on that layer. Go back to your black layer and fill the outlined selection with white. Now turn off this layer (the little eye next to the layer) select your type layer and click on "merge visible" you will now have a flattened back ground image turn back on the black layer and you will now have an nexact "matte" of the type you just created. Save this file as a .psd and import it into Maestro drag this psd into the menu window and go to the colour mapping pane zero all the colour sliders. Now draw rectangles around your this does not need to be accurate only larger than the bounds of your text. Now with your colour map slider go to the one in the middle of the three the "button selection" option now maniputate only the WHITE slider(you will notice the four clours to the left)white being the bottom one choose whatever colour youwant your text be move the opacity slider and voila!you have a interactive text button.

[tito13kfm]

Maybe you will find that answear in the manual that came with dvdmaestro.

Just counted the pages in my manual to DVD Maestro... yep 687, not including cover.. and I still can't find anything in it on this!!

[Cornucopia]

In DVD, the "Buttons" that you see are really the combination of the background, the subpicture and the color/transparency modification setting, and can be any shape you want to devise.

The "area of highlight activity", however (which is what Maestro refers to as buttons), has to be a single contiguous rectangle.

Hope that didn't confuse you any further.


AFAIK, since I'm not at work right now, the x/y coordinates for the buttons look like they're greyed out, but might still be active/changeable.

Scott

[freestyler]

I think you're stuck with rectangles and squares in Maestro

[Cornucopia]

I think you're stuck with rectangles and squares in Maestro

You're only stuck with rect. & squares as "areas of activity". And this applies to ALL DVD authoring.

If you want to make a button in Maestro in the shape of an anchor, prep it in Photoshop and it'll work! Believe me, I've done stuff just like that. But the area that, when your mouse hovers over/near it, or the (transparent) area that is included when you use the DVD remote's arrow keys, does--by DVD spec--have to be a rectangle/square.

Scott

[ImaWeTodd]

Actually, you arn't stuck in any program that allows transparent hotspots/buttons and auto actions.

For example, following this guide: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/140765.php

You could probably make a menu where each button caught fire as you navigated. Don't know about delay.

Thanks to everybody that replied to my original post, I think I can use DVD Menu studio to build the background and subpictures, and adjust the sliders in Maestro to keep transparent the button rectangles;

DVD Menu Studio replaces the need of Photoshop.

In DVD Menu Studio, I have to type in my text in subpicture mode, drawing rectangles later in Maestro around (larger) than the original rectangles. Then, with the color sliders, I can do whatever thing - I think....

Ive been trying,
Thanks