Menu problems with Encore

[wizer]

ok this may be really simple but i am stuck

I have created a menu with Encore using .psd images as the buttons. I have the menu working correctly except that i can't get it to highlight each image. the highlight image box is greyed out.... where am i going wrong?

[rallynavvie]

Were the menus created in Photoshop? It may be that the subpic wasn't recognized or the naming convention is wrong. Or did you just create the buttons in PSD format and imported them into a menu made in Encore? Need a little more info...

[wizer]

ok, I made 3 button images in Photoshop then saved them as .psd files. Then Imported these into Encore and converted them to links. When I preview the menu I can click on each button image and it works as it should. But If I was to burn this to a DVD I have no highlighting to know which button is selected. So what I need to do is some how have a way of indicating which image is being selected when using the remote control. i.e if you imagine on a comercial dvd when you press the right hand button on the remote the next 'button' will either highlight, animate, etc

hope this makes a bit more sense... im a novice at this

[kickbxn5]

In your menu screen in Encore, there is a drop box. At the bottom of that box it has an option (Automatic, Menu Defaults). Make sure you use Menu defaults, otherwise you will have to use photoshop to create 3 layers of your buttons using different colors in order to show your highlighted selections.

[rallynavvie]

Yeah, if that doesn't work you can also try selecting the button and in the properties box select "create text subpicture". This usually creates a highlight color for at least the text, but sometimes the whole image.

How well do you know Photoshop? Create a new layer set in PS and name it "(+) buttonname" where buttonname is the name of your button. Then import the PSD of the button as a layer in that set. Now for a simple highlight overlay of the button duplicate the button layer and name the duped layer "(=1) highlight". Click the lock transparent layer at the top of the layers palette and select Fill from the Edit menu. Use the swatches to pick a highlight color and fill with the duped button image with that. While the highlight layer is still selected go into the layers menu and make sure to select "add" for layer blending. Now go back to the layers palette and make the transparency of that layer 40-50% or whatever looks good to you. Save it as a new button and import into Encore.

[wizer]

thanks very much for your reply. But i'm afraid it all sounds a bit advanced for me. I tried what kickbxn5 suggested but it just highlights the first button?

I tried to do what you explained rallynavvie but i fell on the first hurdle. Ticking the Create Sub Picture box seems to do nothing. My photoshop skills are prety much non existant. I have managed to hack together a menu but thats about it. the 3 psd files I am using are here.... http//www.wize.demon.co.uk/encore

The button image is 3.psd. I tried to make a new layer with a fill on the disk label but after that i got lost. I imported it to encore and then didnt know what do do next.

im not bothered how it looks at the end as long as I can make some sort of indication as to what is selected. Be that a highlight or an image change.

Any further help would be apprecieated. Thanks for your time

[rallynavvie]

OK I think I figured out one of the problems. If you import the button as an asset or a menu it loses its unoque properties. Upload this button of yours that I modified in Photoshop at:
http://www.4wheelracing.com/media/3.psd (make sure to rt click and save as)
Now save that new button image into a folder. Open your menu in Encore and adjust your windows so that you can drag the new PSD file from the folder directly onto your menu in Encore. Don't import the button just drag and drop it right onto your menu. Now the subpicture should be working when its activated.

[wizer]

ok thanks for your time on this.. you're button does work! However I would like to understand this myself. So I am trying to do the other button (1.psd) I have followed how you explained before and I have hit another dead end. I'm ok up to this bit...

Click the lock transparent layer at the top of the layers palette and select Fill from the Edit menu. Use the swatches to pick a highlight color and fill with the duped button image with that. While the highlight layer is still selected go into the layers menu and make sure to select "add" for layer blending. Now go back to the layers palette and make the transparency of that layer 40-50% or whatever looks good to you.

I have 'Lock Transparent Pixels' ? is this correct? I clicked that then went Edit>Fill. This gives me an option box which I clicked OK. It resulted in a solid box over laying the whole image? What have I done wrong? I have uploaded my attempt in the previous place named 14.psd

[rallynavvie]

You did create the layer set but you didn't put the layers in that set. All you need to do for those is drag the thumbnail of the layer in the layers palette onto the layer set. You'll see the layer indent a little to show that it's in that layer set. Once the two layers of the button are in the layer set you can get rid of the background layer completely since a button won't need it. Then right click on the layer set and select "layer properties..." and rename the layer set "(+) play". Layer order has a part to play in this as all layers as you were dealing with them were opaque so all you saw was the solid color as in this example:
http://www.4wheelracing.com/media/14a.psd
Notice how the fill layer is the first one listed so it's covering up the other image. Just select that layer in the layers palette and use the "opacity" setting in that layers palette to set the layer's transparency to something like 40% (which is what I use most of the time). Now you should see what the button will look like when it is selected. The final step before saving is to rename the fill layer "(=1) highlight" by right clicking the layer and selecting "layer porperties". The (=1) tells Encore that this is the layer to be added when the button is active. Save it and do the drag and drop into Encore. Here's the final product I came up with for your reference:
http://www.4wheelracing.com/media/14.psd

Hope that clears it up a bit more. There are a LOT more features that Photoshop can do for Encore but that's probably the most important feature. If you were to make your menus entirely in Photoshop just create your buttons in layer sets, like the ones you have, with the actual menu image as the background.