Can you create motion menus WITHOUT DVD-LAB?

[maek]

Does anyone know of a way to create motion menus without DVD-LAB? The only guide that I could find suggests using DVD-LAB which is available for TRIAL, so you eventually have to pay for it.

Are there any other free methods out there?

Thanks!

[andkiich]

Nothing that I am aware of for free will do motion menus.

Is $100 a lot to ask? You can use that amount of money and get either TMPGEN DVD Author or DVD-lab. Both are great and worth it.

[maek]

Well, no, but I already have authoring software now and would hate to spend another $100 JUST for the sole purpose of getting motion menu capabilities.

Is there another way that anyone can think of?

[dphirschler]

DVDauthorgui. multiple audio streams, subs... and motion menus. FREE!


Darryl

[bottle-necked]

I don't know about 'free' programs but I use Ulead VideoStudio when creating motion menus. I create a short dvd compliant mpeg file (about 30-45 seconds in length) of whatever material I want in the menu. I sometimes use video footage, still shots, and/or a combination of both to create a menu background. I add music, original audio, or both if I want. I can also add any additional text I'm unable to include using a standard authorizing program. Pretty well anything you need to create you can with the program but you might need to use a few external programs along with it on harder projects. But by what I've seen a motion menu is simply a compliant mpeg file that you select as your background image and like in DVD Author you would then select 'Motion Menus' and set the time limit for it to run. (Of course the standard links and active buttons you still create them when assembling the DVD like normal, not in the motion menu background. lol)

Hope this helps.

[maek]

Darryl,

I have DVDauthorgui, but I can't find a guide that describes how to make a motion menu in it. And by motion menu, I mean the type where the menu buttons are animated with the scenes that they depict.

Do you know how to accomplish this?

Thanks!

[Vejita-sama]

Here's the thing a motion menu is really just a normal MPEG2 file with a subpcture that defines teh buttons. Almost any authoring program can do this. HOWEVER, most authoring programs will not make the menu for you. You have to do that using premiere, ulead, vegas, etc.

So it's not a motion menu, it's a motion MPEG2 file. The authoring program creates the subpicture. I normally use premiere for that (pricey program). TSCV can do it (freeware) but it's not that user friendly. There's also a few freeware programs that can do it. I remember seeing a guide for AVISynth to do this.

[maek]

Yes, I believe there is a guide -- but it utilizes DVD-LAB which brings me back to my original question, albeit paraphrased:

Can you make a motion menu WITH AVISYNTH but WITHOUT DVD-LAB? If anything, it could just be an MPEG-2 file as suggested with subpictures -- if I could do that, I can make a menu out of that utilizing DVDauthorgui.

Any suggestions?

Thanks again!

[liquid217]

Ideally, a motion menu should be designed by a NLE or some type of video editor. However, with avisynth, it might be possible to come up with something good (I personally have used avisynth to make some really cool menus).

In dvdauthorgui, there is an option to create a simple motion menu, based on the titles loaded into the gui. (Under Menus..create motion menu script). It will require a basic working knowledge of avisynth, but it might be one place for you to start from. (the default script may not be to your liking, but the great thing about avisynth scripts, is that they are self documenting. So they are easy to modify).


On a side note, if you choose the avisynth script method, Quenc is a very handy tool for encoding a mpeg2 stream from an avisynth script. (if you use the script generated by dvdauthorgui, you will need to add converttoyv12() at the end of the script.)

[petar]

You can also try VirtualDub. I think I remember seeing some guides on how to add a logo or permanent subtitles to a video. So instead of logo/subtitles you put your buttons in there.

As vejita-sama and liquid mentioned, creating a video for a motion menu has nothing to do with authoring. DVD-Lab is sort of a "combo" between an authoring tool and a basic video editing tool. That's why it allows you to create motion menus. Not many authoring tools have this (and none that are free, that I know of).