Menu Button Appearance Problems

[Bohdisattra]

Hello all.

I am using DVD Architect 2.0 to build a complex DVD with motion menus. The only real question I have right now is how can I set up the menu so that the buttons to play movie and go to scenes and extras appears at the end of my motion menu background video?

Man, that's kind of a weirdly worded question. In other words, I want the menu buttons to appear approximately 00:01:00:00 into the menu background. It will tie in perfectly with the menu. Conversely, it stands out like a sore thumb if they are there the whole time.

I figure there are a couple of ways to handle this problem. At least one of which would be ALOT of work.

I figure that I could create a transparent button that is there the whole time and then in the background video have the visible portions appear direclty under the invisible buttons at the right time. The visible portions of the button would not be operable, but they would coincide with the invisible actionable portion. This of course would be ALOT of work. Lol. But it is entirely possible.

There has GOT to be an easier way, though.

Does anyone know of an easier method of accomplishing this effect? I would be willing to download any freeware or free trials that I needed to use.

Secondly, is there any way to perhaps have the video play before the menu loads? As in like an intro video. If I am not clear, think of the Harry Potter DVD's. You have twenty seconds or so of video and then the actionable menu loads. If this were the case, it would eliminate the problem entirely because I could simply use the video as an intro and then have the Menu load afterwords...

Any help you guys could give would be GREAT. I would be willing to help you with anything you need help with if I can in return. I have gotten pretty good at fixing sync problems in the last few weeks(by necessity...lol).

Thanks again and GREAT SITE!

J

[reboot]

Dvdlab switched menus.

[guns1inger]

There are two ways to do what you are trying to do. One can be done in any program that supports motion menus, the other is only supported by higher end software.

The first method is pretty much as you have described in your second point. Create a clip and set is as the First Play item. This will play prior to any other menu or clip. Where it ends, create the next part of the menu - either a looping video or a still. Link the first play clip to the menu. You will find that on many players there will be a slight pause between the clips. This is usually covered up by a clever fade in both image and audio at the link point.

The better method has to be supported by your authoring software. You create your motion menu as a single clip, and add a chapter point where the menu part of the clip starts. This will become the point where the subpictures become visible (the highlights for the menus) and the point it will loop back to when the menu ends. You can also set it to the point the menu begins at after a clip has played. To repeat, this method can only be done by software that supports it. DVD Lab Pro can do it. I don't know if DVDA2 can.

In either case, creating the clip is pretty much the same. The difference is for one you need to chop the clip into two parts.

[Bohdisattra]

Thank you VERY much guys. I will look into those ideas tonight. I was hoping that it didn't take all night to generate a reply, and it didn't.

So thanks!

If you guys need help with anything, let me know, I will do what I can...

J