Frame made in dvd lab pro 2

[PharmBoy]

I have made a motion menu with text for my DVD
I have made several frames to go around each menu option which I wanted to use as my button.
Each Frame has been given the same color and the same metallic bevel.
I would like to create a menu that shows the intitial frame around the first menu text. As you press down the next rectangle box is seen and the remaining ones are invisible. As the viewer presses down the third option has the frame around it and the rest are invisible for the remaining options.
I want the box that shows up to be the box that I created with the nice bevel and so on. What I am getting of course is a bland colored frame with the color from the color map part with no bevel.

Is there a way to retain the colored bevel frame I made and for it to be visible when selected and invisible when normal?

[guns1inger]

Yes, it is called a switched menu. Effectively you have to replicate the menu as many times as there are choices, with the frame placed differently in each version. You then set the menus to auto switch as the cursor moves. It is all explained in the tutorials at www.mediachance.com.

This works very well for static menus, however the DVD spec has limitations which make it more restrictive with motion menus. You cannot have the frame (and therefore the menu) switch without restarting the motion, so every time the user moves to the next choice, the video will restart, even though the frame appears to move.

[GeorgeW]

The "Inverse Selection" trick might work (also in the mediachance tutorials). You would have to design a menu where your buttons are over a solid color. This could work for static and/or motion menus...

Regards,
George

[PharmBoy]

As always thanks for your help.

I have done Switched Menus before actually using that as my scene selection menu in this project.
I guess I don't understand how this would work in this circumstance.
I have my text animate in on my first cell and on the second want frames over the words, there is no picture. In the tutorial, they do the picture and the words then serve as the actual buttons. I want my frame to serve as the actual button or something else to serve as the button other than the text.

Would this work... I could make an object button "invisible all" inside the bevel frame which would be just sitting there over my text not linked to anything. If the viewer selected down it would go to another invisible all button that would autoselect another menu which would have the bevel frame around the second choice. They press down a third time again it would go to a invisible all button that would have the bevel frame around the third choice.
If this is correct way to do it, I wouldn't be able to do audio and if there was any motion it would start over each time am I on the right path??

I like the idea of the inverse selection but my background has a color fade so I can't match the color. Though I like this idea and will definately use it for future projects as it does exactly what I want without restricting me on my menu audio.

[guns1inger]

You can place an invisible button over your frame (or anywhere you like, really), however you still have the problem that you cannot move your frame, which is the indicator to user for which option they are on, without switching to a new menu. When you do this, you will restart and video or audio associated with the menu.

You cannot create a button that doesn't link to anything. That would be simply a graphic, and on a motion menu would no exist without a Render Motion pass.

You are on the right track in some respects though. You need three menus. Each is the same background video and audio, and each has a beveled frame, but around a different image. On every menu you create an invisible button over each item - it could simply be a large square/rectangle. If the button is over the frame, it links to the asset the frame represents. If it is over a non-framed clip, it auto-selects and links to the appropriate menu with the right frame on display. This is still very basic switched menu stuff. The only difference is that you are using a video background instead of a still.

[PharmBoy]

I think I get what you are saying...

One last question.
What is the difference if you have a menu with words fading in and so forth that then goes to a second menu screen with the words in one place, if you
a.) make linked menu cells OR
b.) Make the first menu a movie (place it in the movie section rather than the menu section) that plays the movie (which is really the menu) and then goes to your title menu. You would also point all of the movie endings from root to title menu