Menu buttons with different color sets?

[argent77]

Hi all,

I'm trying to create a menu with two different sets of buttons within one menu page on DVD Architect 5. The problem is, I can't use the same color set with all buttons. All I can do is assigning one specific color set to the menu itself.

Is there a way to assign color sets to each button, or alternatively separate images to the selected/unselected state of a button?
Are there (free or trial) authoring tools which can do that?

Thanks for any help!

[guns1inger]

You are limited in the colour palette you can use. You can make multiple versions of each menu page, one for each button state, and swap between them. The process is called Switched Menus.

[argent77]

I tried this "Switched Menus" method and it works perfectly, thanks.

But I noticed a considerable lag of one second or more on my DVD player when I switch the buttons. Is there a way to optimize it?

[guns1inger]

Not with DVD Architect. DVD Lab Pro allows for Menu Cells, which are like chapters, but within a menu. You can assign a different page to each cell, then switch as you would normal menus. The advantage is that because you remain inside a single menu asset, switching is very fast. The disadvantage is that they can be slightly more complex to program advanced features into, and a small minority of players don't handle cells correctly.

[Alex_ander]

Is there a way to assign color sets to each button, or alternatively separate images to the selected/unselected state of a button?

There can be 2 cases.
1.The buttons can be highlighted separately and you want to simply use different color schemes. Then it is easily edited in DVDRemake (assign each button to one of the 3 schemes from 'edit button' menu, then right-click on menu bg -> 'edit color schemes' and set color##/opacities) or even in PGCEdit.

2.The rectangular highlight area always covers more than one button. Then you have to assign adjacent buttons to different 'basic colors' (E1, E2 or pattern) in the authoring application (DLP allows for it). Then edit color schemes.

Switched menu method is more complicated and only works for silent menus (otherwise you'll get audio switched at button selection). And it's not necessary here.
Look into this recent thread for case 2:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic353475.html#1865387
and here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=104586

[argent77]

@guns1inger: DVD Lab Pro looks very promising, I'll try this.

@Alex_ander: Thanks for the advice, but I have already redesigned my menus to support animations.