Making actual still or motion menus

[Kmanz]

How do I make a menu page? I mean what software must I use to make all the text over the image? Most word processors can't open and edit MPEGS?

Another question would be what software would be used to make a menu over a motion MPEG?

From the description of EZ creator or Nero it didnt give me the impression I need powerful applications like Adobe Premier or Photoshop to do editing....

[adam]

If you have a still picture that you need to edit just use Microsoft Paint, it should be installed on your pc already.

For motion menu editing/creatingl Premiere would be able to add text over your mpg but to actually put a menu item or any other graphic you would probably need Adobe After Effects.

Actually you can do everything you want completely with free software but it might be a little more complicated. If your file is an mpeg1 file load it in Virtual Dub (look in tools section.) If your using the vobs off of a dvd then make a project file (d2v) in dvd2avi and then use avisynth or the VFAPI converter to frameserve to Virtual Dub. Basically just take your d2v file and convert it to a psudo avi file by loading it in the VFAPI converter. Virtual Dub will now accept this avi file. Dont forget to click audio/wav audio and load the wav file dvd2avi created or whatever your audio source is.

Now you need the logo filter, just do a web search on it. What you need to do is take any text, logo, picture etc... that you want to put over your mpg and put these graphics over a blue background by using Microsoft Paint. Its easy to take one of the sample pics that comes with the logo filter and just add your graphic over it. Now from within virtual dub load the logo filter (video/filters/add/load/ find filter location.) Now load the picture you made with the blue background and move it wherever you want over your mpg. You may need to play with the size of the image in Microsoft paint. You can keep reloading the logo filter and adding new graphics and when your done save the selection as an uncompressed avi which you can then encode to mpeg1 or mpeg2 for use in your vcd or SVCD.

Using the logo filter your graphics are antialiased so they look really good, especially text.

Sorry I don't know of any other free or even relatively cheap software programs that can do what you want. The good thing about the method I described is that you can keep all of your graphics and use them on later projects. I have a whole folder of numbers, letters, icons etc.... which I just pull out depending on what style of menu I'm making.

[Kmanz]

Thanks Adam for the comprehensive response. I found the logo filter tip really interesting. I have never seen that mentioned before, but then again I am a newbie at this. I am learning alot and hopefully it will all be of good use for creating video. Thanks again!!!

ps. why is it important to have a blue backround (What shade of blue by the way) when using the logo filter over the mpg?

Kevin

[adam]

By default the logo filter makes the blue background transparant, so all you see if your graphic. You can use any color background you want but you will have to tweak the settings in the logo filter to get it to remove that color instead. That is why I suggested that you simply take the sample pics that comes with the filter and copy your graphic over it. This way you have the right shade of blue.

Try making a number 2 with a transparant background and saving it as a bmp file I don't think it can be done. Instead you can just put the number 2 over a blue background and the logo filter will do the rest.

Good luck.