I am writing a Menu Generation tool for Maestro.....

[vv]

I am creating a tool to generate Menu that I can use with Maestro....

It takes following as Inputs:
Back Ground image,
Button/Frame Image,
Home Image,
Next Image,
Previous Image,
A List of Chapter Images (could be of any size, I re size it to the button size).

You have following optional settings:
Horizontal space between buttons
Vertical space between buttons

Output:
Final Menu Image with all Buttons & Chapter Images.
(It calculates how many menus you need based on btn size, number of chapters. Generates the menu images in Photoshop.)


Other Tools you need:

Photoshop 7.
Scripting Engine for Photoshop (free download from Adobe).

I have almost done it in VB. Let me know if anyone is interested in using it. Its mainly for making DVDs of Home recordings. I'll post the images soon.

[disturbed1]

Sounds very similar to MenuAnim (http://membres.lycos.fr/luckyrip/).


Let everyone know when it's ready for a test drive.

[BJ_M]

also sounds like the excellent dvd menu studio

http://www.mediachance.com/dvdmenu/index.html

[disturbed1]

also sounds like the excellent dvd menu studio

http://www.mediachance.com/dvdmenu/index.html

That is the program I currently use. Hands down the best menu maker out there. Great company too. One of the few that offer programs worth more than what they charge.

Just can't wait for their new DVD autoring tool, DVDlab, to come available. Looks like Reel DVD, and sounds great.

Has ac3 and DTS support for only $79.00!!!

[vv]

What I am trying to do is more of an automation tool. Give it a bunch of images as input and you get the final menu image. The reason I am doing this is that I dont like manually put the buttons and Chapter images on the back ground, try to align them etc.

I thought DVD Menu Studio is more of an editing tool, cheaper than Photoshop. Does it do what I am trying to do?

Here is the snapshot of the tool:

[BJ_M]

what you have there looks pretty interisting and well done .. but yes , dvd menu studio does pretty well the same thing as well as create the content

[joepic]

Sounds very similar to MenuAnim (http://membres.lycos.fr/luckyrip/)

Thanks for info on this new (to me) menu creation tool.

I would appreciate your comments on the Pros/Cons of these 3 tools or is there a review somewhere??


Thanks

[BJ_M]

VV -- one thing i can say is that your app will be much simpler to use than dvd menu studio .. which can be a bit over board in its many features for use for onlya simple menu creation ... then again someone would have to know how to use photoshop (or i suppose paint shop pro would also work fine) for yours ..

[vv]

BJ_M:
Thats true. I actually tried dvd menu studio some time back. But I never knew I could use it to automate and generate menus. So, I decided to write his tool.

I should be done in a day or two. I'll post it here.