Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues
by Leah Armsteg
on
Apr 28, 2008 at 1:14:11 am
Hello All,
I am using DVDSP 4 on an Intel Mac running OS X 10.4.11.
I'm having a few issues with a multiple menu project, and I'm
seeing if anyone has some suggestions.
I've created a 33 menu project with a large drop zone in each menu, to house
the video content. Each menu has one video. There are 32 menus to choose
from, from the 1st MAIN MENU. The MAIN MENU therefore lists 32 choices.
The reason behind this was because I needed to have the background design
remain while the selected video off the MAIN MENU played.
My questions are:
1. Can I maintain standard remote functions on the menus? for example, "pause" and "fast forward" I ask because they do not presently work.
2. I've set the DVDSP project to return to the MAIN MENU when "MENU" is pressed on the remote, but it does not seem to work. The only button that will take me back to the MAIN MENU is "TITLE". Any suggestions?
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Michael Sacci on Apr 28, 2008 at 2:28:16 am
[Leah Armsteg]"My questions are:
1. Can I maintain standard remote functions on the menus? for example, "pause" and "fast forward" I ask because they do not presently work. " These are by default disabled, if you choose a Menu and go to the Advanced tab and UNcheck the Disable User Operations. These will give those remote functions back.
[Leah Armsteg]"2. I've set the DVDSP project to return to the MAIN MENU when "MENU" is pressed on the remote, but it does not seem to work. The only button that will take me back to the MAIN MENU is "TITLE". Any suggestions? " Menu button can be set to different menus from each of the tracks individually and it other works when you are in video tracks and not other menus.
Honestly I'm not sure I understand what and why you are using 32 extra menus but I hope these answer you questions.
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Leah Armsteg on Apr 28, 2008 at 4:18:53 am
Thank you for your response and help Michael,
Just to clarify, I am not using any traditional video tracks, but playing all of
my video with drop zones placed in their own, unique menu.
1. Unfortunately after enabling the User Operations the remote functions, only the "pause" button works on my computer, and all are still disabled on my stand-alone dvd player/tv set up. I receive only a "NOT PERMITTED" error. Is it possible that this is a result of the mpeg2 being played in a drop zone on a menu?
2. After setting the "Remote Control", "Menu" to my MAIN MENU (Under the General Tab),
I am still not able to access the MAIN MENU by pressing "Menu." I receive only a "NOT PERMITTED" error. The only button that will take me back to the MAIN MENU is "TITLE."
[by Michael Sacci (msacci) on Apr 27, 2008 at 10:28:16 pm
Honestly I'm not sure I understand what and why you are using 32 extra menus but I hope these answer you questions. ]
3. I completely understand the confusion on the purpose using 32 menus. I chose this method because I have a photoshop file background that serves as a frame for all the videos. The actual videos are placed within this frame and are therefore
smaller than a standard 720X480 background. As I am not able to resize a video's size within a DVDSP track, let alone add a photoshop file as the mask, drop zones were my best
bet. And therefor a single-layered menu as my platform to present the video was my only choice. (this is what I am aware of, but if there is a better suggestion, I would love to hear it.)
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Leah Armsteg on Apr 28, 2008 at 4:44:52 am
I forgot one important detail...
Whenever a user is viewing the videos
on this DVD, they need to be able to see
all of the menu buttons (back, play next track,
main menu, credits, etc.)
And this is the main reason I'm using the individual
menu and drop zone option to present the videos..
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Leah Armsteg on Apr 28, 2008 at 1:18:23 pm
Thanks again Michael,
So just to clarify:
1. I am unable to create normal remote
navigational controls (ffwd, rewind, pause, etc.) on a
menu with a single drop zone?
2. I am unable to direct from other menus to go back
to a main (root) menu, by assigning the remote's "menu"
command to the main menu?
I only ask these because I will have to rebuild the entire project
if I'm to use the buttons over video track option. Given that that's
my best/only option:
3. Will I be able to create simple buttons (text with shaded boxes covering them
when that button is highlighted) that look the same as these types
of buttons created in a single layered menu? I ask this because it looked
as if the text was of a different quality in the buttons over video track option.
(Basically I want to create text of 100% opacity with no shading or outline, and
when the button is selected a box with a shading of 3 covers it.)
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Michael Sacci on Apr 28, 2008 at 2:37:37 pm
First, once the DVD is built there is no drop zone, it is just a video so that really has no barring on the questions.
1) If the unchecking does not give you these features than I guess not, I have never needed nor wanted to ff or rew a menu before.
2) That is correect, normally the menu on a remote takes you to the designated menu from a track and then when hit again (when on the menu) it takes you back to where you were in the video. With your setup all bets are off, this is something built into DVD Specs.
3) Haven't used button's over video but I think there is the same resolution but I always keep my overlays really simple and don't use text as overlays. Personally I would make the text part of the frame and then do a simple box as the overlay.
You are basically trying to make a DVD with a structure it is not made for so you have to except the shortcomings of the spec.
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Leah Armsteg on Apr 29, 2008 at 2:53:04 am
Thank you again Michael,
I think I will take your advice on making the text as
part of my frame, but that leads to a final question.
1. In my experience, text made in photoshop always
looks fuzzier than the text and buttons text made in
DVDSP. If my workflow is Photoshop Frame with Text,
FCP incorporating the video, and then DVDSP, is there
a reliable rule to follow for photoshop to get the highest/
clearest resolution? (Basically would I be making a 300dpi,
200, 72dpi, etc. file and what would the dimensions be?)
I know there are about a million posts on this subject, but
I've never run across a method that equals the quality given
by the text and text button text in DVDSP.
Re: Multiple Menus with Drop Zone Navigation Issues by Michael Sacci on Apr 29, 2008 at 3:18:50 am
In Photoshop I make sure that I start with a document that is for DV and I have the pixel correction turned on. This is important timesaver so that it doing some conversion for you. DVD/DV is always 720x480 and (it is best to set the file up as72dpi). The problem is if you start with a standard square pixel 720x480 things will be squished in 4:3 or stretched in 16:9 because of the aspect ratio of NTSC pixels (.9 or 1.2). In older version of photoshop you use to have to start off with a 720x536 and then convert it to 720x480 (which would look wrong in Photoshop but correct in on a TV)
Then after everything is done I normal add a 1 pixel motionl blur at 90 degrees then go to Edit>Fade Motion Blur>50%
