Creating custom menu

Galeng wrote on 7/22/2007, 10:44 PM
Hoping someone can give me advice on how to do this.

I would like to create a menu. The left side of the menu would have a single mask that would allow motion thumbnails to show through. The right side of the menu would have text buttons only.

So, if I have three different clips the right side would have text buttons linked to each of those clips. If I highlight the first text button I would like to have the thumbnail media show through the mask on the left side. As I move to the next text button I would like to have the thumbnail associated with that button to show through the mask on the left side.

One thumbnail mask to show the thumbnails of the three text buttons, depending on which one is highlighted.

Is it possible???

Thanks.

Galen

Comments

GeorgeW wrote on 7/23/2007, 4:23 AM
What you are describing sounds like a technique called "Switched Menus" (perform a search in this forum to find different discussions on that technique).

Just keep in mind that during playback in a DVD Player, there might be a slight delay when moving between the "Switched Menus" (multiple menu cells have better response, but that is not possible in DVDA at the moment).

Galeng wrote on 7/25/2007, 8:13 AM
George,

Thanks for your response. I think I get the idea...
Each of the text buttons would have autoactivate swithced on and would point to another identical menu, with the thunbnail showing for whichever text button was autoactivated. Right?

One more question. If I understand the automatic activation correctly, whenever the button is highlighted (selected without pressing enter/ok on the dvd remote), then the related action takes place. If that is the case, how does the user navigate between buttons on the original menu page? For example, if the three text buttons are listed vertically and I wanted to get to the bottom one, how would I ever get there without auto activating one of the buttons above?

So again, I think I understand the basic concept, but for sure not the details.

Thanks for your help.

Galen

MPM wrote on 7/25/2007, 3:23 PM
"how does the user navigate between buttons on the original menu page?"
[not going by any example posted]
Each button can bring up a menu page just for that button -- the auto-action for button 2 on page 1 would be to bring up menu page 3. Page 3 would have button 2 auto-selected, but the action (requiring enter click) would be to play whatever. Page 3 would also have whatever video playing wherever you like in the background -- otherwise it would be identical visually to page 1. Button 1 would bring up page 2, button 3, page 4.

Alternatively the button area can cover however much of your menu you wish. Your button highlight mask will be activated within the boundaries of this area. IF you use solid color backgrounds, at least in the button areas, you can have the highlight mask reveal something underneath, be it a video or graphic or whatever.