DVD menus always start with one of the buttons selected – which one is determined by commands in the instructions ro the player. DVDA’s abstraction layer separates the user from the actual commands, making it much easier to author a DVD at the price of being limited to those functions or features that are designed into the program... Unfortunately as of version 4b you cannot set which menu button gets automatically selected. Below I’ve listed a few methods to control which button is the default target.
DVDA:
Method 1:
DVDA selects button #1 as the default, though you can specify a different button with any action or through the use of a script. The easiest way to set a button as #1 and ensure it gets automatically selected is to simply add that button first. I prefer adding components in order rather than re-ordering them in the project tree because I’ve had problems with DVDA’s abstraction layer not actually renumbering components, and in any case it’s easier than having to re-order something afterwards.
Method 2:
In DVDA setting a target button to select is done through the properties drop down box, once you select a menu page as your destination. The only wrinkle is that you can’t set the auto-selected button for a menu if that’s the first thing your DVD plays. I keep a number of black video clips on hand in both aspect ratios – they’re extremely short and using one of these as an intro video works well by simply setting the desired button as part of the end action. It’s slightly more work, but the first menu page can have a button linking to your real menu including the desired target button, and that button can be set to auto-activate in properties. [End action properties for the menu itself allows button activation, while button action properties include the option for auto-activate.]
Method 3:
I prefer not to use scripting in DVDA if there’s a practical alternative, because the abstraction layer winds up incorporating my script inside DVDA’s – it doesn’t just insert it verbatim – and you don’t have total control over it’s placement. On the other hand it’s very easy: Insert a new script, then edit the NOP line in properties by selecting link in the Command drop down box, then selecting your menu page and target button. Right click the script in the project tree, and select DVD start script. Because this script will only execute from the beginning of your DVD, you’ll have to set all end actions and/or links going to your menu page to target the desired button.
PgcEdit:
It you’d rather not bother with it in DVDA, render your DVD to your hard drive and use PgcEdit. In PgcEdit there are 2 easy ways to select the default button on a menu page... Opening your DVD in PgcEdit [you can ignore - click no on - the first warning about discrepancies in the _MAT tables], on the left you’ll see all the PGCs – actual menu (not “dummy’) pages have a notation Xb., where X = the number of buttons.
Method1:
Select the line you think is the correct menu, right click and select menu buttons – if you picked the wrong menu close the dialog & try again. Next click Edit in the Menu buttons window – in the lower half of the new window that pops up you’ll see: “When the buttons are displayed force select button” next to a slider... move the slider to select your desired button number, and click OK, close the menu button window, save your DVD, & OK backing up the files. The original DVDA scripts &/or commands should be intact, so check your DVD thoroughly to make sure it behaves as designed.
Method 2:
It’s a slight bit more complicated, but it’s the method I prefer -- editing DVDA’s scripts. The first step after opening your DVD in PgcEdit is to enter Trace mode, then repeatedly click the step button until you first see the command: “(SetHL_BTN)...” on the upper right – on a simple 2 title, 1 menu project it’s VTSM 1, PGC 7. Select the command (in the upper right window), right click and select Edit Cmd. In the Command Edit window that pops up, select your desired button number, click OK, save your DVD, & OK backing up files. As always, test.
There’s a second SetHL_BTN command on the same dummy page following an “if” command... I suggest not worrying about it (or any others) unless in some circumstances the wrong button is auto-selected. DVDA includes a lot of scripting whether it needs it or not, and in my example simple DVD it leads nowhere – I believe that it allows auto-selection of alternate buttons, as the end action of a title for example, and setting the end action for one of the example titles to button 2, then tracing the results seems to bear this out.
As a final note, PgcEdit creates a sub folder containing a backup of any files altered – copying these files back over the original should get you the DVD you started with. DVDA 4b also keeps track of your rendered project, and in many cases can render only changes – changing something minor with a menu might re-use 99% of the existing render, so preparing your DVD again might only take seconds. But, re-rendering your project with DVDA also renames the PgcEdit backup folder (?). Not a huge problem, but something to be aware of perhaps should you try to restore a backup from within PgcEdit.
DVDA:
Method 1:
DVDA selects button #1 as the default, though you can specify a different button with any action or through the use of a script. The easiest way to set a button as #1 and ensure it gets automatically selected is to simply add that button first. I prefer adding components in order rather than re-ordering them in the project tree because I’ve had problems with DVDA’s abstraction layer not actually renumbering components, and in any case it’s easier than having to re-order something afterwards.
Method 2:
In DVDA setting a target button to select is done through the properties drop down box, once you select a menu page as your destination. The only wrinkle is that you can’t set the auto-selected button for a menu if that’s the first thing your DVD plays. I keep a number of black video clips on hand in both aspect ratios – they’re extremely short and using one of these as an intro video works well by simply setting the desired button as part of the end action. It’s slightly more work, but the first menu page can have a button linking to your real menu including the desired target button, and that button can be set to auto-activate in properties. [End action properties for the menu itself allows button activation, while button action properties include the option for auto-activate.]
Method 3:
I prefer not to use scripting in DVDA if there’s a practical alternative, because the abstraction layer winds up incorporating my script inside DVDA’s – it doesn’t just insert it verbatim – and you don’t have total control over it’s placement. On the other hand it’s very easy: Insert a new script, then edit the NOP line in properties by selecting link in the Command drop down box, then selecting your menu page and target button. Right click the script in the project tree, and select DVD start script. Because this script will only execute from the beginning of your DVD, you’ll have to set all end actions and/or links going to your menu page to target the desired button.
PgcEdit:
It you’d rather not bother with it in DVDA, render your DVD to your hard drive and use PgcEdit. In PgcEdit there are 2 easy ways to select the default button on a menu page... Opening your DVD in PgcEdit [you can ignore - click no on - the first warning about discrepancies in the _MAT tables], on the left you’ll see all the PGCs – actual menu (not “dummy’) pages have a notation Xb., where X = the number of buttons.
Method1:
Select the line you think is the correct menu, right click and select menu buttons – if you picked the wrong menu close the dialog & try again. Next click Edit in the Menu buttons window – in the lower half of the new window that pops up you’ll see: “When the buttons are displayed force select button” next to a slider... move the slider to select your desired button number, and click OK, close the menu button window, save your DVD, & OK backing up the files. The original DVDA scripts &/or commands should be intact, so check your DVD thoroughly to make sure it behaves as designed.
Method 2:
It’s a slight bit more complicated, but it’s the method I prefer -- editing DVDA’s scripts. The first step after opening your DVD in PgcEdit is to enter Trace mode, then repeatedly click the step button until you first see the command: “(SetHL_BTN)...” on the upper right – on a simple 2 title, 1 menu project it’s VTSM 1, PGC 7. Select the command (in the upper right window), right click and select Edit Cmd. In the Command Edit window that pops up, select your desired button number, click OK, save your DVD, & OK backing up files. As always, test.
There’s a second SetHL_BTN command on the same dummy page following an “if” command... I suggest not worrying about it (or any others) unless in some circumstances the wrong button is auto-selected. DVDA includes a lot of scripting whether it needs it or not, and in my example simple DVD it leads nowhere – I believe that it allows auto-selection of alternate buttons, as the end action of a title for example, and setting the end action for one of the example titles to button 2, then tracing the results seems to bear this out.
As a final note, PgcEdit creates a sub folder containing a backup of any files altered – copying these files back over the original should get you the DVD you started with. DVDA 4b also keeps track of your rendered project, and in many cases can render only changes – changing something minor with a menu might re-use 99% of the existing render, so preparing your DVD again might only take seconds. But, re-rendering your project with DVDA also renames the PgcEdit backup folder (?). Not a huge problem, but something to be aware of perhaps should you try to restore a backup from within PgcEdit.