DVD Architect Help

Derm wrote on 12/26/2007, 3:29 AM

I just dont get DVD Architect. I find it very confusing. I am trying to make a basic DVD with links on the opening page to the various chapters. So I would have a static image when the the DVD is inserted with thumbnails overlaid, clicking on the thumbnail would bring you to a selected chapter. I have inserted an image and the single movie file that I want to chapterise but how do I create links to those chapters and have them show up on the opening page? Any help greatly appreciated.
Thanks

Comments

farss wrote on 12/26/2007, 3:55 AM

That's not the normal kind of way to do a DVD, well not the way I do them. Main menu page has two buttons.
1) Play All.
2) Scene Selection, takes you to the page(s) with the links to the chapters.
Thing is if you've got more than a couple of chapters that main menu gets very cluttered and in reality most viewers just want to watch the whole show anyway.

But if you want to do it your way (there might be a quicker way):

Add an empty button, under Action>Link point it to the movie you want it to goto. Under Action>Destination select the chapter. This will only work if you've encoded out of Vegas with markers where you want the chapters. If you haven't done that then dbl click on the movie to open it's timeline and add the cahpters first.

Bob.

Derm wrote on 12/26/2007, 5:41 AM

Thanks for your reply Bob. If I was to do it your way how do I insert the two buttons? Also how does button two take you to the scenes? I have read the help file but the whole menu structure does not seem iintuitive to me. If I see how it works once I'm sure it will make sense.
Thanks
Dermot

farss wrote on 12/26/2007, 6:03 AM

Drag mpg file onto main page, that creates the Play All button.
Select that button, from the DVDA Menu Insert>Scene Selection Menu.

Should be in the online Help under Scene Selection I think.
Bob.

bStro wrote on 12/26/2007, 6:39 AM

To have a single menu with chapter buttons:

1. Go to File > New > Single Movie. When prompted, browse for your movie.
2. If you created your chapters in Vegas, you should see them in the timeline at the bottom. If you did not, add them now using the Insert Chapter Marker button above the timeline. As you insert a marker, DVDA will open up a text area for you to add a name for the chapter. Whatever you type here will be listed on your menu.
3. Over in the Project Overview window, right-click your video and choose Insert Scene Selection Menu.
4. Again in the Project Overview window, double-click your new Scene Selection menu and revise it as you see fit.

Rob

Derm wrote on 12/29/2007, 5:33 AM

Thanks all for the help. I went with Rob's method and everything worked to plan.
Using this method the DVD plays back upon insertion into the player, the menu screen only shows up when play is paused or stopped, all of the chapter links can be seen when this appears.
I would prefer to have the DVD open with the menu & links and to start playback manually from there. I would imagine that this is a fairly typical scenario.
Regards
Dermot

bStro wrote on 12/29/2007, 5:43 AM

I would prefer to have the DVD open with the menu

Right-click on the icon for your scene selection menu in the Project Overview window and choose Set DVD Start.

Rob

Lili wrote on 12/29/2007, 6:23 AM

I bought Gary Kleiner's "DVD Authoring with DVD Architect 2.0" instuctional video online. I've had it for at least a year and refer to it often when making authored DVD's since it's full of clear explanations of all kinds of nifty ways to be creative in setting up the Chapters, etc, that would I would never learned, let alone known about otherwise.

It consists of a set of 2 videos that cover basic to advanced techniques and tips. I believe you can order them from www.vegastrainingand tools.com since that's what's on the front of each DVD. Well worth it in my opinion.

Lili

Derm wrote on 12/29/2007, 11:54 AM

Thanks for the advice Rob, however after I did that and made one or two graphical alterations to the project and saved it using the same title, DVDA then burns the previously saved version without any of the new edits. The burn only takes about 3 minutes this time around so its obviously referencing some previously rendered material but as I have saved the project with new edits why is this happening?
Regards
Derm

TGS wrote on 12/29/2007, 12:43 PM

You have to 'Prepare' the DVD again? Remove the original prepared files from the folder you're burning from or save the new 'Prepare' to a different file and burn from that. Saving alterations, is like saving a Veg file, but it has to be prepared again, before burning.

Derm wrote on 12/29/2007, 2:15 PM

Thanks that did it. I had gone through the "prepare" step again but had not changed the name of the file.

Martin.s View wrote on 12/29/2007, 3:48 PM

check this link out on how to add links to your menu page.