DVD Architect Questions

jetdv wrote on 1/18/2003, 8:23 AM
Here are some questions I have concerning DVD Architect (hard to get a full grip of the capabilities in one evening)

1. I see that you can specify under properties an avi file to play first. Can I create a DVD that will do the following:
A. Automatically start playing a video file (WITH chapter points) and at the conclusion of the video file automatically restart (GREAT for demos).
B. Have a menu structure that can point to the automatically started video.
(I'm looking to replace DVDit PE which CAN do this)

2. When you tell a menu button to animate, can you specify the length of time for the animation? Or will it simply animate to the end of the video? Or is there a time at which it restarts?


3. What is the correct procedure for getting the "auto" menus based on chapter points? The only way I have found so far it to add the AVI to a menu, right-click the added item, and choose the option from there which gives ANOTHER link - pointing to the new menu(s) - then you have to delete the original length.


4. Since the menu items may not end up appropriately grouped, they must be cut and pasted to get to the proper menu (i.e. If I really needed 1 to 7 on menu 1, 8-10 on menu 2, 11-12 on menu 3, 13 - 22 on menu 4). Maybe a future addition to use the name of the marker to specify which menu???

Edward

Comments

Spot|DSE wrote on 1/18/2003, 9:03 AM
DVDA does everything you are asking, but the explanation is fairly long, and I've got to get over to theNAMM show by 9. If no one has answered by the time I return, I'll post an explanation of some of this this evening.
Paul_Holmes wrote on 1/18/2003, 10:40 AM
One other question: Can you set "end actions" as they are called in DVDIt. In other words, I have 5 movies that can each be started from the main menu. In some DVDs I want the user to be able to click on the first movie, then have each successive movie play one after the other by setting the end action of each movie to the next movie. I can't find how to do this. Although I love the interface and what I CAN do, it would be disappointing if I couldn't set end actions.
RoyS wrote on 1/18/2003, 11:26 AM
In answer to your questions ...

1a. Don't know.. I think so, but don't know how. I'd like to know the answer as well.

1b. Don't know. Dind't see anyting like it when I was exploring.

2. Yes. I tried this, pretty nice.

3. If I understand your question, then the correct procedure would be to set the chapter points in the video "before" you have it auto-create the chapter menu.

4. I think you would have to do this manually.

Once question I would like to know is can you specify a button action to go to a specific menu. Say on the chapter menu I had buttons that said "1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16, Home". I wanted each of thoes buttons to go to the specifc menu that I created for each of the chapter point menus. I don't see how to do that.
jetdv wrote on 1/18/2003, 11:38 AM
DSE, Thanks. I'd really appreciate your answers. Right now, I don't see how you can auto start video other than the "properties" entry and I don't see how you can access the "properties" video from the menus.

Also, I saw the offset for starting an animated button but did not see how to set where the animation stopped - this is JUST FOR THE BUTTON ANIMATION - and NOT after the button is clicked as I saw where you could specify an output at that time. In other words, I want pressing the button to play to the end but I want a short animation inside the button.

Finally, the ONLY place I saw to create the multiple menus based on chapter points was AFTER you added the movie to a menu which creates redundant buttons. Am I looking as something wrong? Or is that the standard procedure?

Thanks,
Edward

edward at thetroxels.com
Paul_Holmes wrote on 1/18/2003, 11:54 AM
Specifying which menu a button goes to is really the same question I was asking about end-actions. Let's hope the answer shows us we can have what we want!
RoyS wrote on 1/18/2003, 4:51 PM
The button animation "length" is set at the "Page/Menu" level that the button is on.

Kinda odd place for it. If you have an animated background, then it must be the same lenght as the button animation. Can't have it different.

jetdv wrote on 1/18/2003, 7:53 PM
That works for the animation length. Now what about the other questions? Any solutions?