The "instructions" for making theme templates is confusing and poorly written. The maual says to open the .thm file as a zip. It IS NOT A ZIP file! Further the instructions say to save as a zip, again it isn't a zip, rather a XML file that you are going to change which would suggest you should save as XML. This further compounds the problem since most people don't have a XML editor and the default file type for XML if present is set to Microsoft's browser, which of course is useless for editing.

I assume once I have a chance to find a XLM editor I can modify the XML. Just quickly trying, you can open in Notepad or Wordpad of course, but then you're stuck with saving as a .txt file, which DVD-A won't see.

Use textpad for editing; it's much nicer than notepad.

If you are using notepad, put the entire filename in quotes when saving so that notepad knows that you want to specify the extension to use instead of .txt, ie. "mynewtheme.xml"

Doug

Well I downloaded an XML editor. As a first step I copied the album1 folder to be sure I didn't overwrite the original. I next opened the file in the XML editor and made one change... I replaced the name between the Theme Information tags changing from 'album" to 'BillyBoy'. I changed nothing else, then saved the file as default.xml. I then named the folder to test.thm and copied it to the template folder under _Themes. I closed down and reopened DVD-A. The new template doesn't show.

I then tried saving as a Zip, then renaming to .thm, still doesn't work.

I then just tried copying another image to one of the thm folders renaming it to Background and even that won't work.

This is BEYOND clumsy! I'm usually pretty good at figuring out vague instructions if by nothing else than trial and error but this is a classic hodgepodge for sure.

For starters there are two theme folders under DVD Architect under Sonic Foundy which is under Program Files. If one is left over from the demo, I have no way of knowing. I always let programs install where they want to. One folder is called _Themes (note the leading underscore) which has a series of folders, one for each theme with the .thm extension along with the name on the folder. Example: album1.thm. I have no idea what if anything these are for, if they should be there, or if they duplicates, what? It seems to be uncompressed versions of what follows.

Below the _Themes folder there is another folder called just themes (no underscore) which has a single file (apparently the defacto zip) for each theme but with a thm file extension. While you can 'unzip" these leading one to conclude this set is the one to change and not the other (instructions don't even mention there are two sets of folders) then if you change the unzipped XML inside the instructions say afterwards to rezip them again then after change the file extension back to .thm.

OK fine, clumsy as hell, but then the problem is HOW in the ##($(#%$ do you change the file extension of a zip archive to another file extension? Not a clue in the instructions. Now I'm suppose to rummage through Windows' Help or see if I get a response here? If I don't change the zip file extension DVD-A can't see the file so I'm still at square one.

Why are there two theme folders?

Are there suppose to be two?

Why is one compressed and the other isn't?

Really SoFo, I've praised your instructions for Vegas and they are good. Very good. As good as they are the instructions for DVD-A are just the opposite. Often vague, like above anything but clear, missing information, making broad assumtions the end user knows things he/she may not and missing any examples or illustrations where it SCREAMS OUT for some leading to much wasted time and frustration.

HOW do you change the file extension of a zip archive to another file extension?

Ever heard of Windows Explorer? Right-click the file and choose "rename".

Why are there two theme folders?

Yes, there is supposed to be two. One holds the compressed version which is automatically uncompressed into the other folder. You create the compressed version - otherwise DVDA will never see it (as you have discovered).

>>Right-click the file and choose "rename"

While this will rename the actual file, this will not change the extension. There is a way to do it with quotes ("), but I forget that way.

The easiest way, in my opinion, is to:

1.) Right click on the folder containing the file you want to rename.

2.) Select, "Open Command Window Here"

3.) At the command prompt, type:

dir *.zip

This will list all of the zip files.

Type:

ren yourfilename.yourextention yournewfilename.yournewextension

The file is now renamed.

...and there ya' go.

While this will rename the actual file, this will not change the extension. There is a way to do it with quotes ("), but I forget that way.

What are you talking about? I do it all the time. The only "catch" is that you have to allow file extensions to be shown (i.e. don't "hide file extensions for known types")

Ever READ what the question was before offering another of your smart ass remarks usually in bold type?

I said change the file type, not the file name. The easy is from a command prompt, not Windows Explorer.

In the first place the question was rhetorical. And here I thought you were smarter. I was being critical of the "instructions" in the manual which are horrible in several areas and far below the usual level one has come to expect from SoFo.

I AM talking about the file type. (NOT the file NAME - although you can change both at the same time). Windows Explorer easily changes File NAMES AND file TYPES. Go to Tools, Folder Options, View tab, and UNCHECK the "Hide Extensions for Known File Types" box. This allows the extensions to show and allows the file type to be changed (from whatever to zip and back again)

You're really talking changing file associations doing it that way. I don't want all my zips ending up with a .thm extension. Also having the default hide known file types results in less clutter in Windows Explorer.

My point in ranting was one feature a lot of people would probably use more would be the ability to make custom templates... if the process was explained better. I admit when I read the "instructions" on page #34 of the manual I happened to be on the phone at the same time (bad habit doing two, three things at once), anyways devoting a scant half page to something that deals with XML (just glossed over) and having two folders with basically the same name and no indication which one to use then messing around with changing file extensions back and forth is well, not a very professional approach, not in my opinion. It turned me off, I haven't got back to it yet.

My concern is in so many areas you end up fighting DVD-A, unlike in Vegas where it stays in the background letting YOU be in control. DVD-A is the opposite. Combine that with glaring ommissions in basic features that should have been there and what seems like a manual thrown together in a afternoon, its disapointing and SoFo really got to have a big laundy list of things to "fix" for the next version. Shame DVD-A could have been better right from the start. Lots better.

Funny, when I first "complained" several jumped all over me. The very same guys now crying it doesn't do what they want. LOL!

Adobe's Encore will be out this summer. Version 1. Will it make DVDA look inferior? Yes.

Will DVDA respond with a incredible Version 2? Maybe. But designing themes in XML rather Photoshop or a standalone designer will put them at a great disadvantage. Menu design is very important to us video professionals.

You raise a good point. How many "creative types" already know or want to learn the finer points of XML?

As it stands now, you can't even make any of your graphics a link and act as a button. You're stuck with turning a video frame into a thumbnail. You can't even link one button to another. While for sure some things are restricted due to "specs" and I don't think it would be smart to get off specs, many things that ARE supported in the specs aren't accessible either.

I agree with the learning curve thing. I don't want to have to get too bogged down writing code when I'm trying to be creative. Of course, a good programmer finds creativity in writing code ... but then I'm not a good programmer and don't want to be.

About changing file extensions ... which I think is a really bad design flaw by the way ... you can change them at the command prompt (great if you have to do a lot at once, ie. ren *.oldextension *.newextension) -OR- through explorer but you have to have the "Hide File extensions for known types" check box unchecked (which has nothing to do with file-type associations).

I used to give SF the benefit of the doubt with initial releases, but I don't know what to think about DVDA. I feel like I spent an extra hundred dollars to be a guinea pig. I realize that $100 is nothing compared to what a "pro" DVD authoring suite would cost, but still I don't think the design of DVDA was completed before they released it. I think they had a deadline for Vegas 4 and probably had to get it out the door before DVDA was ready.

Oh well, here's hoping it gets better.

Well I managed to create a new template. The level of mickey mousing around required to even make a simple change like add a new default background image is excessive. As I said originally as "explained" in the manual the steps are confusing and vague.

Here's what you really have to go through. (can anyone say pain in the butt?)

1. copy the theme file you want to use as a guide moving a copy of it elsewhere on your PC so in case you mess up, you don't overwrite the original forcing you to reinstall DVD-A.

2.Use Winzip or a similar utility to unzip the contents of the .thm file then, dump all the files into a new work folder.

3. locate the default.xml file in this assortment and open it. I prefer a XML editor, if you're really going to change much. CAUTION: If you're new to XML and/or are freaked by the simpler HTML, be aware a single minor typo or outright coding error will trash the file and make it useless and DVD-A won't be able to open it.

4. make your changes* Remember you MUST change the name near the top of the XML file between the theme information tags.

5. once you're done modifying, save, remembering you save this XML file as default.xml. Do not confuse this with the name you give the zip file which can be named something more descriptive.

6. if you're adding/changing images for your modified template do that. If you just want to change the background image that shows under themes in DVD-A and what it uses as a background remember to save your image as Background replacing the one you're using as a guide.

7. Open your zip application and create/replace the files you altered/added.

8. Go to a command prompt (or alternate method) change zip extension back to .thm.

9. Copy this modified archive back to the themes folder under the DVA-A folder which is by default under Sonic Foundy under program files on your root drive.

10. Open DVD-A and you should see your new template.

* Simple? No! While not hard, it is clumsy. Very clumsy in my opinion! Much worse is after doing all that mickey mousing around you realize you really can't change much.

For starters if you want to give it a try go to SoFo's site download their XML Theme Specifications which explains what the XML tags you can change do. Even if you don't known XML, you'll discover quickly that DVD-A right now is EXTREMELY limited in what it will allow you to change in the way of making a custom template.

You're limited to a simplistic grid system and as far as I can tell you can't override the highly annoying menu creation routine defaulting to automatically changing the thumbnail size based on how many thumbnails get created during the add chapter process. In other words, unless I missed it, you still can't tell DVD-A to use a template with X thumbnails located at X, Y, Z nor can you make a template that's locked in the sense you make empty placeholders that DVD-A uses. So even if you make a "custom" template, it really isn't custom at all and only allows you to make the most basic of changes. For a "professional" application, very crude, next to useless because even at the XML level you really can't change much, nothing that matters. A shame and a major disappointment that needs to be addressed immediately.

I think I have said it before there isn't a decent DVD Authoring package available for sub $$$$ - not sure why it can't be that difficult compared to the NLE environment.

The XML approach looks like a wrong decision from a product design point of view or perhaps I am missing the point.

Is there a logic to it that I have not thought off? Is there a benefit using the XML/ZIP wrapper rarther then a directory structure with standard format files?

Cheers, PAW

That's what I was wondering too. Why go the XML route? That alone will cause a lot of users to break out in a cold sweat.

I agree... EVERYONE and I do mean every company that has offered a DVD Authoring package has missed the boat in the sense the offering is either nearly feature less, crippled unless you pay $$$$$$$$$ for a upgrade or clumsy in design or a conbination of all of the above. I don't get it. I think part of the problem is the developers don't really know what the market wants.

It for sure isn't 100 diffent arrow buttons or a handful of templates that for all practical purposes only alter the background, button size, style, location.

The end user wants FLEXABILITY to modify the template and/or make his own SIMPLY so if he wants he can duplicate a design across sub menu pages and the application remembers similar to how easy it is to customize a FX filter in Vegas and save a custom preset.

We're only talking place holders...

Why you should have to re invent the wheel every time you start a new project because DVD-A insists on shrinking thumbnails based on the number of chapter points I simply don't get. Give the end user some credit. He knows that 8 thumbnails take more room then 3, but he also knows they don't have to get shrunk down to such a small size you almost need a magnifying glass to see them then the torture of aligning them and the need to reposition over and over and over again, one sub men page and one project after another.

Simple lesson to be learned. The end user (me) is in control. Not the #$$%# application. Good software like Vegas understands that. DVD-A hasn't learned it...yet.

PAW,

The advantage to having everything zipped up is that the theme is completely self-contained, making it much easier to share with others by email or whatever means.

I think XML is actually a very good choice for the underlying data. It is completely O/S independent, provides a robust and extensible way of expressing the information, and has plenty of support with developer tools such as the Microsoft .NET framework. That being said, I don't think that the user should be exposed to the XML in any way. There needs to be an editor with a user interface that can handle the unzipping, XML parsing, rezipping, etc.. and have various controls that allow you to modify the theme interactively. Having to "hand edit" the XML can be a major pain for those that are not familiar with the format.

Save as theme option will do for me :-)

I would like to be able to create a project with custom menus, thumbnail frames, text and navigation buttons etc (along with an open interface with embedded objects that allow me to create them in the program of my choice) and then hit the button.

Outllook allows you send email in html format - great, I don't want to write the email in HTML though.

Thanks for the post - couple of questions

OS independant, DVDA is windows only not sure I understand the advantage

Extensible and .NET, not sure where that takes me either, where are the extensions likely to be in the future

I am not trying to dismiss your response just trying to understand what the benefits may be.

Thanks, PAW

So taking the long view on the above:

1. What we need is a DVD-A "Plug-in" which is simply a GUI (like the many FX 'windows' that pop up in Vegas) that simplifies what would otherwise be risky code-writing--like trying to copy a file into Explorer, but instead of drag and drop, you go into DOS or Visual Basic....

2. Shouldn't be hard to build one. What I'd like most is to be able to create my own graphic, of irregular shape, e.g. a maple leaf with a transparent alpha channel or the like, and make that a menu button. Plus, of course, being able to link buttons.

PAW,

The O/S independence is an advantage, in my mind anyway, because it means that the format is public, open, and not subject to the whims of Microsoft, Sonic Foundry, or others. It is stable and well defined, and as a developer I have access to lots of information and support code to deal with XML all ready to go.

Extensible is an advantage because it means that new features can be added to themes without breaking the overall "structure" of the definition file. Again, as a developer, this is good because I can write code that will work now, and be compatible with future changes that Sonic Foundry may make in the theme specification.

.NET is an advantage because Microsoft tools are the widest used development tools for programs that run under Windows, and .NET has built in support for XML file
handling. In otherwords, to read the entire XML file, parse all the entries, and build a data structure that my program can traverse, all I have to do is write:

XmlDocument xdMyDocument = new XmlDocument();
xdMyDocument.Load(<name of XML file>);

That's it. I don't have to write tons of code to parse out all the tags etc, etc.. Hopefully, this means that it will be easy for someone, like Sonic Foundry, to make a good theme editor for us - whether it is a separate app or built in to DVDA.

I've actually already written an app that does what I talked about before - unzips the specified theme file into a temporary directory and loads and analyzes the XML. It can then zip up the theme file again, move it back into the theme directory, and clean out the temporary directory. All I need to do now is add "the middle part" where the user gets to modify the contents of the theme...although I'm not sure I'll finish it since, in writing the code, I have come to understand the theme syntax to the point where I don't really "need" a program to help me edit it.

You got to look at the BIGGER picture. XML is a poor choice for the market any DVD Authoring application is aimed at. While some of us cut our teeth on programming, and many others are expenienced with HTML, even XML, etc., how many aren't?

You shouldn't need to be a programmer or be forced to become one to make simple changes to a template. Besides, what needs changing the most you can't do with XML anyways since we're talking the core code of the application itself which would be difficult if not impossible to change/modify with XML or any "tag" type language. Its simply too restrictive.

I'll say again, some parts of DVD-A are pretty slick. Others are half baked at best.

Try reading my post again:

>>That being said, I don't think that the user should be exposed to the XML in any way.

I guess I'm going to have to turn that "ignore" feature back on again...Sheeeeesh