DVDA Advanced menus

Robbie wrote on 1/30/2021, 6:16 AM

A Long time ago in a DVD Authoring program now far, far away I used to be able to do this. 

I’m currently compiling a project to be delivered in both DVD and Blu Ray. Briefly … in the scene selection menus what I’m hoping to achieve is on the left half of the screen including a list of text links to scenes and on the right side a single image relating to the scene currently highlighted on the left side.  The image would change as you scroll up and down the scene list on the left side.  Hope that makes sense.

After much experimenting I haven't found a way to do this in DVDA. Can this be achieved in DVDA?  I note that scripting is not available for Blu Ray.

TIA and Cheers, Robbie

Comments

Dexcon wrote on 1/30/2021, 6:53 AM

My experience with DVDA over many years is that you have a button choice of either text, image or both, the latter being text under the image (via R clicking the imported media). I am not aware of an option in DVDA that allows both text and image to be placed separately in the way that you desire - a nice idea though. In fact, I can't recall menus being done that way in any of the hundreds of commercially released DVDs/BDs that I have. This is not to say that it is not a good idea, but it doesn't seem to be all that common. Sorry, but I think that the answer is 'no', it can't be done in DVDA.

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Former user wrote on 1/30/2021, 7:44 AM

@Robbie

Yes, it can be done. But you won't like it. It is very slow. A burned DVD does not change menus as fast as a commercial DVD. If you really want to do it, I can make a video demonstrating it. It will take maybe a day to make.

Teagan wrote on 1/30/2021, 11:37 AM

Would separating the text from the thumbnail, with that type of button selected, do what you're asking?

It may highlight the thumbnail on the right if you move the text that would usually be under it, to the left side, and select that, and go up and down a couple that you do this for.

Former user wrote on 1/30/2021, 11:48 AM

@Robbie If this is the look you want, let me know and I will make a longer video showing you how I did it.

Robbie wrote on 1/30/2021, 6:07 PM

Thanks All. apologies for the delay - Being in Australia I've been sleeping while you've all been responding :-)

@Former user yes that's exectly what I'm trying to achieve. I'have done thisd a long time ago wotking with either DVD Workshop or DVD-Lab but can't for the life of me remember how I did it - may have involved mujltiple versions of the membu page and or scripting?. I still have those programs (somewhere) but neither will do Blu Ray so wouldn't help me anyway even if I did remember how wht I did with them.

Former user wrote on 1/30/2021, 8:30 PM

@Robbie I hope this helps. I got anxious and skipped buttons 3 and 4 on menu 1. You want to link them to menu 3 and 4 respectively and buttons 3 and 4 respectively with auto activate. If you watch the video, this will make sense.

Robbie wrote on 1/30/2021, 9:15 PM

@Former user Thanks Doug. Youré too quick for me :-). Your earlier post (which I don't see now) was enough to jog my memory but the video tutorial reaffirms what I've been doing this morning (Aus time). My project has three scene selection screens each with 6 scene links, so there are a few menus and sub menus to create. I was able to quickly set up a few links to check the theory and all looks good so far within DVDA's Preview so I'm hoping to be able to finish a rough work up of all the menuus an links later today and then burn a trial disk and see how it plays in a few players and devices. Much appreciated.

Cheers, Robbie

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 2:13 PM

DougT: I'm trying to create a menu screen with buttons that change when selected. Can you help with that by showing me how to do one of them? I get the feeling it would work the same way as in your demo - but not sure. I posted about it on another forum here. Please take a look. Maybe if I created a menu screen that has one button shown highlighted - then switch screens when each button is selected? I'm new to DVD Architect, so not skilled in how to do this. Thanks very much.

Dennis

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 2:38 PM

I will try to do that. It will be later tonight though. Are you creating your menus within DVDA or do you use software like Photoshop to create menus?

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 3:30 PM

I'm using a program called PhotoImpact (by Corel) to do the artwork. I've used it for years and I know it well. I can create PNGs with transparent areas or jpg files. I am using DVDA 7 to create the menu system and then burn the bluray discs.

I can create 9 different swappable menu pics to use with each one showing one button highlighted, or 9 individual highlighted button pics to overlay onto the menu pic. Whichever you think would work. I tried putting empty buttons over the correct spots on the menu pic and use those to trigger video play. It worked to play videos, but didn't work for making the buttons look like they had highlighted borders.

Thank you!

Dennis

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 3:39 PM

You would need to make 9 different menu pics with each one having one highlighted button. Then switch, the same as my earlier tutorial, between them. Don't use the highlight built into DVDA. Create your own as part of the graphic.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 3:49 PM

I will create those menu pics now. Can you do a sample showing me how it is done in DVDA? I looked at what you did in the video above and it makes sense, but I don't know enough about DVDA yet to feel sure I can do it without mistakes or missing stuff that isn't showing. Your video shows little arrows - I don't want those, and I don't want any text. These little button pics are shown in full HD at the start of each video, so I think it's a nice touch to use them as the menu buttons. I will post the pics here soon in case you have time to help me do it.

Thanks again,

Dennis

 

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 4:51 PM

I will work on it tonight and make a video demo for you. I have to run out for a while.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 6:17 PM

In your demo, would you please show me the steps to create the video link and menu with it's links? If you show me one, I should be able to follow the video you did already to finish the others. Thanks-

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 7:14 PM

There are a couple of ways to do this. With that simple of a highlight, you could create a graphic to use as a highlight, or you can use the graphic like you have and change the menus via auto as I demo'd earlier. I will demo the auto change. If you want to see the graphic way, let me know

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 7:35 PM

If it's easier to do this with a graphic for the highlight - I can do one in 5 minutes. I assume the inside would be transparent and it would be a PNG format. Let me know if you'd rather do it with the highlight PNG file and I'll get one done and post a link.

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 7:40 PM

Yeah, it would be a lot easier to build the highlight in this case. I am experimenting and there are a lot of steps to do the auto link.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 7:56 PM

The center was transparent when I uploaded it - it shows gray in a browser though. Maybe the browser I use doesn't see transparent though. The dimensions of the buttons are 300 pixels wide by 170 pixels high. I made the highlight exactly the same dimensions.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 8:31 PM

By the way - for what I'm doing - there are 9 different videos. I don't use chapters in any of them. Just load one video from each button and when it's done playing, it goes back to the menu.

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 8:32 PM

Okay, I am creating a demo video that should help. I have an old slow computer so it will take a while to render and upload. I will tag you in the message when it is there.

Former user wrote on 6/6/2021, 9:47 PM

@Dennis-H

Sorry about the audio, I had auto gain turned on so it pumps a bit. If this doesn't answer your questions, let me know.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 10:31 PM

Update: Seems like when I zoom in on the menu (in DVDA), the buttons don't overlap - but they do when the view is reduced to "Auto" - so maybe it will work like this. I haven't heard from you yet - I appreciate anything you have done so far and absolutely want to compensate you. Please message me with your paypal name.

Dennis-H wrote on 6/6/2021, 11:16 PM

Hi DougT - Your video showed up after I posted (or I missed it somehow - which is entirely possible). Thank you - that was an excellent video and very easy to follow. I had been tinkering while waiting and I figured it out - but not the same way you did. I got the videos into the menu by finding them in the Explorer window and dragging them onto the menu - one by one. They way you did it by copying the buttons was way way faster. Also, you have a good point about using the DVDA color sets. When I tried it without doing that, the button had turned from blue to green. I was going to leave it that way until I saw your video.

Thank you so much!

One more thing - you mentioned your computer was slow.... I am using a Toshiba notebook computer - it was the highest end model 8 years ago. It still runs almost everything really well, but it was so slow making the first bluray disc I tried. My videos total about 9GB. Once I had the menu done and all the videos loaded, it took DVDA 19.5 hours to create the ISO file. I had all other programs closed. My computer has a 2.8 dual core Intel CPU, 8GB ram and has a 1TB SSD hard drive - 19.5 hours seemed way too long. Is that how it is with HD video? I thought about getting a new computer, but wondered if I'd it would reduce that processing time enough to be worth it. All other programs run pretty fast on this computer.

Again - thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.

Regards,

Dennis

EricLNZ wrote on 6/6/2021, 11:32 PM

@Dennis-H The long time indicates that your files weren't BR compliant and DVDA had to recompress them. Feed DVDA compliant files and you are probably looking at an hour or less. Did you not get a window when you started the export informing you of this? Also File/Optimize Disc will inform you of any recompression.The Help menu explains the icons.