DVDA and Photoshop Layers...

dva wrote on 2/21/2005, 11:57 PM

Hi,

I have been reading all the available threads on how to preserve Photoshop Layers in DVDA without sacrificing anything. I got a free Photoshop PSD file with layers from videgears.com which is pretty good in DVD Menu graphics. What I did is this:

Since DVDA is not good at preserving Photoshop layers, first I opened it in Photoshop and saved it as .PNG file and set it as my DVD menu. My DVD menu also contains a background Motion menu which plays for 37 secs with a infinite loop set. DVDA didn't do a good job with the Photoshop saved .PNG file. Next, I opened the .PSD file in Fireworks MX 2004 and saved it as a Fireworks .PNG file and opened it in DVDA. The resulting DVD Menu is excellent. The only problem is the button hightlight is not moving at all during Preview of my DVD Menu. The Motion menu plays flawlessly and I was also able to see the buttons on top of my Motion menu (Play, Scenes, Credits etc) with the highlight defaulting to focused state on Credits option (don't know why!!!). While Previewing, I clicked on other options and the highlighted state is still on top of the Credits option.
FYI: All 3 options on the DVD Menu have nothing set. What I thought is merely clicking on each of the option will make the button highlighted.

Also, FYI: All options have layers set (same color and propeties) in .PSD file.
I was also checking this on Adobe Encore DVD demo and I was able to highlight each of the options on the DVD Menu with no issues during preview.

Appreciate feedback.

Comments

ScottW wrote on 2/22/2005, 7:59 AM

I'm a little confused at your description. It almost sounds like you created a single png file that contained all of your buttons in the appropriate positions as well as a matching mask file. Is that what you did?

The procedure is that you add your background, then you add links to the menu (by either dragging media onto the menu, or doing something like "Insert empty button" If you only have one link on your menu, then the highlight mask for the selected button isn't going to move.

If you're trying to create a custom button, then you'll need 2 png files - one file containing the button over a transparent background, and the other png containing the mask. You then select one of the buttons associated with the links that you added, and specify the frame and mask files as needed.

--Scott

dva wrote on 2/22/2005, 11:20 AM

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.
Please take a look at this .PSD file at http://www.videogears.com/fullview.php?tempid=22

What I really need is to preserve the layers for highlighting in DVD Architect.
Since DVDA is not good at .PSD files, I opened it in Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004,
saved it as .PNG file (with no changes) and reopened it in DVDA. The menu background
looks great except that the highlighting is not working if I move my mouse on each of the buttons
during Preview mode in DVDA. The highlight is always focused on the last button in the menu.
Right now, I don't have anything associated with each of the options in the menu. I was just playing
the menu with background motion video and tried to hover my mouse on each of the options. I also tried
to use the arrow controls in the remote control shown but it doesn't work either.

The same thing I tried with Encore DVD and it works great. The biggest annoying thing about Encore DVD
is when the motion video ends (set it to loop indefinitely), there is a 2 second pause which I'm not seeing it
in DVDA. In DVDA, the looping is absolutely seamless. :)

I read it in some other thread that people were able to preserve the layers in DVDA when .PSD file is saved
as .PNG file.

Appreciate replies.

bStro wrote on 2/22/2005, 1:13 PM

What I really need is to preserve the layers for highlighting in DVD Architect.

You can't. DVDA doesn't "recognize" multiple layers.

I read it in some other thread that people were able to preserve the layers in DVDA when .PSD file is saved as .PNG file.

Sounds like either a miscommunication or misinformation. PNGs don't have layers, so even if DVDA did "preserve" the layers in multi-layered files, you wouldn't see any benefit to using a PNG -- there'd be nothing to preserve.

For the example you referenced (the summer vacation menu design), I'd recommend you read the DVDA New Features document -- "Creating custom highlight masks" starting page 54. (Ignore the section right before it, "Creating custom masks for your button graphics" -- it's not relevant to your task.)

Rob

dva wrote on 2/22/2005, 2:40 PM

Hi Rob,

Thank you very much for your reply.

If you don't mind, can you walk me step by step on creating a simple DVD Menu Option (just 2 options - Play, Credits) with the highlighting enabled and background motion video. I know that PSD will not work. And I'm stranded on what software to use that works best in DVDA for DVD Menu highlighting.

Sorry to ask you this as I'm a newbie in this field and reading the documentation for doing just this thing is a pain.

Thanks again.

- dva

ScottW wrote on 2/22/2005, 6:25 PM

Have you tried using the help file? It has a step by step process for many things.