"Film-strip" template for DVD menus

RichMacDonald wrote on 2/17/2004, 12:13 AM
I don't know about anyone else, but I strongly dislike DVD creation apps that force me to use a graphics tool...which appears to be every app but DVDA. OTOH, I don't use DVDA due to its limitations. It occurred to me, however, that Vegas might be a great tool for creating DVD menus, which I could then use in something like DVD-lab.

DVD-lab has a nice link at DVDlab tutorial on film-strip. I'd like to try something like that, but I don't want to use a graphics app to do it. So I figure I'd use a demo of DVD-lab along with Vegas to see how convenient it was.

Turns out Vegas did a great job. DVD-lab was frustrating, but that could be because its documentation is skimpy and I don't know what I'm doing.

You can see a quick (*very* quick, its 2AM here) writeup at vegas template for film-strip DVD menu. I've included a Vegas project, which anyone is free to use and enhance.

Comments

TorS wrote on 2/17/2004, 12:28 AM
Well done. Richard.
I've never understood why the menus in DVDA must look so corny, but then I don't understand why people fuzz so much over transitions either. More and more I find myself making simple menus with just numbers and titles. I get more on each page that way, and the numbers are for fast selection without having to move around with arrows and such.
I wish someone would tell me how to change the details of the default menu in DVDA.
Tor
PeterWright wrote on 2/17/2004, 12:33 AM
Tors

My default menu is a simple blue gradient with a single Text item - is your's different?

If I want to change it, I drop another picture - maybe a still from the video - to replace the background.
TorS wrote on 2/17/2004, 12:39 AM
Mine is the same and I can change it. What I meant was, how do I make another default.
Tor
PeterWright wrote on 2/17/2004, 1:06 AM
Right, got it.

I dunno either.

Peter
RBartlett wrote on 2/17/2004, 3:41 AM
DVD-A templates can be adjusted or made fresh using this guide:
http://tinyurl.com/28njo
Here for PDF
taken from this page at SPD:
http://tinyurl.com/3c66h
Hre for subject support page

Essentially the templates are XML saved with a THeMe extension.
Awkwardly these might seem more complicated than layered PSDs.
XML is a programmers choice, and isn't too unlike any HTML editing requirements you may have ever explored. You are best using a dedicated tool to assist you churning these out.

Here is an independent Theme editor:
http://www.briancbarnes.homestead.com/files/Setup.2.4.zip
TorS wrote on 2/17/2004, 5:04 AM
RBartlett,
You seem to be saying I must edit an existing theme (or create one) and name it default. I'll take a look at the editor you linked and see what I can do. Thanks.
Tor
RichMacDonald wrote on 2/17/2004, 4:32 PM
>I've never understood why the menus in DVDA must look so corny, but then I don't understand why people fuzz so much over transitions either. More and more I find myself making simple menus with just numbers and titles. I get more on each page that way, and the numbers are for fast selection without having to move around with arrows and such.

I quite agree with you, as far as keeping it simple. Only thing I disagree with is that I like to add a snapshot of the clip, so viewers can see what it is they're getting into. And its hard to make text look good on a TV.

OTOH, what I like so much about the "film-strip" approach is that its as simple as can be: Push enter to see the clip, push left or right to go to another clip. No up/down/find the next arrow/push to select push again to execute/etc.

I just wish it could be automated. I'm finding it too much effort to do it manually, and the pan transitions are going to make it even worse. Days or weeks figuring out a procedure I can live with. Maybe I'll get there, maybe I won't. At least its a challenge to work on :-)