I want the text to work as a button to acess the links

So draw an empty text box around the text,

<edit> to clarify - insert an empty button, change the style to text only and then resize the text box as needed.

Interesting question.

There has to be a cleaner way than drawing an empty text box around the text though. Then if you tell DVDA to underline the link the line will be horizontal while the picture you spent time creating in photo shop will be angled.

I'm sure there are limits to DVDA, especially version 1.0 (which I have), but I'd love to know if I can make menus as cool as the ones the major studios make. And if not, what software would you use to make that?

Actually, I should correct what I said - you need to insert an empty button and then change it to text only and resize the text box - want a vertical line, no problem, just size the text box so that it's vertical rather than horizontal.

If you want to use what the studios use, get Scenarist (if you can afford it both in cost and the learning curve). The next best alternative and substantially less expensive is probably DVD Lab Pro.

DVDA 1.0 is incredibly limited; 2.0 is much better, but IMO still doesn't provide all the tools needed to create "studio quality" DVD's. The only reason I still use DVDA is for simple stuff where I need to easily and quickly import chapter markers from a Vegas project. If I'm going to do anything fancy at all, then it's DVD Lab Pro. For example, with this problem in Lab Pro I'd just click on the rotation tool and then I can rotate the text (or any object) in 3d space.

--Scott

Those that produce "professional DVDs" have two key advantages.

1) They use really expensive software. The cost difference between Vegas and Vegas+DVD is about $200. The DVD apps used by "Hollywood" cost thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars. I think very good things can and have been done with DVDA, but I do find it humorous when people (not to single you out, this comes up now and again) expect DVDA to automagically do all the things the see on commercial DVDs.

2. They're creative. They intimately know the features of not only their DVD app but also of other useful programs to do audio, imaging, and video work to incorporate these into their DVD project. Sorry for the cliche, but it's true: They think "outside the box."

In regard to this thread, I would check the DVDA manual and New Features document (PDF file) regarding highlight masks.

Rob

Well, I just want to make my DVDs with a more attractive font. Wtht the options that we have in DVD Arquitect my menus look so simple. I did something that I want to recommend, use a software where you can draw( like Corel) and import your design as the picture for your link and voila!. You can have a great looking and usable button.

Use Vegas or a photo program to make the background INCLUDING the text for the buttons at whatever angle you want. Use Vegas or a photo program to create the proper MASK to be used to identify when that item is chosen. Follow the instructions in my newsletter showing how to add an empty button and apply that mask.

The "New Features in DVDA2" pdf file also has a good example of this feature. Using the mask you can get your underline to go at any angle.