Translucent button highlight problem in DVDA3

Tech Diver wrote on 4/29/2006, 6:15 PM
I need help in highlighting buttons in my menu that are part of my background image and not a separate button graphic. Specifically, I have a background image of a guitar that has several "buttons" on it (the image can be seen at: http://www.straitjackets.com/ ). My desire is to translucently highlight the background image buttons, and I believe the key to this is the choice of settings under "Button Properties -> Thumbnail Properties -> Thumbnail Media" and "Mask".

Note that I have succeeded in doing this, but ONLY if I create a separate file that is copy of the button from a small section of the background image, for which I have included embedded alpha channel data for the areas around the button, and have then set "Thumbnail Media" to point to it. Note that my mask is the Sony-supplied Global-Button04a-Mask.png, which is merely a circle. If I set "Thumbnail Media" to "None" by removing it, I get no highlight at all even though I still have a valid mask defined (whose sole purpose is to control what areas get highlighted).

Why can't I merely use the "Mask" entity to define the area of my background that I want highlighted? You might think what is the big deal in defining just one button graphic, but my problem is that I have images of electronic instrument panels that have at least a dozen different variation of buttons and I would like to avoid lots of unnecessary graphic editing.

I haven't tried this yet, but I'm wondering what would happen if I defined a dummy graphic for the button that is completely transparent that I could use in any project.

Comments

Tech Diver wrote on 4/30/2006, 6:42 AM
These days we see a lot of DVDs of films that don't use conventional buttons in their menus. Typically, we see a collection of images from the film (such as a billboard, road sign, a door, a window, etc.) all put together in a single background. Rarely do we see a nice row of buttons or scene-rectangles that people tend to use for their home movies. After a lot of experimentation, I finally figured out how to do this with the following settings:

Button Properties -> Media -> Thumbnail Properties -> Thumbnail Media = None
Button Properties -> Media -> Thumbnail Properties -> Mask = None

Button Properties -> Media -> Frame Properties -> Frame Media = None
Button Properties -> Media -> Frame Properties -> Mask = None

Button Properties -> Highlight -> Style = Custom
Button Properties -> Highlight -> Mask = MyMask.png (YOUR MASK GOES HERE )
Button Properties -> Highlight -> Mask Mapping = Intensity

This will allow you to create a highlighted region using any part of your background image with any shape defined by your highlight mask without placing any "pre-made" buttons on the menu. Assuming you links are correctly defined, selecting the highlighted area will navigate you just like a convention button.
bStro wrote on 4/30/2006, 8:21 AM
If I understand what you're trying to do, and I think I do, you only need two images:

1) Your background complete with buttons, text, etc.
2) An image the same size as above, but with your highlights the size, shape, and placement you want.

For the second image, open up your background image in Photoshop or other imaging app that works with layers (I like Paint Shop Pro). Create a second layer, and to this add what you want to use as highlights -- use white for this. Do this over every button on your background. For your final image, you can either a) hide your background and save this to a file with a transparent background or b) create a layer between your highlights and the background, fill it with black, and save this to a flat file. (If you go with option A, be sure you save it with alpha channel intact.)

Returning to DVD Architect: Set the background to your background image, obviously. Then go to the Properties window for that menu and select the Background Media tab. Click Highlight Mask, and choose Replace. Find the highlight graphic you made up above.

If you your highlight image has a transparent background, set Highlight Mask Mapping to Transparency. If it has a black background, set this to Intensity.

Now, your buttons: For this menu, you're going to forget all that thumbnail media crap. All you need is a series of empty buttons -- no frames, no media, no masks other than the full size one you've already got. For this menu, you're going to use Empty buttons:

If you've already added your media items to the menu, select them all, and go to the Properties window. Set Button Style to Image Only. Set the rest of the top level settings there (Thumb Media, Thumb Mask, Frame Media, Frame Mask) to None. You should have a bunch of buttons on your menu now that are just dotted-line boxes. Place these on your background's buttons and size them so that they don't overlap. They can cover as much of the background as you want, and you have to make sure that they at least are big enough to reveal the highlighting. This will go a little easier if you've got Show Button Masks checked on under View -> Workspace Overlays (or hit Ctrl-B).

From there, fiddle with your highlight image and / or the color sets of your project to get the effect you want.

Rob
richard-courtney wrote on 4/30/2006, 5:33 PM
To add to Rob's great explanation you can make your highlight color
semi-transparent to add to the effect.making the dots in your
example brighter simulating an illuminated green button.