DVD Menu TV Safe Area

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 5:39 pm

I have been looking everywhere, been through all the menu's the Help file and the user manual including a search of the forum.

Task.
I wish to modify My Custom DVD Menus I created previously in DVD WS2
(Now I have Photo Impact I thought it would be a good start up project to get to grips with this software.) I have worked out how to modify the menus mainly thanks to the excellent tutorial submitted by rtc2901 here
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... f7d6ca0e08

Problem.
Is there a way to quickly display the TV Safe area - the one you get when creating
File
....new
.......... New DVD Menu.

I've worked out that you can set them manually by dragging ruler lines.
I tried to record a macro
"quick panel" - "New task" but it does not record the creation of these ruler lines.

I know it's only a minor matter but to save having to work out/remember the positioning of these ruler lines I wondered if there was a command or another way to create the necessary macro.

MaryLouW · Post by **MaryLouW** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 1:05 am

I'm not sure I totally understand your question but when you open a new DVD window, it gives you a set of guidelines showing how mucy of the image will be displayed on the TV screen. You can move the guidelines to different position just by dragging them and if you don't want the ruler, you can simply turn it off and the guidelines will remain.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 1:11 am

Mary,

If you choose file, new, new DVD Menu then you get the TV Safe Area guidelines (They are ruler lines)

If you open an existing DVD Menu you do not get the TV Safe Area ruler lines. OK I can drag the ruler lines in manualy and make a small notepad file to remind me what the measurements are.

Would be nice though if there was either a menu option or macro to place the lines on for me.

Steve J

MaryLouW · Post by **MaryLouW** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 8:46 am

Ahhh I see what you mean now. I don't know of any way to make the lines "stick" either.

You could make a template using line and arrow tool and save it to your easy palette. Then when you want to edit your template, just drag it out of the EP over to your image and use the centering tool to align.

It won't work with the task files - tried it but lose the guide lines.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 10:42 am

Hi Steve,

Just out of curiosity I tried to save a workspace in PSP9, where I set the guides up for the 10% Safe area. The guides don't stick in PSP either. I do have 1 program where the guides do stick, and it's Swishmax, a flash authoring utility. However with that program you can't export to a picture format, just avi or swf.

Ron P.

MaryLouW · Post by **MaryLouW** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 6:05 pm

How does one actually determine what the "safe" area is? I saw 12% somewhere and then 10% somewhere else. I use Pictureshow 4 to create my slide shows. Didn't realize I had other menu choices other than those that came with the program.

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 7:39 pm

Hi MaryLou,

Here is a good explanation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_area
http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/editin ... rea_ro.htm
http://www.cinematography.net/Pages%20D ... hePast.htm

Just a couple explanations on the TV or Title Safe area and why..

Steve
Here's one with some downloadable templates
http://www.henninger.com/design/forvideo/index.nclk

Regards

Ron P.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 8:14 pm

MaryLouW wrote:How does one actually determine what the "safe" area is? I saw 12% somewhere and then 10% somewhere else. I use Pictureshow 4 to create my slide shows. Didn't realize I had other menu choices other than those that came with the program.

Mary, I just used file, new, new DVD menu and then noted down their settings. You have to do it twice though, once for 4.3 and again for 16.9.

Ron,
Thanks for the links I will take a look.

Regards
Steve J

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Jan 29, 2006 8:27 pm

Ron
Thanks, Just the job.
I downloaded
http://www.henninger.com/design/forvide ... 576PAL.psd
Then deleted the base layer so that just the guides on a transparant background were left.
Then as Mary suggested above I placed it in the easy pallette then dragged it on top of the DVD Menu I am working on, then when finished delete it again.
Thank you both.

Steve J

MaryLouW · Post by **MaryLouW** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:02 pm

Isn't it great when you can make things work the way you want them!

I haven't tried making my own DVD menu page yet but now that I know where I can get help if needed, you can bet, I will!!!

Steve... FYI... the name is MaryLou

I sometimes forget you're talking to me when I see "Mary" - never used that name.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:05 pm

Marylou,
Oops sorry about that and yes will be glad to help with DVD Menu's.

Steve J