What didn't I get with the download version

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon May 15, 2006 3:47 pm

I have written an article describing how to import transitions menus and other items into VS10 from VS9. Also how to share SmartScene Menus between VS10 and MF5
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic. ... 4554#64554

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 4:16 pm

Steve,

That's obviously too much work.

This program should automatically choose which clips I want, edit them, and prepare a custom menu - ALL FOR A $100! I think it should also spit out an Oscar for my masterpiece.

michaeltee · Post by **michaeltee** » Mon May 15, 2006 5:15 pm

Mike-Mat wrote:The customization is VERY limited. You can change the background. You can Hide the graphics thats there already. BUT, if your menu has more than one page, you have to do it all again the the subsequent pages.

If you customize, hid the stuff you dont want and save it. The saved version turns on all the hidden graphics. If I want to use that menu again, I have to re-hide it. Kind of a pain in the @$$ if you ask me.

You can only have 3 lines of text on the menus. This canNOT be modified. The customization is VERY limited.

I would want either More menus to choose from (more variety).... or ..... Better customization tools. Move text, add text, change graphics and save the exact format that you changed it into.

Hi Mike-Mat,

When I go to the "Edit" tab and select a new background image and then select the "Customize" button, I can substitute (without using the "hide" feature) a different set of thumbnail frames and/or a new set of navigation buttons and/or thumbnail layout as well as modify the font attributes. I am then able to save the customized template to my favorites directory with all of my changes intact. When I want to use/re-use a customized menu I also find that I can type as many lines of text (per chapter thumbnail or main title) as I want and then move the text box (and the associated thumbnail) anywhere on the template. I can also apply the template to the entire presentation by clicking the (Layout Settings) "Apply To All Pages Of This Menu" option.

Has this not been your experience with VS10 or did I miss your point?

-Mike T.

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Mon May 15, 2006 6:00 pm

Steve: The time you put into make tutorials to share with us is much appreciated. They are well done and very helpful. The problem here is I dont have VS9 or MF5 to convert from.

Jeff: You see that is the point. I didn't get the extra menus that you got with VS9. I dont think I should have to buy additional software to create custome menus, in a properitary format. As an editing tool VS10 is great. They just fall flat when it comes to menus. I have better menu customization tool in Nero. So that's what I useed for my project. I know VS10 can make menus. But I now understand that it has serious limitations on how well it can mek menus. I dont object to customizing menus. I object to clumsy tools that make you do the same work over and over. Make it work right and charge $150. That's fine with me. Either it does not work right or it was designed poorly.

Mike T: No that is not my experience. Saving the customized menu, does not keep the pictures hidden. The "Apply To All Pages Of This Menu" option does not work. It's not that I need multiple lines of text for the same thing. I need multiple menu chioces for the videos. If I have 5 videos, I need five menu choices. Not 3 on the main and 2 on a sub menu. That's what it's doing.

Thanks for your input,

Mike

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Mon May 15, 2006 6:17 pm

Steve: The time you put into make tutorials to share with us is much appreciated. They are well done and very helpful. The problem here is I dont have VS9 or MF5 to convert from.

Jeff: You see that is the point. I didn't get the extra menus that you got with VS9. I dont think I should have to buy additional software to create custom menus, in a properitary format. As an editing tool VS10 is great. They just fall flat when it comes to menus. I have better menu customization tools in Nero. So that's what I useed for my project. I know VS10 can make menus. But I now understand that it has serious limitations on how well it can make menus. I dont object to customizing menus. I object to clumsy tools that make you do the same work over and over. Make it work right and charge $150. That's fine with me. Either it does not work right or it was designed poorly.

Mike T: No that is not my experience. Saving the customized menu, does not keep the pictures hidden. The "Apply To All Pages Of This Menu" option does not work. It's not that I need multiple lines of text for the same thing. I need multiple menu chioces for the videos. If I have 5 videos, I need five menu choices. Not 3 on the main and 2 on a sub menu. That's what it's doing.

Thanks for your input,

Mike

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 6:52 pm

Mike, I don't think you get the point. VideoStudio is a video editor that has some DVD authoring capabilities. According to Ulead's description of its menu customization capabilities: "Customize menus by resizing and positioning buttons." That's it.

You say you would pay $150 to get it right. Then you may want to have a look at DVD MovieFactory. It costs $50. So together with VideoStudio that puts you at $150. With MovieFactory you can do this:

Advanced Menu Authoring

Easy-to-use menu templates give polish to your production. Select from motion menus, still menus or menus with Flash overlays, and modify as you wish.
SmartScene Menus – Unique menus where project titles share a single large preview area, rather than appearing as separate motion buttons.
Text menus – Slick-looking menus with text that act as buttons.
Loop cue menus – a menu can start, play a short piece first, and then loop from there.
Menu transitions – at last, you can create transitions just like Hollywood DVDs. Set menu-in and menu-out transitions to smooth over going into the next title or menu. A total of 41 transition effects are available.
Motion Overlays are Flash overlays that give a great sense of motion to your menus, independent of the background.
Moveable objects – freely position text, frames and button objects anywhere on your menu, to match your composition with the background.
Rotatable text can be rotated to any angle for more eye-catching menus.
Simulation switch – use this to preview menu behavior at any time in the authoring process.
Motion filter will create movement even on a static menu. Select an image for a background, then animate it with ripples, spotlight effects or pan and zooms to bring it to life.
16:9 Widescreen menus and video is supported for that real Hollywood movie look.

Obviously, Ulead tries to market to the largest audience possible. I'm sure they are sorry if it doesn't fit the bill for you. When you find a $100 app that does everything you want, let us know.

Mike-Mat · Post by **Mike-Mat** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:18 pm

The description of menu features in VS10 sound better than the description in MF5. I realize it a $100 program. I just dont understand why they would put a better menu soultion into their $40 program instead of their $100 program. I was hoping for an integrated solution. I can get the job done with what I have (VS10 & Nero). I'm just want to have my voice heard by someone at Ulead so they can improve this already fine product. Everything else works better than I expected for a $100 program. Making the menus should be the easy part.

VS10 Menus and Authoring
==============================
• Create fully-interactive DVD menus and submenus for
your movies, including 16:9 widescreen menus for a true home
theater experience. Choose from ready-to-go templates or
substitute your own images and video for a personalized layout.
• Customize menus by resizing and positioning buttons.
Change menu layout, navigation button and frame styles.
Switch between 4:3 and 16:9 menus at any time.
• Motion menus make your DVDs look professional with full
motion buttons, as well as video and audio menu backgrounds.
• New! High-definition authoring means you can author
HD DVD discs with amazing image and sound quality to play
on next generation playback devices, such as the Sony®
PlayStation® 3. Switch between standard and high-definition
authoring modes at any time.
• New! SmartScene menus are unique professional-style
menus where project titles share a single preview area, rather
than appearing as separate motion buttons.
• New! Text-based menus let you create alternative-style
menus featuring text as links to titles of chapters.
• New! Menu Transitions that segue smoothly between
menus and DVD content.
• New! Menu filters that allow you to create movement even
on static menus with animated ripples, waves or pan and
zooms.
• New! Timeline Chapter Point Bar enables you to add
title chapter points directly to the timeline for a more intuitive
way to set DVD organization.

Movie Factory Menu Description
=========================
Advanced Menu Authoring
• Easy-to-use menu templates give polish to your
production. Select from motion menus, still menus or
menus with Flash overlays, and modify as you wish.
• SmartScene Menus – Unique menus where project
titles share a single large preview area, rather than
appearing as separate motion buttons.
• Text menus – Slick-looking menus with text that act
as buttons.
• Loop cue menus – a menu can start, play a short
piece first, and then loop from there.
• Menu transitions – at last, you can create transitions
just like Hollywood DVDs. Set menu-in and menu-out
transitions to smooth over going into the next title or
menu. A total of 41 transition effects are available.
• Motion Overlays are Flash overlays that give a great
sense of motion to your menus, independent of the
background.
• Moveable objects – freely position text, frames and
button objects anywhere on your menu, to match
your composition with the background.
• Rotatable text can be rotated to any angle for more
eye-catching menus.
• Simulation switch – use this to preview menu
behavior at any time in the authoring process.
• Motion filter will create movement even on a static
menu. Select an image for a background, then
animate it with ripples, spotlight effects or pan and
zooms to bring it to life.
• 16:9 Widescreen menus and video is supported for
that real Hollywood movie look.
• MPEG.Now Dual Core Rendering– get faster Smart
Render times with dual core or dual-CPU machines.
• Direct to +/-VR in SD DVD allows for re-editing your
video directly on a rewritable disc.

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon May 15, 2006 7:33 pm

Mike-Mat wrote:I just dont understand why they would put a better menu soultion into their $40 program instead of their $100 program.

Because it's mainly a video editing program

Mike-Mat wrote:I'm just want to have my voice heard by someone at Ulead so they can improve this already fine product.

I'm sorry to say that you are venting at the wrong place. I have never seen any evidence that Ulead pays attention to this forum. That's a whole other story.

Mike-Mat wrote:I'm an engineer.

AHA! That explains it. You guys want to re-engineer everything!

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon May 15, 2006 10:09 pm

I hear what you say about purchasing extra menus and transitions etc.
Hears food for thought......

People who bought previous versions HAVE paid for extra content albeit in the form of a full blown earlier version

They just have to spend a short time importing them, bit like waiting for the 'extra content' to download and then install!