layered PSD menus?

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:45 pm

has anyone used Mediachance's Menu Studio program to create and successfully import a menu into dvd workshop? I can't get it to work.

Is there some easy way to create nice looking menus in DVD workshop? All I've been able to do is import a background image and put text links and buttons.. The program doesn't give a whole lot of ability to work with text to make it look nice.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:58 pm

DVD Workshop is a standalone DVD Menu Creation program where you can start with a blank screen. You can also save those menus for later re-use.

If you want more then perhaps do as I do. Where I wish to create a menu that may be used several times - for example Last year I had a couple of weeks in California and for me that was a holiday of a lifetime. I used 11 x 1 hour camcorder tapes plus I shot some 5-600 still photographs with a digital camera.

I spread the edited final result over 5 separate DVD disks. To ensure that it all blended together as an integrated set of DVD's I created my DVD Menu Template with Ulead PhotoImpact.

Tutorial: PI 11 creating DVD Menu from scratch and then made the last minute final adjustments for each disk in DVD Workshop.

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:02 pm

I read the instructions on how to create menus with photoimpact and it was nothing less than pure confusion for me.. That's why I picked DVD Workshop in the first place because it let me create the menu from within the program..

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:37 am

But isnt that a contradiction to your first post asking if it was posible to use
Mediachance's Menu Studio. The Ulead equivalant to that program is PhotoImpact.

A DVD Menu consists of a number of layers (Photoshop terminology) or to use Ulead terminology - objects.

Whatever you choose to call them they are still things stacked one above another. these objects or layers are given special names so that the DVD Menu Program can identify those objects/layers.

In simple laymans english these objects are given names that translate into play all button, previous button, next button, and so on.

Ulead DVD authoring programs/modules use the Ulead proprietry UFO file format. some of the competitors DVD Menus may use the adobe photoshop format or some other format.

Mediachance's Menu Studio only supports export to the following DVD Authoring programs:

Pinnacle Impression DVD-Pro
DVDMaestro
ReelDVD
Sonic Scenarist
Sonic DVDit!

In the post I mentioned above you will find that I experimented with the possibility of using Adobe Photoshop to create a Ulead DVD Menu. The specific article is here:
TEST: PhotoImpact -v- Adobe Photoshop for creating DVD Menus for Ulead authoring programs.

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:46 am

I see, I misunderstood something along the way!

In your tutorial about making a DVD menu from scratch, one of the very first things you start with is importing existing assets. What existing assets are you referring to? If it's "from scratch" there shouldn't be anythiing existing right?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:58 am

Depends upon how much "from scratch" you want to be. You could design your own buttons, frames etc yourself, or import dozens of ready made one's from various Ulead Programs. Then you can use the buttons from this, the frames from that and the highlights from something else.

Whichever method you choose you still start off with a blank screen.
Then either draw your own or use the various ready made collections.
You can even do a mixture of each.

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:01 am

You seem to be a pro at this Ulead stuff - have you ever submitted DVD for replication that was authored by DVD Workshop? If so, Did it pass the tests?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:11 am

Thanks for the compliment but I'm just an enthusiast who has a tendancy to take things to bits and pieces to find out what makes them tick.

I make Home videos for myself friends or family and so do not create enough multiple copies to require use of a replication service.

I have though authored well over a 1,000 DVD menus.

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:18 am

Can you post some screen shots of some of the menus you were able to create with PI/DVDWS2 ?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:26 am

See page 21 of the Tutorial:
Creating a DVD Menu from scratch

skier-hughes · Post by **skier-hughes** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:13 am

dax702 wrote:You seem to be a pro at this Ulead stuff - have you ever submitted DVD for replication that was authored by DVD Workshop? If so, Did it pass the tests?

I don't know why you are so hung up about this. You have already said in your othe post that you made your dvds to the dvd spec, so you will have no trouble getting them replicated or duplicated if you go for the cheaper option.

What are the tests you mention?

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 9:43 am

Oh, I just wanted to learn to create nicer looking menus for upcoming DVDs... Here are the contents of that particular posts wherein a guy said Ulead is can't author for replication to pass the "Eclipse" software:

"It seems ULEAD cannot author a dvd properly for replication.
I authored a simple DVD (No Menu - only 13 minutes) and sent DVD-R master to Replicator (DiscMakers) who ran it through their Eclipse software to check for image errors and compliance to all DVD specifications.
Discs authored by Ulead's DVD Workshop 1.5 and then I upgraded 2 days ago to 2.0 gave the following fault as tested on Eclipse Software for DVD image analysis:

"Video Manager IFO and BUP files in the same ECC block:
The DVD-Video specifications require that the Video Manager Information file (Video_TS.IFO) and it's backup (Video_TS.BUP) NOT be recorded in the same ECC block.
Background:
For redundancy purposes, the DVD-Video specifications require a backup file for the Video Manager Information file. If this file should become currupt, a DVD player can locate the the backup file and use it instead. If the two files overlap within the same ECC Block, it is possible that if the ECC fails, it will cause both files to become unreadable.
Error Severity:
This requirement is in the specifications to guarantee playability of a disc in the event that the IFO file is corrupt. With normal use, a disc may develop scratches and other physical defects over time. If an error should occur in the ECC Block where both of these files were recorded, then it may render both of these files unreadable. It is for this reason that this rule is set to "Warning" severity.
Possible Cause:
This problem is caused by the authoring system that created the image. It is the responsibility of the authoring system to insure that these files do not overlap within the same ECC block."

So I have spent many hours, $200 to upgrade to 2.0 (after phone support could not help me) and $50 on Fed-ex sending new masters and still don't have a disc that they will replicate. Last night wnt to buddy's studio and authored on MAC. Hope that works better.
OBVIOUSLY BY ADDING DLT SUPPORT ULEAD INTENDS FOR US TO AUTHOR...
ANY COMMENTS? ANYONE ELSE RUN INTO THIS MAJOR BUG?
Thx
Rich"

GeorgeW · Post by **GeorgeW** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:17 pm

It's because he does not have a menu, so the IFO and BUP files end up being "next" to each other on the disc. The replicator is checking it, and that is causing it to have the error status.

If you have any DVD's that do not have at least 32k between the IFO and BUP files, they will not pass that edit. They should be burned in the following order (the numbers change per VTS, and you can have multiple VOB's between that group of IFO and BUP's)

IFO
VOB
BUP

Look at the numbering of the VTS's to see which files go together. If you have any place where there is not 32k between the IFO and BUP, that is what will cause that error.

Regards,
George

dax702 · Post by **dax702** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:23 pm

So you're saying as long as my DVDs have menus, I'm safe?