Add more items to first menu page

[paddyb]

I'm using the trial version of Video Studio 11 Plus and have been trying to burn dvd's containing several different titles. I want all the titles to appear on one menu, but the templates provided seem to only allow a max of 4 text items or 3 thumbnail items on a page, with any other items carrying over onto a second page.

Is there a way of editing the templates to add extra items onto the front menu, or is there a way i can create my own templates with the desired number of items per menu screen?

Also, there are only three templetes in the gallery, one each of text, smartscene and thumbnail. I though i read something in the blurb about 100's of templates being available? Is this because i'm still using a trial version (described on the website as "fully functional"). Is there somewhere i can download extra menu templates if editing existing ones or creating a new one is not an option? This is an important feature of the sofware for me and i want to be sure it can be achieved before i buy.

Many thanks in advance.

[Ron P.]

Welcome to the forums,

Is there a way of editing the templates to add extra items onto the front menu, or is there a way i can create my own templates with the desired number of items per menu screen?

There is a way to edit or Customize the templates. You should see another tab to the right of the Gallery, called Edit. Click on it, then look down towards the bottom for Customize button, and click on it. This will open the Customize Menu dialog window.
In the Customize Menu dialog window, there is a drop-down menu that defaults to Frame. Click on the down arrow, and one of the options should be Layout. The time-line beneath this menu should change to various layouts. Scrolling to the right presents more layout templates. However since you're using the trial version you probably do not have all the menu layout templates. VS ships with up to an 8 Title layout.
The second part of your question above;
Yes you can create or edit menu templates that are used are that can be used in VS. However they must be in the proprietary format of UFO. PhotoImpact is the only program that uses this format. Menus can be created in PhotoShop, however you need some way to save them to the UFO format. Steve has written an excellent article on creating and editing DVD menus. You can read it HERE

Also, there are only three templetes in the gallery, one each of text, smartscene and thumbnail. I though i read something in the blurb about 100's of templates being available? Is this because i'm still using a trial version (described on the website as "fully functional"). Is there somewhere i can download extra menu templates if editing existing ones or creating a new one is not an option? This is an important feature of the sofware for me and i want to be sure it can be achieved before i buy.

No, there's much more. For example there are 4 total categories of menus;

• Smartscene, of which there are 14 menu templates
• Text, of which there are 21
• Thumbnail, of which there are 31
• Favorites, of which there are as many as you customize..

Each menu template can be customized, by changing the frames, layout and buttons. So if you add all those together you get a lot of possibilities, that still do not include if you really customize them using PhotoImpact..

[paddyb]

Thanks for getting back.

On the trial version i have, the drop down menu in the custom menu setting only has one line - Navigation Button, no other options.

I only have one menu of each type in the Gallery.

So it seems the trial version does not have full fuctionality as claimed.

I have spent a frustrating couple of hours playing around with the existing menus and they seem very difficult to tweek. I can't seem to be able the enlarge a text box so that it displays more text on one line without also enlarging the text. I keep activating the rotate pointer when i try to move a text box, and it's fiddly try to get it back how it was. There is no undo button.

All i require is my own background (which i've managed to sort out), and a number of text items, positioned in a straight line down the left hand side of the screen, with titles being able fill the whole screen horizontally if necessary (I have some long titles!). I'm impressed by the other features of the package, like being able to lower the bit rate to fit more onto a DVD, but am disapointed with the lack of flexibility on the menu front, which is a shame.

I don't want to have to consider buying another piece of software just to make menu templates.

Perhaps this is just not the right package for me?

[Ron P.]

So it seems the trial version does not have full fuctionality as claimed.

Functionality has nothing to do with features, and content. Lacking all the templates, filters, effects does not make it less functional.

I can't seem to be able the enlarge a text box so that it displays more text on one line without also enlarging the text. I keep activating the rotate pointer when i try to move a text box, and it's fiddly try to get it back how it was. There is no undo button.

The enlarging is Scaling the text. The text is not a text box, but an object. To include more text just simply hit the [enter] key on your keyboard. Once you have all the text entered, you can scale it down.

There is a right-click menu that has the options of Font Attributes, Edit, Hide Object, Show Grid Lines, Set Object Transparency, Reset Selected Objects, and Reset this page.

The "Undo" button would be the Reset Selected Objects, or Reset this page in the right-click menu. So if you make a mistake, just right-click while it is selected and choose Reset Selected Objects.

It may seem a little "fiddly" at first, but rotating or moving objects is fairly simple, and is commonly done the same in most graphic editing applications.

The DVD authoring aspect (what we call the burn module) of VS is not it's main function. It is an additional "feature". VS is primarily a video editor that has a slight degree of dvd authoring added.

It may not be the program for you. If you're unsure I invite you to download trial versions for other packages, such as Adobe's or Sony's. Several have posted how VS is much easier to use than those products..

[sjj1805]

You can see more of the full versions content here:
VideoStudio 11+ Preview.