Working with DVD Menus

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:01 pm

Here's something that's been puzzling me for a while when I'm creating a DVD.

If I use a template the Main Menu automatically gives me the following attributes:

1. 'My Title': reasonably obvious what this is. I can change the text to give me whatever title I want to use for my latest epic e.g. 'Hamster watching'
2. A 'Play' icon(usually a triangle) that causes the whole DVD to play. Seems sensible as that's often what a viewer wants to do and it means they don't have to go through a submenu.
3. A little bit of text that simply reads "Untitled". Now, this is the baby that foxes me! What the heck is it for? If I click on it, it takes me to the Chapter Menus but why is it in text? It means that what I usually end up with on my DVDs is an icon that plays the full DVD and a word (usually I edit it to read 'Menu') that takes you to the Chapter Menu. This seems instinctively wrong for a viewer - why click on a word to do one thing but click on an icon to do another?

Am I missing something?
Is there a way to end up with two words or two icons for the 'Play' and 'Title Menu' functions?

Any thoughts?

Post by **Ron P.** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:28 pm

What style of template, Smartscene, Thumbnail or Text? I'm not finding this untitled text on any of them. The smaller text is the File Name of your inserted video clips. So if you have not provided a name for them, the default name for any project or clip is untitled. With only 1 video clip, they do nothing different than the Play (triangle) button. They are intended to take you to a submenu to select a chapter, or if you have more than one video clip, you can choose which one you want to view.

Remedy: You can double-click on the untitled text, and type one in, or you can provide a name for your video files before inserting them into the burn module.

That last bit tells me that you most likely jumped straight into the burn module (Share>Create Disc>DVD) without first creating a video file from your project (Share>Create Video File). This is fine if it works for you, but has been known to create problems..

There is one more option if you don't want that small title. Right-click on it, and select Hide Object. Keep in mind that the object is still there, just hidden. It would be possible to select it with a DVD remote.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:31 pm

With such a simple "One Title" video (Hamster Watching) I would alter "Text" to "Select Scene" - like the commercial DVD's.

Some people put more than one "Title" on a disc, perhaps you have another title 'Bird Watching" - now your Title Menu will have two lots of text.
You would rename one of them to "Hamster Watching" and the other to "Bird Watching".

Clicking "Hamster Watching" would then lead you to the "Hamster watching" chapter menu.
Clicking "Bird Watching" would then lead you to the "Bird watching" chapter menu.

For more details please view:
Authoring a DVD

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 9:46 pm

The 'Select Scene' idea is a simple but good one.

But am I right in my basic assumption that 'Play' is an icon and 'Select Scene' is text (thus causing some confusion for a first-time viewer)?

This mixing of icon buttons and text buttons seems daft!

Or am I missing something very obvious?

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 11:18 pm

You have a choice of 3 styles of Menu.

1. Text only

2. Thumbnail Menu

3. Or a combination of the two termed a smart scene menu.
This menu only has one thumbnail and it changes to represent which one of the text entries have been selected from the list.

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:05 am

Steve,

Many thanks for taking the time to look at this - I'm sure it seems like detail but it's frustrated me for ages!!

There is no Bird Watching in my DVD just Hamster Watching

but I have multiple chapters in my Hamster Watching DVD.

Now show me how the title screens look!
I can only get it to show this damned mix of text (e.g 'Select Scene') and icon for 'Play'.

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:52 am

Vidoman,

Sorry, I missed your earlier reply!

Firstly, I'm using a SmartScene template - do you think it would be different with 'Thumbnail' or 'Text'?

Now on to your other points:

The smaller text is the File Name of your inserted video clips. So if you have not provided a name for them, the default name for any project or clip is untitled.

I have NOT 'provided' a file name for my inserted video clips (I don't even know how I would do that) so default to 'Untitled' would seem accurate in my case.

With only 1 video clip, they do nothing different than the Play (triangle) button. They are intended to take you to a submenu to select a chapter

Agree and understand, but this is my point! When I burn a DVD it is usually a single 'Film' (let's remain with the exciting possibility of it being 'Hamster Watching') within which there are a series of Chapters. Does this mean that my Title Screen will show an icon (triangle) for 'Play' and text for accessing the Chapters (which Steve suggests in his mail I could call 'Scene Selection')? If so, then I have this mix of text and icon which seems strange and counter-intuitive.

As I said in my posting to Steve earlier this morning, this is a small point but one of continued frustration for me and for users of my videos who do not expect two different types of button. The are likely to pick the same one every time they visit the screen not realising both (text AND icon) are interactive.

And 'Yes' I'm burning straight from my VSP file without the intermediated step of creating a video file. This has been working well for me.

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:18 am

Hi Max

If we complete the editing then Share Create Disc we are taken to the Burner Module.
The first window shows the storyboard containing one clip, a video title this title represents your project.
We can add additional videos/titles to the timeline using the Add Media options at the top of the window.
For each video we add a title is created on the main menu page. Select Next.....

Here we have the option of selecting a template from the gallery. Try the thumbnail option, then select one from the library pane.
If you have only added the one title you will only see the one thumbnail, some text as descriptions. The thumbnail defaults to the video/project name.
We have the option of creating chapter points, this creates Sub-Menus, a separate menu page.
You can view and edit the sub-menu/chapter pages. Select from the box immediately below the preview screen.
If this option is available then you have already created chapter points.
If not available then hit the Back button to return to the first page where an option for Add/Edit Chapters is available.
We can also create chapter points during our editing, in the main editor Timeline View, a chapter point bar is available at the top of the timeline, chapter points are shown as an orange triangle.

If you did not intend to create chapter points they can be removed from the burner module, press Add/Edit chapters.
You will be left with the one main menu page.

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:36 am

Hi, Trevor

Thanks for coming in on the thread.
I think I understand all the points in your posting but I also think it misses my problem/query. I guess I'm not explaining it clearly

Let me have another go and see if it helps.

I have one project which has a number of different chapters.
What I want to create on the Main Menu of the DVD is the option for the viewer to either:
a) Play the entire film
b) Go to chapters (or 'Scenes') where they can select which bit of the DVD they want to watch.

I know how to do this BUT only by having an icon for 'Play' (usually a triangle) and text (which I can edit to say whatever I want it to say) to take the user to Scene Selection.

My Problem: I think this mix of icon and text on the Main Menu is counter-intuitive for the user.

My Question: Is it possible to have 'Play' and 'Scene Selection' appear on my Main Menu page (thereby allowing the user to Play the DVD or go to Chapters) using all text or all icons?

I'm sure it would help greatly if I could post a picture of the Main Menu into this chain but I don't know who to do this! If you, VidoMan or Steve can tell me how to get the picture from the DVD wizard into this chain I would be happy to do it!

mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 11:59 am

maxfrost01 wrote:
I'm sure it would help greatly if I could post a picture of the Main Menu into this chain but I don't know who to do this! If you, VidoMan or Steve can tell me how to get the picture from the DVD wizard into this chain I would be happy to do it!

You need to use the "Print Screen" facility then this explains how to do it
http://forum.corel.com/EN/faq.php#24

Trevor Andrew · Post by **Trevor Andrew** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:45 pm

Hi Max

If you are using the single main title and have created chapter points you end up with two menu pages.

The first, the main menu is of little use as it just navigates you to the sub menu page.

You can hide, disable this main menu page leaving you with the single sub menu. (only when it contains a single video file)
Ok
With the main menu in view, from the Edit tab select Advanced-deselect Add Title Menu
You are now left with the one sub menu. Your chapter menu(may be more depending on how many chapters you have created)

When you play the dvd it will first show the sub menu with all the chapter points. (links/thumbnails/text depending on which template you have used)
The menu allows you to select one of the chapters, which will play, what happens next depends on how you have set the Navigation Control options.
From the burner module select the ¡¥Options Cogwheel¡¦ (Lower Left) the following panel shows the Navigation Controls. (lower panel)
Default is Auto Repeat (your video will play to end and start again, for ever and ever
Deselect this option and the dropdown box becomes available, allowing you to choose an option

Continue to play next clip (will play to end and then stop returning to menu.)
Back to Menu (plays the selected clip only then returns to menu)

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:56 pm

Hi, Mitchell65

Thanks for trying to help.

I took a look at the link but it leaves me no wiser.

I know how to use the 'Print Screen' facility but have no idea how to get from that point to saving it on a "publicly accessible web server". Where on earth do I find one of those?

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mitchell65 · Post by **mitchell65** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:05 pm

I think I have just twigged as to what you want to do. Replace the navigaion buttons (The diamond is the only one you see) with text?
This is what you need to do.
First you need a copy of Corel's Photo Impact.
The nav buttons are UFO files, that is they are vector graphics created within the Photo Impact program. Create four text images with Play, Home, Next, Back or whatever words you like to describe what the buttons do.
Go to C:\Program files\Corel\Corel Studio 12\Content\Menu Template\16x9\Customise\Navigation Button
Open one of the files like N001, see how that is made up and copy the workflow with your text images. Then put the resulting UFO into the folder above, reboot VS and see if your nav buttons come up in the Menu section when you hit the Customise menu option.
I've never done this but this is the way I would try it. Alternatively wait until one of the experts responds probably wiith a much easier way of doing what you want.
I have to add though that the symbols for Nav buttons that VS uses are universally accepted standards that everybody understands whatever is their first language!

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:14 pm

It seems trying to figure this out is akin to trying to determine the meaning of life!

But remember this. VS is an editing app that has a simple authoring module thrown in. Because it is fairly basic it was designed to meet many different needs, thus the mix of text and icons. To achieve what you desire I think you are going to have to make the menus yourself, as John has described above, or you are going to have to go with a Menu Authoring app such as MovieFactory.

maxfrost01 · Post by **maxfrost01** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:31 pm

Trevor,

I think you may have cracked it!

I did not know about the tick box for deselecting Add Title Menu.

If I deselect this, I am left with the Chapter Menu only which includes an icon for playing the full video. Does that tie-in with your understanding?

I still have a mix of text (for chapters) and icon (for 'Play) but it is much more intuitive. The other thing I have just done is hijack the 'My Title' text box on the Chapter Menu, changed it to read 'Play All' and moved it next to the icon. With that done I think it's moving close to intuitive and idiot-proof.

Using the 'My Title' text for another purpose is not a big deal as most people know what they've just put into the DVD player and don't really need reminding. However, just out of interest..........do you know if there's a way of adding a text box to a menu screen? That way I could have the ha'penny and the gingerbread. (This last bit may be lost on non-Northerners

)