Menu highlighting problems

[AndieCandie]

I've had SEVERAL issues using DVDMF6 but one of my most recent problems I'm desperately asking for someones help with before I start pulling my hair out at the roots.

All the projects I'm doing are using thumbnail menus and I check the "show highlight button". Previewing my project it all goes as expected but after burning to DVD the buttons don't highlight on ANY of the stand alone DVD players I tried them on. I saw someone else on here had the same issue and the suggestion given was that it could be a corrupt/bad thumbnail menu and they should try a different one. Well, I've tried it on 3-4 different thumbnail menus and they all do the exact same thing (work fine in preview & don't after burning).

Any other suggestions?

Also, what does "pre-render menu" (in the preview section) mean?

I really appreciate any & all help offered!!!

[sjj1805]

You could do one of the following.

1. Edit the DVD menu Template with PhotoImpact.
or
2. Burn the "DVD" to a hard drive folder and then alter the colour scheme so that the Thumbnails highlight when selected by using either Menu Edit or alternatively PGCEdit

[AndieCandie]

You could do one of the following.

1. Edit the DVD menu Template with PhotoImpact.
or
2. Burn the "DVD" to a hard drive folder and then alter the colour scheme so that the Thumbnails highlight when selected by using either Menu Edit or alternatively PGCEdit

I apologize for not also mentioning that I want to fix this issue without having to buy more software. These "projects" are Xmas gifts & I'm running low on time & energy already. Also, DVDMF6 was the last software and after all these issues with it (fine in the beginning but sucks now) I'm not about to purchase more of it.

Also, you say to burn the DVD to a hard drive folder (as I've seen several others suggest on here previously) but I'm not real clear on how to do that. Do you mean in step 3 the uncheck everything except for "Create DVD Folder & Create Disc Image" and then hit "Burn"?

I am so frustrated that Users Manual don't cover some of this stuff (if not printed then online) or that software is tested longer & better before they sell us programs with issues.....Maybe not at first but eventually! Oh well!

So, do you think fully uninstalling DVDMF6 and then reinstalling will work? Finally, what does "Pre-render Menu" do?

Thanks loads!

[sjj1805]

PGCEdit is FREE.
At the burn stage you uncheck everything except create DVD Folders.

Pre-render the menu means that instead getting instant playback - the software performs all the steps it performs to create a DVD menu ready for burning. Its more time consuming of course.

[AndieCandie]

PGCEdit is FREE.
At the burn stage you uncheck everything except create DVD Folders.

Pre-render the menu means that instead getting instant playback - the software performs all the steps it performs to create a DVD menu ready for burning. Its more time consuming of course.

While I really appreciate your help....I REALLY do! I think my biggest frustration is this: Why should I have to buy or download more software to FIX/CORRECT problems with Corels? Shouldn't the program I paid for just do what it's supposed to do without all these issues? A few problems I can understand which is why patches are developed; but this is really ridiculous! And Corel won't even talk to me without me paying them about problems with THEIR software? Live & learn I suppose!

Back to the problem, I've since tried several of the thumbnail menus (with lighter backgrounds, etc) and NONE of them highlight the buttons once burned either to the hard drive or to DVD. The highlight fine in preview but nothing on final project completion of it being on DVD.

Thanks so much again!

[sjj1805]

All of the DVD menu Templates are identified by name.
Which specific template are you having problems with, its name is below its thumbnail.

[AndieCandie]

All of the DVD menu Templates are identified by name.
Which specific template are you having problems with, its name is below its thumbnail.

Like I said I tried SEVERAL and they ALL play/highlight fine in preview but not when burned on DVD.
Here are the ones I've tried:
06_SceB02
06_SceB06
06_SceB08
06_SceB10
06_SceB14


Would the 2nd patch be worth a try? I'd be leary it would screw up something else in my computer which would just further piss me off.
What about a clean uninstall & then reinstall?

Thanks so much!

[sjj1805]

The following menus do NOT use highlight images

06_SceB06
06_SceB08
06_SceB14

[AndieCandie]

The following menus do NOT use highlight images

06_SceB06
06_SceB08
06_SceB14

Then why when I check the "show highlight button" does it highlight? Regardless, what about the other 2 templates I mentioned? Any ideas?

In addition to posting here I email Customer Support (which have been wrong twice now regarding issues prior to this) and they try to tell me the menu highlight is intended only for editing and is not a feature available once burned to DVD. That doesn't make much sense. Why would you even need it to edit? Besides, the feature seems to want to be there since you can "guess navigate".

If they don't know the answer I would rather hear "I don't know" rather than just say it's not possible. ARGGGGGG!!! I wish I wasn't so anal about getting things right or I'd just give my sisters, neices & nephew their DVDs "As Is". Sadly, if I don't do this it will likely never get done since I'm the only one with interest and some knowledge how to do it.

Thanks loads agqin!

[sjj1805]

I will be checking the remaining two templates for errors when I get the chance, bit busy at the moment with a video project for one of my sons.
The only way to check the template properly is to open it with photoimpact and use the DVD Menu maker tool.

The "Show highlight" option is a badly worded tag on the Menu Creation screen, it does not mean "Show highlight on the completed DVD" (as its wording implies) it means "Show the highlight (icon) on the editing screen"
- this enables you to see where they are located so you can nudge them about a bit with the mouse - at least that's the theory - I tend to use DVD Workshop 2 for creating my menus so haven't used the ones in MovieFactory / VideoStudio much.

To give you a clue what I am talking about here is a screen shot of one of the screens on the DVD menu Maker, you can see the highlight image just to the right of the writing I did - the picture is from another query I previously answered.



By the way..... have you applied all of the update patches?
Please see this post
Show Highlight (Nav) Buttons in menu - don't seem to work?

DVD MovieFactory 6 Patch 2 (Release Date: 2007/8/30)

[sjj1805]

The following menus do NOT use highlight images

06_SceB06
06_SceB08
06_SceB14

Opening each of the above with PhotoImpact confirms they have NO highlight images associated with them.

06sceb06


06_SceB08


06_SceB14


Here are the other two templates that DO HAVE highlight images

06_SceB02


And here is that highlight image in more detail:


06_SceB10


And here are those highlight images in more detail:

[AndieCandie]

OK, so if the menu and chapters aren't supposed to highlight once the project is burned to DVD, then how are people supposed to navigate? They can only watch from the beginning and not start at a point/chapter in the project?

[sjj1805]

I wonder if we are singing from the same song sheet and when you mention a highlight image you are referring to something else.

Menus without a highlight image:
Normally the frame or even the thumbnail changes to indicate which one is currently active.

Menus with a highlight image:
These have a small icon (picture) that appears alongside the active item.

[AndieCandie]

I wonder if we are singing from the same song sheet and when you mention a highlight image you are referring to something else.

Menus without a highlight image:
Normally the frame or even the thumbnail changes to indicate which one is currently active.

Menus with a highlight image:
These have a small icon (picture) that appears alongside the active item.

BINGO! (and THANK GOD 'cause I thought I was losing my mind)
OK, see I would consider either the frame or an icon next to it that "changes" (which I think of as "highlighted"), showing it is active, would be considered highlighted. THIS is where the confusing was coming in because I see them as one in the same.

OK, so I want the recipients of my DVDs to be able to see active ("highlighted") frames for easy navigation. All of the templates are able to do this, correct? I can't see why they wouldn't.

I'm starting to think it may be the Sony VHS/DVD Combo player I use to test my DVDs may be the problem.

A BILLION THANKS FOR "HIGHLIGHTING" THE REAL CONFUSION!!!

[sjj1805]

Yes your recipients will be able to navigate your menus irrespective of which type of menu you choose.

Glad we got that sorted out!