I've created a menu with text that links to my video files. I want the text to be black by default and white when selected. This is no problem except when selected, the text is not anti-aliased and looks horribly jagged.
This should be so easy - black text, white when selected, no jaggies - but I can't get it to look good at all.
Am i missing something here? Am I supposed to use some other approach?
Any help appreciated - I feel like I've wasted far too much time on this already...
Jagged text
Haven't tried it, but have you? Make the text, say, 3 or 4 times larger than you want it and implement it with the style etc. Then select it and drag one corner of the box inwards to make it the size you want it. Dunno whether it will work in WS2, but this sorted things out for me in a different type of graphics proggy, where I was having a fit of the jaggies.
[b][i][color=red]Devil[/color][/i][/b]
[size=84]P4 Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz/Elite NVidia NF650iSLIT-A/2 Gb dual channel FSB 1333 MHz/Gainward NVidia 7300/2 x 80 Gb, 1 x 300 Gb, 1 x 200 Gb/DVCAM DRV-1000P drive/ Pan NV-DX1&-DX100/MSP8/WS2/PI11/C3D etc.[/size]
[size=84]P4 Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz/Elite NVidia NF650iSLIT-A/2 Gb dual channel FSB 1333 MHz/Gainward NVidia 7300/2 x 80 Gb, 1 x 300 Gb, 1 x 200 Gb/DVCAM DRV-1000P drive/ Pan NV-DX1&-DX100/MSP8/WS2/PI11/C3D etc.[/size]
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Gareth
Thanks for the quick replies.
Devil, I tried what you suggested and unfortunately the results are the same.
What I'm doing is:
1) New menu, Flat PSD as background.
2) Use text tool to type on menu - i.e. 'my chapter title'
3) Choose black as my text colour. At this point the text looks fine - nicely anti-aliased as I'd expect.
3) Drag my chapter onto the text so it becomes a 'link'
4) From 'Style' under the 'Text' tab I choose to customize the color mapping. I choose white for 'selection' with 0% transparency and black for 'action' with 100% transparency.
5) I preview the finished article. The non-selected text is black and looks great (no jaggies) but when it's selected (i.e. I mouse over it) it goes white as I'd expect but with horrible jagged edges.
It's the same for every font (I'm using arial so nothing fancy). It looks like the 'selected' text is a very basic overlay that fills the original text with a single colour right to the edges including the aliased area - hence the jaggies.
But there must be a way of using text as a menu item that changes colour on selection without looking ropey, no?
BTW, I need to keep the high contrast Black and White because the end disc is for the visually impaired.
Thanks for the help guys.
Devil, I tried what you suggested and unfortunately the results are the same.
What I'm doing is:
1) New menu, Flat PSD as background.
2) Use text tool to type on menu - i.e. 'my chapter title'
3) Choose black as my text colour. At this point the text looks fine - nicely anti-aliased as I'd expect.
3) Drag my chapter onto the text so it becomes a 'link'
4) From 'Style' under the 'Text' tab I choose to customize the color mapping. I choose white for 'selection' with 0% transparency and black for 'action' with 100% transparency.
5) I preview the finished article. The non-selected text is black and looks great (no jaggies) but when it's selected (i.e. I mouse over it) it goes white as I'd expect but with horrible jagged edges.
It's the same for every font (I'm using arial so nothing fancy). It looks like the 'selected' text is a very basic overlay that fills the original text with a single colour right to the edges including the aliased area - hence the jaggies.
But there must be a way of using text as a menu item that changes colour on selection without looking ropey, no?
BTW, I need to keep the high contrast Black and White because the end disc is for the visually impaired.
Thanks for the help guys.
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Gareth
Not sure why it's so bad (I'm away from my machine at the moment). Do you have the "anti flicker" turned on (maybe it will blur the text slightly)?
Too bad you have so many buttons, I was going to offer a couple of "alternatives" (I know it's not what you wanted, but thought I'd throw them out there in case they could work for you).
1) Use highlight objects for the Text lines -- the visually impaired might be able to see the highlight images just as well as the text going from black to white (I don't know if that's true).
2) use the "Roll-over effect" as described in this tutorial (it basically goes to another menu that looks like the original when the button is selected)
http://www.ulead.com/learning/dws.htm
I realize these are not answering your original question, and are workarounds (sorry can't offer any more insight as to your original problem).
Too bad you have so many buttons, I was going to offer a couple of "alternatives" (I know it's not what you wanted, but thought I'd throw them out there in case they could work for you).
1) Use highlight objects for the Text lines -- the visually impaired might be able to see the highlight images just as well as the text going from black to white (I don't know if that's true).
2) use the "Roll-over effect" as described in this tutorial (it basically goes to another menu that looks like the original when the button is selected)
http://www.ulead.com/learning/dws.htm
I realize these are not answering your original question, and are workarounds (sorry can't offer any more insight as to your original problem).
George
Sorry, I know this is not PC and is in bad taste, but I can't help it: could the visually impaired see the jaggies? 
[b][i][color=red]Devil[/color][/i][/b]
[size=84]P4 Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz/Elite NVidia NF650iSLIT-A/2 Gb dual channel FSB 1333 MHz/Gainward NVidia 7300/2 x 80 Gb, 1 x 300 Gb, 1 x 200 Gb/DVCAM DRV-1000P drive/ Pan NV-DX1&-DX100/MSP8/WS2/PI11/C3D etc.[/size]
[size=84]P4 Core 2 Duo 2.6 GHz/Elite NVidia NF650iSLIT-A/2 Gb dual channel FSB 1333 MHz/Gainward NVidia 7300/2 x 80 Gb, 1 x 300 Gb, 1 x 200 Gb/DVCAM DRV-1000P drive/ Pan NV-DX1&-DX100/MSP8/WS2/PI11/C3D etc.[/size]
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Gareth
Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I had time to see your reply GeorgeW before I lost connection to the forum.
Anyway, thanks for the advice. It's a shame I can't get it to work as I'd like but the roll-over effect does the trick. It's just a shame it's a lot of extra work to achieve what seems to be a simple thing and means there is a small delay when switching between menu items. Ho hum - the most important thing is it now looks great so thanks again for the help.
I can't try the highlight option because a) I don't have photoimpact which I think you need to make highlights. b) the programme crashes everythime I open the highlight folder...
Devil, ROFLMAO. Not sure I could use that excuse in the client meeting but yeah, good point...
Thanks again guys - the help is really appreciated.
Gareth
Anyway, thanks for the advice. It's a shame I can't get it to work as I'd like but the roll-over effect does the trick. It's just a shame it's a lot of extra work to achieve what seems to be a simple thing and means there is a small delay when switching between menu items. Ho hum - the most important thing is it now looks great so thanks again for the help.
I can't try the highlight option because a) I don't have photoimpact which I think you need to make highlights. b) the programme crashes everythime I open the highlight folder...
Devil, ROFLMAO. Not sure I could use that excuse in the client meeting but yeah, good point...
Thanks again guys - the help is really appreciated.
Gareth
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Gareth
Shame but it turns out the roll-over approach doesn't work either.
Having just tested the burned disc in my laptop the auto-activate doesn't work (using media player 10). Works fine in the set top player but not the PC which means one click to change text colour and another to perform the action.
Looks like I have to assume that obtaining quality results is not possible in DVD Workshop. Sad.
If anyone can suggest an alternative solution or product I'm all ears.
Thanks.
Having just tested the burned disc in my laptop the auto-activate doesn't work (using media player 10). Works fine in the set top player but not the PC which means one click to change text colour and another to perform the action.
Looks like I have to assume that obtaining quality results is not possible in DVD Workshop. Sad.
If anyone can suggest an alternative solution or product I'm all ears.
Thanks.