Making simple menu in DVD studio pro.

Hello to all and thanks to all for your help last time, also to Hal. I am still having problems though. I am using DVDSP for the first time.

I used compressor to export my mpeg2 with the chapter markers I made in FCP. In DVDSP the chapter markers are in the timeline.

Problem: How do I make a simple menu a list of the chapters that the viewer can click and jump to??? (need something very simple - just a demo copy to send to musician.)

Thanks again to all!
Kind regards,
Robert



robert
robertohp2001@yahoo.com

Drag and drop one of the provided templets, in the Inspector, connect each chapter to the provided buttons in the templet. If you need more buttons, hold down the option key and click on an existing button and drag it to an open area of the templet, release and you will have an additional button.

Or, you can drag the audio and video source files from the assets window to the menu viewer window, keeping the mouse button depressed. A pop-up menu will offer you the option to "create button and chapter index"... this will create all the buttons necessary and establish the relevant connections... beautiful!

I make my menues in FCP...

Moving video background, video clips scaled (30% - 40%) to represent the chapters... text blocks for any wording on the menu (name of DVD "My Big Show", wording the the chapters, or navigation purposes (Chapter menu, Extras, etc)...

I make the "menues" 60-seconds long, export tham as .movs...

In DSP, Add menu, drop the .mov onto the menu as the background, then put buttons over the video boxes or words representing the things the viewer can click on...

In DSP the menues 'loop', so a 1-min .mov loops forever... I can add a free Apple loop audio clip, usually in the :08-:30 seconds range, DSP loops the audio to match the length of the video.

The reason why I make the menu .movs a minute long is because DSP pauses for a couple of seconds when looping the video in a menu, and the remote control doesn't work during that couple seconf time while it re-loops.



Independent photographer, film maker and Producer. In the wonderful UK.

What's the standard procedure? If there is one. I'd like to learn how to do a simple menu with three buttons. Is there an ideal template to do that? Thanks.

THank you so much!! This works so simply and easily! You saved me hours of work!

Now when trying to build the dvd, dvdsp tells me the video bitrate is too high. In compressor I used the 60min encode high quality. Is this why? Now I am making a new mpeg2 with compressor in the 60min fast encode quality. (my film is 52 min long.) I will post this to the group.

Thanks so much!
Robert



robert
robertohp2001@yahoo.com

I don't know what people think here, but I never export using compressor. I will simply export a quicktime reference file from FCP and drag that into Studio Pro, which then handles the compression... I have never had a problem with this workflow. Of course, it only works if you are on the same system, if not you'll need to export "self-contained" or mpeg.

> I don't know what people think here, but I never export using compressor. I
> will simply export a quicktime reference file from FCP and drag that into
> Studio Pro, which then handles the compression... I have never had a
> problem with this workflow. Of course, it only works if you are on the same
> system, if not you'll need to export "self-contained" or mpeg.

There are only four issues with this approach:

1. The reference movie is useless if you need to switch stations -- for example, the burn process is failing and you need to try another computer;

2. You have much less control over the compression, and the resulting files will be larger;

3. Reference movie files have a much higher per centage of failure during the burn than self-contained movie files or MPEG-2s;

4. DVD Studio Pro will take longer. In my own case, A combination of Compressor and DVD Studio Pro is faster than letting DSP do the MPEG-2 conversion.

However, if it works for you, there's no reason not to do it. As long as you're aware of the potential problems and know how to deal with them.

Again, use a ready made template from the inspector and delete the buttons that you do not need. To delete a buton you highlight it and use the "large" delete key to remove it.
The ready made templates can be modified or added to as you wish.
In response to another reply you received regarding using QT.mov for input and encoding:
A self contained QT.mov is a very solid way of saving your timeline. It is also better and faster to use the QT.mov in "Compressor" instead of importing direct from the timeline.
To keep your compressed file as small as is practical, use the "dolby" audio instead of AIFF. The audio file will be 75 percent smaller and allow more room for the video.
The "FAST" setting for compression is good Unless you have a very high action video.
Al
Edit Overload

My work falls within the range of length and quality where exporting a .mov from FCP and letting DSP handle it is fine.

I know that I will need to use Compressor more, especially as I begin to dabble with 5.1 surround sound.


I find the Compressor Interface to be clunky - more Windows-like than Apple.

I think Apple needs to re-think a product like Compressor's Interface.

Compressor has a lot of power and value... the Interface puts too much burden on the user to know the backend of how to get the desired output.



Independent photographer, film maker and Producer. In the wonderful UK.

May I suggest a better way to eliminate the "burn failure" problems..

1. Export from FCP in annimation codec (self contained) It doesn't matter what yoru timeline was....DV...Photojpeg...etc...it will be recompressed into Animation - also chose highest qualities and automatic keyframing (you will get the best looking MPEG encode from this)

2. in DVD Studio Pro -- set your template/project to "encode in background" while you are designing your menus..... and set your max and minimum bit rates to

Minimum 4mps... max 6 to 6.5 range..... higher bit rates choke older DVD machines....the newer ones can handle them....in some cases if you have lots of motion in your video...or changes in motion rates...chose 2 pass VBR...longer to encode but often better results.

Usually - if your video's not too long...your annimation codec FCP file is already turned into the appropriate MPEG by the time you are done designing (and testing) your menus. two birds...one stone.

Finally DO NOT burn directly to disk...instead...chose ADVANCED BUILD AND BURN....and burn to a disk image on desktop so you can then load it (the computer will think it's the DVD) test from the computers DVD player...if all is well.

THEN USE your DISK UTILITY -- to burn that image to a DVD...

This method has turned out consistantly flawless DVD Masters for us.


Andy