audio to transitions-- scripting solutions to save disk space?

Hi y'all,

I am creating a DVD for a feature film in DVDSP 3.0.2, and I think my transitions are eating up my disk space quota.

I want a short sound file to play when a button is selected from a menu, so I created a track for every single button with an all-black JPG in the video track and the sound file of choice in the audio. However, this seems to have caused the compiled project to swell past the limits of a disk.

I am hoping there is a way to script each button so that it plays a sound file without having to make a track for each one. Exact commands would be most welcome, as I am scripting beginner.

On the subject of saving space, I have some tracks that could be menus and vice-versa. Does a track or a menu take up more space, if it is just a still image that times out after a few seconds?

Finally, I like looping music under my menus but again am wondering if there is a way to script this so that my static menus don't have to become long video files. Maybe my impression is incorrect, but I observed that the 'building menu' stage of the Build took many times longer once I added music.

thanks,
_Randy Mack

www.BurningAnnie.com

Make ALL movie video assets for the transitions m2v and audio ac3. If the menu uses a static image, use the raw image as the background. DVDSP is more than happy to use AIFF files as is for the DVD. DVDSP will not convirt AIFF audio to ac3 on the build. This is probably what is causing the DVD to swell. If you use the same asset for each transition, only one asset will be copied to the final DVD, which will also keep the DVD as small as possible.

You can use a static image with any menu and have audio. just drag the audio asset to the menu. Don't forget to set the menu's loop time to match the audio length. NOTE: the static image is NOT converted to an image. The DVD will display the static image and play the audio for the define time.

Good Luck

Thanks
Gary Sumlak
thumbprints Multimedia Inc.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
[www.thumbprints.ca]

*** Superior Film Transfers at a Reasonable Price ***

All the audio is already ac3 (128kps). All the menus are static. These things are definitely NOT contributing to file size swell.

I take it from your response that there is no scripting solution to this. Ah well.

Thanks.
_R


www.BurningAnnie.com