sound for buttons, transitions

Hello, all-
I'm creating some custom alpha transitions for a DVD project I'm working on, and would like to get some sound happening with the transitions and button selections, but DVDSP doesn't seem to be recognizing .mov with audio, and I don't seee a place to assign it to. Am I correct in assuming that this isn't possible? Thanks.
-Adam

That is not possible using the automated transitions.
But nothing prevents you from creating a track with the video and audio contents you want, and placing that track between your menu and the target track.



Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com

Adolfo,

How can that be accomplished? You mean using a matching .m2v and .ac3 fies during the transition? Where in DVDSP can that be added? I was under the impression that when the laser head moves it can not track linear audio, The only other way I know of is to somehow cache the audio when the head is moving????

Hello, John.

No, while he mentioned buttons on the title, he then asked more about transitions rather than buttons. So I pointed to a way in which you could have a transition clip with audio.

On the other hand, you can have audio feedback for button rollovers by designing a system of twin menus and automatic button selection. You surely know what I mean, but if you don't, let me know and I'll be glad to explain how you do it.



Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com

Adolfo,

For my sake and possibly others, would you please explain what you are referring to? You mentioned button rollovers which, at face value tells me "It's not in the DVD Spec"

So, please when you find the time, tell me about twin menus and automatic button selection with audio.

Let me start by asking if this is what you mean?

Menu A -> click Play button -> points to transition with audio ->Menu B (looks same as A) automatically executes Play function?????

Thanks
John

Adolfo and John:

Yes, I was referring to the transitions BETWEEN a menu and target track (or target submenu, for example). Like I said, I'm creating some custom alpha transitions and wanted audio playing with the transitions. I did try using a video track with sound, but it didn't play back with sound, and there is no place to link or include separate audio with the transition video, so I've given up on it and moved on. However, I'd obviously be very interested in possible alternative solutions. Thanks for your feedback.

-Adam

Adam:
Bear in mind that a lot of the tools in a user friendly application like DVD Studio Pro are just easy-to-use, automated approachs to what pros usually do manually. As I said, DVD Studio Pro transitions don't have audio. But to say the truth therre's no such a thing as "transitions" in the DVD specs. DVD Studio Pro just places an intermediate clip between your menu and your track. You can do that yourself AND have audio. Just point your button to a short track with your choice of video and audio, acting as transition, and then set the end jump of that track to the destination track the button was supposed to go. Quite simple.

John: It's very related to what I explained before. For example, again, there's no such thing as Photoshop layers in the DVD specs. When you make a layered menu in DVD SP, it just creates automatically (under the hood) a ton of twin menus, one for each button state.

The procedure to have audio effects on a button is similar, but has to be done manually. You create a twin menu for each button, and then set the audio effect at the begining of the audio part of that twin menu. You need to enable auto-activation (ie, that each button is activated inmediately on selection) because that's what will allow you to switch menus in a transparent way for the user: each time the user navigates to a new button, you will switch to the twin menu with the proper audio effect for that button. The last bit is using as background audio some kind of texture that won't make that evident that the switching is taking place. It's just a matter of giving it some though. Obviously, having an animated background is troublesome. If you need further clarification of anything, let me know.
All the best



Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com

Adolfo,

OK! Thanks - Yes I know about Photoshop layers being magically parsed in DVD Studio but there was never a straight forward way to have audio with every layer with a different button image/color, because the play head would need to move to the next layer (or twin menu, as you call it). I believe the transitions is for an image between point A on the disc and Point B, hence my comment about an image in a frame buffer while the head moves.

Please don't think I am questioning the validity of the points you are making, only that very likely there is something about this that I have missed.

I have always been told that you can NOT have audio when a Layered Menu is used for a DVD??

"I have always been told that you can NOT have audio when a Layered Menu is used for a DVD??"

You can't have audio using the layered menus as such. But you can have audio by manually creating a system that works in a similar way to the logic that layered menus use under the hood. I guess the reason why they left audio out of layered menus, is because it would be hard for some authors to understand that they can't have continous audio while switching buttons. But since an attack is the best defense, you can use that for good. For example, using a relevant audio for each button. Or using as background audio a texture/ambience that wouldn't make the switch so evident.


"because the play head would need to move to the next layer (or twin menu, as you call it). "

You need to stop thinking necessarilly in terms of continuous video or audio. With the method described, you can totally make a menu that (for instance) says a word in german when you select the german subtitles button. Same thing for an animated glow around the button. Sure, you would be limited in terms of of having an animation looping seamlessly in the background. But heck, how many DVDs have animated rollovers? That in itself can be interesting and help make it diferent from 99 per cent of what's there.



Adolfo Rozenfeld
Buenos Aires - Argentina
www.adolforozenfeld.com