DVD Studio Pro buttons. Must be PSD?

[cooknwitha]

Is there any way to make shapes in DVDSP without having to own Photoshop? I can export PSD files in GraphicConverter but they turn out square or rectangle because I can't mask.

Are there any ways around this? Different software that can exported layered PSD files? Or is Photoshop my only option?

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

Is there any way to make shapes in DVDSP without having to own Photoshop? I can export PSD files in GraphicConverter but they turn out square or rectangle because I can't mask.

Are there any ways around this? Different software that can exported layered PSD files? Or is Photoshop my only option?

Just buy elements. You can get it on sale for $50-$70 US

 

[cooknwitha]

Just buy elements. You can get it on sale for $50-$70 US

I had considered that but the best I can find is about US$80 as a download and that just seems a little excessive for one feature. That's what I'm finding annoying, I just want this one feature.

 

[WinterMute]

Use the button shapes provided in the menus, you can create whole templates from all those graphics and they come free with the app.

They're in the templates menu under a tab marked "buttons" I think.

 

[DrRock]

related question

I have DVD SP 3, have the manual, utilize the help menu, search the forums, but still can't figure it out. Sorry if this is redundant, but I am VERY bad with manuals, I'm more of a hands-on type learner. If someone shows me something once, I remember it forever, but I could read something a hundred times and still not grasp it.

Anyway, I'm confused as to how I make buttons in DVD SP. I can make simple buttons fine, but I can't change the color of the button in its various states. I know it has something to do with overlays, but I can't quite get it. Keep in mind that I've searched the help menu and manual, and have found SOME information, but is there a simple, step by step explanation of this process?

Manuals always seem to touch on subjects, then jump somewhere else for the remainder of the explanation. They're always written so strangely, and I have trouble with them to begin with, so I get confused.

Can anyone give me a clear, concise, "step one, step two, step three" method for this? Thanks.

 

[mduser63]

It's maybe a little hard to describe, but I'll try my best.

1. Create a background. This image should contain everything you want on the menu EXCEPT for the actual highlights.

2. Save the background as a .tif, or .pict file (other formats will probably work too).

3. Create another file with a black where you want your highlights to be. For example, if you were using a rectangle as a highlight, make a pure black rectangle in the correct spot such that it lines up with where ever it needs to go (this is where Photoshop becomes useful, because of layers, but it's not strictly necessary).

4. Save this file as a .pict file (TIF, and PNG might work too).

5. Import both picture files into DVD SP.

6. Create a new menu in DVD SP.

7. Drag the background picture from the assets window on to the menu in the graphical outline window.

8. Click on the menu in either the graphical tab or outline tab.

9. In the menu inspector, at the bottom where it asks for the overlay file, click the drop down box and select the picture file with the black overlays for highlights.

10. On the colors tab in the menu inspector, select simple mode. Next, choose the colors for normal, selected and activated states for the buttons on this menu.

11. The final step is to actually create the buttons. With the menu selected, make sure the menu tab/window is visible. Inside this, you should see the menu background. Click and drag to create buttons where they need to go. You need to make sure you completely contain each highlight within the boxes. Also, you CAN'T have overlapping buttons, so be careful not to let them overlap.

You've not got your buttons. You can set them up to link to other elements in either the button inspector or in the connections window.

Hope this helps, if you have any questions, let me know. Also, the Discussions forums on www.apple.com can be very helpful. You don't need Photoshop to do this, but I can tell you from personal experience that it's very nice to have. For one thing, you can use separate layers in the same Photoshop file to do the background(s) and overlays, and in fact if you want, you can make ALL the menus in an entire DVD with one PSD file, with different layers containing different elements.

 

[DrRock]

^

Thanks, that helps somewhat, but I'm still thoroughly confused. I still can't seem to make a button that changes colors when I a) highlight, and b) select it. I am using a video background, so it's difficult to place a black image on that. I'm having trouble determining the right size to make the image in photoshop. What I'm using for the button is a small logo, imagine like a smily face.

If I simply drag that image onto the menu, it functions as a button, but it doesn't change colors in its various states. I tried the steps you mentioned, but I'm still not getting it. By selecting the overlay image, what does that do? Is each layer of color for a button a separate overlay image? And, do I have to have a separate image for each color? I thought that was what the function of the color selection was for; to allow for color change in various states.

Also, do I drag the "shape" image or the actual image itself? it seems that the only time I'm able to adjust the opacity for the button is when I use a "shape" rather than a regular phtoshop image. And then, the button ends up being a complete square, not the "face" image I created. Is this simply a function of the simulator, or will it appear that way after the disc is burned?

Sorry if this is very amateur, I'm just at my wits' end here.

 

[mduser63]

Don't get frustrated, it's kinda tricky at first, but once you've got it figured out, it'll be very easy to repeat. I first started DVD authoring almost 4 years ago (with a different authoring program), and this very procedure had me very confused.

The image file with black where the overlays goes is never actually visible to the end user. It's only used to tell DVD SP where the highlights appear. You have to select the color and opacity for each button state (normal/unselected, selected, activated) within DVD SP. I'm going to switch over to my video editing machine and take some screenshots to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. I'll post them here when I'm done.

By the way, the procedure for a video background and an image background is exactly the same as far as highlights go. You still need a highlights overlay file with black where the highlights are supposed to appear.

 

[mduser63]

I've put together a little series of tutorial images. I threw them together really quickly, so they're not very complete, but I hope they'll give you some idea of how to make a simple one color overlay highlight menu in DVD Studio Pro. Feel free to ask any questions that you still have.

I should clarify that the method I described doesn't use "Shapes" (as DVD Studio Pro uses the term) at all. I've never used them at all because I've been using this method for so long, and it's more powerful/flexible anyway.

You can see the image sequence here (just click on each link in order), or you can download the whole sequence, including the actual PICT files I created for my sample menu in this zip file (~17 MB).

 

[DrRock]

^

thanks for the info. I'll have to try that method. A couple of questions though;

I thought I was doing it right, with the overlays, but the image didn't appear in the same place on the screen in the overlay as it did on the background image. If I adjusted the size or location of the square, it didn't help. Any suggestions? Also, so I have it right, when making a background image, let's say I'm doing a motion video clip with text over the top, do I want to add the text in FCP, or can I save time by adding it all in DVD SP? It seems the problem I'm having is that I can't really "overlay" images, rather they all appear on the same layer.

So, I should save the sections of the image I want to use as buttons as the color black, and the DVD program will recognize them and let me change the highlight colors as I wish? And will saving it as a .pict preserve the layers? For instance, my graphic, which
I created in photoshop, looks something like this:

BAND NAME
Live at venue name
City, State
Date
(the smilies represent the general placement of the image I used for the buttons)

If I only want those to images to be used as buttons, I should make those black, correct? The rest of the text can be whatever I want, right?

And if I save the image at the correct resolution, and as a .pict file, I should then be able to create overlays that represent the different states of being for buttons?

Thanks again, and I'll try to put this method to use. I'll let you know how it all works out.

 

[DrRock]

THANK YOU!!

You are the man! I can't believe I trudged through manuals and help menus for days, and couldn't resolve my problem, and in one posting, you explained it so clearly. Your directions were perfect. You ought to be writing manuals. You could call them "Computer manuals that actually explain things in a succinct and logical manner" or something like that. Anyway, thanks again, I really appreciate it.

One more quick question though:
In using the simulator function, I noticed on one version of my test discs, it made me choose a start point, or something like that before usng the simulator. On a previous test, I didn't have to.

Here's the question: On the one where I had to designate the start point, when I open simulator, I click 'menu" and nothing happens. I click "title" and it basically functions as the menu button. How do I get it back to where the "menu" button does what I want it to do (eturn to menu, switch back to the program, etc.)?

Thanks again!

 

[mduser63]

I got you (DrRock) mixed up with the original poster, so I thought you didn't have Photoshop. You may find it easier to use Photoshop to do everything in one file. Instead of having separate PICT files for the background and overlay, you can create them as separate layers in a single Photoshop (PSD) file. Once you import the file into DVD SP, and drag it onto the menu, click on the menu to bring up the menu inspector. You may have noticed a box that says "Background Layers." You can use that to change which layers from the Photoshop file are visible in the menu. You'll want to uncheck (turn off) the highlights layer in that box. Next select the same PSD file as the Overlay File, then in the drop down box right below that, where it says "Overlay Layer," choose the layer that contains the black highlight areas.

Above is the simple explanation. If you're interested, you should know that you can actually use multiple layers in the PSD file for your background. This is sometimes useful because you may have menus that are very similar, with only minor differences. Using multiple layers in a Photoshop file, you can put all the elements for all the similar menus in the same file, then just turn the unneeded layers off on a menu by menu basis. You can also have multiple highlight layers in a single PSD file, but you can only use one highlight layer per menu.

As for images overlaid on movie backgrounds, the only "overlays" you can have over the movie are the highlights themselves. You can't for example add extra regular text to a movie within DVD SP, so you'll need to do that in Final Cut Pro when you are creating the background movie.

To answer your question about Simulator, it won't play properly unless you've set a First Play target for the disk. The First Play target is the first asset that is played when the disc is inserted in a player. Generally this would be the main menu, although it can be anything you want. To set the First Play, right click on the element you want to set it to in the graphical tab, and select "Make First Play." When you create a new project in DVD SP, the default blank menu that is in the new project is automatically set as the first play. If you delete that menu, the First Play target gets reset, and you have to set it again manually when you create a new menu or track. That may be what happened in your case.

The behavior of the menu button can be programmed on a track by track basis. You can also set a default for the entire disk. The setting for each track overwrites this, so if for example you want the menu button to always go to the main menu except while playing one specific track, you can set the default for the entire disk to take you to the main menu, then override that setting on the one specific track so that menu takes you back to the chapter menu as an example. I'm not at my video editing workstation right now, and I can't recall exactly where the setting is made, but I'll edit this post in a few minutes and let you know.

 

[DrRock]

^

Awesome! Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it. Seriously, write a manual, it will be better than what's out there.

 

[rewbarb]

I got you (DrRock) mixed up with the original poster, so I thought you didn't have Photoshop. You may find it easier to use Photoshop to do everything in one file. Instead of having separate PICT files for the background and overlay, you can create them as separate layers in a single Photoshop (PSD) file. Once you import the file into DVD SP, and drag it onto the menu, click on the menu to bring up the menu inspector. You may have noticed a box that says "Background Layers." You can use that to change which layers from the Photoshop file are visible in the menu. You'll want to uncheck (turn off) the highlights layer in that box. Next select the same PSD file as the Overlay File, then in the drop down box right below that, where it says "Overlay Layer," choose the layer that contains the black highlight areas.

Above is the simple explanation. If you're interested, you should know that you can actually use multiple layers in the PSD file for your background. This is sometimes useful because you may have menus that are very similar, with only minor differences. Using multiple layers in a Photoshop file, you can put all the elements for all the similar menus in the same file, then just turn the unneeded layers off on a menu by menu basis. You can also have multiple highlight layers in a single PSD file, but you can only use one highlight layer per menu.

As for images overlaid on movie backgrounds, the only "overlays" you can have over the movie are the highlights themselves. You can't for example add extra regular text to a movie within DVD SP, so you'll need to do that in Final Cut Pro when you are creating the background movie.

To answer your question about Simulator, it won't play properly unless you've set a First Play target for the disk. The First Play target is the first asset that is played when the disc is inserted in a player. Generally this would be the main menu, although it can be anything you want. To set the First Play, right click on the element you want to set it to in the graphical tab, and select "Make First Play." When you create a new project in DVD SP, the default blank menu that is in the new project is automatically set as the first play. If you delete that menu, the First Play target gets reset, and you have to set it again manually when you create a new menu or track. That may be what happened in your case.

The behavior of the menu button can be programmed on a track by track basis. You can also set a default for the entire disk. The setting for each track overwrites this, so if for example you want the menu button to always go to the main menu except while playing one specific track, you can set the default for the entire disk to take you to the main menu, then override that setting on the one specific track so that menu takes you back to the chapter menu as an example. I'm not at my video editing workstation right now, and I can't recall exactly where the setting is made, but I'll edit this post in a few minutes and let you know.

Hi.
I have dvd studio pro 4.2
I am makin a menu with a background, with the black and white anatomy of the human body. (Both back and front sides.) I have a black background and this body as the background layer in photoshop, then i have cut the muscles from the same picture, and added them ontop of the body in seperate layers depending on which muscle it is, and coloured them red.
Now i set my background layer as this .psd and removed the checks for the other layers. I dont understand where to go from here. I want the layers (about 10-12 separate ones) to go to different submenus where you can choose different excersises to do on the gym. These excersises are all seperate video clips.
Would someone care to help? I'm stuck on the layers, how to choose them as layers. If i choose the same picture as overlay file, what do i do next? I mean, there are several layers..

 

[rewbarb]

Please, i really need help with this.