DVDMaestro Motion Menus Help

[blade29]

Hello. I'm trying to setup some motion menus within DVDMaestro (version 2.9) and can't seem to get it working properly. I'm looking to have motion menus (15 second video clips running in the background for each menu) and would like to add thumbnail pictures for chapters as an overlay for the menus. Is this possible?? My only choice seems to be creating a subpicture (I'm using Photoshop) with buttons to overlay on top of the video clip playing within the specified menu. With the 4 color restriction with an subpicture overlay within DVDMaestro, this does not seem to meet my needs.
I'm thinking that I may be forced with just going with a still background picture and overlaying thumbnail pictures which I can setup with buttons. I'm also looking to create motion buttons (chapters) as seen in the movie "Shrek." I'm wondering if this is at all possible with DVDMaestro? If not, can someone refer another application or software package capable of my needs?
Also, would anyone know of a guide, manual, or any type of documentation for DVDMaestro? I've tried using Google to no avail for documentation searches. I've obtained the DVDMaestro guide from Doom's site, but I need more detail.
I just purchased (should be receiving it within days) a Cinemaster PCI DVD Decoder card. This should allow me to now use the preview mode within DVDMaestro. I'm currently using Windows XP and the card should be automatically detected by XP. Has anyone been able to use the preview mode without the Decoder card? If so, how and which drivers did you use?
Please let me know if anyone can answer my questions. Thanks for your time.

[tom para]

4 colors for overlay is a DVD spec requirement. Reason: allowing more colors in subpicture (which I believe is 32 possible) will eat into video bandwidth.

"Thumbnail pictures as overlay": possible using lots of pre-composed menu and auto-activate in Spruce. However, this is doable and quicker using Apple's DSP app. Bad thing is it's slower as player has to load and jump to a new menu. 4 color is good enough for me. Overlay is just to aid navigation anyhow.

I believe the "motion buttons" in Shrek is actually a part of the video background.

"Cinemaster PCI DVD Decoder card": d/o know about XP. I tried a brand-new C3 card in W2k and Spruce d/o see it.

[mikeye23]

In order to get your "motion" buttons, you need a app like Adobe After Effects. However, there is some learning curve with it, especially if you are not familiar with any of adobe's products like photoshop or illustrator. But tom para is right, the buttons in shrek is all part of the motion video background.

mike

[auenf]

Originally posted by blade29
Hello. I'm trying to setup some motion menus within DVDMaestro (version 2.9) and can't seem to get it working properly. I'm looking to have motion menus (15 second video clips running in the background for each menu) and would like to add thumbnail pictures for chapters as an overlay for the menus. Is this possible?? My only choice seems to be creating a subpicture (I'm using Photoshop) with buttons to overlay on top of the video clip playing within the specified menu. With the 4 color restriction with an subpicture overlay within DVDMaestro, this does not seem to meet my needs.
I'm thinking that I may be forced with just going with a still background picture and overlaying thumbnail pictures which I can setup with buttons. I'm also looking to create motion buttons (chapters) as seen in the movie "Shrek." I'm wondering if this is at all possible with DVDMaestro? If not, can someone refer another application or software package capable of my needs?
Also, would anyone know of a guide, manual, or any type of documentation for DVDMaestro? I've tried using Google to no avail for documentation searches. I've obtained the DVDMaestro guide from Doom's site, but I need more detail.
I just purchased (should be receiving it within days) a Cinemaster PCI DVD Decoder card. This should allow me to now use the preview mode within DVDMaestro. I'm currently using Windows XP and the card should be automatically detected by XP. Has anyone been able to use the preview mode without the Decoder card? If so, how and which drivers did you use?
Please let me know if anyone can answer my questions. Thanks for your time.

ok for motion chapter menus, you only import one clip into Maestro, and a 4 colour subtitle. just overlay the motion buttons over your background in your favourite video editing program, and export to a video and compress to m2v

there is a pdf manual for DVDMaestro on the CD, and the help file that is installed with DVDMaestro includes everything in the manual.

Enf...

[blade29]

Many thanks to everyone for their assistance. That's just what I was looking for. I've answered all of my other questions through further research. Thanks again.

[Ekin]

Euenf: or anybody that could help me. Ok I have done everything that is thread has said about a motion chapters....I used After Affect to make my .m2v menu/chapters. I use a .bmp as a background and little video clips on top as chapters. After compiling and export. I got my .m2v as menu/chapters. Ok my question is...after test burn I found out that my menu/chapters plays through first and i was unable to select the chapters until it was done playing..It looks like it's the same thing as First Play. I set the menu as "still" doesn't work...set as "Loop" same thing. The menu/chapters plays through first and then let me select the chapters. I can't select any chapters during it plays....whyy ????

[oddyseus]

use the m2v file and audio (if it has one) on a menu not a movie.

u can adjust the time positioning of the appeareance of the subtitles using the slider to the right.

btw u must set the options above the slider to loop.

as 4 the card u didnt have to buy it. Just installing cinemaster 2000 drivers should do the trick.