Menu selection in maestro

[JimMc]

The question I have is so simple, I probably wont get an answer.

I have been "playing" with maestro and produced a working dvd with various menus, audio setup, trailers, main movie etc.

But I am struggling with the DISABLED user action I can see what most bits do, but what is the ROOT MENU and how does it differ from the TITLE menu.

I am working blind with no manual and just guides that gloss over this bit.

[McPoodle]

You set up the Title and Root Menu links in the Connections screen. Be sure to click on the name of the project in the left-most pane to see all possible connections.

Think of the Title Menu as the "top" or "main" menu--it will take you to the same place no matter where you are in the DVD. For Hollywood DVD's, this is usually the pretty splash page where you can choose to play the movie or go on to the Chapters Menu, the Special Features Menu, and any other menus the DVD designers dreamed up.

The Root Menu on the other hand is more like a "help" menu--it will take you to whatever is the most convenient menu for where you are. For example, pressing the Root Menu key on your DVD player remote while Chapter 10 of the movie is playing may take you to the third Chapter Menu, allowing you to navigate to Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, one of the other Chapter Menus, or back to the Title Menu (that's assuming each chapter menu allows you to select between four chapters).

In the Connections screen, you set the Title Menu destination for the whole DVD, but the Root Menu destination for each movie (or even for each chapter, as shown above).

DVD Player remotes are required to have Root Menu buttons (often just labeled "Menu"), but they are not required to have Title Menu buttons (which when they are included are usually labelled "Top Menu"). This means that you must be able to get at your Title Menu using just Root Menu destinations and menu button destinations (i.e. all menus should be designed with "Main Menu" buttons).

Another destination to think of in combination with the Title and Root Menus is GoUp. GoUp should act like the "back" button on a browser: GoUp from the Special Features Menu should go to the Title Menu, while the GoUp for the Coming Attractions Menu should go to the Special Features Menu (assuming the DVD is laid out like most Hollywood DVD's, with the Coming Attractions Menu as a selection on the Special Features Menu).