Non rectangular shapped DVD buttons, How???

[gooki]

Good evening.

Anyone know how to make Non rectangular shapped DVD buttons???

DVD Maestro will only allow me to make buttons like the yellow one pictured. As you can see I need buttons shaped like the red ones. If you have the magic answer or know of a workaround please reply.

Thanks.

http://david2k.orcon.net.nz/remedial.jpg

[maa]

DVDlab !

[auenf]

you use the subpic shapes to determine the highlight area, dont worry that maestro only likes rectangles.

Enf...

[trevlac]

I havn't messed with maestro for a little while, but I'd thought I'd throw out some ideas.


As already mentioned, when you make a menu, you need an overlay and a background. In your case, the overlay is a set of 'non rectangle' red outlines. You then map the colors of your overlay in maestro when you setup the menu. When the rectangle outline area is selected, your 'non rectangle' button shows as the color you mapped (not as it was drawn).

Some problems/ possible work arounds.

1) Use different colors in your overlay:

Your rectangle outlines will need to overlap. You may be able to get around this by alternating the color of your button highlites in your overlay. Make 1st blue, 2nd green. Map both blue and green to red and show them on button select. I don't recall if maestro lets you overlap.

2) Use different menus:

"Hard code" the highlight in the background. Make different backgrounds with different buttons highlighted. When the user selects a non highlighted button, auto actuate that 'invisible' button to move to a background with the given button highlighted. If the user selects a highlighted button, play the movie. You can do fancy effects and have nicer menus using this.

Basically, you have to play with it to get an idea of how it works, but you can definately do this.

[Dimmer]

@gooki
Just to clarify this for you, the sensitive area of the button that you draw in Maestro is invisible and can only be rectangular as per DVD specifications. However, the subpicture, i.e. "visible" button, can have any shape. You can use the workarounds trevlac suggested, or simply move the lines of the menu text further apart so that rectangles won't overlap.

[gooki]

auenf:
How do you use subpicture shapes to determine highlight areas? I'll go hunt through google now but if anyone can guid me though it'd be great.

Dimmer, trevlac:
Thanks, if the above doesn't work I'll give the multiple menu hack a go.

[gooki]

Got it workign with multiple menus, thanks.

[Arky]

Originally posted by gooki
auenf:
How do you use subpicture shapes to determine highlight areas? I'll go hunt through google now but if anyone can guid me though it'd be great.


I appreciate that you've now succeeded, using trevlac's second suggestion of "multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds", but just to clarify Auenf's comments, what he meant was that, provided your subpicture's graphic shapes (or, in your case, writing) matches the writing on the background (with everything else on your subpicture layer, other than the writing, being transparent), then all the button-defining rectangles do, in Maestro's menu editor, is define those areas of your subpicture that you wish to display as opaque when the button in that part of the screen is selected. In other words, provided you set the subpicture opacities correctly, for each button state, then the button-defining rectangular fields will not be visible, but those opaque areas of the subpicture which are incorporated within the field, will be visible when that field has been selected.


While some authoring programs might not complain, I would hesitate to allow my button-defining fields to overlap, as per trevlac's first suggestion, since, although it is a nicely-inventive solution, this might cause costly player compatibility issues after replication.


On a seperate note, you should be aware that the "multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds method" is an excellent and totally professional solution to your particular problem, however, if you were authoring a DVD that had a very large number of different menus, then having multiple backgrounds for each possible view of each of your multiple menus would slow down navigation very severely.

Also, using that method means that you cannot practically implement an audio soundtrack for such a menu design, because each action state requires a jump to a different menu background, and thus the audio will not be consistent each time you make a jump.

Like everything else in this discipline, it's a case of choosing the least-offensive compromise for the particular situation! :D Let's face it, despite the caveats mentioned above, the method can actually yield some of the coooolest looking menus in the business, and in your particular situation, with (I assume) a small number of menus, the multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds method (trevlac's second suggestion) was an entirely appropriate solution to your problem, and I am glad that you achieved your goal. It's a surprisingly common problem, and yet people don't seem to ask about it very often. Accordingly, I'm tempted to make this thread sticky for a while, but in order to do so, I feel it would be more appropriate in the standard DVD Authoring forum, so please don't take offence at me moving the thread over there :)


Arky ;o)

[trevlac]

Originally posted by Arky

While some authoring programs might not complain, I would hesitate to allow my button-defining fields to overlap, as per trevlac's first suggestion, since, although it is a nicely-inventive solution, this might cause costly player compatibility issues after replication.

I'm a bit of a novice and never considered spec and compatibility. Thanks Arky. I did do a quick test, and Maestro's editor does allow you to overlap. I've never really found the need to do this myself. However, if one tires my 1st suggestion as a learning exercise, they will be well on their way to understanding the mysteries of color mapping. :)

[Arky]

Absolutely! :)

No criticism intended towards you personally, just thought I'd better point out potential issues to save someone going all the way through to completion and only then finding a compatibility problem.

I'm right behind you on your second suggestion.

In either case, it's just good if people can know the surrounding issues in order that they can make an informed decision (then they've only themselves to blame when it all goes t1t$-up! :D )


Arky ;o)

[gooki]

Arky, thanks for the comprehensive reply. Much appreciated. And no problems with moving the thread as I was unsure which forum to post it in, in the first place.

I'm still a little lost in the "subpicture's graphic shapes" as I think that was what I had tried first, but because of the rectangular buttons are overlapping more than one line of text it would change the overlay colour of all the text within the button shape. So either something has gone right over my head or the "multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds" is the best medthod for me.

Either way it works and my clients will just have to accept that background audio in the menu will be out of the option this time.

Cheers.

Dave.

[Arky]

Originally posted by gooki
...I'm still a little lost in the "subpicture's graphic shapes" as I think that was what I had tried first, but because of the rectangular buttons are overlapping more than one line of text it would change the overlay colour of all the text within the button shape. So either something has gone right over my head or the "multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds" is the best medthod for me.

Either way it works and my clients will just have to accept that background audio in the menu will be out of the option this time.

Cheers.

Dave.

No Dave, from what I can gather, it has not gone over your head, and you now have a good understanding of subpic mapping! :)

You are correct that, in your particular instance, the problemn would remain, no matter how detailed your understanding of button fields. Auenf began explaining the principles purely in order to give you a better understanding, rather than meaning to imply that it was a solution in itself to your particular situation.

Trevlac's excellent second suggestion of multiple menu backgrounds is undoubtedly the most appropriate for your menu, just so long as you are making an informed decision, based upon knowing the disadvantages of that method. Which you are, so everyone's happy :)


Arky ;o)

[primusmp]

On a seperate note, you should be aware that the "multiple-(auto-actuated)-menu-backgrounds method" is an excellent and totally professional solution to your particular problem, however, if you were authoring a DVD that had a very large number of different menus, then having multiple backgrounds for each possible view of each of your multiple menus would slow down navigation very severely.


Sugestion:
Instead of making different tracks for each "highlighted" background you could try making a single track and setting each highltghted background as a cell.Then you set a "loop" cell comand at the end of each background and a cell jump on each highlight button.

I´m not quite sure if this will actually speed the transition between backgrounds but at least you will have the comlete "Menu" on a single track; the cost is that you'll have to deal with cell comands.

[Arky]

Hey, I like that idea. Thanks!


Arky ;o)

[Séamus]

Originally posted by trevlac


"Hard code" the highlight in the background. Make different backgrounds with different buttons highlighted. When the user selects a non highlighted button, auto actuate that 'invisible' button to move to a background with the given button highlighted. If the user selects a highlighted button, play the movie. You can do fancy effects and have nicer menus using this.


Something still has me a little confused...so correct me where I'm wrong pls
First of all every background will have have no real subpictures ? Only hard-coded. Each background will have 4 (invisible) buttons though.
Now how big will these buttons be, as big as in the original screenshot, overlapping each other ?

Basically will this method work when using a mouse, playing the DVD on a PC ? Knowing that you can select a button the moment the mouse is inside the button box.

thx,
Séamus

[Uranos]

Originally posted by Arky
While some authoring programs might not complain, I would hesitate to allow my button-defining fields to overlap, as per trevlac's first suggestion, since, although it is a nicely-inventive solution, this might cause costly player compatibility issues after replication

Nomerly I would also be careful, but I know at least one commercial dvd where menu buttons overlap as crazy. This disk has sold so often, that you ought to have one :) If there would be problems in any player, the manufacturer of that player would probably forced to provide a firmware update. Of course it could be due to wizardy that there are no problems with this disk :) Now you know, which title I mean :confused:

[Mug Funky]

@ gooki (OT):

is that the 3 degrees in QV, melbourne? that's some damn nice beer right there.

[Uranos]

Sorry, no. I thought it would be clear enough what dvd I am speeking of. (keywords: wizardy, you know (who)) So for those, which did not recognice it: Harry P, the wizard which we all love and of whom the newest book (in english) will be there next month. Look at the disk with the extras. But of course there may be other dvds at well.

[goonix]

The problem of post #1 in this thread can be solved as described here: Thread (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=756971#post756971)
You will find a short explanation and some examples.

Here are the highlight subpic and a snapshot of the working menu:

http://www.goonix.biz/download/overlap/remedial.jpg

You can download the working menu for testing here: DOWNLOAD (http://www.goonix.biz/download/overlap/remedial.rar)
Download size is 99k

goonix

[KamUsedia]

Can anyone help please. I have a Laser 7" Screen Portable Dvd Player that I would like to watch a movie from a USB stick. When I try to play the file the error Video codec not supported comes up. Is there anything I can do to allow me to watch the movie?