Complex Menu - Is this possible?

[mverta]

Scenarist 2.7:

I'm creating a DVD that begins with an animation which transitions into the Main Menu screen.

I want this to be seamless; one contiguous experience, so I made a long, connected animation of the two pieces and just delayed the start of the subpicture buttons until the menu screen part is ready.

Now.. when it loops, I don't want it to go all the way back to the start of the animation, but only to the start of the menu portion. So my thought was to generate a second menu - when the first animation ends, it "posts" to the second menu, and THAT one I loop.

Is this do-able?

Also - When the first menu comes up, I want to force select an option, but if the user scrolls to a different option during the animation, and the menu moves on to the looping version, I want their selection to remain where it is, and not reset.

Again - can I do all of this?

Thanks,

Mike

[cona812]

You can create your menu as a PGC with one program containing two cells. The first cell is your animation, the second your menu with btt-highlights. Now you have to setup a test for animation was played or not.

create a track for the animation, and a track for your menu with btt-highlights.
Add a new PGC in to your language-folder by right-click / add PGC.
Drag the animation track on the created PGC, rightclick on the new program and choose "add Cell". Drag your menu track to the new Cell.

Pre-cmd for menu-PGC:

if (GPRM x == 1), LinkCN Cell2, button=0

Cell-cmd for Cell 1 (animation):

mov GPRM x, 1

Cell-cmd for Cell 2 (menu):

LinkCN Cell 2, button=0

This is the easiest way for this problem.

Cona

[Pato]

Another way would be:

Create 2 tracks using the same Data in Track Editor.

- Track Intro+Loop (Set HLT_BTN to your default choice)
with subpicture start point at end of transition.
If you make it this way you can also have an audio transition the first time enter your menu.:cool:

- Track Loop (Set HLT_BTN to Nonexistent)
this would be only the loop without the transition using same subpicture and same highlight.

Scenario Editor:

- Link post cmd of Intro to Loop and Link Post Cmd of Loop to its cell.

Don´t forget to program buttons in both Intro+Loop and Loop PGC´s.
You can also do this using Intro and Loop as 2 separate tracks but the way I explained looks better and allows audio transition on first menu entry.

[JanBing]

I have the same problem / plan, but I am using "Adobe EncoreDVD 1.5".

I have one large animation including the intro, and the menu-loop. I use this animation for my main menu background, and set the loop mark accordingly. Now, when I start the DVD (the main menu is also the first-play) the intro is played, then the menu, and at the end the menu loops at the loop-mark, just as I want it. Now, if I change to a sub-menu, and then back to the main-menu, the whole intro-animation is played again... but I want the intro to be only played on first-play (I can't divide it into two separate menus/tracks, since there's music throughout, and I don't want a jump to be visible/audible)... if I enter the main menu afterwards, I want it to always start at my defined loop-mark... is this possible in Encore, or is there a work-around through editing the IFOs or something like that?

[McPoodle]

You can't link to the middle of a menu video, so you need two menus: one with the intro leading to the menu, and another of just the menu. Put the same buttons on both and link everything but First Play to the menu without the intro.

[LB]

Originally posted by McPoodle
You can't link to the middle of a menu video, so you need two menus: one with the intro leading to the menu, and another of just the menu. Put the same buttons on both and link everything but First Play to the menu without the intro.

Sure you can (in maestro at least). Just make a movie on the timeline, mark the chapter point where you want the second menu to begin, add your subtitle track which is your menu buttons, and then just make a command sequence. Very simple. I've done it many times.

[cona812]

Just make a movie on the timeline, mark the chapter point where you want the second menu to begin,
Have you ever looked if these "menus" are real menus in VTSM_DOM (so are they in VTS_xx_0.VOB)?

[LB]

The two menus I have are:

VTS_16_0.VOB

and

VTS_17_0.VOB

Any video track can be a menu in maestro.

[cona812]

OK I did not know.