How do these cool menus work?

[jeanl]

Guys,
I have seen (but no longer have, hence the questions) DVDs with menus that do the following:
1) In the chapter menu (for example), if you're on the rightmost chapter (on the screen) and you push the "right" arrow, that takes you to the next chapter page (waaaaay cool, I wish all chapter menus were authored that way).
2) In menus, if you select a button (without pushing "enter", just select with the arrow keys), the background video changes for that button.

For 1), can you assign a command to the action of pushing on an arrow key on your remote? (I thought all you could do is highlight another button, as specified in the VOB file).

For 2), can selecting a button (but not pusing "enter") trigger navigation in itself? How? If not, how do they do that?


I don't have the DVDs where I saw these features, otherwise I'd go look. If any of you guys know, I'd be very grateful for the info.
Cheers,
Jeanl

[mpucoder]

You cannot assign any action to the arrow keys. But each button for which you want "right" (or "left") to do something you link to an invisible button with auto-action. The link I'm talking about here is the cursor navigation links.

This should also answer your second qiestion - each button can be marked as "auto-action" so that selecting the button is all that is needed to execute its command.

[jeanl]

Thanks mpucoder! That makes complete sense. I should have thought of that! ;)
Thanks a bunch!
Jeanl

[Surf]

Nothing to add 'cept
A leetle detour:p :

I came across a main menu with autoplay in say 10 seconds without even pressing the play button.

Anyone?

[Msc_Alex]

Originally posted by Surf
I came across a main menu with autoplay in say 10 seconds without even pressing the play button.
There are alot of menu's that have this, when authoring you can set menu's to timeout ->action (playmovie) or loop or still.


Originally posted by
2) In menus, if you select a button (without pushing "enter", just select with the arrow keys), the background video changes for that button.
You can "hide" a video behind a button and when selecting it you set that the selection colour 100% transparent, thus showing the video.

[jeanl]

Originally posted by Msc_Alex

You can "hide" a video behind a button and when selecting it you set that the selection colour 100% transparent, thus showing the video.
cool trick! What authoring tool allows you to do that? I'm guessing some pro stuff, I know that TMPGenc DVD Author does not, (at least not that I know of), I don't think it lets you insert invisible buttons with forced action to do what Mpucoder described above...
And since PgcEdit does not let you edit menu (yet), you have to go to VobEdit (I guess), or menuedit registered.
Jeanl

[ron spencer]

dvdlab can i think (pro version)

[Surf]

when authoring you can set menu's to timeout ->action (playmovie) or loop or still.

<cough, cough>, how so in PGCedit-ese? :p Jean?

TIA

[jeanl]

Originally posted by Surf
<cough, cough>, how so in PGCedit-ese? :p Jean?

TIA
I think you can't for now in PgcEdit. But I know that's next on r0lZ's list...
Jeanl

[mpucoder]

The trick of hiding the underlying video can be done with any authoring tool that lets you choose and customize colors. It's a matter of setting up the background to opaque and selection/action to transparent.
Invisible buttons are made by setting the size to 1x1 and then choosing a transparent color for all three states.

[blutach]

You can do all this in Menuedit (and, I presume DVDRMP). As to the first thing in this thread, Jean, you can program this in any chapter menu that doesn't already have these invisible buttons (and hasn't used all its buttons up already).

It's simply a link to another program, HL button # (or something similar if it's another PGC) and as mpucoder says, "auto-action". You will, of course, need to change the adjacent buttons to the invisible ones to ensure that when left or right is pressed, they go to your new buttons. This is pretty simple.

I do mine as 0 pixels. Can't see them at all! And, of course, it matters not at all where you place the buttons, just their numbers and how other buttons get to them.

NB Sometimes, if the link is to another PGC, you need to be a bit careful, if it contains a HL button already in its pre commands. But you guys would already be on to that.

Regards

[Msc_Alex]

Originally posted by mpucoder
The trick of hiding the underlying video can be done with any authoring tool that lets you choose and customize colors. It's a matter of setting up the background to opaque and selection/action to transparent.

This takes me back to my very first posting (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65771) on this forum. Havn't solved it yet :rolleyes:

[blutach]

Oh, by the way jean, Menuedit has a very cool feature that enables you to save and load your button layout. It can be edited in any text editor.

The idea is once you have got your 6 or 8 extra buttons where you want them (to the left and right of the main chapter selection buttons), you save that menu V-C ID and for the next program/PGC in the chapter menu, you can load it in (making sure your button commands are correct - this is where the text editor comes in handy).

This saves a heap of time and if you screw up the commands, just edit the MBL (menu button layout) files and Load (import) it again.

Sometimes, you may need to edit the PGC, especially where the buttons are simply LinkTailPGC. In this case, you generally see the post commands cycling through what to do in the case of each button being pushed. If you add buttons, you gunna have to add post commands, but this won't be a challenge for an experienced DVD reauthorer like yourself. :)

Regards

[2COOL]

In the registered MenuEdit, you can create new buttons and set them at the corners if you want. Or you can be creative and create hidden buttons all over the place and configure a unique button sequence to get from here to there. At the end, you can have a hidden title waiting for you. ;)

[blutach]

@2cool

That is how I find the Easter Eggs!