I got my burner (Sony DRU 700A) and the Nero Suite that came with it just this week. Although I am new to this, I have lots of hi-tech experience and seem able to do the things I want to (so far). I am using NeroVision Express to author a video (single title) with 19 chapters. After creating the chapters (in NeroVision Express 2.1.2.12) and then specifying a menu layout that puts four thumbnails per page (5 pages), [bold]every[/bold] page displays the chapter numbers as 1 - 4. I would rather have it display 1-4 on page 1, 5-8 on page 2, 9-12 on page 3, etc., ... Have I done something wrong, or is is this just the way that NeroVision Express does it? Thanks in Advance, Chuck
That is a pretty dumb feature... each thumbnail has the chapter text as "1. Chapter 1", "2. Chapter 2", "3. Chapter 3", etc. Then when you get to the next page it starts as "1. Chapter 4", "2. Chapter 5", etc. I noticed there is one layout that has no text on the thumbnails, #3 I think. The trouble with that one is that it won't let you put in any text so all you have is a bunch of thumbnails, with no way to know what chapter they go to. I guess a person could create some still images with the chapter numbers and put them in the appropriate thumbnail. I wouldn't bother though. Time to send a letter to Nero and let them know what a stupid feature this is. Why on earth would you need a number beside a thumbnail that already has a chapter number. I'm going to play with it some more and see if I can come up with anything. I made a 2 minute clip with 21 chapters as an experiment, hehe.
Thanks for the quick reply. At least I know it's not just me doing something wrong. I did send a support message to Nero (from their support page form). Maybe I can get some answers - suggestions. I wonder if there's a way that I could manually edit those menu pages. I'll try exporting the video and take a look inside some files. Chuck
Hi again Chuck, I e-mailed Nero also, so maybe we will hear something back from them in a few days. You seem pretty sharp, maybe you might want to try a program like DVD-Lab. It gives you complete control over the menu creation process. Basically you start with a blank page, import your background, create or add any kind of buttons or text that you want and then link to chapter points or other menus. The learning curve is not to bad, it just has a lot of features and they take a while to get familiar with. http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/index.html The trouble I have with NVE or Ulead, Pinnacle, etc is that there always seems to be some dumb flaw in each of these "consumer" programs that keeps me from getting the results I want. I hate having to do "work arounds" when it should have been taken care of before the thing was released. Just like that chaptering thing...hard to belive that they did not realize how dumb it looks. Geez, all they need to do is look at the menu on a commercial DVD and see how it's done. I'm really interested if you can go in and modify or replace a menu template. I doubt if you can as the chapter numbers are not actually part of the menu page. Notice that when you double click a button and move it around, the text moves with it. Cheers, Frank
A feature request has already been made by me to remove the numbering for the Chapters, but still allow text. We've had a number of request for this already. I've also requeste the ability to remove the thumbnails altogether and only have Text. These will be future features, and I can not say when they will be implemented. We are always open to suggestions to improve our software. Regards, Craig
Thanks Craig! My workaround is to arrange the buttons in a diagonal manner, where the upper right corner of each button sits on top of the number for the button above it. works ok except the bottom button still shows a number. I'm not sure what purpose those numbers had in the first place, the program adds "Chapter #" so why would you need another number? I figured out how to make my own buttons...sort of. I export a button from NVE into Realdraw Pro and then add a frame layer over the top of the exsisting frame. I can also resize as needed. Once that is done, I export it back into NVE as a .png file. Works just fine. I would still like to create my own buttons though. I suppose most folks are happy with the ones provided though. As always, glad to see you here. Did you read the blurb on the new version release over at the home page? You guys got a glowing review. Frank
To be honest, I do not know why the numbers were there, and I personally never liked it either. But that's me. That's a pretty enginous work around you came up with. I hope you don't mind if I suggest it to others till we come out with our own solution. I havn't read the blurb, but I'll be sure to do so. Thanks! Regards, Craig
Not sure who Craig is (an Ahead software associate?), but thanks for being here. I'm always impressed when I see someone like you participate in a community forum. fasfrank - I'm not sure what you mean about exporting those buttons (the thumbs or the next/prev arrows?), but I'd like to check that out. I use Photoshop and Illustrator and would love to use my own custom graphics. I, too am a perfectionist and am never really satisfied with what I can do with the canned graphics and layouts present in so-called "consumer" products. DVD-Lab is more than I want to spend at the moment, though, so I will just make due. I was at least glad to see that using my own background images is easy (in NVExpress). So far, I've noticed that I'd like to change the size of the thumbnails (make them bigger - even with 4 on a page, they are much smaller than they need to be - or for my liking), and I'd like to be able to select a different font and color for the "thumbnail text" than is used for the header/footer. I'll take a look at your diagonal arrangement kluge. That sounds like a decent workaround. So, I'm not sure how I export a button from NVE or where I put the png file, but that sounds like the kind of thing I'd like to know how to do. What do you mean by buttons? The borders around the thumbs (I don't like any of them - would prefer something plain and subtle), the thumb itself, or the next/prev arrows? -- Glad to know this forum and this kind of help is available. Chuck (P.S. What's with the strange layout of replies - sometimes left adjusted. I thought I'd made a posting error the first time. Is that something I can control?)
I have know idea what is wrong with the layout, at least I know I'm not the only one. It is just this thread only. Oh well. DVD Lab.... Oscar has two betas (free) available. If and when he finishes them I will buy the Pro version. He wants folks to try them so why not. All three versions, 1.3, 1.4 beta 2 and DVD-Lab Pro beta 8 have free 30 day trials. The betas are missing some graphics assets, buttons menu backgrounds. 1.3 has them. Download the 30 day trial of 1.3. Download the free trial of 1.4b2 and/or Pro. Copy and paste the asset folders from 1.3 to the betas and you are ready to go. This is from the instructions on the website so have fun. He comes out with a new beta about once a month so I have been running Pro since beta 2. Eventually he will finish it and I will have to buy it as I'm addicted to it. Those NVE buttons... I first found the program folder using Windows explorer where all the buttons are stored. They look like the buttons on the menu, except with no thumbnail image or video, they all have a green interior. I did not find the folder that has the Back/Forward arrow...yet. They are just a bit too cartoony for my tastes. Too bad I can't just make my own. It only takes a minute or two to create a frame and apply a few effects to it......this is what I did. I used my graphics program to create a similar sized button, just a frame with a bevel and some texture added. I tried to match the green interior of the empty buttons I found in the buttons folder, I was thinking of it as green "key" background, similar to the keys I use in Premiere Pro for transparency effects. I cropped the background to the size of my frame. I then exported this as a .png from my graphics program to the NVE buttons folder. I opened NVE and tried to use my button. it worked, other than the fact there was no thumbnail, just my green "key" background. Fine, I tried a few different shades of green, even a blue key, nothing worked. No thunbnail. The new button did link properly and even changed shades when selected so I was on the right track. The next thing I did was to import a NVE button into my grapics program. I selected one with a thin frame. I then created a new frame over the top of the exsisting NVE button frame, leaving the original green interior exposed. Once again I cropped the "canvas" and exported this modified NVE button into the buttons folder, again as a .png image file. I opened NVE again and selected my modified button for the menu and it worked! The thumbnail video appeared inside my frame and it linked properly. You should be able to do this in Photoshop, I'm using RealDraw Pro. Craig works for Ahead and shows up now and again. I always enjoy talking to him. I think it's great when someone assoiated with the software we use comes aboard and helps out. It speaks well of him and his company, IMHO. Cheers, Frank _X_X_X_X_X_[small]motorcycle racer computer newbie Dual 3.06 xeon, 2048 MB RAM, XP Pro HDs: 2-74 GB 10k RPM SATA Raptors, raid 0 and Maxtor 250 GB, Burners: A-07, DRU 700A ROM: JLMS 166S Suzuki GSXR1000
