T454

Week 12 - Spring 2006

Agenda:

• Turn in / Review Motion menus
• Transitions (Sitter chapter 16)
• Slide shows (Sitter chapter 18)

Announcements/Observations

• MultiVisions this Friday

Slideshows

Put slide shows and multple tracks in your folder in the "week6" folder.

Slideshows are still images imported into DVDSP. You can import:

• PSD (all layers left visible will show on multilayered files)
• PICT
• BMP
• JPEG
• TIFF

Limited to 99 images. Can put multiple audio streams with each clip or picture. (If you use multiple streams, be sure to use AC3 files, not PCM files. The PCM files will use up too much of your bitrate)

While it's best to start with a 4:3 aspect ratio graphic. DVDSP will scale any graphic to fit. If the graphic isn't a 4:3 aspect ratio (or 16 x 9) it will leave the background showing. You can set the background color in the preferences.

You can also set the default slide duration.

To create a slideshow, simply drag your images into the slideshow editor. You can rearrange your pictures easily by dragging them up or down.. You can add audio either to individual slides or to the overall slideshow. If you do the latter, you probably want to fit the slides to match your audio.

Making tracks

You can make tracks out of your slideshows. This is useful if you want to add buttons or alternate audio tracks. To do this click on the "convert to track" button in the slideshow editor.

Don't forget to set the end jump location in the Inspector.

To make a slideshow:

• Click on the "Add Slideshow" button
• Doubleclick the thumbnail of the slideshow tile to open the slideshow editor.
• Drag pictures and clips over from your asset list.
• You can add audio to a slide- but you can't mix different audio types.
• Don't forget to use the "Jump when finished" command to tell the player what to do once the slideshow is over.

Slideshow Exercise

• Make a slideshow out of the materials you brought to class.
• Use an audio track
• Be sure your slides are nicely timed to the music. You may want to shorten your music (have it fade out at the end) or time your slides so they coincide with it.
• Save this - we'll add some other elements to your week 12 project.

Thursday-------------------------------------------

Transitions

DVDSP provides easy-to-use transitions that can be added to the end of slides, tracks, menus, or menu buttons.

Transitions are added to the end of whatever element you attach them to. However they only work with still images- they don't work with moving video. So while they work well with slides, they won't provide a smooth transtion from a motion menu. Instead they'll jump to a still image of the last frame, then transtion into whatever element they're set to.

They also don't work with video in the end of a track- though they will work with still frames in a track.

Styles, Shapes & Templates

You can make your own custom styles and templates to use in your various DVD projects. This is useful if you need to create a consistent "look and feel" to more than one DVD. (You may want to make a series or create your own unique company templates.)

Making your own templates

Templates can be stored in the Library folder, or imported from anywhere- however it's important that the assets (video clips, audio, etc.) stay in the same location if you want to use them again and again.

• Design a menu and set the look as desired.
• Control-click the background of your menu.

Alternatively you can:

• Design a menu and set the look as desired
• View the Palette (Option-Apple-P)
• Click on the "custom" tab
• Click on the "create" button near the bottom
• Name your template
• Choose either "project" or "self-contained"
• Click on the "save" button

Creating Styles is very similar to creating templates. However these are button-specific. You can link styles to templates. To do so first save your custom style. Then go to the palette and click on "custom" tab. Control-click your style and choose "link to templete" from the pop-up menu.

Shapes

You can make your own custom shapes to use as buttons. Shapes let you make buttons that don't look square. While you can make them any shape you want, keep in mind that the hotspot will still be rectangular. Once you make a shape, you can import itinto DVDSP and use it again & again.

Shapes can be made using four-layer, square pixel, colored, Photoshop documents. Your layers should be as follows:

• Layer 4 (top layer) icon layer. This is what is displayed in the Palette once it's imported.
• Layer 3 highlight layer - Use this to set the highlight. It should follow B & W design guidelines for highlight menus.
• Layer 2 visible shape - This is what you'll see in the menu, once it's applied to a button.
• Layer 1 (bottom layer) mask layer - We don't see this layer- instead it acts as a mask. The 100% white parts will show the asset. The 100% black parts are transparent and will cut off the asset.

Once you make a shape save it into your media folder. Then go to the Palette, and then the "Shapes" tab. Click on the import near the bottom of the window. Navigate to your shape and click OK.

In-class Shape Exercise -------------

In ths exercise, you'll create a custom shape targeting your slideshow and import it into your project. You'll then build a simple DVD project that contains your slideshow and custom shape.

• Design your shape and import it into the Palette (Do not import by using the "import asset" button)
• Make a few buttons
• Apply your shape to the buttons and set the assets
• Target your slideshow with one button (make sure to identify it)
• Target a track with another
• Simulate, build, and test your Video_TS.
• Once you're sure it works, place it in your week 12 folder. Place a copy of your Photoshop document as well.

Homework:

• Read Sitter 19 & 20
• Put a working, rough draft together of your final project DVD. Make sure it has at least:
  • A motion menu
  • A layer menu
  • A slideshow
  • A video track
• We'll output these in class on Tuesday

 

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