I have been using DVDit for my DVD creation. It's very limited, but it does the job. When I upgraded Avid Xpress DV to Xpress Pro, I got ReelDVD LE as part of the package. After going through the tutorial, I realized how powerful ReelDVD is and I'm eager to use it on my next project. But there's a catch...

DVDit lets you create your menus from scratch, but, as far as I can tell, ReelDVD assumes you'll be importing the text as a layered Photoshop file. Now, much as I'd like to have Photoshop, I currently don't have it and I can't afford to buy it anytime soon. So how do I create text for menus in ReelDVD?

I DO have AfterEffects, and although I rarely use it for text, I know that you can create some text and draw simple objects in AE. Will this do the job?

Help...

Stu

Hi Stu,

In order to get decent menus you will need photoshop eventually. Reason being that you can create a menu which has button layers in it, you can then import the photoshop file (PSD) and reel DVD will regonize the layers and set them as buttons. Its also easier to create the menu part of a motion menu with photoshop.

However you can still create menus with other graphic apps. You could as you say create the menu with AE and export it out as a frame, I would do it as a BMP or TGA file. Then in Reel DVD add square buttons with the selection tool next to your text created in AE.

You could also create a sub picture layer (buttons) using microsoft paint saving it as a 24 bit bmp and laying that over the top of your text/ background in reel DVD.

If it was me I would purchase a copy of corel draw or photoshop.

Hope this helps,

Ed

Does CorelDraw let you create text layers that ReelDVD could treat as buttons? That's really the only feature I absolutely need, and CorelDraw is MUCH cheaper than Photoshop. Thanks for your input.

If corel draw can export a *.PSD file, and you can add layers then yes reel DVD will automatically treat the layers as buttons.

Are you being rhetorical when you write "If Corel Draw can export a *.PSD file," or do you not know. Can it?

Because I don't use corel draw I don't know whether it can export PSD files. I mentioned it as an application that will enable you to draw your menus, with a bit more control than say AE.

You can download a 30 day trial to see if it does:

http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel/Products/productInfo&id=1042152754081&did=1042153079054

Ed

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Hi, there are alternatives for Photoshop..

There is a Limited Edition of Photoshop (I think is Called PS Elements) which should be a lot cheaper, but I think It doesn´t support layers.

Anyway, there are also some sharewares and cheaper software that lets you export PSD files.

Do a google search for PHOTOSHOP ALTERNATIVES and I´m sure you´ll find something you can afford... even for free.

I know this is heresy, but in spite of the fact that Photoshop has been the de facto standard for image creation for over a decade, for the simple purpose of creating menu subpictures in ReelDVD, all you need is a basic bitmap editor. In fact, I find the process much simpler than using Photoshop! Just basic bitmaps. No layers. It's all the DVD spec can use, and ReelDVD just converts your Photoshop files to that format anyhow, so you may as well take the simplest approach and give it in the format that DVD needs to begin with. It's much easier to deal with.

(Remember, just because you can do something, even if the popular thing to do, doesn't necessarily make it a good idea!)