Full motion menus?

[Jeff Harper]

What does full motion menus capability in DVDA 5 refer to? I looked through the manual, and in the "what's new" documentation and couldn't find anything on it....I had hoped it meant animated menus...such as having menu buttons and /or images etc fly in or reposition themselves...etc.

[Jason Robinson]

Originally Posted by Jeff Harper

What does full motion menus capability in DVDA 5 refer to? I looked through the manual, and in the "what's new" documentation and couldn't find anything on it....I had hoped it meant animated menus...such as having menu buttons and /or images etc fly in or reposition themselves...etc.

I think it means that you can use video footage as a menu background, not that the position / shape of the menu items can actually be a movie itself...... but since I've never looked into it that much, consider that my stab in the dark.

[Jeff Harper]

Well Jason, since DVDA has done that for a long time already, I hope that isn't what they're talking about...but I don't know either...

Edit:

I've answered my own question....I forgot that Sony often advertises as "new" some features that pre-existed in Vegas or DVDA...full-motion menus is just another example of that, I believe.

[Terry Esslinger]

Originally Posted by Jason Robinson

I think it means that you can use video footage as a menu background, .

You have been able to do that for quite some time.

[Thomas Quinn]

I had hoped it meant animated menus...such as having menu buttons and /or images etc fly in or reposition themselves...etc.

This is something I would love to have in DVDA 6, as DVDA authored disks are left looking very amateurish when compared with the like of Apples video studio DVD authoring software, simply for the lack of this one feature.

[Michael Chenoweth]

You can build animated menus that work in DVDA but all the legwork is up to you. Yes, I think something a bit more professional in the template arena as opposed to the cheesy templates now in DVDA.

The VASST Advanced DVDA dvd shows some of what can be done and imported into DVDA.

mike

[Thomas Quinn]

Originally Posted by Michael Chenoweth

You can build animated menus that work in DVDA but all the legwork is up to you. Yes, I think something a bit more professional in the template arena as opposed to the cheesy templates now in DVDA.

The VASST Advanced DVDA dvd shows some of what can be done and imported into DVDA.

mike

I have not tried doing this yet but when I make my DVDs as well as using button selection on the DVD. I have a play all option, If I include the rendered with transition png file that were copied from DVDA clip board and rendered to an Avi file as advised in the Vasst training DVD, will these transition clips not play back as the film is being viewed or is there a way around this, I think these clips appearing at marker points would be very distracting.

[Jeff Harper]

Originally Posted by Michael Chenoweth

You can build animated menus that work in DVDA but all the legwork is up to you. Yes, I think something a bit more professional in the template arena as opposed to the cheesy templates now in DVDA.

Michael, you are indeed correct....because of your comment I reviewed my DVDA training DVD (the one you reference) and a lot CAN be done, that I didn't know about. I need to watch that thing all the way through!

My desire for nice 3-d templates etc with DVDA is purely based on my personal situation. I am competing with larger studios who have college kids editing on FCP studio with motion, and I just can't compete, the effects and style with their DVD menus are truly amazing, I've mentioned this in previous posts, and I don't mean to sound like a commercial for FCP.

I do understand though that the creativity I see on those DVDs are not actually performed by the programs the kids use, but by the kids. In the end it really does come down to the artist, or editor, if you like. I know this, but with as many small guys like me that use Vegas and DVDA, some new DVD templates that are cutting edge would bring new users to Vegas in droves. Can you imagine? There are so many wedding and corporate videographers like me that just don't have the time to learn and use AE, etc., and are busy just getting the work out...

I got slightly irritated when I installed Nero 8 and their extra templates included a few pretty darn nice 3-d templates, AE style stuff. Mostly cheesy, and not usable by me, but when I saw what can be done with a template, I couldn't help but wonder why DVDA couldn't have some customizable 3-d templates also. With Sony's already well-written rock-solid underlying program, I wonder if they couldn't put a real hurtin' on competitors by getting more creative.

What is additionally frustrating is that you can buy templates for Premier, Final Cut, AE, but not Vegas...and that kills me.