How to make menus and chapters?

[Mike Burgess]

I have the Vegas Studio 11 HD trial and am doing a project that needs a menu page and chapters. How do you do that?

Thanks.
Mike

[Garrett Low]

I don't know use Vegas Studio but if it is like Vegas Pro you need to use an authoring program like DVD Architect or another authoring program to set up menus. The nice thing about using Vegas Pro and DVDA is that markers you set up in Vegas can be pulled into DVDA to create the chapters. When you render out your video you can tell Vegas to place an I-frame at the marker so that the chapter will fall exactly where you want it instead of the nearest I-frame which could be as many as 7 frames from where you want it.

-Garrett

[Kevin Lewis]

MIke you can download a trail version of DVD archetech which is the program that Vegas uses for authoring. Its very good and relativley inexpensive.

[Jorma Nippala]

Are you trialling Vegas Movie Studio HD 11 (basic version) or VMStudio HD 11 Platinum? The DVD Architect Studio 5.0 authoring software is included with the Platinum versions, so you should install a trial of that also.
For chapters see Inserting Markers in VMS Help. For menus see DVDAS Help, starting with e.g. Menu-Based Projecties.
In Studio Platinum there's the Make Movie wizard to make the learning curve a little less steep. DVD Architect Studio has the Make DVD button. Google some and you'll find lots of tutorials, e.g. on muvipix.com and many other sites.

[Mike Burgess]

Thanks to all. I did download DVD Architect. I have followed the steps, but am confused a bit.....concerning the placement and identification of buttons. Have already set the chapters (markers) on the timeline. I will check out some tutorials.

Mike

[Don Bloom]

If you place the chapter markers in Vegas when you bring the project to DVDA themarkers will move over with it and then when you highlight the PLAY button (which will have the name of the project and can be changed) right click on that and you will see a drop down. One of them is Insert Scene Selection-click on that and the chapter buttons will show up on the next page. You can copy and paste those to the first page if you want and then delete the 2nd page and delete the scene selection button from the first page. that way all of your buttons are on the one page. that of course is optinal. You can move the buttons around where you want them.
You can change the name of the chapter on the menu page by clicking on that particular button, hit the F2 button and simply type in the new name. Also make sure you double click on the main play button and bring up the audio. while it is there the waveform doesn't show until you open that chapter.
DVDA is quite easy to get around and while there are some shortfalls in the backgrounds and themes areas it works very well.

[Mike Burgess]

Thanks Don. I will see what I can do.

Mike

[Edward Troxel]

Mike, you can also check out my newsletters. Many talk about creating DVDs.

[Mike Burgess]

Will check it out Edward.

Apparently the trial version does not include the music soundtracks. Or am I missing something?

Mike

[Edward Troxel]

I'm not sure what "music soundtracks" you're referring to but I AM sure if you're talking about something that comes bundled with the version of Vegas you are looking at then you will be given access to anything that comes bundled only after you purchase.

[Mike Burgess]

Supposedly, it comes with 400(?) songs. I have not been able to find them anywhere in the trial program.
Where would I look?

Mike

[Jorma Nippala]

Mike,
you can stop looking, the soundtracks are not included in the trial.
From the SCS Knowledgebase:
If you ordered a Download copy of the software, you can download the sound tracks as a .zip file from your receipt email.
If you purchased a Packaged Version of the software, please try the following:
1.Put the Application DVD into the DVD-ROM drive.
2.On the splash screen, click "Browse Disc".
3.Now Select Content folder.

In practice, they're really only a minor addition to the (VMStudio Platinum) software. Google for some opinions.
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/what-hap...undtracks.html

[Mike Burgess]

How disappointing. Oh well, thanks for the information.

Mike