Can menus have end action

[Steve Jenkins]

Hi Orme et al,

Sorry, no solution, but just to say that I have a similar problem, and have just posted the following Case with Adobe (which also refers back to your post!):

I am creating a menu structure for a museum installation, and would like to use the auto functions to allow the menus to run without human intervention when necessary.
Problem: When I set ‘Duration’ on the Menu/Motion Properties tab (say 30 secs), with ‘Hold Forever’ unchecked, and set the ‘End Action’ on the Menu/Basic properties tab to a Playlist, this works fine in Encore’s preview mode, but when the DVD (or Folder) is created, the menu “freezes” – you can see the time clicking round to the 30 sec mark, but then the End Action is not taken, and none of the options on the menu can be actioned. Remove the Duration/End Action combo from the structure, and the menu works fine (just not as I’d like it to!). I would suggest that during the Build phase, the structure of the DVD is not written correctly?
Have checked Forums etc. and Google to no avail, but I note that I’m not the only one with the problem (see https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/145/863336 )
Any ideas (or fixes!) welcome.

Cheers Steve

[Jeff Bellune]

Do either of you have any overrides set, anywhere in the project? Check all end actions, chapter end actions and button links.

Some more questions: What platform (Mac or Win)? What kind of blank media are you using? What burn speed? Is your burner firmware up-to-date?

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Steve Jenkins]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the response, and in response to your questions, I have no overrides set against any object, I’m afraid. I am on Windows, but the questions re media and burner don’t apply in my case as this also happens when the project is “burnt” to a DVD Folder, and any other project without these settings works AOK. One question for you is….does the set-up I describe above re Menu Duration and related End Action work OK for you? This would help in determining whether it’s an Encore bug or caused by some other (as yet unknown) factor.

Cheers Steve

[Jeff Bellune]

I duplicated the project set-up from the OP’s description, and a set of DVD folders worked perfectly in WinDVD 5.

I did not take the time to add a playlist per your setup, Steve, but I can confirm that the menu duration/end action/Loop None combo works.

Curious, though. When I add motion to a menu, the Hold Forever checkbox is selected, grayed-out and unavailable. How/why did you set it to unchecked?

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Thi Thach]

check this out, someone have a workaround

https://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b594c8

[Steve Jenkins]

Hi Jeff, I’m still having no joy, I’m afraid, and am also waiting for a reply from Adobe Support on the issue.

Just on your point re the ‘Hold Forever’ checkbox, I checked this out hoping it might be the solution, but discovered that it’s only greyed-out when ‘Animate Buttons’ is also activated. If not, HF needs to be de-activated for the End Action to be followed.

Cheers Steve.

[Steve Jenkins]

Hi Thi, thanks for the input, but I’m afraid that that particular workround didn’t work for me – I don’t actualy have any loops on my menus, but it still didn’t work when I built one in.

Cheers Steve

[Thi Thach]

Hi,

If you don’t have any loop on the menu another way is to add a create a silent sound track for 30 seconds and drop it on the menu (ALT + Drag drop on the menu), set the motion loop to 2, that in theory that should fix your problem.

Hope it any help.

[Jeff Bellune]

[Steve Jenkins] “Just on your point re the ‘Hold Forever’ checkbox, I checked this out hoping it might be the solution, but discovered that it’s only greyed-out when ‘Animate Buttons’ is also activated. If not, HF needs to be de-activated for the End Action to be followed.”

My experience is completely different; HF is grayed-out as soon as I link audio or video to the menu.

Create a brand-new project and experiment with a couple of menus and a couple of assets to see if you get the same behavior.

Another random thought – do you have highlight-only buttons in the menu? Using a Save As… copy of your project, try deleting the buttons temporarily and see if the behavior changes.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Steve Jenkins]

Hi Guys,

OK, problem solved – stunningly obvious when you know how!!

I initially followed Thi’s suggestion re adding a silent 30 secs of audio, however this didn’t work, but succeeded in getting a few more logic cells ticking over!

I then followed Jeff’s suggestion re setting-up a test project, and just imported the ‘Film’ Main and Sub Menus, and set them to flip-flop at 10 sec intervals using their End Actions (Loop# set to None), and this worked! I then thought I’d remove the Video .m2v file as my own menu had just a still background (penny is soon to drop!) – this failed to work!

I’ve now realised that Motion Menu means some Motion required (!), and get Premiere to create a 10 sec .m2v Sequence from my still background. This is transcoded into Encore, dropped on to my menu as a new background, the Motion/Video parameter is automatically set, and EUREKA, my automated menus now work!!

Final set-up: on Menu / Motion tab, Video set to my .m2v version of the menu, Audio blank, Duration by default is the length of the generated video, ‘Hold Forever’ & ‘Animate Buttons’ unset, ‘Loop Point’ = 0, Loop# set to None (can be set to hold menu for longer).

So many thanks for getting me on the right track guys. It’s also interesting re-reading the help now as it reads much more clearly (and logically) now!

I’d better go and delete my support case now!

Cheers Steve.