Is animation upon button selection possible?

[Joe Bowden]

If you create the animation somewhere else, you can do this with Encore using multiple motion menus and the button auto-activate feature.

[Derrick Collins]

I can animate with After Effects, but would you mind explaining the exact process of what you just described? I am completely new to Encore..

[Joe Bowden]

You’ll want to make your animations in After Effects, export them as AVI or MOV, and then use them as your video background for each menu.

Then you link each button in your starting menu to each menu that you want to play. You then set each button to Auto Activate (check this in Button properties). This will cause the button to activate when you select it, which will take you to the animated menu.

Then in your animated menus, link your buttons to your timelines/chapters.

[Derrick Collins]

Okay makes sense. One other thing, and I doubt this is possible, but seeing as how the lamp would essentially animate in a circle, is there any way to set different animations dependent on which other button the selection is coming from ?

[Joe Bowden]

You might be better off using button transitions, which can be unique for each button – and then link the button to a menu.

When the button is clicked, the transition will play, and then take you to the next menu.

[Derrick Collins]

Hmm okay I think “selection” was the wrong word to use. What I mean is I want the lamp to spin towards whatever title is currently highlighted and ready to be clicked. Animation after it’s clicked would defeat the purpose. Is such a thing even possible in encore?

[Jeff Bellune]

Yes, it’s possible in Encore. Just be aware that you are trying to use an advanced technique that requires both an in-depth knowledge of Encore and of the limitations of the DVD specification itself. That will be challenging indeed for someone new to Encore.

The illusion is created by putting the animation of the lamp that points to a particular button on the target menu, not on the original menu.

You must use Auto-activate. You must have different animations for each of the menus that are targets of the auto-activated button links.

And you must be aware that this illusion will be spoiled on a software DVD player, because a mouse-over will not trigger the auto-activate function.

Good luck,
-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Joe Bowden]

[Derrick Collins] “Animation after it’s clicked would defeat the purpose.”

My error in wording. You could still use auto-activate to trigger the button when selected (that is, arrowed into), and then use a button transition to show the animation that takes you to the next menu.

It’s definitely possible. It is also an advanced subject.