Video Button Loop PROBLEM Encore CS3

[Jeff Bellune]

The only way that I know to do this is to make the inset subject videos part of the video background that you create in your NLE or compositing app.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Tony Zaragoza]

Jeff,

does this mean that in Encore CS3, when we make chapter buttons that contain videos, there is NO WAY to loop the short clips?…and that Adobe lied to us? Seriously, this is problem that they should have already known about. It is not even on the Support form.

So that means we are ALL stuck using AE or Premiere to put a video clip (ie, Picture-in-Picture) then imprort to Encore CS3 and put the good old button frame aroud it?

THAT is the only way to make a video button now (even thought the tutorial says otherwise?
Darn!!

I’m going to call Adobe Tech support right now and I’ll post their response HERE.

[Jeff Bellune]

Thumbnail video buttons that you create in Encore will play and loop in an Encore menu. You just won’t be able to get the thumbnails to loop at different intervals than the rest of the menu unless you use AE or Pr.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[John Rich]

I don’t know if this applies since I used Encore 2.0 to do this, but I took a 10 sec avi and put it in a timeline and linked it to a video button and checked “animate buttons”.
Then I alt dragged a 53 sec avi into the menu and the motion menu background was listed in properties as 53 seconds.
After rendering menus etc, and previewed, the background menu played for 53 seconds and the button motion menu kept looping until the end of the 53 seconds.
I tried to shorten the length of the 53 sec menu, but it just gave me a blank screen on preview.
Maybe the chapters are a problem.
I’m not sure whether your idea was to use part of a longer clip with poster frames for this, but I didn’t check chapters.
If you wanted to, you could probably use the render files to make the entire motion background movie.
Am I missing something here or will separate timelines work for you?
John Rich

JOHNR

[Tony Zaragoza]

Let me generate instructions for all to try and let’s see if we can solve this mystery (PS: Called Adobe Tech today. They were STUMPED!. They forward my problem to the software enginners).

1) Take a video clip, say 3 to 5 minutes long.
2) Put it into a timeline. Call it Test Video.
3) Use ANY menu you wish, but, let’s try ANY motion menu.
4) Place 3 video buttons from the Libray into the Menu.
5) Make 3 chapter markers on this video, spread out evenly.
6) Next, drag ANOTHER COPY of the SAME video into the Timeline “Test Video”. That 2nd video (copy of 1st)should snap next to the 1st video.
7) Cut the 2nd video clip down to 5 seconds long to make a tiny video clip of what you want to see in Button 1.
8) Next, drag ANOTHER COPY of the SAME video into the Timeline “Test Video” (this is a 3rd copy of the same video).
9) Cut the 3rd video clip down to 5 seconds long to make this video clip for button #2
10) Next, drag ANOTHER COPY of the SAME video into the Timeline “Test Video” (this is a 4th copy of the same video).
11) Cut the 4th video clip down to 5 seconds long to make this video clip for button #3
12) Now, put your Poster Frame for Chapter one at the BEGINNING of the 2nd video clip (this will show in button 1 in a moment).
13) Put Poster Frame for Chapter two at the BEGINNING of the 3rd video clip (this will show in button 2 in a moment).
14) Put Poster Frame for Chapter three at the BEGINNING of the 4th video clip (this will show in button 3 in a moment).
15) Drag Chapter 1 to the First button.
16) Drag Chapter 2 to the Second button.
17) Drag Chapter 3 to the Third button.
18) Click on the Chapter 3 icon to select it. Open the Properties panel, and drag the End Action Pick Whip to the Third Button (THIS INSTRUCTION, #18, IS A COPY OF THE INSTRUCTION IN THE ADOBE CLASSROOM IN A BOOK, ENCORE 2.0, PAGE 119, STEP 7.

When you render this, here is what’s supposed to happen:
“When rendering is complete, the button videos will play for about 5 seconds then repeat, instead of continuing on to sections of the main video that don’t apply to the selected chapters”.

Apparently, ONLY the little video clips are supposed to loop inside the button equal in duration to the little video clips, not the main video (video #1).

Am I the ONLY one who noticed this, because Adobe Techs were puzzles.
PLEASE call and email them about this. TELL THEM “tonydfx@hotmail” found it. Hopefully they will fix this in CS4 (coming this month).

Anyone have idea about this problem?

[Jeff Bellune]

That’s actually a very clever technique, but it won’t work using the method you’ve outlined.

In the scenario you describe, button #1 will play for 15 seconds and then loop, button #2 will play for 10 seconds and then loop, and button #3 will play for 5 seconds and then loop.

Like so many things in DVD authoring, to make this effect work you have to trick the audience.

If you have 3 buttons then you will need 3 copies of the first 5-second clip for button #1, two copies of the second clip for button #2, and the one copy of the clip for button #3.

If you had 6 buttons, then it would be 6 copies for button #1, 5 copies for button #2, and so on.

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Tony Zaragoza]

Well, it’s from the CIB Encore 2.0. I too thought it would work.

That is the ONLY legit reply I have ever received. THIS forum is great! I am curious about the logic behind what you wrote:

“In the scenario you describe, button #1 will play for 15 seconds and then loop, button #2 will play for 10 seconds and then loop, and button #3 will play for 5 seconds and then loop. If you have 3 buttons then you will need 3 copies of the first 5-second clip for button #1, two copies of the second clip for button #2, and the one copy of the clip for button #3.”

I see what you mean, on the surface, but ‘why’ would there need to be 15, 10, and 5 second video for the respective button?

I like understanding the why’s and hows.

PS: Adobe still has not gotten back to me. The have a big Adobe show in Novemeber in San Francisco. I’m seriously thinking about going so I can be the one guy in the audience to put them on the spot regarding video button looping probelm. 🙂

[Jeff Bellune]

As you have seen, once the button video loop begins, it will continue playing, *without looping*, until:

a.) the menu loops, or
b.) the end of the video in the linked timeline is reached.

When b.) occurs, the button video will loop independently of the main menu looping. And that is the *only* time the button video will loop independently.

So if you have three 5-second clips that start after the end of the main program (i.e., the three copies that you added), and you put the poster frame for button #1 on the in-point of the first mini-clip, the video in button #1 (which starts at the poster frame) is 15 seconds from situation b.).

The poster frame for button #2 at the start of the second mini-clip is 10 seconds from situation b.), and the poster frame for the button #3 mini-clip is 5 seconds from the end of the timeline.

Make sense?

-Jeff

The Focal Easy Guide to Adobe Encore DVD 2.0

[Tony Zaragoza]

OHHHHHh, I see now.

So Button one plays from the beginning of video clip 1 and ends at the end of video clip 3 (total 15 seconds)
Button two plays from the beginning of video clip 2 and ends at the end of video clip 3 (total 10 seconds)
Button three plays from the beginning of video clip 3 and ends 5 seconds later.

Thanks! It is very clear now!