[Joe Bowden]

I’ll bet it is the image file extension, and was just going to suggest checking that.

Encore CS3 expects the extension to be .iso (you can change this in Explorer and it should work correctly).

[Joe Bowden]

Have you selected the image file in the Build panel?

[Joe Bowden]

Ollie, try this:

1. Import your PSD as a menu in Encored
2. Alt-drag your AE-produced video into the opened menu

This should result in the first frame of video becoming the poster frame of the menu background

3. Go to Menu properties (in the Properties panel), switch to the Motion sub-panel, then set the Loop Point field to 5 seconds (5:00).

You should notice the menu background poster frame update to the video frame at 5 seconds.

Let me know if you’re able to get this far, then we’ll continue.

[Joe Bowden]

You don’t do that part in AE. Do that in Encore or Photoshop.

For instance, in Encore, Import the Blank menu from the Library, and then alt-drag your video file in it to set the video background. Then add a button from the Library to menu, or add a shape you want as a button highlight, and convert it to a button.

[Joe Bowden]

You’re going about the task incorrectly.

Using only Encore, a button that has a video thumbnail layer can be animated by checking the Menu “Animate Buttons” property in the Motion sub-tab. Animation begins at the poster frame of the linked chapter, and runs the duration of the motion menu.

If you want to make your thumbnail animation in After Effects, then use the same comp as the video background you created, and create your animated thumbnails there. Then render it out and import the video file, then make it the video background for your menu.

Animating out (creating a button transition when the button is clicked) is done creating another video file that has your menu and whatever transition you want added to it. You then select this as a button transition in Button properties.

[Joe Bowden]

I’ve not seen this particular problem myself, but try using a solid background in the PSD file. When you set the video file to be the video background of the menu, the solid background will be replaced with a poster frame from the video file.

See if that works for you.

[Joe Bowden]

Find out what codec was used for the AVI. Download G-spot, open the AVI, and then get that codec.

[Joe Bowden]

That’s the way to do it, using any PSD file.

You can test this by double-clicking a PSD file with no applications running. Which application opens the file? Encore sends the same system-level message when you choose Edit in Photoshop.

[Joe Bowden]

You change the file association in your operating system. Are you using Windows?

[Joe Bowden]

No, Encore requires subtitles to be in text format. Word documents have formatting that will cause mess things up.

Check Encore’s Help for more information regarding file format, and formatting of timecodes and subtitles.