[Reko Tomo]

You wrote :
Another question whilst I’m in the Architect forum, I can’t figure out how to make each chapter default back to the menu when finished. Each time I make a DVD, the end of chapter flows onto the next chapter. I can’t find the setting where I tell Architect to return to main menu after each chapter.

I’m sorry I never know about DVD-Architect.
But I think it will have a feature where it gives you the option after each chapter finish, it goes to “where”.
Maybe you can try to find if Architect has “end action” on each chapter button you provided. You need to make button first on each chapter. Then put the “end action” of each chapter button link to whatever menu you want to display.

Those steps above I did it in DVD-Maestro.

[Reko Tomo]

You wrote :
I know it can be done by copying the ‘folder’ i.e. having an audio and video folder however this has to be simple and not require anyone to download any particular media players or software. They just need to plug it in and play it like it’s a DVD movie but on a usb. Otherwise people just can’t figure stuff out (or don’t want to).

My question :
1. to where are they going to plug the USB stick ?
2. with what are they going to press the “Play” button ?

If they are going to plug it into the computer’s USB hole, I think they need a media player where they can press the Play button or to navigate to what button they want to press.

If they are going to plug it into the TV’s USB hole, then the TV itself must recognized that the inserted USB stick is a movie in DVD format. But I don’t think there is a TV that has a feature just like a standalone DVD player where we can navigate in one display, can choose the buttons provided.

As long as I know, if they plug the USB stick into the computer’s USB hole… most computer has it’s own Media Player. For example, Window’s OS has it’s own default Media Player (WMP).
With the assumption that you just copy the AUDIO TS and VIDEO TS folder to the USB stick, after they plug it into the computer’s USB hole – then they need to launch whatever the Media Player which is in their computer. Too bad I don’t have WMP but MPC-HC. So I’m not sure if WMP has the feature “play from folder” although I think it should has that feature.

As in my condition, after I launch MPC-HC – I can do “open directory” then MPC-HC automatically recognized that the files in that directory is DVD format. The result, MPC-HC display the menu and I can navigate the buttons within that menu.

Other way :
1. After plug the USB stick, the user have to open it and double click the “VIDEO_TS.IFO” file.
Depending how their computer setup, usually it will automatically launch whatever Media Player they have in their computer.

2. I think it’s possible to right click the VIDEO_TS folder and choose “Play with” from the menu context. But once again, this depends on how their computer setup.

3. Also I think it’s also possible once the user plug the USB stick, their OS automatically recognized that the USB contains movie files then the OS launch a window something like “what do you want to do” … with the option play with bla3x – open/browse it – do nothing.

Anyway, I think the user MUST have a Media Player in their computer. Except, you make a specific program that once the stick inserted it will launch a media player from within the USB stick (because they don’t have any Media Player in their computer) – have this media player to launch the movie in the USB stick so then the user can just easily navigate the buttons from within “your” media player coming from the USB stick.

Just my thought :).

[Reko Tomo]

I made the menu all over again and this time just as an image, no timeline in the .PSD file. Then i added the video via the motion menu in Encore and its working now

That’s what I do and wrote in my post above.
As long as I know, to make the motion menu – you link the Menu directly to the asset, so there is no timeline :).

[Reko Tomo]

Although I’m also a beginner in using Encore,

I think you should make a motion menu.
Maybe something like this :

Make your Menu (and the button layers) in Photoshop with your still photo background that you want to show it in Encore. Save it with the name (for example) Menu.PSD

Make a motion menu within your video editing app.
Within your video editing app, import as composition your Menu.PSD file

Make the composition in the timeline something like this :
1. your still frame for (say) 12 seconds
2. 2 sec of your button layers starts on the 10th second with 1 sec transition then end at the 12th sec of the timeline.

Export the timeline to a compliant video (DVD/BD) format.
Name this video (for example) FirstPlay.m2v (m2v is the extension for DVD compliant file).
If you play this video, you will see
– 10 seconds of your still frame without button
– 1 second of your still frame with button transition
– 1 second of your still frame with button (exactly look the same with your Menu.PSD file).

Within Encore :
Import the FirstPlay.m2v to Encore as Timeline
Import also your Menu.PSD as Menu, name it (for example) MainMenu

In the Project panel, right klik your FirstPlay timeline-icon and choose “set as First Play”.
In the FirstPlay Timeline Properties panel, set the End Action link to your MainMenu
Click the “Preview” icon.

I hope that works :).

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

I just realize that this Forum has a special place for Encore.
As I don’t know how to delete this thread then put it in the Encore forum, I’m sorry if I wrote this thread not in the correct Forum.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi… this is my beginning to use Encore too.
Since I saw there hasn’t any reply for you, I want to try to share my knowledge with you.

I do this :
In Photoshop. create a PSD file with layer/s as the button/s then save it.

Within Encore Project,
Import (As menu) that PSD I made
Import my motion menu video
Click the Menu (the PSD) in the Project
From the Menu properties panel, click the Motion tab
Link it to the video/audio motion menu you just imported

Within the Menu Monitor,
right click and choose “Preview from here”

A. IF your motion menu video is not transcoded yet to a compliant DVD/BD video :
The preview of your motion menu will be black all the time, except within the Preview Monitor you click the icon on the lower left of the Preview Monitor to render it. If you move your cursor to the icon it will show “render current motion menu”.

B. IF your video is already transcoded to a compliant DVD/BD video :
AND IF one of the layer of your Menu (PSD) file has the “eye” ON, then it will be the same like point A above.
So… although you already have your compliant video (“don’t transcode” is showing in the Project), Encore will RErender your motion menu if any of the layer in your Menu is ON.

Once you turn OFF the “eye” icon, you don’t need to re-render your motion menu. Consequently, you can’t see your “normal” button state, but you still can see the “highlight” (and/or “selected”) button state.

My solution for not to re-render the motion menu compliant DVD/BD video is that I put the “normal” button state when I export to DVD/BD compliant video within Premiere. So within Encore, I can just turn off the “eye” icon without loosing the “normal” button state. Encore take a long time to render the motion menu (even if it’s already a compliant DVD/BD video) if the “eye” icon is ON. 30 seconds motion menu took almost 4 minutes to re-render it. While within Premiere, it only took me around 50 seconds. Also I think because Encore re-render my already compliant motion menu video, the quality will be degraded a little bit.

I’m sorry if this is not helping you.
I’m sorry also for my broken English.

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Dan,

I think I'd do it with a script that has a UI

I think that’s the one that I found out in the internet.
The complicated one :).

A lot of work though...

Yes indeed.
As this is only my first try and is not a really important one, I don’t think I will bother to go that deep to write the script. I’m just interested in the basic process to code the script for After Effect.

Thank you once again for your reply, Dan.

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

Wow…. thank you very much, Dan.
It works !

So far my script is like this

var photosFolder = app.project.importFileWithDialog();
var proj = app.project;

var picName1 = "01.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var picName2 = "02.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var picName3 = "03.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var picName4 = "04.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var picName5 = "05.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var picName6 = "06.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for

var myPic1 = null;
for (var i = 1 ; i <= app.project.numItems; i++){

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName1){

myPic1 = app.project.item(i);

}

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName2){

myPic2 = app.project.item(i);
}

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName3){

myPic3 = app.project.item(i);

}

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName4){

myPic4 = app.project.item(i);

}

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName5){

myPic5 = app.project.item(i);

}

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName6){

myPic6 = app.project.item(i);

}

}

var Comp1 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp1", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var LayersComp1 = Comp1.layers;

var Pic2 = LayersComp1.add(myPic2);
Pic2.threeDLayer=true;
Pic2.property("Position").setValue([160,90,0]);
Pic2.property("Scale").setValue([-100,100,100]);

var Pic1 = LayersComp1.add(myPic1);
Pic1.threeDLayer=true;
Pic1.property("Position").setValue([160,90,-1]);

var Comp2 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp2", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var LayersComp2 = Comp2.layers;

var Pic4 = LayersComp2.add(myPic4);
Pic4.threeDLayer=true;
Pic4.property("Position").setValue([160,90,0]);
Pic4.property("Scale").setValue([-100,100,100]);

var Pic3 = LayersComp2.add(myPic3);
Pic3.threeDLayer=true;
Pic3.property("Position").setValue([160,90,-1]);

var Comp3 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp3", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var LayersComp3 = Comp3.layers;

var Pic6 = LayersComp3.add(myPic6);
Pic6.threeDLayer=true;
Pic6.property("Position").setValue([160,90,0]);
Pic6.property("Scale").setValue([-100,100,100]);

var Pic5 = LayersComp3.add(myPic5);
Pic5.threeDLayer=true;
Pic5.property("Position").setValue([160,90,-1]);

var MainComp = proj.items.addComp("MainComp", 1280, 720, 1, 08, 30);
var LayersMainComp = MainComp.layers;
var FX = LayersMainComp.add(Comp1);
FX.collapseTransformation = true;
FX.threeDLayer=true;
FX.property("Position").setValue([-850,0,0]);
FX.property("Transform").property("X Rotation").setValueAtTime(3,0);
FX.property("X Rotation").setValueAtTime(3.23,180);

var echo = FX.Effects.addProperty("Echospace");
echo.property("Instances").setValue(3);
echo.property("X Offset").setValueAtTime(0,0);
echo.property("X Offset").setValueAtTime(1,425);
echo.property("Y Rotate").setValueAtTime(7,0);
echo.property("Y Rotate").setValueAtTime(7.25,-90);
echo.property("Transform Delay [sec]").setValue(0.3);

No error massage at all…. BUT I’m hopeless searching the internet to find out how to write the code for clicking the “Repeat” button in Echospace.

edit :
after going deeper searching the net, there is a very complicated method to do that and I don’t think I’m able to handle it :(.
Writing the above scripts alone already made my heartburn come.

Is there another possible way to “pause” the script ?
Maybe give an alert message with an OK button, let me manually click the “Repeat” button – click the OK button in the alert message, then the script continue ?

Anyway, I want to say thank you once again for your help.
Really appreciated.

regards.

[Reko Tomo]

Below is so far I get from the internet.

var PhotoComp1 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp1", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var PhotoComp2 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp2", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var PhotoComp3 = proj.items.addComp("Photo Comp3", 320, 180, 1, 08, 30);
var picName1 = "01.jpg"; // name of item you're looking for
var myPic1 = null;
for (var i = 1 ; i <= app.project.numItems; i++){

if (app.project.item(i).name == picName1){

myPic1 = app.project.item(i);

break;

}

}

if (myPic1 != null){
var myLayer1 = PhotoComp1.layers.add(myPic1).threeDLayer=true;

}else{

alert ("Can't find comp '" + picName1 + "'");

}

Until that, it works. But then I don’t know how to coding the position of myPic1 layer in the PhotoComp1 composition before else command.

I’ve tried this

myLayer1.property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Position").setValue([160,90,1]); Not work.

I’ve tried this :

myLayer1.myPic1.property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Position").setValue([160,90,1]); No luck.

I’ve also tried this :

myLayer1.layer(myPic1).property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Position").setValue([160,90,1]); No joy.

Also I try this :

var myPhotoComp1 = app.project.myLayer1;

myPhotoComp1.myPic1.property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Position").setValue([160,90,1]);

and this

var myPhotoComp1 = app.project.myLayer1;
myPhotoComp1.layer(myPic1).property("ADBE Transform Group").property("ADBE Position").setValue([160,90,1]); Both not work.

I’d be glad if someone can help me.
BTW, I’m using Adobe After Effect CS3.

Thank you.

[Reko Tomo]

Hi Richard,

Thank you for your respond.

My step is edit the proxy file.
My old computer very laggy during editing the original file (preview untouched orig clips on the time line, preview transition, etc). It freeze all the times, let alone I can scrub the orig clips on the timeline.

That’s why I create proxy file.
With proxy file I can edit in CS3 timeline smoothly, just as I edit a DV-AVI file … there is no problem when previewed and/or scrubbed, etc.

But since the proxy file extension is .mov (ProRes proxy), I’m facing a problem when I want to “link media” because I need to do that one by one for each clips.

If my whole movie contains a few clips, that’s OK for me to replace the proxy file with the original file one by one. But I found it is tedious since my total clips is hundred :).

That’s why I’m asking here whether CS3 has a workaround to avoid replacing clips one by one when I do a proxy editing :).

Anyway, thanks again for your respond.

regards,
reko.