[Tony Zaragoza]

I’ll try it this afternoon.

Meanwhile, here’s futher info for the mystery:

I have 3 video clips: an mpg, wmv, and avi. the last two wer not transcoded before clicking ‘build’.

I opened a new project. I used the mpg file ONLY and used the same menu in question. I make 1 button link to the 1 timeline, chapter 1.

I set the end action of the timeline to return to the 1 menu.

I clicked Build. It worked!!!!!

So, is it the video files causing the menu error if the menu I used works in another, yet super-simple, project?

[Tony Zaragoza]

“That menu is corrupt. Please delete from the project”

That’s what I get when I try to do a Build and click on Check Project. But there is NO menu showing up in the list!!! I’m trying to make a DVD folder. Finished the tutoril book and lynda.com training videos, and NOW I can’t produce a DVD folder?

My first project! Ugh!

[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!

[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. 🙂

[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?

[Tony Zaragoza]

I’ll have to hit the tutorial book (and the Encore CS3 video on Lynda.com) to learn about Chapter Playlist. I’ve learn most things on Encore, but it seems I have to now learn and understand a few more points….like Chapter Playlist. I’ll tackle that today.

QUESTION:

Say I’m watching TimeLine #1, at the end (I”m guessing here) I put a Chapter Marker and set the End Action to go to a Menu which, for purposes of “seamlessness”, make it a exact replica (scree shot or copy the PSD file) of the last frame of the timeline? If yes, then I assume at this point I could match the last frame of the timeline with a motion menu created in AE (so buttons can slide in or fade in) to (try to) avoid any jumping or stutter. Yes?
Then the 3 buttons simply point to their respective timeline….and the End Action at the new timeline is created just like as described?

Therefore, what you are saying is: you don’t “freeze” the video at the last frame of the timeline, you just use a snap-shot of the last fram as a completely seperate assest (menu) and just make sure it appears exactly over the last frame, containing buttons with links to the other timeline choices?

[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.

[Tony Zaragoza]

Is the Sticky menu the technique used for movies I’ve seen that play for a while and pause, with text that displays “what should he do? go left (button 1) or go right (button 2)”. then, the user chooses one button which brings them to the video. Later, the video pauses again, and 3 choices are display (like in a murder mystery where you can ‘control’ the path of the movie).

Is this a tutorial somewhere? I’d like to know how to do this!!!

Tony

[Tony Zaragoza]

True! This much I do know: In AE, create your menu button and videos, but, instead of using the (+) or (+>) names, you just have fun and make the menu buttons fly, dance, and slide into position.

Then, in Encore, you bring int AE-created video file onto your blank menu (alt drag/drop). THEN, you make (or choose from Encore library) a button frame to place over you video menu button to actually make them behave as a button (re-size/re-shape the button frame to fit perfectly over your menu buttons so they can appear to highlight the button…after the buttons stops flying around of course!). In other words, your AE animation appears to have, say, video clips as chapter buttons, but they really are not. What makes them behave button-ish is when the viwer clicks on your button, they are actually clicking on the button frame your placed OVER them since it is THAT (and not your AE video buttons) they are actually clicking on. Make sure the button frame is linked to their approriate chapter in timeline.

The AE animation is just that: an animation with anything you want flying around. Just make sure what you what to be a ‘chapter button’ stops at some point. This way, when the animation plays in Encore, your actually “button frame” that contains the chapter link will match up perfectly with the graphic contained in the AE video.

Now if I can JUST figure out how to get my little video file to loop inside each menu button from only 5 seconds and repeat!!!!!!! Easy to do, but does not work..for me!