[Wendall Woodbury]

YOUR TIPS WORKED! I just burned a DVD with all the parameters that I need. What sense of relief!

It appears I did not have an End Action set for the Timeline. So, that’s why the last chapter was not going back to the Main Menu. It works fine now, on both my Computer and DVD players. I also figured out how to make the first play Intro just like the FBI notice, by using Operations Non Permitted & NONE. Then I used ALL for the Segment Timeline.

So, I’m a happy camper, thanks to you and Joe. I want to thank you both for sticking with me on this problem. This is probably the longest thread in COW history, but I appreciate the input, and so will my client! I’ve certainly learned there’s more than one way to do things in Encore!

Thanks again for all the help.

My Best Regards,

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Hi Joe. Thanks for the info.

The confusion, on my part, is coming from the fact that I had previously been following a tutorial, which said set Timeline User Operations to None. It did work, up to a point. But I was not able to create the exact set up I wanted, hence my appeal to the COW forum.

Following what Jeff & you both have said, I am almost there. Everything works the way I want it to, EXCEPT the last chapter will not go back to the Main Menu. Jeff said don’t put an End Action on the last chapter, that it will automatically return to the Main Menu. Unfortunately, the chapter ends and just goes to black. I tried putting an End Action (back to Main Menu) on the chapter, just for the heck of it, and that didn’t work either. The result was the same…black. I’ve tried re-creating the project a couple of times with the same results.

There are no Orphans (finally) in the Flowchart, so that’s a good thing. Now, if I can just get the last chapter to return to the Main Menu, the project will be a success. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?

Thanks.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

This is a tough one! Now, only the INTRO CLIP is working upon preview.

I started over with only the MAIN MENU & MOVING BKG VIDEO in the Encore project. Here’s what I did step by step. Obviously, I’ve made a mistake somewhere along the way.

 Imported INTRO CLIP as TIMELINE
 Set INTRO CLIP as 1st PLAY
 Imported VIDEO SEGMENTS as TIMELINE
 Erased all TIMELINES, except INTRO – created NEW TIMELINE & NAMED
 Added all 6 VIDEO SEGMENTS to the NEW TIMELINE
 NAMED & SAVED project
 Clicked MAIN MENU – pick whipped MOTION to VIDEO BKG
 Clicked ANIMATE BUTTONS
 Pickwhipped each of 6 SEGMENTS to CHAPTER MARKER on TIMELINE
 Selected each chapter (in red) – used MONITOR to SET POSTER FRAMES
 Checked CHAPTER NAMES (Set Name From Link selected)
 SAVED
 Selected CHAPTER ONE MARKER & pick-whipped (via Properties Panel)to MAIN MENU in PROJECT PANEL – ALL CHAPTERS DONE THAT WAY, except the last chapter which I left as END ACTION ‘Not Set’)

 Clicked TIMELINE & SET TIMELINE USER OPERATIONS & NONE
 Clicked FILE – RENDER – MOTION MENUS

NOTE: Flowchart shows ONLY the INTRO CLIP…the MAIN MENU & SEGMENTS remain in the ORPHAN AREA – after previewing I tried to BUILD but it shows that I have the following errors.

 INTRO CLIP … End Action not set
 IN EACH SEGMENT 2 errors – Orphan timeline & End Action not set)
 NEW TIMELINE End Action not set

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Yes, I did link the menu buttons to the chapter markers earlier (via the LINK button in the Properties panel.

What is confusing me I guess is paragraph 4 of your earlier response:

((Jeff said 4. Put an end action to return to the last menu on each chapter except the last chapter. When the last chapter is finished playing, the end action for the timeline will execute. Remember that if you want to return to the menu after chapter 1 is finished, you put the end action on the chapter marker at the beginning of chapter 1.))

If I pick whip from End Action to the Main Menu in the Project Window OR do the same in the Flowchart, will that do the trick?

Is there anything else to do before trying to Build?

Thanks.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Thanks for taking the time to build a screenshot for me Jeff. Much appreciated.

I noticed that you imported your video as Assets. I have been importing my video as Timeline (recommended in my tutorial.) Although, I did import my ‘moving background’ as an Asset. I don’t know if that makes a difference.

I do have a couple of questions for you. First of all, my flowchart looked exactly like yours, using my old method of creating a DVD. At present however, the main menu & chapters are all still residing in the orphan area. I linked the first 5 chapters, as you suggested, by pickwhipping the End Action down to each ‘beginning’ chapter marker (but skipped the last.) However, when I review the End Action window of each chapter they all name segment #1 and not the main menu as the End Action. Is that correct? Shouldn’t it say Main Menu?

By the way, I did try to make further adjustments by moving the Main Menu in the flow chart up to the disc and then brought up the Intro Clip, then brought the Main Menu back up to the Intro Clip Icon. But, this time (unlike before) the moving backkground video did not show up to the right of the top Icon (as yours in the screenshot does.) Also, when I clicked each chapter boxe, it said my End Action was not set, but of course I did set it.

So, at this point, I’ve backed up to where I left off…setting the End Action of each chapter on the timeline. What must I do next to finish the process?

Sorry this is taking so long.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Thank you Jeff.

I’m confused (no unusual) but, I think I understand why you connect the End Action to the same chanpter marker you are in. I’ve done all that, plus deleted all chapters except the Intro & the segment timelines, but now do I go to the Flowchart (which [presently has all the chapters in the Orphans area) or, do I just proceed directly to the Timeline & Set Timeline User Operations to None and then Render Motion Menus? In other words what’s the next step to take, without messing up the project.

Thanks.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

First of all Jeff, thanks for responding on a holiday.

Half the problem is that I’m an ‘almost newbie’ with Encore. There are some things I’m still trying to grasp.

AN OVERVIEW:
Initially, the client wanted to have an automatic opening of 4 mins which the viewer must watch (like the FBI warning) which automatically goes to the Main Menu. They then wanted the ability to play a segment, then if the viewer decided(mid-play) that they wanted to go back to the Main Menu all they would have to do is click the Previous & Next buttons. I explained to the client that the ‘Root Menu’ button on the wand was meant to do that. They also wanted each finished chapter to automatically return to the Main Menu. Then the viewer could decided which segment they would like to watch next. I think they’ve given up on the idea of using the Previous & Next buttons to return to THE Main Menu (which WOULD be ideal) and will have to settle for just being able to change chapters with the Previous & Next buttons and to automatically return to the Main Menu after each chapter play.

Having said all that…here’s the the sequence desired:

* Auto DVD start leading to the Main Menu
* The ability to start any chapter
* The ability to back up to the Previous chapter or go forward to
the Next chapter
* When each chapter ends it would go back to the Main Menu
* They don’t need or want an ‘All Play’ capability
* At this point, the only thing I don’t have is each chapter
automatically returning to the Main Menu

Now, in response to your information…I think you are absolutely right about the ‘orphans’, because presently I see 7 timelines (including the first play Intro). I have all 6 chapters on the 8th timeline, except the first play Intro. As I understand it, I should ‘erase’ all those timelines, except the intro?

Regarding this………..
[Wendall Woodbury]
 Pick-whipped each of 6 chapters to their counterparts on timeline
 Pick-whipped each segment name in Flowchart to each segment on timeline, starting with bottom name
 Pick-whipped from Properties End Action of each segment to Main Menu in Flowchart

I was following a tutorial by Brian Williams of England. It seemed to work…at first, but the project has gotten more complicated since. On the face of it, I’m obviously being redundant, but I thought I needed to connect the chapters to the timeline AND then have an ‘End Action’ back to the Main Menu in the Flowchart(in order to accomplish my above goals.) Should I only use one of the actions above and which one is advised? Or, perhaps you could simply delete the actions I DON’T need, in the ‘DVD Creation List’ I provided earlier?

Regarding the ‘Playlist’…I have not even delved into that aspect yet and don’t know where to start. The only thing I see, under Menu, is Create Chapter Index. Looks like I need some more tutorial training.

Sorry for the long response.

Thank you for any further information.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

It appears I need a bit more information to complete my Encore project.

I followed your directions Jeff, regarding putting all my video segments on one timeline. I was able, after much experimenting, to make a DVD, which will open up on an introduction, then go to the Main Menu. I can play a segment and then forward to the next segment, or back up to the previous segment. Unfortunately, when a chapter ends, it does not go back to the Main Menu. It just goes to the next chapter.

I also found 2 errors at the end of the building process. The first was No End Action for 5 of the segments (even though I did disignate them, as you’ll see) and there were 5 orphans in the Flowchart, which I just ignored.

Here is the sequence I followed to build the DVD:

 Opened ‘pre-built menu’ with moving background video
 Imported Intro Clip as timeline
 Imported video segments as timeline
 Named & saved project
 Brought 6 video segments to timeline as chapters
 Pick-whipped from ‘motion’ to ‘moving background video’
 Clicked Animate Buttons
 Pick-whipped each of 6 chapters to their counterparts on timeline
 Set poster frame for each chapter
 Set ‘Name From Link’ & typed in name of each chapter
 Opened Flowchart and Pick-whipped from Main Menu to Disc
 Pick-whipped each segment name in Flowchart to each segment on timeline, starting with bottom name
 Pick-whipped Intro Clip to Disc in Flowchart
 Pick-whipped Main Menu to the Intro Clip in Flowchart
 Pick-whipped from Properties End Action of each segment to Main Menu in Flowchart
 Selected Intro Clip in Project Window & set ‘Timeline User Operations’ to ‘None’
 Rendered Motion Menus & saved

NOTE: I disabled ‘Sync Button Text & Name Selected’, before beginning, as I read somewhere this may cause problems.

Is there anything I missed?

Thanks.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Ah-ha Jeff. I think you may have hit the nail on the head…because, I did make seperate time-lines when creating the project. I’ll re-try the project making a single time-line with the same end-actions etc., via your #2 method, and see what happens.

Thanks for your input Jeff.

Wendall

Filmmaker42

[Wendall Woodbury]

Sorry Joe, I’m even confusing myself on this one! Let me re-word the problem I’m encountering.

* I built a 6-chapter, 1-page menu in Encore (with moving video.)

* Chapters play back fine on my stand alone DVD player AND on my computer Windows Media Player.

* HOWEVER, I have encountered another problem with each.

* First the STAND ALONE DVD PLAYER:
when I am in the middle of playing back one of the chapters, and I click either the PREVIOUS or NEXT button on the wand, it completes the action okay…but, when I try to click either PREVIOUS or NEXT AGAIN the player freezes up. In other words I can’t make it play or do anything, until I restart. Now, this does NOT happen every time. The PREVIOUS AND NEXT buttons may operate properly for a couple of trys (reversing or going forward) but, eventually clicking either PREVIOUS or NEXT will freezes up the DVD player. I’ve tried it on several DVD players with the same results, so the problem is on the DVD.

PLAYBACK ON MY COMPUTER PLAYER:

* Using the same DVD in my computer player causes a different reaction.

* Everything functions fine, EXCEPT the PREVIOUS BUTTON. I cannot go back to a former chapter or the menu. However, unlike the DVD standalong player, I CAN use the NEXT button without a problem (on windows Media Player.)

* I’m just wondering if I might be doing something wrong in the creation of the project in Encore? Or, perhaps it’s just a bad DVD (Taiyo Yuden.)I’m about to re-try the project, but am hesitating, simply because it’s rather arduous and I don’t want to repeat the same mistake, if there is one.

I hope this is a bit clearer.

Thanks for addressing this issue with me.

Wendall

Filmmaker42