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Reccomendations for 'best' current authoring tool?
DVD Authoring DVD (Digital Video Disc) Authoring Info and discussions. Everything about authoring and burning video as DVD with chapters, menus and still pictures. Discussions includes DVD±RW and DVD-VR to DVD±RW (alt.video.dvd.authoring)
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#21
 
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Re: Reccomendations for 'best' current authoring tool? -
10-01-2006
, 05:23 PM
OKdnVqy0ObbToLYnZ2dnUVZ_oKdnZ2d (AT) rcn (DOT) net:|
I've never tried TMPGEnc DVD Author (TDA) or Ulead Movie Factory 5. I've taught myself to use Ulead DVD Workshop 2 to author DVDs and I'm pretty happy with it. I prepare my MPEG2 files (often something I've captured with ATI All-in-Wonder) using Womble MPEG Video Wizard. With Womble I can easily edit out commercials if necessary and join segments if I'm capturing from a LaserDisc or whatever. Then I just drop the completed video into DVD Workshop and use my imagination. First, I add chapter stops at appropriate places. Then, for menus, usually I start with templates just to make linking the menus easier. Then I change all the template backgrounds to something appropriate -- graphics I've created in PhotoShop or maybe still captures from the video itself. Then I capture from the movie some appropriate background music clips to add to the menus, add some customized buttons, etc. etc. I like the full motion buttons DVD Workshop adds automatically, but I can make a button out of pretty much any graphic. Then, when I think I have it right, I view the future DVD to see if everything works as I'd planned. Usually this means I have to go back and re-work a few things. But even if everything seems fine, I still create an ISO file and mount it on a virtual drive just to be absolutely sure I have what I want. I seldom burn directly from DVD Workshop. Instead, I compress the virtual DVD with DVD2One if necessary and burn to disk with Nero. Well, it works for me. I have the most recent season of The Sopranos on three DVDs, each with a main menu and submenus for each episode. I gotta say I'm pretty pleased with the way it all turned out. So I wonder -- has anyone around here had experience with DVD Workshop -- enough to tell me it would be worth my while to learn my way around TDA? Is TDA a superior product? Easier to use? (DVD Workshop was a real pain to learn, but I have it down pretty well now.) Does anybody here have enough first-hand experience to discuss how they compare? Thanks. |
I agree with your comments about Ulead DVD Workshop 2.
If I am in a hurry and I want to keep it simple I use TDA and one of my
templates from previous projects. If I want to be creative, I use DVD
Workshop. I especially like the way Photoshop can be used for the art
work, buttons, etc and then saved as a PSD file with layers and imported
into DVD Workshop. I also like how easy it is to have menus with sub-
menus.
I have not yet figured out how to make a 16x9 menu for the DVD with
Workshop. It is probably possible to do this, but I never needed it bad
enough to put in the effort to figure it out.
Before I discovered DVD Workshop, I used DVD-Lab Pro.
PON
#22
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++++++++ I agree with your comments about Ulead DVD Workshop 2. If I am in a hurry and I want to keep it simple I use TDA and one of my templates from previous projects. If I want to be creative, I use DVD Workshop. I especially like the way Photoshop can be used for the art work, buttons, etc and then saved as a PSD file with layers and imported into DVD Workshop. I also like how easy it is to have menus with sub- menus. You can do the same art replacements in TDA, just click on what |
file. Photoshop works great, but I like the free Gimp2, they both can
make layered PSD files. TDA will help you use other image files, as
well, (adding a highlight layer for example). "Menus with submenus"
is limited in TDA, but there are a few tricks you can use to get around
that.
Does Workshop let you make a menu with just text selection
items, no thumbnails? I find that works great for motion menus,
especially with a good selection of fonts.
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I have not yet figured out how to make a 16x9 menu for the DVD with Workshop. It is probably possible to do this, but I never needed it bad enough to put in the effort to figure it out. Not something that has been an issue, for me either. |
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Before I discovered DVD Workshop, I used DVD-Lab Pro. DVDLab Pro is more capable than Workshop or TDA, and |
least).
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PON |
#23
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Does Workshop let you make a menu with just text selection items, no thumbnails? I find that works great for motion menus, especially with a good selection of fonts. |
Yes, with DVD Workshop you can use anything for selection. It doesn't have
to look like a thumbnail or a button.
There is even a sneaky way to do it. Just drag any button from the
"library" onto the menu background image. Then move it to the desired
location and resize it as desired over the text object. After it is all set
up activate the "invisible" check-box in the "button --> style" menu item.
The button will still be there but it will be invisible and all you see is
the text underneath.
PON
#24
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"Ken Maltby" <kmaltby (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote in news:zM6dndHu- o_azL3YnZ2dnUVZ_oSdnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com: Does Workshop let you make a menu with just text selection items, no thumbnails? I find that works great for motion menus, especially with a good selection of fonts. ++++++++ Yes, with DVD Workshop you can use anything for selection. It doesn't have to look like a thumbnail or a button. There is even a sneaky way to do it. Just drag any button from the "library" onto the menu background image. Then move it to the desired location and resize it as desired over the text object. After it is all set up activate the "invisible" check-box in the "button --> style" menu item. The button will still be there but it will be invisible and all you see is the text underneath. PON |
selection layout and then can use a "space" character as an
invisible button that I can also resize and place over any area
or thing in the background.
Luck;
Ken
#25
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"Ken Maltby" <kmaltby (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote in news:zM6dndHu- o_azL3YnZ2dnUVZ_oSdnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com: Does Workshop let you make a menu with just text selection items, no thumbnails? I find that works great for motion menus, especially with a good selection of fonts. ++++++++ Yes, with DVD Workshop you can use anything for selection. It doesn't have to look like a thumbnail or a button. There is even a sneaky way to do it. Just drag any button from the "library" onto the menu background image. Then move it to the desired location and resize it as desired over the text object. After it is all set up activate the "invisible" check-box in the "button --> style" menu item. The button will still be there but it will be invisible and all you see is the text underneath. |
over a text object? Why not just make the text object active? It'll
even change colors when it's active, and you can pick the colors you
want. Just drag and drop a chapter thumbnail or menu thumbnail onto the
text object and the link is set up for you. The text object itself
becomes the button.
I could understand your method, I suppose, if you wanted to create an
invisible-but-active area over part of your background image with no
text object involved. But wouldn't that make menu navigating difficult
-- especially if you're trying to navigate with a DVD remote? What am I
missing here?
Bill Anderson
#26
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"Quanta" <none (AT) none (DOT) NET> wrote in message news:efntm9$5a0$1 (AT) daisy (DOT) noc.ucla.edu... "Buchetamo" <buchetamo (AT) optusnet (DOT) com.au> wrote in message news:451f2082$0$17214$afc38c87 (AT) news (DOT) optusnet.com.au... "Ken Maltby" <kmaltby (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote in message news:MMWdnX3Q3cKcgIPYnZ2dnUVZ_ridnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com... "Quanta" <none (AT) none (DOT) NET> wrote in message news:efk3r9$k3o$1 (AT) zinnia (DOT) noc.ucla.edu... "Citizen Bob" <spam (AT) uce (DOT) gov> wrote in message news:451d2f16.91145312 (AT) news-server (DOT) houston.rr.com... On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 15:18:43 -0500, "Cathy" <cathy (AT) NOSPAM (DOT) deviney.net wrote: .sdrawkcab daer ot su secrof tI .tsop pot ton oD You can try Ulead MovieFactory. Why screw around with that piece of crap when TDA is available? There is not one thing TDA can do that Movie Factory 5 can't. Have you authored HD DVDs in TDA? Because you can't. You can in MF5. Etc, etc. If that is true then I might give MF5 a try when HD burners and media become affordable. But by then there may be a HD TDA. What would the "Etc, etc." be? Luck; Ken Hi Ken, After reading these comments I decided to install MF5. Bearing in mind the depth of your knowledge on these matters & the way in which you totally, completely & absolutely recommend TDA ( I myself bought TDA based on your recommendations), I think you would be disappointed with MF5. It's my personal opinion. Although MF5 certainly can do many "things, etc, etc", it appears it only does them "touching the surface". I only worked with it doing a slide show & was not impressed, perhaps it's case of "biting on more than it can chew". Nonsense. I hope you realize how pandering and lame your response is. You just installed MF5, gave it no chance, and made this decision. Brilliant. Touching the surface...that is all many would say TDA does. You really have no clue at all. Now go away. |
#27
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Pseud O. Nym wrote: "Ken Maltby" <kmaltby (AT) sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote in news:zM6dndHu- o_azL3YnZ2dnUVZ_oSdnZ2d (AT) giganews (DOT) com: Does Workshop let you make a menu with just text selection items, no thumbnails? I find that works great for motion menus, especially with a good selection of fonts. ++++++++ Yes, with DVD Workshop you can use anything for selection. It doesn't have to look like a thumbnail or a button. There is even a sneaky way to do it. Just drag any button from the "library" onto the menu background image. Then move it to the desired location and resize it as desired over the text object. After it is all set up activate the "invisible" check-box in the "button --> style" menu item. The button will still be there but it will be invisible and all you see is the text underneath. Help please. Why would you want to create an invisible-but-active area over a text object? Why not just make the text object active? It'll even change colors when it's active, and you can pick the colors you want. Just drag and drop a chapter thumbnail or menu thumbnail onto the text object and the link is set up for you. The text object itself becomes the button. I could understand your method, I suppose, if you wanted to create an invisible-but-active area over part of your background image with no text object involved. But wouldn't that make menu navigating difficult -- especially if you're trying to navigate with a DVD remote? What am I missing here? Bill Anderson |
described. (TDA has text objects that are buttons/links, no need to
make them so.)
Here are some reasons "to create an invisible-but-active area over
part of your background image" with or without text involved:
You can place very complex text effects in your background image/
clip, with most graphic editing packages and/or video editing tools.
(complex drop shadows, gradients, textures, etc...)
With a motion clip as the background, you can use text effects with
movement, rotating, fading in and out, pulsing, giving off sparks,
whatever.
You can have a background clip where a subject moves through
objects in the background then confines his movements to a limited
area. That limited area can become a selection area, so that
subject becomes a selection item.
(Your menu could be a clip of your family entering a room and
taking seats/positions around the room. As they enter you could
have a voice-over saying "Everyone has a story, pick one", then
they could all start saying "Pick-Me". [You could even have your
dog barking, to have his selection area clicked on] )
That should give you some idea of the usefulness of an "invisible
selection area". It makes anything you can put in the background
useable as a "button".
To aid in navigation with TDA I put some visible characters
(Often from the Wingdings font.) in the text field, along with the
invisible spaces. I adjust the color to match the background so
the visible ones blend in, until the item is selected and the highlight
color change kicks in. ( This is very easy if you make "Bullet Points"
type text selection items, and have the "bullet" highlight to indicate
what is being selected. The "bullet(s)" can be any character from any
font.)
You might be able to do the same in Workshop, I don't know.
Luck;
Ken
#28
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Here are some reasons "to create an invisible-but-active area over part of your background image" with or without text involved: You can place very complex text effects in your background image/ clip, with most graphic editing packages and/or video editing tools. (complex drop shadows, gradients, textures, etc...) With a motion clip as the background, you can use text effects with movement, rotating, fading in and out, pulsing, giving off sparks, whatever. You can have a background clip where a subject moves through objects in the background then confines his movements to a limited area. That limited area can become a selection area, so that subject becomes a selection item. (Your menu could be a clip of your family entering a room and taking seats/positions around the room. As they enter you could have a voice-over saying "Everyone has a story, pick one", then they could all start saying "Pick-Me". [You could even have your dog barking, to have his selection area clicked on] ) That should give you some idea of the usefulness of an "invisible selection area". It makes anything you can put in the background useable as a "button". To aid in navigation with TDA I put some visible characters (Often from the Wingdings font.) in the text field, along with the invisible spaces. I adjust the color to match the background so the visible ones blend in, until the item is selected and the highlight color change kicks in. ( This is very easy if you make "Bullet Points" type text selection items, and have the "bullet" highlight to indicate what is being selected. The "bullet(s)" can be any character from any font.) |
Many thanks!
--
Bill Anderson
I am the Mighty Favog
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