dvd-a button/mask help
 

I'm trying to create a "star" mask for a clip when it's highlighted. I've attempted several different ways and what happens is it keeps getting cropped by the media's thumbnail space. I even tried adding a empty button so I could size it bigger in hopes it wouldn't be constrained but yet it still has.

Ideally I would like the mask to spin but I think I'm asking too much, maybe with some scripting I could do it, but I haven't had time to dive into yet.

Here is a shot of the psd in which I'm trying to replicate and a shot of what is actually happening.

I haven't done this with too much complexity, but what we need to do is create a 3-layer PSD group. Each of these layers HAS a particular naming convention: thumbnail, thumbnail mask and frame. We need ALL these to allow DVDA to do its thing. So, I can imagine that making your active frame and overlays in your "Star" format could/would be straightforward?

If you haven't yet done it, please download the FREE manual and look on page 130: "Creating custom menus and buttons using layered graphics".

HTH?

Grazie

Thanks for the help Graham that's basically what I was doing... I figured it out finally.

At first I was just making the text box large enough to incorporate the mask and just manually getting the text where I wanted it via font size and spaces (<enter>).

Then I realized my problem is I'm using the regular thumbnails for the actual buttons... so instead of doing that I just set the button to be the "empty button" and to basically ignore (never go to) the regular thumnails and it doesn't restrict the highlight then.

So simple in the end but there is certainly not much info out there on such tips... hopefully someone can find this helpfull... if it wasn't clear then let me know and I can go into more detail.

I read the manual but I'm pretty lost how to start. I just want to make a customized button with a border. The thumbnails are 16:9 but the default choices makes it too small. I understand i have to make a thumbnail and a thumbnail mask in photoshop. So how do I import the mask after that?

Create 3 layers in your PSD file.

One is the thumbnail mask, the other would be your frame and the last would be the highlight mask (thought that could be the same as your thumbnail mask if it serves the same purpose).

Then once inside dvd-a you just select under the thumbnail properties to "replace" the thumbnail mask and frame with said PSD file and under that select the layer that each mask is on respectfully.

hmm, the frame might need to be it's own image that you just drag and drop on your menu and you just have to mask inside of it... not sure about that as I didn't really do any work with frames but now that I'm thinking about it I think the dvd-a settings are only for masking what the frame is... if you want to just use the frame as the highlight.

Let me know if that wasn't clear and I'll do my best to clear it up.

When I have a default button on the Workspace, I click on it - that brings up the "Button Properties" Control Pane > Then pick off the item of the Button I want to swap. Navigate to where I had the item and select.

I've just learnt how to create my own Themes and then use my buttons I had created. Again, once I click on the existing button I go to my now NEW buttons in the buttons tab and right click on it and select "Replace Button". I needed a HEXAGON to mask the video animation.

I spent the best part of this week trying to get to grips with this. It wasn't pretty!!! - And I still need to iron out some of my knowledge wrinkles.

What I want now is Button Grow on Navigation and an audible PING!!

There MUST be an easier way to earn a living . . ?

Grazie

That isn't in the dvd specs so it's not possible. :(

I wish there was something to allow you to "replace" button when it is selected but I haven't seen it in dvd-a... not sure if the dvd spec allows for it.

hi Kevin. Is there a specific button size? I saw somewhere it was 250x200 or something. I didnt see any recommendations in the manual. I imported this 16:9 DVD pal wide media. I like to have a border frame around it but all the buttons are too small. What pixal dimension should i draw the psd layers to keep the aspect ratio?

Hmm, what I did was do a screen grab and then drew my frame around that... it was actually still off and squeezing in the top and bottom a bit so I pulled it back. I would say just go with trial and error unless someone has a more definitive answer to offer... I usually just eyeball things like that and tweak till I get it where I wanted.

If you resave your PSD file with the same name the dvd-a project updates to reflect so trial and error isn't too hard actually.