Hi,

Since this is my first post I thought I had better say a few bits; I am getting ready to go into S3D production, I know I still have a lot to learn. I want to learn all I can as I think it is something that will be around for a while and I have done most of Tim's recommended reading.
I am planning to do my own DIY 3D rig build with special features such as live anaglyph view, my own version of genlock and iphone controlled, motorized camera adjusting. Now to my problem...

I can film in S3D, edit in FCP, export as a split frame (haven't got 3D Toolbox yet, so just adjust the image in FCP motion) and save as 3820x1080, SBS or anaglyph as needed in Roxio Creator Pro. A weird process I admit but it works so far.
My issue is that I want to create menus (side note, I am not looking for full HD 3D, just SBS and anaglyph, I understand that it is not possible and I dont have 3K for neo3d) as in proper, after effects for example, animated and custom menus but that then play a 3D film. What affordable (vegas or encore) software do I need to acheive this?

How does this work with TV mode switching? If the viewer switches to 3D mode and puts the SBS or anaglyph bluray in and the menu is in 2D, will it still display?

Finally, what about anaglyph and SBS DVDs? How simple/ hard is this?

Regards and I look forward to hearing from a wealth of knowledge out there!

Eric.

I would not do an anaglyph BluRay. To me it seems a crime to waste the color space BluRay can present by dulling it in ana. Why not side by side polarized? Most TVs have side by side option, and you can record SidexSide to BluRay. My current workflow in FCP is File>Share BluRay. It encodes and burns in one step.

As for the BluRay menu, this is something I have been struggling with for a while to get perfect. I've asked this question on another forum and received not one reply, when I ask people around town no one seems to have a practical answer. You most certainly can create a BluRay menu on Encore, however getting the proper math specs for all the titles and buttons is literally a headache. Panasonic's 3D centre in Hollywood can create tremendous menus, but I think for indie filmmakers and small companies this is a work in progress. I'll post here if I find any updates.

I'm trying this out at the moment - there seems to be a way to get FCP to provide menu buttons for individual chapters but haven't tried how that works from the timeline/file export side. I want to burn a single blu-ray with a series of short 3D films on it, each with it's own play button, so thought I could use this chapter facility. It must be possible... ?

Side by side works fine for blu-ray and looks good on a nice big telly.

I haven't done either Blu-ray or 3D DVDs but I have done lots of standard DVDs. The DVD chapter button option is tied to markers within your FCP sequence. Then the sequence needs to exported from Compressor to maintain the chapter markers. After that, DVD Studio Pro will recognize the markers and give you an option to choose associated buttons. I don't know how this workflow will adapt to anything but the above order. Hope that helps.

Thanks Jesse - my hunch is that the same thing applies to the Compressor flow for Blu-ray, just need to try it out. Actually, you can go straight to blu-ray from within Final Cut 7 and there are chapter options in the menu pull-downs, so must play with it a bit and see how it all works

Pity the menu is 2D and the content 3D... :(

I really thought that FCP 10 was going to have 3D workflow built in. I guess that won't come till Ipad 3D.

No one outside Apple really knows what will be in FCP X until it is released later this month. Even FCP insiders invited to Apple in March saw the exact same presentation we saw at NAB.
I too am hoping FCP X has some 3D functionality, at the very least stereoscopic management of clips.

I'm trying this out at the moment - there seems to be a way to get FCP to provide menu buttons for individual chapters but haven't tried how that works from the timeline/file export side. I want to burn a single blu-ray with a series of short 3D films on it, each with it's own play button, so thought I could use this chapter facility. It must be possible... ?

Side by side works fine for blu-ray and looks good on a nice big telly.

Sounds like a plan! I will certainly give this a try :)

Well I've made a few 3D blu-ray discs now, and also AVCHD DVD's, and all have worked fine. Using the chapter markers in FCP is easy and it produces a simple play menu to select which short you want to watch.

Things to watch out for:

- Shut down every other application on your mac while doing the blu-ray burn from FCP7... otherwise it never finishes (why, oh lord, why?)

- Can't find a way to make it auto-switch from 2D (main menu) to 3D when the movie plays, have to manually switch the telly from 2D to 3D and back again (grrr...)

- Can't make the main menus 3D

Ok for demos, although still a bit frustrating, but did manage to go this way to show a 3D film entry we made for a competition in Bristol recently.

Wonder if FCP X solves all this? ha ha

Cheers

Neil