Final Cut Express HD Clickable Onscreen Menu Options at DVinfo.net

Geert van der Veen · March 10th, 2007, 04:44 PM

Does FCE HD have the ability to provide clickable onscreen menu options, i.e. the capability to set icons on screen which one can click on via one's DVD remote control so that you can access other parts of the DVD?

Or is this more the province of DVD authoring?

Thanks,
GVDV

Victor Kellar · March 11th, 2007, 04:20 PM

You create the chapters in FCE

Software like iDVD or DVD Studio Pro do the acutal DVD authoring; that is, make those chapters "useable" on the DVD menu

For chapter creation in FCE (briefly):

Create the Chapters in your Timeline. Make sure nothing is selected. Put the Playhead at the point where you want to make the chapter. Double click the "M" key to bring up the the chapter box. Type in a title for the chapter if you want and click Chapter Number, type in a number (do NOT delete the <Chapter> label, it will not show up on your DVD) Continue along thusly

Export as Quicktime Movie and select Chapters (again, before exporting, make sure nothing is selected in the Timeline)

Now you can drop the resulting movie into iDVD or DVD Studio Pro. Both of them automatically create a chapter at the very head of your movie which can either re-name or delete later

That's a really brief over view. Consult your manuals for more info, but basically those chapters you created will show up in your DVD authoring program where you will have more options about buttons, etc

Geert van der Veen · March 18th, 2007, 10:47 AM

hi Victor,
Many apologies for not having replied to you sooner with thanks for your message - so, thanks.

And your explanation of DVD authoring programs making chapters useable is very clear so thanks for that.

I still have a couple of questions about this topic, so I hope that it's O.K. to ask you.

How much flexibility do the DVD authoring programs that you mention allow in terms of the physical presentation of icons for chapters. For example if I designed a graphic (vector, .jpg whatever) would I be able to import it into the program to use as a clickable icon to use as access to a chapter.

Thanks
GVDV

Victor Kellar · March 18th, 2007, 04:13 PM

What you are talking about is customizing a chapter "button" and you certainly can do that with DVD Studio Pro. For that matter, I think you could do it with iDVD as well.

What the best graphic formats would be (jpg, tiff, etc) and sizing, etc would be up to the program but their documentation would give you the details.

DVD Studio Pro is incredibly fexible and is designed to be customizable (is that a word?). iDVD is a little more limited but much can be done with that

You should check out Ken Stone's website; he has a lot of great arcticles and the kinds of thing you are curious about. I believe its Ken Stone.net

March 10th, 2007, 04:44 PM	#1
Geert van der Veen New Boot Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 5	Final Cut Express HD Clickable Onscreen Menu Options Does FCE HD have the ability to provide clickable onscreen menu options, i.e. the capability to set icons on screen which one can click on via one's DVD remote control so that you can access other parts of the DVD? Or is this more the province of DVD authoring? Thanks, GVDV

March 11th, 2007, 04:20 PM	#2
Victor Kellar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 239	You create the chapters in FCE Software like iDVD or DVD Studio Pro do the acutal DVD authoring; that is, make those chapters "useable" on the DVD menu For chapter creation in FCE (briefly): Create the Chapters in your Timeline. Make sure nothing is selected. Put the Playhead at the point where you want to make the chapter. Double click the "M" key to bring up the the chapter box. Type in a title for the chapter if you want and click Chapter Number, type in a number (do NOT delete the <Chapter> label, it will not show up on your DVD) Continue along thusly Export as Quicktime Movie and select Chapters (again, before exporting, make sure nothing is selected in the Timeline) Now you can drop the resulting movie into iDVD or DVD Studio Pro. Both of them automatically create a chapter at the very head of your movie which can either re-name or delete later That's a really brief over view. Consult your manuals for more info, but basically those chapters you created will show up in your DVD authoring program where you will have more options about buttons, etc

March 18th, 2007, 10:47 AM	#3
Geert van der Veen New Boot Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 5	hi Victor, Many apologies for not having replied to you sooner with thanks for your message - so, thanks. And your explanation of DVD authoring programs making chapters useable is very clear so thanks for that. I still have a couple of questions about this topic, so I hope that it's O.K. to ask you. How much flexibility do the DVD authoring programs that you mention allow in terms of the physical presentation of icons for chapters. For example if I designed a graphic (vector, .jpg whatever) would I be able to import it into the program to use as a clickable icon to use as access to a chapter. Thanks GVDV

March 18th, 2007, 04:13 PM	#4
Victor Kellar Major Player Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Toronto Ontario Canada Posts: 239	What you are talking about is customizing a chapter "button" and you certainly can do that with DVD Studio Pro. For that matter, I think you could do it with iDVD as well. What the best graphic formats would be (jpg, tiff, etc) and sizing, etc would be up to the program but their documentation would give you the details. DVD Studio Pro is incredibly fexible and is designed to be customizable (is that a word?). iDVD is a little more limited but much can be done with that You should check out Ken Stone's website; he has a lot of great arcticles and the kinds of thing you are curious about. I believe its Ken Stone.net