Hi. I have a TMPGEnc DVD-Author question.

I would like to make a title graphic in Adobe Phototshop Elements and
import it into DVD-Author to use as a chapter button. I know how to
import a frame from Photoshop, but how can you import a title?

The reason I want to do this is because DVD-Author only lets you pick
flat colors for text. So I wanted to use some gradients and layer
styles to get a more interesting chapter text button. Note that I'm
talking about having a chapter text button that does not have a
picture frame (e.g., text only).

Thanks!

Ken

"Ken" <kenandeva@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5058d240.0410130534.3f672a1b@posting.google.c om...
Have you addressed this with a www.pegasys-inc.com
support email? I have gotten a response to issues I've
raised, they are not too quick about it though.

I have a trick that I use, that allows me to define any
square or rectangular area as the button. Basically I use
blank text characters and a dot or asterisk for the mouse
over highlight. You incorporate whatever you want to be
your "Button" into the background image, and position
the blank text area over it. The text "button" area's width
and height can be adjusted in TDA.

I've made some with a still background using Gimp-2.
Motion menus could also be produced -externally from
TDA- and brought in as background clips. As long as
the button area(s) remain in the same spot/area it should
work. (actually, as long as the item you select on's
movements keep it in an area on the screen that doesn't
overlap the area of another selection item, you will be ok.)

I'm not sure how font effects are implemented in TDA, I
know it has its own shadow controls. You could haunt the
web site graphic sites, they seem to have an unlimited
supply of Photoshop styles and fonts.

Hope this is of some help.

Luck;
Ken

You do it the same as your frames except your only use a "button" layer and
a "highlight" layer. The button layer can be anything you want. Then on
the highlight layer make an opaque colored selection that is the same shape
of your text (use the selection feature and fill with black). Make the
highlight layer on top of the butotn layer, but make it invisible. Save as
a PSD and you're set. I can send you a template if you want.

"Ken" <kenandeva@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5058d240.0410130534.3f672a1b@posting.google.c om...

"Chad Schmitz" <cschmit@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:I5JFLD.2Ex@news.boeing.com...
That works for the "official buttons" (Play all, Next, Previous,ect..)
but the OP was talking about those parts TDA uses its Text features.
The "Buttons", Thumbnails, Frames, and Background are all treated
as graphic images; the Text isn't. If you could make a styled font with
no shadow, TDA might handle them, I don't know.

Luck;
Ken

Ken Maltby wrote:

the Adobe web site?

Thanks,

Ken K.

"kk_oop<no spam> @yahoo.com>" <"kk_oop<no spam> wrote in message
news6adnYMaJ5fx8fPcRVn-uA@rcn.net...
The "Graphic Design" sites there are a number that
are put up by hobby-enthusiasts, there are some with
an explanation of the process to make your own font.

Try Googling: "buttons fonts Photoshop free" it will
take some sorting but some should show-up as well
as links to others, on some sites.

Luck;
Ken

Try "buttons fonts menu Photoshop free" too.
/Ken

"Ken Maltby" <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message news:<416d77c8$0$89425> Have you addressed this with a www.pegasys-inc.com

Hi. I ended up doing something similar to what you suggested. I made
my frame layer the fancy text. I made the thumbnail layer have a very
tiny rectangle. Note that if I made the rectanble too small, TDA
would not let me import it. So I just had to make it the size of a
spec. I made my highlight layer have a rectangle cover the frame
layer, and made the highlight layer invisible, as normal.

This worked great. Since the Thumbnail rectangle is so small, you
really can't see it on the TV (though it is big enough that TDA will
accept it).

One thing I could not figure out was how to import a graphic as is
without having it be a button or a thumbnail. Anyone know how to do
that?

Thanks!

Ken K.

"Ken" <kenandeva@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:5058d240.0410200936.33fc05c0@posting.google.c om...
I'll have to give your "Thumbnail Spec" idea a try. I take
it that the frame is now a solid block with a spec in the
middle?

Don't quite understand your last question, anything that is
not a Button, Text, or a Thumbnail could just be incorporated
into the background image or clip. (In fact that's how my blank
text trick works, whatever I want to be my "Button" is just a
part of the background image/clip.)

If you are trying to add a new selectable item, such as an
audio track selection button or something; then you will need
to use another menu creation/editing utility.

Luck;
Ken

Ken Maltby wrote:

that you set the highlight size for the frame instead of the "spec"
thumbnail. Like I mentioned, if TDA chokes when you pull it in, it
probably means you made your spec too small.

I had a background picture I was using already, and I never thought to
just add some text to it in Photoshop. Anyway, thanks for helping me
see the obvious. In fact, all your input on this newsgroup is
greatly appreciated and frequently used. It's part of the reason I
bought TDA.

Ken

"kk_oop<no spam> @yahoo.com>" <"kk_oop<no spam> wrote in message
news:RsCdnTWxmeEaY-XcRVn-jw@rcn.net...
If you are still following this thread; try making
"Pop-up" text by adding/making text on/as your
"Highlight" layer. When you mouse over your
"Frame" the text will appear, in the color selected
(default is yellow, but you can change it now).
The text will stay up until you select something
else. Just did this for a one thumbnail test menu,
don't know if you can have each thumbnail have
a different frame, on the same page.

Luck;
Ken

"kk_oop<no spam> @yahoo.com>" <"kk_oop<no spam> wrote in message
news:RsCdnTWxmeEaY-XcRVn-jw@rcn.net...
Just did it with two "kk_oop Thumbnail Spec" frames and two
different "Pop-up" Highlight text; works fine. Also tried using the
"kk_oop Thumbnail Spec" trick to finally make the TiVo episode
description into a "track"/title selection button. I even had the
Highlight be a large fancy font text of the episode title. So I have
the episode description (quite readable), then when I mouse-over,
the episode title in yellow text appears in the highlight area. Looks
pretty neat as my DirecTiVo unit uses a green gradient background,
for those descriptions.

Hope these posts are getting out, I'm not seeing them listed here.

Luck;
Ken