The question came up "How can I make a one page DVD widescreen menu with 14 scene buttons from the existing Premiere Elements 10 DVD Template named Family Memories for use for Premiere Elements authored DVD-VIDEO Widescreen on DVD disc?". There is no problem customizing the existing main menu or scene menu for this purpose or creating the main menu from scratch with Photoshop CS or later; however, a problem exists in being able to author to DVD-VIDEO widescreen from a project using a menu with more than 11 scene buttons per page. This situation occurs for Premiere Elements 10 burn to DVD or burn to folder followed by the burn to DVD with ImgBurn.
But, there are some interesting twists and turns to this story. Success or failure to author the DVD-VIDEO on DVD disc using a 14 scene buttons widescreen menu was dependent on the choice of preset:
Under Share/Disc/DVD/Disc (authoring to DVD-VIDEO on DVD disc with menu)
(a) NTSC_Widescreen_Dolby DVD. Does not work - burn fails.
(b) NTSC_Dolby DVD. Works - burn succeeds.
Under Share/Disc/Blu-ray/ (authoring to Blu-ray disc format on Blu-ray disc with menu)
(a) H.264 1920 x 1080i NTSC Dolby. Works - burn succeeds.
Under Share/webDVD (which is export to a flash file with menu)
(a) HD NTSC. Works - export success.
(b) SD High Quality NTSC. Works - export success.
SOLUTION
The solution choices become:
(a) If you want a DVD-VIDEO on DVD with one page menu with 14 scene buttons, then go for burn to DVD-VIDEO Standard on DVD disc instead of burn to DVD-VIDEO Widescreen on DVD disc.
or
(b) Create a one page menu page with 11 scene buttons or less, instead of 14, and let the additional scenes spill over to an automatically generated page 2 menu page (copy of first), and forget about the one page menu scheme at DVD-VIDEO playback.
This type of problem is not unique to Premiere Elements 10. It can be seen back to at least 2010 and Premiere Elements 8.0/8.0.1. And, the solutions and how tos here should be applicable to Premiere Elements versions other than just 10.
There are several possibilities for the 14 scene buttons one page menu, that is, menu with text buttons (with highlight being text or shape) as well as thumbnail buttons (with text or shape highlights). Below is described a how to for 14 scenes-text type buttons one page menu with text highlights, derived from the Adobe Family Memories scene menu .psd switched into a main menu .psd. Consequently, main menu markers are placed on the Premiere Elements Timeline.
HOW TO
For Solution
(a) If you want a DVD-VIDEO on DVD with one page menu with 14 scene buttons, then go for burn to DVD-VIDEO Standard on DVD disc instead of burn to DVD-VIDEO Widescreen on DVD disc.
1. LOCATING ORIGINAL ADOBE MAIN MENU AND SCENE MENU .PSD FILES**
(Given Windows 7 or 8 64 bit computer operating system and Premiere Elements 10 and the Adobe DVD Template named Family Memories) and Photoshop Elements 10 used as the .psd editor***)
A. In Premiere Elements Program Files (x86) locate the Family Memories Folder which contains the Family Memories DVD Template assets. In Windows 7 and 8 64 bit, the path is:
Local Disc C
Program Files
Adobe
Premiere Elements 10
DVD Templates
Common
Memories
Family Memories
and in the Family Memories Folder are the .psd files sought. Since this exercise is targeted at NTSC DVD-VIDEO Widescreen on DVD disc, the following widescreen version of the .psd files are copied there and pasted to the computer desktop.
(a) memories_pal_w_mm.psd
This file name is changed to familyevent2_pal_sm.psd so that it becomes the scene menu, not the main menu, of the set.
(b) memories_pal_w_sm.psd
This file name is changed to familyevent2_pal_mm.psd so that it becomes the main menu, not the scene menu, of the set. This is the working file for this exercise. Accordingly, all menu markers placed on the Timeline of a project using it will be main menu markers.
In doing this, the set has own name (not to be confused with the original) and switching menu designation permits for starting with a menu with more assets.
B. Finishing touches at this stage include:
(a) creating a new desktop folder named family event 2 and placing the two renamed .psd files in it.
(b) creating a new folder named My Special Themes and placing it in the Common Folder in the Windows 7 or 8 64 bit path shown at the onset. The family event 2 Folder with the finalized modified .psd file will be placed in that My Special Themes Folder.
2. EDITING THE FAMILY EVENT 2_PAL_W_MM.PSD FILE
A. SETUP
(a) Right click the familyevent2_pal_w_mm.psd file, select Open With, select Photoshop Elements 10.
(b) This main menu .psd typically opens with expanded Layer Sets. First order of business is to close all the Layer Sets so that only the panels representing the original 10 Layer Sets present:
title
(+^) main
(+<) previous
(+>) next
(+) scene five
(+) scene four
(+) scene three
(+) scene two
(+) scene one
background
Each panel contains the assets for the counterpart button that is seen on the screen, and those five scene buttons are linked to corresponding main menu markers placed on the project's Timeline. See Figure 1.
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| Figure 1. Photoshop Elements .PSD Editor. Screen (left) and Layers Palette (left) with 10 original closed Layer Sets |
(a) Cleaning Up The Clutter.
Delete the major Layer Sets named main, previous, and next. They are not need for a one page menu.
Do not delete these Layer Sets if this is an 11 or less scene buttons per page menu in preparation and the project's Timeline main menu markers exceed 11. In this case, the main, previous, and next
buttons will be needed for viewer navigation to and from additional pages automatically generated due to scenes spill over.
Next, open scene one Layer Set. Note that this Layer Set is structured to contain a subLayer Set named (^^) in which is found the Text Layer for the scene one menu button. The code for the English Text Layer = (en_US(-)) scene one. The (^^) subLayer Set also has Text Layers for various languages. Assuming the language to be used is English, delete all the other Text Layers in the (^^) subLayer Set.
In the scene one Layer Set, not its (^^) subLayer Set with the Text Layer, are 3 Layers related to a thumbnail type button. A scene - text type button with text highlight is to be used here, so delete these 3 layers that are named respectively (=1), slide, and (%) video layer.
(b). Setting Up the Text Button for Text Highlight
To set up the text highlight for the text "scene one", duplicate the (^^) subLayer Set.
Important: The duplicate (^^) subLayer typically presents with the incorrect title of (^) instead of (^^). So correct duplicate subLayer Set title from (^) to (^^).
The top (^^) subLayer Set stays at original white looking color, and the name of that Text Layer should be (en_US(-)) scene one. Click on the Text Layer of the second (^^) subLayer Set below and change the name of that layer to (en_US(=1)) highlight and change the color of the text for this Text Layer.
Link the two Text Layers (white Text Layer and different colored Text Layer) in the two (^^) subLayerSets of scene one Layer Set.
Tips: Color #d44d6f for Color Picker Foreground color. With (en_US(=1)) highlight Text Layer selected, Alt Backspace. The color of the (en_US(-)) scene one text appears to be an off shade of white, probably #dcedfb. Text font in both (^^) subLayer Sets was changed to Gouty Stout Regular 14 pt. Essential is type setting of Left Align Text.
C. SCENE TWO, THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE BUTTONS
Repeat the routine of "Clearing Away The Clutter" and "Setting Up the Text Button for Text Highlight" as for scene one described above. See Figure 2 for view of scene one's (+) scene one Layer Set and its (^^) subLayer Set structure which is the same for scene buttons 1 through 14.
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| Figure 2. Layers Palette with (+) scene one Layer Set Structure Revealed |
(a) Duplicate scene five Layer Set and change the name of the duplicate to (+) scene six.
(b) Open the (+) scene six Layer Set and make sure that the subLayer Sets are named correctly to (^^). If (^) is seen, correct to (^^).
(c) Make sure that the top (^^) subLayer Set's Text Layer is correctly named (en_US(-)) scene six and the bottom (^^) subLayer Set's Text Layer is correctly named (en_US(=1)) highlight.
(d) Because of the duplication of five to give six, all that is seen at this point is scene five on the screen. The scene five Layer Set duplicate is sitting on top of scene five Layer Set original, so separation of the two is required. Move Tool selected, click on Text Layer, Ctrl+T, and use the down arrow key to drag the duplicate away from the original. Then change the type so that it reads scene six for the Text Layer of top and bottom (^^) subLayer Sets.
E. SCENE SEVEN TO FOURTEEN BUTTONS
Repeat the scene six drill, changing the name et al appropriately to reflect the numbering.
F. CREATION OF A PLAY ALL BUTTON
(a) Duplicate (+) scene one Layer Set and change name of the duplicate (+) scene one Layer Set to (+-) play all.
(b) Open the (+-) play all Layer Set and make sure that the subLayer Sets are correctly named as (^^). Assure that the Text Layer of the top (^^) subLayer Set is named (en_US(-)) play all and that the Text Layer of the bottom (^^) subLayer Set is named (en_US(=1)) highlight. Change the text of each of the Text Layers to play all.
(c) Because of the duplication using (+) scene one Layer Set, the scene one Layer Set duplicate is sitting on top of the scene one Layer Set original, so separation of the two is required. Move Tool selected, click on Text Layer, Ctrl+T, and use the down arrow key to drag the duplicate away from the original. Then change the type so that its reads play all for the Text Layer of top and bottom (^^) subLayer Sets..
Tip: To get rid of play all button from menu page in the Disc Menu section of a Premiere Elements project, double click play all button, highlight the play all text in the Change Text dialog that opens, press the Enter Key of the computer main keyboard, and then click OK. The play all button is gone.
G. FINALIZATION
(a) Close all the Layer Sets so that only the panel for each is displayed.
(b) Move Tool selected, Layer Set corresponding to button to be moved/positioned selected, Ctrl+T, then mouse cursor or arrow keys to move and position the buttons.
Tip: Use of View/Grid is highly recommended for this purpose
(c) To be avoided is button overlap as well as text running into something if user opts to replace the default text of scene one, scene two, etc.with a longer button name in the Disc Menus section of the program. Remember this is editable text.
(d) In the Layers Palette, the Layer Set panel arrangement (from bottom to top of the Layers Palette) is: background, play all, scene one, scene two, scene three, scene four, scene five, scene six, scene seven, scene eight, scene nine, scene ten, scene eleven, scene twelve, scene thirteen, scene fourteen, title. See Figure 3 for view of finalized one page 14 scene buttons DVD menu.
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| Figure 3. Finalized one page 14 scene buttons DVD menu
HOW TO
for Solution
The How To for Solution (b) is the same as for Solution (a) with the exceptions:
(a) 11 or less scene buttons, not 14, are used on this one menu page for this Timeline that has 14 main menu markers
(b) Since this is now a two page menu when scene spill over occurs, instead of one page, provision needs to be made for menu buttons for navigation between page one and page two. For this the main, previous, and next Layer Sets are needed. One answer is not to delete these Layer Sets in the Solution (a) instructions "Cleaning Up The Clutter" and use the original Layer Sets for main, next, and previous, positioning them accordingly.
But if you opt to make the main, previous, and next Layers Sets yourself, here is the how to suggestion.
(+^) main Layer Set, (+<) previous Layer Set, and (+>) next Layer Set are created with those names and coding, using the same principles used for the play all button creation. The text for the Text Layer is main, <, and > respectively. The font size for < and > was 48 pt. The More was added to the next Layer Set with the intent of avoiding the chances of the viewer mistakenly hitting play all instead of > to get to page 2. Note that the More Text Layer is in the (+>) next Layer Set, not in the (^^) subLayer Set of the (+>) next Layer Set. See Figure 4 for Layer Set and subLayer Set structure.  (c) In the Layers Palette, the Layer Set panel arrangement (from bottom to top of the Layers Palette) is: background, play all, scene one, scene two, scene three, scene four, scene five, scene six, scene seven, next, previous, main, and title. A DVD-VIDEO playback of this 7 scene buttons per page menu with a page 2 automatically generated due to scene spill over looked liked this after finalization. See Figures 5 and 6.   *This study started out related to a Premiere Elements 10 DVD widescreen menu for a Premiere Elements 10 DVD-VIDEO widescreen on DVD project and 14 scenes buttons on one page menu. Therefore the widescreen version of the Family Memory .psd files was used as source starting materials. All findings were made as this study progressed from that starting point. **The Adobe Family Memories DVD Template does offer the choice of HD version and SD version of this theme as well as the widescreen version used here. HD version sizing as per Photoshop Elements 10 Image Size dialog: 1440 x 1080 pixels @ 72 pixels per inches and SD and Widescreen version sizing: 720 x 576 pixels @ 72 pixels per inch. ***Editing of the .psd files of the menus is dependent upon the .psd editor being able to open the Layer Sets of these .psd files. Photoshop CS or later is a sure thing with regard to being able to do this type of edit or creation of a menu from scratch. Photoshop Elements (any version) may not always open these Layer Sets, although Photoshop Elements 10 on Windows 7 64 bit did in this specific study. September 03 2014 Add On Also see blog post PE: Disc Menu Folders/Files Locations http://atr935.blogspot.com/2014/09/pe-disc-menu-foldersfiles-locations.html |
