Premiere Elements DVD menu customization opportunities can be found in the Movie Menu creation area inside the opened project. See HERE* For more advanced customization of the Adobe built in DVD menus, the target evolves around how to open layer groups in the DVD menu's psd files which are found in the version's program files. The critical factor for any .psd editor is its capability to open the layer groups in the layer palette of the DVD menu psd files. Typically, Photoshop has been pointed to as the psd editor of choice since it could open and create the editable layer groups to meet Adobe requirements (nomenclature and structure) to produce a DVD menu that functions in the Premiere Elements opened project.
ISSUE
Photoshop Elements 14 and earlier has lacked the layer group capability of Photoshop; consequently, the workaround of Elements+ software can be found online as a suggested empowerment for Photoshop Elements 14 and earlier to meet the task of editing the Premiere Elements DVD menu psd files.
But now it appears that Adobe has given Photoshop Elements 15 and 2018 layer group capability; a "Create a new group" icon can be found at the top of their layers palette. Does this mean that Photoshop Elements 15 and 2018 are now comparable to Photoshop for the customization and creation of Premiere Elements DVD menus? It was decided to evaluate Photoshop Elements 15 and 2018 as psd editors for the task of producing the editable DVD menu psd files to be used for customized DVD menu available in the opened Premiere Elements project.
FINDINGS
Part 1
Layer Group Opening/Editable Content Within the Opened Layer Groups
Evaluation was performed with Photoshop CS5.1 64 bit, Photoshop Elements 11.0, 12/12.1, 13.0, 14/14.1, 15.0, and 2018 on Windows 7 Professional SP1 and Windows 10 Home 64 bit. The following psd files used in the study were
- from Premiere Elements 2018 program files: Pan and Zoom Theme/"pan and zoom_pal_s_mm.psd
- from Premiere Elements 11 program files: Pan and Zoom Theme/ "pan and zoom_pal_s_mm.psd
- from a Photoshop CS5.1 64 bit psd file created there with layer groups (saved with the Maximum Compatibility setting)
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| Table 1. Photoshop Elements As Psd Editor For Opening Psd Layer Groups And Finding Editable Content In Them. Results Are From Programs Installed On Windows 7 Professional SP1 64 bit. |
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| Table 2. Photoshop Elements As Psd Editor For Opening Psd Layer Groups And Finding Editable Content In Them. Results Are From Programs Installed On Windows 10 Home 64 bit. |
- Yes = Opened Layer Group/Editable Content, and no labeling of layer group with the "non editable adjustment" icon.
- Yes, but = Opened Layer Group/Editable Content, but layer group was labelled "non-editable adjustment"
- No = Layer groups could not be opened to reveal editable content, and layer groups were labelled "non-editable adjustment"
But, a generalized interpretation of the results is guarded at this point because of some conflicting results using Photoshop Elements 14.0/14.1, 13.0, 12/12.1, and 11.0 which each does not have a "Create a new group" option in its layer palette.
Part 2
Can a fully functional DVD Menu for use in Premiere Elements 2018 actually be created in Photoshop Elements 2018 starting with a blank psd file?
As a first try to answer this question, the ingredients for the task included:
- Photoshop Elements 2018 Editor with New/Blank File/Document Type = Film & Video, Size = PAL D1/DV; Width = 720 pixel/Height = 576 pixels
- DVD Main and Scene Menus were created and named plants_pal_s_mm.psd and plants_pal_s_sm.psd respectively and placed in a new folder named "Plants" which was placed in the Premiere Elements 2018 program files in the path Local Disk (C:)/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premiere Elements 2018/DVD Templates/Common/My Garden (newly created)/Plants (newly created)
- The new "Plants" DVD menu was used in a Premiere Elements 2018 NTSC/DV/Standard 48 kHz project after it was found and selected in the Premiere Elements Editor path of Tools Menu/Movie Menu. The functioning of menu buttons, including previous and next, was tested using the Movie Menu workspace "Preview Disc". After Done with Movie Menu preparation, the project was burned to DVD disc which was played back using the VLC Media Player.
Can a full functional DVD Menu for use in Premiere Elements 2018 actually be created in Photoshop Elements 2018 starting with a blank .psd file?is yes - successfully in every regard. See Figure 1 and Figure 2 for a look at the first try at creating a Premiere Elements 2018 DVD menu in Photoshop Elements 2018.
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| Figure 1. Main Menu View of User Newly Created Plants DVD Menu In Premiere Elements 2018.The Menu Was Created In Photoshop Elements 2018 For Use In The Premiere Elements 2018 Project. All Navigation Buttons Were Functional. |
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| Figure 2. Scene Menu View of User Newly Created Plants DVD Menu In Premiere Elements 2018. The Menu Was Created In Photoshop Elements 2018 For Use In The Premiere Elements 2018 Project. All Navigation Buttons Were Functional. Since Scene Menu Was Designed With Only 3 Scenes Buttons And There Were 8 Movie Markers Used In The Timeline, 3 Scene Menu Pages Existed. Shown In Figure 2 is Scene Menu page 1 of 3. |
title
(+<) previous group
(+>) next group
(+^) main menu button
(+*) bonus
(++) scenes
(+-) play button
background
In the case of the .psd for the DVD scene menu, the fundamental layer groups created using Adobe required codes and other details were top to bottom
title
(+) scene 3
(+) scene 2
(+) scene 1
(+<) previous
(+>) next
(+^) main menu button
background
For this test project, the editable content within these layer groups in the Photoshop Elements 2018 layer palette are shown in Figure 3 (main menu) and Figure 4 (scene menu).
Note the nomenclature and structure of the Photoshop Elements layers palette's opened layer groups and contents within the opened layer groups.
Main Menu
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| Figure 3. Photoshop Elements 2018 Layer Palette Layer Groups And Their Content To Build/Create The Premiere Elements 2018 DVD Menu's Main Menu. |
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| Figure 4. Photoshop Elements 2018 Layers Palette Layer Groups And Their Content To Build/Create The Premiere Elements 2018 DVD Menu's Scene Menu. |
COMMENTARY**
The results described would merit further exploration of Photoshop Elements 2018 or 15.0 as psd editor for customization/creation of DVD menu psd files for DVD movie menu used within the Movie Menu workspace of a Premiere Elements project. Use of Photoshop Elements 14/14.1 and earlier for this task is questionable since the results were not always consistent.
Note that the Plants DVD menu whose creation was described above was also found to function in Premiere Elements 11 opened project after the newly created My Garden folder containing newly created Plants folder was placed in the Premiere Elements 11 program files in the path
Local Disk (C:)/Program Files/Adobe/Adobe Premiere Elements 11/DVD Templates/Common/My Garden /Plants.
Customization and creation of the Premiere Elements DVD menu psd files requires attention to details as per the Adobe requirements for nomenclature and structure of the DVD menu psd file. Overlooking the "attention to detail" factor can lead to time consuming failures.
As always, work continues in progress for checking and double checking the accuracy and reproducibility of the data provided.
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*Adobe document dated April 26, 2018.
**Other DVD Menu related blog posts in the ATR Premiere Elements Troubleshooting blog may be of interest.....
PE: One Page 14 Scene Buttons DVD Menu
May 7, 2013
PE: DVD Menu Navigation/Play All Loss
September 13, 2013
PE 11 and 12: Christmas Disc Main Menu Audio Limit
November 17, 2013
PE: Adding Movie Thumbnails To Disc Menu
February 19, 2014
PE 9: Disc Menu Lost Replacement Background
February 10, 2014
PE: Scene Menu Customization/Deceasing Existing Scene
Buttons Per Page
February 9, 2014
PE 11: Full Background Replacement Faux Widescreen Disc Menu
March 22, 2014
PE 12: Scary Halloween Main Menu Default Highlight Sequence
June 26, 2014
PE: Inside the Disc Menu Theme Folder/Files
September 5, 2014
PE: Disc Menu Folders/Files Locations
September 3, 2014
PE 13: Glass Flowers Disc Menu Highlights Missing in Playback
of DVD-VIDEO on DVD Disc
January 31, 2015
PE13/13.1: News Reel Movie Menu Theme Unusable
March 25, 2015
PE: Editable Subtitle For The Disc Menu’s Main Menu
April 30, 2015
PE: Default Video Background For Movie Menu Main Menu
December 30, 2015
PE 11 through 14/14.1: Picture Cube Movie Menu Scene Buttons
Not Editable
February 15, 2016
ATR
