15 Replies Latest reply: Apr 16, 2013 5:04 AM by Stan Jones RSS

    Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?

    EdwurdAdam Community Member

      I have made a project in Encore 5.5.

       

      The project consists of 6 Sub-Menus and a Main Menu. All of the Sub-Menus have animated buttons. I have made 24, 30 second Video clips that I put into these buttons and Pressed "Animate Buttons"

       

      I then brought my Project from Premiere Pro that I Encoded in Media Encoder into Encore. (This is 2 and a half hours long with 24 chapter markers)

       

      I made a timeline out of that. 

       

      (The project is a wedding so before each chapter there is 2 seconds of white that I put my chapter markers on)

       

      I linked up my 1st button from the 1st Sub-Menu to Chapter One of the "2 and half hour project". As soon as I did, the button turned white and the 30 second video dissaapeared.. I tried this on all other buttons as I linked them. some of the turned white, others did not.

       

      I figured out that if a chapter marker has 2 seconds of white before it on the "2 and a half hour project", the Sub-Menu button was using that instead of the 30 second video I made and put in there already.

       

      Why is this happening?

       

      The buttons should not be using any video from the "2 and a half hour project" at all. It should just be playing the 30 second Video that I had already made and put in that button.

       

      It seems like it's overriding the 30 second video and using the timeline video from my project.

       

      Please help me solve this problem

       

      Thanks in advance

        • 1. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
          JSS1138 CommunityMVP

          The video for a button comes from the Timeline it's linked to.  In order to get what you want, you'll have to render a motion background outside of Encore with the menu design, including video thumbnails.  Then bring that in as an asset and create a blank menu.  Link the menu's Video and Audio (Motion tab) to that asset.  Use normal (non-video) buttons on the new menu.

          • 2. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
            Stan Jones CommunityMVP

            Missed this here for some reason. My response to your cow post:

             

            http://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/145/872344

             

            You can avoid the white in Encore, if your timeline content is otherwise okay.

            • 3. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
              EdwurdAdam Community Member

              Hi,

               

              How can I do this in After Effects?

               

              I would bring in the background of the menu into After Effects.

               

              I would then drop my videos in Video Drop Zones (Where can I get video drop zones?) The menu does come with them, but how can I just drop them in there in After Effects?

               

              Then, I would have to get a button or just make a button that does not have a Video Drop Zone attached to it and put that underneath where the video drop zone is and link it up to a chapter in my timeline.

               

              That would solve my problem, am I right?

               

              I am attaching a screenshot of what the button looks like on my menu

               

              As you can see, the white part over the film strip is my Video Drop Zone and the words "Chapter 2". Right now they are all 1 button. I would have to separate the 2 to make it work.

              ZK01 Scene Selection HD.jpg

               

              Thanks in advance

              • 4. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                Here's an adobe tutorial on using AE for EN menus:

                 

                http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/?id=vid0258

                 

                From the After Effects help:

                 

                http://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WS3878526689cb91655866c1103906c6dea-7e45 a.html

                 

                You are probably thinking about the concept a bit wrong. From after effects you will have a video file that includes everything but the button highlights. Those highlights can still not overlap another button's highlights. Yes, you can put other elements "on top" of the AE video. But then Encore will re-transcode it all together when the menu is rendered. Generally you want to avoid that.

                 

                The "drop zones" as you call them are used just to show you where the area is. In af ter effects you bring in your movies for the buttons and scale them down to button size and position.

                 

                Add your text titles, etc, in AE.

                 

                Back in Encore, you will import the 6 AE movies (one for each submenu), and add the AE movie as a video background to that submenu. You will have highlights on each submenu in Encore, but only that and the video background.

                • 5. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                  EdwurdAdam Community Member

                  Hi,

                   

                  Thanks for the info.

                   

                  This seems like a lot of work jut to get what I want to accomplish.

                   

                  I can do this in DVD Studio Pro without having to leave that program. Very easily.

                   

                  There is no way in Encore that I can

                   

                  1) Delete the "Video Drop Zone and Button" Which is linked together as 1 button

                  2) Grab a New Drop Zone that does not have a button attached to it.

                  3) Place it in the place where the original Drop Zone was

                  4) Add my 30 second video to it

                  5) Grab a button that does not have a "Video Drop Zone to it", or just type one up myself and make a button out of that.

                  6) Link up my timeline chapter to that new button

                  7) Done.

                   

                  That would not work?  Do they have "Video Drop Zones" that are not buttons?

                   

                    Can I take the original Button and Video Drop Zone and delete it from the project. Add a 30 second video on top of where that "Video Drop Zone" Resize it to fit, then add a button?

                   

                  Thanks in advance

                  • 6. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                    Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                    I may be missing something....

                     

                    Delete nothing. Select a submenu. Menu -> Create After Effects Composition. Etc (from tutorial above).

                     

                    The video thumbnail layers/button elements are there to use for placeholders and/or to use as elements in what will be the background movie (even if it includes what would be foreground elements in a regular Encore menu).

                     

                    When you bring the motion video into Encore, then delete what you don't need from the Encore menu elements.

                     

                    And if you like the highlights you had originally, you won't be deleting those.

                     

                    There is no easy way in Encore (or AE) to do what DVDSP has as a feature. While the Encore limitation is that you must pull you segments from the timeline it links to, once you accept that limitation it apears easier than DVDSP - where you must create your thumbnial videos. Or does it also have the Encore type option?

                     

                    I generally use shorter thumbnail videos - 15 seconds - and that increases the chances that there is a good section of the timeline/chapter to use.

                    • 7. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                      EdwurdAdam Community Member

                      Hi Stan,

                       

                      Well, I just figured it out and how to do it in Encore thanks to the help of this Tutorial.

                       

                      http://www.eyescreamfactory.com/tutorials/add-videos-to-adobe-encore-menus.html

                       

                      I follwed this tutrorial the first time, then I just applied it to my "Video Drop Zones" in my own menus.

                       

                      The "Video Drop Zones" are still considered buttons because an animated button is still needed to play my videos inside them, I just did not link any chapters to them. I deleted the the original words (Chapter Names) that came with the menu, then I made my own buttons by turning my text into a button, and linked my chapter markers to that.

                       

                      The trick is not to link any Chapter Markers to the "Video Drop Zones." even though they are still considered buttons.

                       

                      I then re-routed my buttons and it works perfectly.

                       

                      I have my 30 Second QT Files playing and looping in the "Video Drop Zones" and I have my Chapter names on my menu linked up to a Chapter in my 2 and a half hour project.

                       

                      This is what I was going for.

                       

                      Thanks for all of your help.

                       

                      P.S. I am having trouble getting the right settings to encode my 2 and a half hour project to around 15 GB's. Do you have any suggestions on that subject?

                      • 8. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                        Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                        Very clever. Check my assumptions. How many animated "buttons" do you have on each submenu? Six, right? So you have 6 buttons with links, and 6 buttons (animated) without links; the 6 with links navigate to timelines and the 6 without navigate only to themselves. And I assume laid out so none overlap? The animated buttons cannot be clicked, even though on a computer they will appear to be a link.

                         

                        P.S. I am having trouble getting the right settings to encode my 2 and a half hour project to around 15 GB's. Do you have any suggestions on that subject?

                        Use a bitrate calculator.

                         

                        Here's one: http://dvd-hq.info/bitrate_calculator.php

                        • 9. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                          EdwurdAdam Community Member

                          Hi Again,

                           

                          I have 4 Animated buttons on 6 sub-menus = 24 Buttons. Each will have a 30 second QT movie playing in it. Each of those will be an "Animated Button", but without any links to them.

                           

                          Under each "Animated Button" I typed a new Button and linked that button to a chapter in my whole 2 and a half hour project.

                           

                          So even though my "Animated Buttons" are still Technically Buttons, there will be no way for anyone to click on them with their remote because of the way I routed the buttons. The Animated cannot be clicked.

                           

                          What do you mean by "No Overlap?" The buttons do not overlap each other they are side by side going from left to right. Is that what you mean?

                           

                          Thanks

                          • 10. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                            Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                            Thanks for the description. Yes, you have no overlap. I was thinking more overlap between the animation and the text button, but all 8 of your buttons are separate and not overlapping.

                             

                            In the typical Encore library submenu with video thumbnails for animated buttons, the thumbnail and text (which is below it) are included in the same button set. The method you are using could use one of those sets and modify so that the thumbnail and text sections are in separate buttons.

                             

                            Note that some users will use a remote to select chapters by number. So I would number the buttons so that your linked buttons are 1-4.

                            • 11. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                              EdwurdAdam Community Member

                              HI,

                               

                              Actually, I did # the buttons 2-5 because I also have 3 other buttons (Text only) Main Menu, Previous, and Next.

                               

                              There are a total of 7 buttons on each menu, 3 being just Text and you know about the other 4.

                               

                              Thanks

                              • 12. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                                Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                                Got it! Congrats on finding a workaround that gets what you want.

                                 

                                There are two feature requests that would be of interest.

                                 

                                One (that comes up with some frequency) is for Encore to take any video you choose for an animated button that is linked to a timeline. There could be a toggle of "take thumbnail video from linked chapter" (the current Encore method) or from some other timeline or asset in the project (using th eposter frame/duration method) or you specify the asset.

                                 

                                Another is to provide a drop zone,  non-button, and add any video you want (or specify and timeline/asset, poster frame, duration etc).

                                 

                                Encore does not have an encouraging history for such feature improvements however. Most of  us would settle for more error free processing/bug fixes.

                                • 13. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                                  EdwurdAdam Community Member

                                  Hi again,

                                   

                                  Thanks,

                                   

                                  Since my menu is 7 GB, the only drawback is going to be that I would have to Encode my full project (no matter how long it is) at a much lower Target Bit Rate. According to some, the Target Bit Rate should be 17 MPBS for Blu-Ray,

                                   

                                  Right now am encoding my Long Project at a Target Rate of 7.5 GB and a Max bit rate of 15.

                                   

                                  I am going to see how big my file comes out to be. It says it is going to be 9 GB. If it is, then I plan on raising my Target bit rate to about 15 to see how big that file comes out.

                                   

                                  I had trouble yesterday when I encoded it. The estimated file size says it was going to be 15 GB and when it was done, it came out to be 23 GB.

                                   

                                  I am encoding it low now to see what the final size really is. I am hoping it comes out low, so I can raise the Traget bit rate closer to 17 MBPS.

                                   

                                  I'll let you know when it gets finished encoding in a few hours.

                                   

                                  Thanks

                                  • 14. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                                    EdwurdAdam Community Member

                                    OK. It just finished Encoding at the above Bit Rates and it came out to be 9.3 GB.

                                     

                                    I can definitely make the Target Bit rate much Higher as well as the Max bit rate a little higher.

                                     

                                    I'll keep you updated.

                                     

                                    Thanks,

                                    • 15. Re: Animated buttons using timeline video instead of video clips I made. Why?
                                      Stan Jones CommunityMVP

                                      Are you also using the calculator? It might add info.