21:03:46 [Mitch] anyway, I'm going to run through a few quick tips and then do some more involved items
21:04:27 [Mitch] so if you go "I know that" for the early ones don't be surprised
21:05:06 [jessyel] ok
21:05:12 [Mitch] #1: There is maintenance available that fixes a bunch of problems mostly related to writing DVDs
21:05:24 [Mitch] it is at adobe.com
21:05:36 [Nancy] that download patch?
21:05:55 [jessyel] version 1.01 right?
21:06:31 [Mitch] yes, #2: 1st thing to do after that is click help. there is a beginner's tutorial in the help stuff
21:06:48 [Mitch] yes version 1.0.1
21:07:14 [Mitch] or 1.01 i'm not sure
21:08:04 [Mitch] #3: Curt has a good tutorial on wrigleyvideo.com
21:09:06 [Nancy] yes I've watched that one - very thorough I thought.
21:09:27 [Mitch] #4: The encore disc has a goodies folder with lots of good menus and buttons
21:10:14 [jessyel] just to note, that is on your second CD, not the first...
21:11:02 [FM] are those easy to costumize?
21:11:42 [jessyel] yes.
21:11:44 [Mitch] #5 and last of the quick ones: on the disc folder this are optionals reports. run these they will help determine problems before trying to burn a disc
21:11:56 [jessyel] you can edit each menu and button in photoshop
21:12:10 [Nancy] hmmmm I only have 1 CD for Encore.
21:12:18 [FM] thanks jess
21:12:31 [Mitch] fernando, yes. you can easily just type in new text but also so stuff in PS
21:12:42 [jessyel] i made a video tutorial on how you can edit these in photoshop. they are photoshop files essentially. just go to Object > Edit in Photoshop
21:12:56 [Mitch] i changed a few buttons to arrows and the like
21:13:18 [jessyel] I got two Encore CD's... One that had the installation files, and the other that had the extra menus, buttons and video files
21:13:32 [Mitch] i have just have one cd also
21:13:39 [FM] I see, thx
21:13:39 [cwrig] Hi gang, sorry Im late.
21:13:47 [FM] hi curt
21:13:53 [Nancy] maybe I'll be emailed Adobe in the very near future. *S*
21:13:53 [Mitch] hi curt
21:14:40 [jessyel] well, i bought the video bundle from my university. don't know if the number of discs is different for other. but i have a whole other disc with extras
21:14:50 [Mitch] oops I forgot one more easy one #6: Encore tends to put out these not very meaningful messages like -224
21:14:52 [Nancy] maybe they now package it all onto one CD.
21:15:35 [Mitch] there is an ErrorMessages folder within Encore that has a bit more explanation
21:15:36 [Nancy] where do you mean the "disc folder" for reports - on the install disk, or within the program?
21:16:06 [Mitch] within the program, sorry i wasn't clear on that
21:16:24 [Nancy] okay thanks.
21:16:59 [Mitch] pause....any questions because it gets more complicated from here
21:17:17 [FM] fine by me
21:17:30 [jessyel] i'm good.
21:17:36 [Mitch] ok let's talk buttons.
21:18:01 [Mitch] you can make button or images in photoshop, no problem
21:18:31 [Mitch] in encore there is "import as asset" and "import as menu"
21:18:51 [Mitch] import as menu assumes a PSD, photoshop file
21:19:31 [Mitch] but you shouldn't import buttons or photoshop files with the "import as asset"
21:19:45 [FM] has to be PSD?
21:20:05 [Mitch] import as asset ignores the photoshop layers and alpha channel
21:20:08 [Nancy] any restrictions on which version of PS that was used?
21:20:15 [FM] ok
21:21:00 [Mitch] technically you can import other types of files as buttons but it is impossible to get highlights with these
21:21:33 [Mitch] you need PS 6.0 or later because it has layer sets which are important to encore
21:22:05 [Nancy] okay thanks. I'm good to go on that then.
21:22:12 [FM] Can you use AE to do the menus on AE
21:22:12 [Mitch] anyway, when you want to import a button what you need to do is go to the library folder and import through there
21:23:12 [Mitch] there is a little new item icon...importing through the library DOES recognize alpha channel and PS layers
21:23:56 [Mitch] i'm told that using drag-and-drop from outside encore will also work
21:24:22 [Mitch] a bit complicated but i learned the hard way...
21:25:22 [FM] why?
21:25:23 [Mitch] another oddity is that you would think it would be good to allow AVIs in the library, some common menu backgrounds or something
21:26:02 [Mitch] fernando, sorry too fast...what's your question?
21:26:39 [FM] You said you learned the hard way, the drag & drop issue
21:26:52 [FM] being too complicated?
21:27:03 [FM] or was it something else?
21:27:26 [Nancy] you do mean drag/drop using like Windows Explorer?
21:28:22 [Mitch] yes drag and drop like Windows. importing a PSD file as an asset and using "convert to button" completely trashed a project
21:28:56 [FM] ouch! I see what you mean
21:29:13 [Mitch] not a big project
21:29:36 [FM] So drag & drop = import as asset, right?
21:29:40 [Mitch] it essentially created an internal error that encore couldn't recover from
21:30:14 [Mitch] no, drag & drop = import through library folder ...good stuff
21:30:40 [FM] ok!
21:32:04 [Mitch] ok...encore allows you to import AVIs through the library folder but it doesn't work correctly...you don't get an error message they just don't show up
21:32:41 [Mitch] i tried this with some of the menu backgrounds in the goodies folder
21:33:05 [Mitch] not as user friendly as it could be...
21:33:40 [Mitch] speaking of which...some of the sample menu backgrounds seem a bit too bright
21:34:09 [Mitch] if you import these into Premiere Pro for editing it won't allow it
21:34:32 [Mitch] funny thing is they are actually Windows Media 9 Pro files
21:35:07 [Mitch] with an AVI extension...if you change the extension to WMV you should be able to import these files
21:35:37 [jessyel] hey mitch, are we allowed to give our own encore tips as well?
21:35:56 [FM] So they must be already encoded before hand... what's the quality?
21:36:00 [jessyel] i have a LONG one, so i'd like to be sure we're finished on a tip/topic before continuing
21:36:05 [Mitch] sure i'm pausing, let's have it
21:36:37 [FM] go ahead jess!
21:36:39 [jessyel] alright, it's on button routing. i have already typed it, so it's a lot of copy/paste. give me a sec...
21:36:47 [jessyel] i would like to talk about button routing. i don't know if anyone has noticed, but these are how buttons are going to be selected in correspondence to the arrows on your remote control from your DVD player. That is, if you press down, what will be selected. If you press the third button from the
21:36:54 [jessyel] left on where the percentage size of the menu is at (next to the safe areas button; looks like a DVD remote control arrows). If you press it, you will get a lot of different arrows and numbers on the buttons you have. The middle number is the corresponding number to that button. It can be changed
21:37:00 [jessyel] on the Properties palette under 'Number.' Anyway, you will see four directional arrows. The UP arrow number means that if you press up on your DVD control remote, that is where it will go. So if the up number is 11, then if you press up, you'll go to button 11. Now under default, Encore tries to
21:37:03 [Mitch] fernando, pretty good just many might need some tweaking for your use
21:37:05 [jessyel] set these up itself automatically. However, there are situations where buttons aren't aligned to your liking. Sometimes you may press Down, and it will go left depending on the position of your buttons. To get rid of this, UNCHECK 'Automatically Route Buttons' on your properties palette while
21:37:13 [jessyel] nothing is selected. Anyway, now on to how to set these manually yourself. The main thing here is the pick-whip tools. The middle number stays the same since it's telling you the number of that button (unless you want to change it in your properties palette). However, you can change the number of
21:37:18 [jessyel] the directional arrows. All you do is click on a direction, hold, and you'll get the pick-whip tool. You can just then drag this to the button of your choice. You'll notice the number changing. So if I'm on a certain button and want it to go to the #12 button by pressing DOWN, I go to the down
21:37:24 [jessyel] directional button, click on it, hold, my pick-whip tool comes up, and I drag it to button #12. And bam... now whenever I press down on that button, it will go to #12 on my remote. Now, there is another thing to mention. What if your're on the top left corner (esentially button #1). If you press
21:37:30 [jessyel] left, it will go to another button. What if you want the selection to still be this #1. It is in the corner after all. If you're on the left and press left, you may just want it to stay at #1. SO... again, you grab the directional arrow (in this case it being left), get your pick-whip tool, send it
21:37:35 [jessyel] outside of your button, and then bring the pick-whip back INTO the button box. You're selecting yourself essentially. Of course, first the pick-whip needs to be out of the button box for this to work. Anyway, you can do a preview in Encore to be set you have everything set up correctly. Hope this
21:37:41 [Mitch] jessy slowdown
21:37:44 [jessyel] cleared up some confusion as to what this feature was. It only has to do with your remote control directional buttons and how the buttons are going to be selected... DONE!
21:38:45 [FM]
yeah! too fast... but it will be on the final log so OK!
! got you mitch!
21:40:46 [Mitch] yep, jessy i agree i've found that i always do my own button routing except for very simple menus
21:42:06 [jessyel] when i first pressed that button, i had no idea what it did. and after talking to many people from WVP on AIM, they had no idea either. it was time to read the manual, lol.
21:42:31 [Mitch] ok i've got one more topic
21:42:46 [FM]
yeah! but you need to sumarize a bit... lol!
21:43:23 [Mitch] chapters and posters: chapters are places that you can list on menu to skip ahead to
21:44:07 [Mitch] a poster is the picture representation of the chapter, usually it is just the start of the chapter but doesn't need to be
21:44:37 [Mitch] a poster can be either a photo or a short video that usually loops
21:45:10 [Mitch] adobe made a big deal about being able to import chapter markers from Premiere
21:46:13 [Mitch] it works but...you set the chapter markers on an avi frame and within a DVD they can only reside on i-frames, generally every 13 frames
21:46:38 [Mitch] so the chapter marker may not be exactly where you expect
21:46:59 [FM] can encore extract the loop or do we have to do it outside encore?
21:47:26 [Mitch] also if you re-import the avi into encore, any changes to the markers are NOT updated within encore
21:47:52 [Mitch] encore extracts the loop, you just tell it where to start and how long
21:48:08 [FM] good!thx
21:48:19 [Mitch] all the buttons that loop on the same menu have to have the same loop duration
21:49:12 [Mitch] encore also allows setting of chapters, i've found it easier to do there
21:49:54 [Mitch] encore will actually add another i-frame to match where you put the chapter marker so it start exactly where you want
21:50:32 [Mitch] you set chapter markers on the timeline
21:50:45 [Mitch] ok now to poster values
21:51:07 [Mitch] there is a hidden an nice feature that makes easy
21:51:41 [Mitch] on the timeline click a chapter marker so that it turns red
21:52:09 [Mitch] next move the CTI (current time indicator) to where you want the poster
21:52:27 [Mitch] right-click there and choose set poster
21:53:13 [Mitch] there is another way to set posters but you essentially need to write time the exact time and fill in a box
21:53:39 [Mitch] so have i lost everyone???
21:53:56 [FM] NO actually it makes sense.
21:54:21 [Mitch] that's scary...any more tips?
21:54:29 [FM] the first one is undocumented?
21:54:50 [FM] the "hidden" feature, I meant
21:55:14 [Mitch] yes, it isn't in the help info...i put in a request to adobe to fix their documentation
21:55:31 [FM] good!
21:56:25 [Mitch] before everyone leaves...fernando will be leading 2 separate discussions on AE next month
21:57:02 [Mitch] the 1st will be on AE 6 standard new features
21:57:35 [Mitch] the 2nd towards the end of Feb will be on AE 6 Pro new features
21:57:51 [Mitch] did i get that right, fernando?
21:58:15 [Mitch] also the 6pm discussion is moving to 5pm
21:58:15 [FM] Yeap! I better get ready for that! lol!
21:58:48 [Mitch] curt, any tips on multi-language or anything?
22:00:01 [Mitch] all quiet...thanks for coming everyone...feel free to hangout and chat
22:00:09 [FM] I have a question: Is it possible to do menus in AE... I didn't phrase it rigth the first time
22:00:40 [FM] & I didn't want to insist then
22:00:48 [Nancy] such good information - and I got booted out in the middle. thanks goodness for the transcript. thanks Mitch and all tippers
22:01:41 [Mitch] for menus with video backgrounds, you can create the video backgrounds in AE but you can't create the buttons in AE
22:01:53 [jessyel] well, good tips. i have to head off to eat before the eating places close here. i'll check the transcript for more. thanks for hosting the chat as always mitch
22:02:15 [Mitch] does that make sense?
22:02:29 [FM] oh, ok! it's just that I thought I read somewhere about that...
22:02:40 [Mitch] you're welcome
22:02:55 [FM] so basicaly you create avis in AE?
22:03:21 [FM] & import them as backgrounds...
22:03:24 [Mitch] on the adobe dvd they show creating a transition between menu in AE which is just an AVI
22:03:30 [cwrig] Im back
22:03:35 [Mitch] yes
22:03:45 [Mitch] welcome back
22:03:57 [cwrig] sorry, my multilang tut is behind schedule. Ill get to it one of these days
22:03:59 [FM] I though that could be done any way! with any version of AE! lol!
22:04:20 [FM] curt do you have any tips?
22:04:28 [Mitch] fernando, yep
22:04:37 [FM] lol!
22:05:22 [FM] when I read about it it seamed like other kind of integration...
22:05:23 [cwrig] There is a nice tool called the direct select tool which is very handy
22:06:00 [cwrig] You can use it to manipulate individual layers without having to open PS
22:06:55 [cwrig] Ive found it very handy for making small changes to buttons
22:06:56 [Mitch] yep, that is very handy
22:07:20 [FM] bitmaped or vectorial?
22:07:43 [Mitch] by the way, i ran into a problem with a text layer for button with no text causing a problem..this may have been fixed but avoid it
22:08:41 [cwrig] FM are you referring to the direct select tool?
22:08:53 [Mitch] i think the psd files are bitmapped but i'm not 100% sure
22:08:57 [FM] yes curt, sorry
22:09:24 [Nancy] can Illustrator files be imported into Encore?
22:09:47 [FM] you are right mitch, so probably it was a dumb question, sorry
22:10:05 [cwrig] good question. Ive never used it to scale something drastically larger. Normally I use it to change the size of a text layer or scooch a graphic layer one way or another
22:10:14 [Mitch] nancy, i don't think so. i've never heard it mentioned but i haven't tried it
22:10:28 [Nancy] oh okay. thanks Mitch.
22:10:33 [FM] oh! ok, thanks curt
22:11:14 [FM] lol@nancy
22:11:49 [Nancy] it's okay if you laugh at me ffffffffff - I'm in a much better mood than a few hours ago. *S*
22:12:08 [Nancy] rrrrrrrrrrrrr are you going to say HI or just lurk?
22:12:13 [FM] good .)
22:12:34 [cwrig] Alot of little PS shortcuts fell into Encore also. Like ALT drag and object duplicates it...
22:12:35 [rachandy] Just lurking at you
22:12:47 [SureFire] sorta lurkin nnnnnnnnn
22:13:21 [rachandy] I just dont want to admit that I dont have AE6 n Encore
22:13:30 [Nancy] oh oh we have two rrrrrrrrrrrr's hmm guess I'll make rachandy be kkkkkkkkkk instead. *S*
22:13:34 [FM] those are good, curt. quite handy
22:13:43 [Mitch] curt, good tip. I didn't realize that
22:13:54 [rachandy] Sorry , thought you meant me.
22:13:55 [Nancy] I have AE6 standard - and have not been brave enough to get Encore installed.
22:14:00 [SureFire] lol, or you could call me rocky:_
22:14:25 [Nancy] yes I could, but rrrrrrrrr is just to easy to type.
22:14:48 [Mitch] Encore is actually so much easier to use than other DVD authoring tools like DVDit
22:15:08 [cwrig] A mini-tip: Select a group of buttons and while the group is selected, resizing one will resize all
22:15:13 [FM] Actually I don't have encore either... just trying to see if something tempts me to buy it
22:15:18 [SureFire] I agree mitch..I've not made dvds in a year because I couldn't find a good authorer
22:15:36 [Nancy] I watch Curt's video - it actually looks fairly easy. it's that AE that is gonna be the death of me.
22:15:45 [SureFire] good tip curt, I got that out of one of your encore tutorials, works great
22:15:47 [cwrig] authorer? you generating words now rocky?
22:15:57 [FM] DVDit was a piece of ------!
22:16:02 [Nancy] LOL
22:16:16 [FM] lol!
22:16:21 [SureFire] I've been at that for a while already curt...ever heard the word humblety?
22:16:28 [Nancy] yep, it is ----------- day around this chat room.
22:16:35 [SureFire] I agree with that FM..very bad program
22:17:14 [FM] even the so called pro version of it was very weird to use
22:17:24 [Nancy] resizing - good tip Curt. thanks.
22:17:25 [Mitch] as a side note, i got all these discount offers from sonic before christmas, i mean like half off
22:17:41 [FM] wonder why?
22:17:41 [Mitch] i think they are desparate now
22:17:47 [FM] lol!
22:17:51 [Nancy] and the meaning of humblety??
22:18:01 [cwrig] I used DVDWS before Encore. It was quite capable, but "felt bad". Not a nice interface
22:18:21 [SureFire] It was pointed out that humbleness is what I was trying to say instead of humblety
22:18:28 [FM] dvdws?
22:18:45 [cwrig] Ulead DVDWS
22:18:45 [SureFire] never heard of that one curt..
22:19:03 [cwrig] wasted $500 on it
22:19:16 [Nancy] Encore was a program written by Adobe? or a remake of another program they bought out?
22:19:18 [SureFire] wow
22:19:24 [FM] oh! that was aimed at homevideo amateurs... that much?
22:19:24 [Mitch] i download DVDWS trial version and crashed it within 15 minutes
22:20:07 [FM] way too expensive for what it did
22:20:18 [Mitch] adobe bought part of the dvd writing code from sonic but it is really built from the ground up
22:20:49 [Nancy] okay. thanks.
22:20:56 [SureFire] well good tips so far guys, can't wait to see the topic overview..later
22:21:05 [Mitch] DVDlab gets decent reviews for a reasonable price
22:21:20 [Nancy] zoooooooooom and rrrrrrrrrrrr is gone
22:21:53 [FM] yeah! he has been a bit in a rush lately... lol!
22:21:53 [rachandy] Nancy . Why are you sluring?
22:22:21 [rachandy] Youre in a really good mood?
22:22:31 [Nancy] so I don' t have to type caps. and maybe too much caffeine also?
22:22:57 [Nancy] hey getting to slap around tech support verbally today did me a world of good. those darn kids anyway!
22:23:10 [FM] It seems to me that there are very few authoring tools that live up to the pro label. I think it was a good timing from adobe
22:23:44 [Nancy] so if I master Premiere, AE, Audition, and Encore, I shouldn't need anything else right. oh and PS, but I can handle it already.
22:23:53 [cwrig] I think it is well placed also. And its pretty darn good for a ver 1 release.
22:24:04 [FM] It still has time to grow before the market gets flooded with tools
22:24:22 [Mitch] nancy, and a million dollars LOL
22:24:26 [FM] yeah... so it seems curt!
13:30:49 [Nancy] I have Encore, but have not installed it yet, while I
13:31:11 [Mitch] chainmon, go ahead with your questions while we wait
13:32:06 [chainmon] making chapters with one avi file in encore and then having different buttons...
13:32:24 [chainmon] I can make chapters in encore (timeline) just fine, but want each to be its own button as well
13:33:11 [Mitch] you just need to add a button to a menu
13:33:25 [chainmon] making chapters with one avi file in encore and then having different buttons...
13:33:47 [chainmon] got that....but I have 6 chapters inside my avi file
13:33:52 [Mitch] click on the button to bring up the button properties folder
13:33:56 [chainmon] i want each to be a button
13:34:02 [chainmon] and with no pause
13:34:44 [Mitch] in that folder you need to find your timeline and then within the timeline the chapter that you want to assign to the button
13:35:02 [Mitch] you won't see a pause with chapters
13:35:24 [Mitch] is that clear?
13:37:04 [Mitch] still here?
13:37:05 [psturgill] I have a question
13:37:28 [Mitch] ok
13:38:10 [chainmon] not clear
13:38:49 [psturgill] If I already have a dvd that is 4.3 gb... I also wanted to include the same movie with commentary... but it wont fit on the dvd... is there another way to include commentary without duplicating the same movie? Possibly adding a new audio track or something?
13:39:01 [chainmon] in the timeline in encore....how do I drop chapter one into a button, then chapter 2 into a button etc...
13:39:44 [chainmon] and on the timeline its one solid avi file
13:40:21 [Mitch] paul, the short answer is that you can include an alternate audio track that the user needs to select
13:40:55 [psturgill] thanks mitch
13:41:31 [Mitch] paul, the long answer is that i haven't done it but curt is working on a tut on this very subject
13:42:37 [Mitch] chainmon, on your time line move the CTI (current time indicator line) to the place where you want a chapter
13:43:33 [Mitch] then right-click an choose set chapter marker or click on the chapter marker symbol with the "+" sign next to it
13:43:35 [chainmon] ok
13:44:34 [chainmon] mitch...i have made the chapters already (in encore) I figured that part out...its making each a button that I am having a problem with
13:44:35 [Mitch] is that clear?
13:45:39 [chainmon] so I have 6 chapter marks
13:46:10 [Mitch] do you have 6 buttons on your menu?
13:47:37 [chainmon] no just one
13:47:41 [chainmon] the big avi file
13:48:40 [chainmon] oh yes I have 6 on my menu....
13:49:13 [chainmon] but only one avi file to drop into the buttons
13:49:36 [Mitch] click on one button, you should see the button properties folder
13:49:59 [chainmon] so I have the menu looking just like a want it,
13:50:05 [Mitch] don't drop the avi on to your button
13:50:14 [chainmon] ok properties folder gotcha
13:51:02 [Mitch] for the link property click the arrow at the right, you should get a drop down menu
13:51:53 [Ash] hi everybody
13:51:57 [Mitch] on that menu pick your timeline, that will have another arrow indicating chapters
13:52:12 [Mitch] pick the chapter you want
13:55:40 [chainmon] now do I need to link each one as per curts tut?
13:55:43 [Mitch] YEA
13:56:07 [chainmon] cool I iwll let you know in a sec if it worked or not
13:56:12 [Ash] go ahead mitch
13:56:14 [Mitch] yes you need to define the link for each button
13:57:04 [Mitch] in the link box you should see "timeline:chapter"
13:58:53 [Mitch] we'll get started in a few minutes
14:00:17 [chainmon] i see that but now it changes the clip pic to the next clip?
14:00:40 [Nancy] before it starts officially, here's a link to a article that will interest Photoshop CS users. http://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2004/0119backspin.html
14:00:42 [chainmon] when I try and link button one to button 2....
14:01:48 [Mitch] buttons aren't linked together
14:02:08 [Mitch] ok let's start
14:02:35 [Mitch] i'm going to run through some quick tips at the start
14:02:50 [Mitch] feel free to add your own in
14:03:07 [Mitch] and do some more complicated stuff towards the end
14:03:38 [Mitch] #1: Apply the maintenance for encore 1.0.1 from adobe.com
14:04:28 [Mitch] #2: there is a good basics tutorial that comes with encore. just click help and you'll find it
14:04:52 [Mitch]
#3: See curt's tutorial on encore
14:05:42 [Mitch] #4: Before burning a DVD, use the reports on the disc folder within encore to check for problems
14:06:34 [Mitch] #5: Look for the goodies folder on the encore install CD, it has lots of great sample menus, buttons, and video backgrounds
14:07:55 [Mitch] #5.a: if you want to edit the video backgrounds in premiere, you need to change the extension to .wmv because these are actually Windows Media 9 Pro files
14:08:26 [psturgill] Nice 5a tip.. didn't know that one
14:08:43 [Mitch] #6: encore tends to put out these unfriendly -224 type messages
14:09:39 [Mitch] there is a sub-folder in the encore install directory called ErrorMessages that has a bit more description
14:10:31 [Mitch] pause...any questions?
14:11:28 [Mitch] ok, now for a few more complex items
14:11:31 [Ash] no, go ahead
14:12:22 [Mitch] it is pretty easy to build a button or image in photoshop for encore
14:12:54 [Ash] a more detailed explanation, please..
14:13:17 [Mitch] but to get it into encore don't want to use "import as asset" because encore won't recognize the layers or alpha channel
14:13:49 [Mitch] instead you want to go to the library folder and import the button there
14:14:41 [Mitch] you can also drag & drop a button directly on to an encore menu, this should work ok
14:15:15 [Mitch] the import through the library folder or drag & drop will keep the layers and alpha channel
14:15:19 [Ash] thanx Mitch
14:15:46 [psturgill] If you want to create a button with a video preview... how would you do that in Photoshop? DO you have to name the layer a specific name?
14:16:34 [Mitch] paul, yes. you need to use layer sets with a specific naming convention
14:16:56 [Mitch] the naming conventions are in the encore help info
14:16:58 [psturgill] are those documented in the help for Encore?
14:17:02 [psturgill] thanks
14:17:33 [Mitch] but also you can use the sample buttons provided in the goodies folder as a model
14:17:52 [psturgill]
yep... now I just need to get Photoshop..
14:18:13 [psturgill] do you know if Photoshop Elements can create menus, buttons, etc?
14:18:26 [Mitch] by the way you need photoshop 6.0 or later
14:18:53 [psturgill]
guess that answers my question...
thanks
14:19:04 [Mitch] i'm not sure about photoshop elements, i'm not sure if it supports layer sets...anyone else know?
14:19:06 [Ash] what is the significance of "=" sign in pshop for encore
14:19:56 [Nancy] I thought I had Elements to do some comparisons, but it turns out I have Photoshop LE, which is not the same.
14:20:09 [Mitch] from memory i think the "=" layers are for highlights
14:20:35 [Ash] thanx mitch
14:20:53 [Mitch] there is a comparison of the 2 products i've seen but i don't have the link, i'm pretty sure it is on the adobe site.
14:22:01 [Mitch] an added note: you can use a graphic (jpg, etc.) in encore as a button but it can't have highlights making it useless
14:22:24 [Mitch] since the user can't tell what they've selected
14:24:07 [Mitch] moving along: it would be nice to import AVIs into the library folder for menu backgrounds but
14:24:32 [Mitch] encore lets you do the import but they don't actually appear in the folder
14:25:32 [Mitch] if no questions, i'll move on
14:25:45 [Ash] move one Mitch
14:26:07 [Mitch] next topic: chapters and poster
14:26:53 [Mitch] a chapter is a place that allows you to start in a video at a place that is not the beginning
14:27:23 [Mitch] a poster is the thumbnail still or video that represents the chapter on a menu
14:27:48 [Mitch] usually the poster is the start of the chapter but it doesn't have to be
14:28:21 [Mitch] ok, you can set chapters in either premiere pro or encore
14:28:59 [Mitch] if you set chapters in PPro you need to export as MPEG2 to get them transferred to encore
14:29:37 [Mitch] if you re-import the mpeg2 file, the chapter markers are NOT re-imported
14:30:25 [Mitch] also because the way DVDs work, chapters are only allowed to start on i-frames, about every 13 frames
14:30:56 [Mitch] the chapter marker you set in PPro may not match exactly the location you want
14:31:21 [Mitch] Encore works a bit differently
14:31:27 [Nancy] so it is better to wait and do the chapters in Encore?
14:31:56 [Mitch] It will set an i-frame where you indicate the chapter should start
14:32:20 [Mitch] I would recommend setting the chapters in encore, seems to work better
14:32:33 [Nancy] thanks
14:33:06 [Mitch] on to poster
14:33:48 [Mitch] to set a poster, different from the chapter, go to the timeline
14:34:07 [Mitch] click on the chapter marker so that it turns red
14:34:43 [Mitch] then move the CTI (current time indicator line) to where you want to set the poster
14:34:58 [Mitch] right-click and choose set poster
14:35:15 [Mitch] this is NOT documented in the encore help info
14:35:36 [Nancy] great tip. thanks!
14:35:43 [psturgill] very nice tip...
14:35:58 [Ash] super tip
14:36:33 [Mitch] the other, documented method, is to figure out the exact place you want the poster and fill it in for the chapter attributes (much more boring and longer)
14:36:50 [Mitch] you're welcome
14:37:50 [Mitch] i've got a few more tips but anyone else have a tip?
14:38:27 [Nancy] ummmmm I think you have a room full of newbies *S*
14:38:40 [psturgill] I wish... I need more time to play I think...
14:38:43 [Nancy] we are all listening intently though.
14:38:52 [Mitch] this is one that curt mentioned
14:38:52 [Ash] Yes Mitch, u'r doing a wonderful job
14:39:15 [Ash] Go ahead...We're all with u
14:39:15 [Mitch] encore has some shortcuts similar to photoshop
14:39:44 [Mitch] if you alt-drag on a button it will make a copy of the button
14:39:47 [Ash] what r they?
14:40:16 [Mitch] very handy when you want multiple similar buttons on a page
14:40:54 [Mitch] next is a bit more complicated, concerning button routing
14:41:08 [Ash] Mitch, u'r very good in encore. Why don't u make a few video tuts.?
14:41:55 [Mitch] encore puts in default routing, that is what happens when the user does left, right, up, down with the DVD remote
14:42:35 [Mitch] the defaults work ok if you're buttons are aligned perfectly
14:42:56 [Mitch]
which hardly ever happens with mine...
14:44:08 [Mitch] so you want to go to the menu properties folder and uncheck the automatic routing checkbox
14:45:21 [Mitch] then on the menu click the icon that looks a bit like "+"
14:46:03 [Mitch] you'll see each button has a number in the center and arrows top, bottom, left right
14:46:45 [Mitch] just click on the arrow and drag it to the appropriate button to set that routing
14:47:35 [Mitch] even for relatively simple menus it is good to check the button routing to make sure it doesn't do something unexpected
14:48:56 [Mitch] this is a pretty dumb tip but write your DVD to a RW disc 1st and check it before burning to a DVD-R or DVD+R disc...
14:49:47 [Mitch] things have away of looking different on a TV than a 'puter
14:50:23 [Mitch] one last tip related to a bug that may have been fixed.
14:51:08 [Mitch] if you use of of the sample buttons and decide you don't need any text, delete the text layer rather than have an empty text layer
14:51:37 [Mitch] you can delete or make minor changes to button layers from within encore
14:52:40 [Mitch] that's my list, fernando entered just in time to tell everyone that he is leading the next 2 discussions on AE 6
14:53:11 [Mitch] the next in early Feb will be on AE6 standard new features
14:53:34 [Mitch] and the late Feb discussion will be AE 6 Pro new features
14:53:43 [FM] lol! I was without net for all this time...
14:53:52 [Nancy] I have a question on the burning to a RW first.
14:54:13 [psturgill] thanks for the last tip... if there is one problem I've found, it is definitely the menus.... good tip
14:54:18 [Mitch] March is already planned with a discussion on Premiere Pro for beginners and codecs later in the month
14:54:32 [Mitch] go ahead nancy
14:54:55 [Nancy] I read somewhere that burning to a RW doesn't work because the disk as "open ended"
14:55:22 [Nancy] it needs to have some sort of end of file marker, which is not placed there when burning to an RW disk
14:55:58 [Mitch] burning to an RW works for me, it won't play in my DVD player connected to the TV
14:56:35 [Mitch] just because of the model i have but i use it with WinDVD on the 'puter to better verify the DVD
14:56:43 [Nancy] oh okay. makes sense now. so just testing button functions on the PC with that. right?
14:56:54 [FM] there is an option to close a disk no matter if it is RW or R
14:57:16 [Mitch] that's what i do but testing with a standalone DVD player is better
14:57:19 [FM] just depends on the burning software
14:57:32 [Nancy] interesting info FM -- an option in Encore?
14:57:56 [FM] no... but you have it in nero
14:58:12 [Mitch] i don't remember seeing that in encore, i think it closes it
14:58:39 [FM] It may not close the rw
14:58:43 [Nancy] except if it closed it, it should then play on a standalone DVD with the TV
14:59:00 [Mitch] leaving an RW open only makes sense in case you want to add in DVD-ROM content
14:59:08 [FM] It needs to leave the "session" open for to be able to rewrite it
14:59:24 [Mitch] nancy, depends on the model of the DVD player
14:59:48 [Nancy] yes I understand that part fm - which is why I asked how it works for testing, apparently works best only on PC
15:00:11 [Mitch] most people use DVD-R or possibly DVD+R for distribution because they are more likely to play on a DVD player and have lower cost
15:00:26 [Nancy] okay. I guess I'll just have to try mine out and see.
15:00:33 [FM] yeah mitch, some don't support the opened session so they don't support rw's
15:00:53 [Mitch] depends on the model http://www.dvdrhelp.com/ has lots of good information about specific models
15:01:04 [psturgill] I have a DVD+R/RW burner... got any advice as to where I can find good cheap media?
15:01:20 [Mitch] it is user reported but fairly accurate
15:01:32 [FM] let me just add that DVD-R has the most compatability rate
15:01:39 [Mitch] http://www.meritline.com/dvdrdvdrwmedia.html
15:01:43 [Nancy]
"good" and "cheap" in the same sentence?
15:01:56 [Mitch] http://www.supermediastore.com/
15:01:58 [FM] lol
15:02:04 [psturgill]
lol...yea... I figured I'd throw in good...
15:02:24 [Mitch] with prices going down i've switched to name brand DVDs
15:02:38 [chainmon] q&A or are we done with encore
15:02:48 [Mitch] only slightly more expensive and less problems
15:02:51 [psturgill] what speed to do buy mitch?
15:03:40 [psturgill] what brand do you buy?
15:03:44 [Mitch] i have a sony that does 4x for -R and +R, i buy 4x -R mostly with a few others
15:03:56 [Nancy] also a question on DVD burners -- 4x or 8x? internal? external? any thoughts or suggestions.
15:04:24 [Mitch] my latest buy was ritek 4x certified
15:04:48 [Mitch] optodisk are cheap but i did have some bad discs
15:05:15 [FM] yeah, you'd have to look for statistics on some models
15:05:37 [Mitch] depends a bit on your volume on whether to get 4x or 8x
15:06:08 [Mitch] 4x are cheaper now but if you plan to burn alot or can't wait get the 8x
15:06:26 [Mitch] i would buy the 8x internal
15:06:28 [Nancy] okay.makes sense - assuming a huge volume of work, 8X would be the way to go then. *S*
15:06:49 [Mitch] i don't see much advantage and just added cost for going external
15:07:03 [Nancy] thanks Mitch. another item decided on for my new computer. checkmark on the list now.
15:07:24 [Mitch] i don't know what to do with more than 2 dvd/cd drives on a 'puter
15:07:32 [Nancy] the thought of external was to be able to share it (move it) between two computers. but I am realizing now that it is a dumb idea. *S*
15:08:09 [Nancy] it would be just as wise to invest in two internal ones.
15:08:18 [Mitch] that's a possibility, i don't have that need but it might work for you
15:08:28 [Nancy] as the external would likely be slower anyway
15:09:19 [Mitch] it might not be slower, the controlling factor is probably the write time rather the transfer time
15:09:33 [FM] not slower... just not fail safe
15:09:36 [Mitch] i don't know on that
15:10:27 [Nancy] thanks so much.
15:10:28 [Mitch] anyway, chainmon what's your question?
15:10:57 [FM] I'm also waiting for first hand news from a friend of mine who was going to buy one
15:11:07 [chainmon] i have all 6 buttons with one avi file
15:11:13 [chainmon] 6 chapters
15:11:25 [Mitch] ok
15:11:30 [chainmon] in first button is the first chapter
15:11:41 [chainmon] 2nd button is the 2nd chapter
15:11:49 [chainmon] when I go to preview...
15:12:25 [chainmon] I get first button play all the chapters, the 2nd button plays all chapters except chapter one
15:12:46 [chainmon] button 3 plays all the chpaters but chapt 1 and 2
15:12:50 [chainmon] and so on down the line
15:12:58 [Mitch] yep that's how chapters work
15:13:25 [Mitch] what did you want to have happen?
15:13:32 [chainmon] can I get 2nd button to play only the 2nd chapter
15:13:43 [chainmon] not 2,3,4,5,and 6
15:13:55 [psturgill] if you want that, I think you will have to split up the avi
15:14:14 [chainmon] and 3rd button to play only 3 chapter...not 3,4,5,6
15:14:19 [Mitch] what paul said!
15:14:46 [FM] I'm not sure, but can't you use the override command?
15:15:00 [chainmon] pppp if I split the avi I will create a pause in the vidoe playback and that is worse of 2 evils I guess
15:15:03 [Mitch] you need separate videos and timelines, there are no controls for what happens at the end of a chapter
15:15:27 [Mitch] overrides work at the end of a timeline, not a chapter
15:15:38 [chainmon] fm I think you are on to something....
15:15:47 [FM] oh, ok! thx!
15:16:26 [Mitch] chainmon, have you actually tried it. the pause may not be noticeable
15:17:32 [chainmon]
mitch I have tried it...and the pause is way too long for
my tastes (and someone on wrigley stated this as well
15:17:36 [Mitch] i did a preview of 2 videos together and didn't notice a pause but i didn't burn it to disk
15:18:22 [Mitch] there is a very noticeable pause when going to a menu but this may not be the same as between 2 videos
15:18:45 [chainmon] i am thinking the override key so stop button?
15:19:01 [Mitch] anyway, i'm not sure i can help more on this, you know the options
15:19:24 [Mitch] chainmon, that works on a timeline
15:19:36 [chainmon] ok so when I add the 6 buttons does it add video to my dvd? or is it just a pointer?
15:19:56 [Mitch] just a pointer
15:20:33 [chainmon] so my best bet is button 6 plays only chap 5
15:20:37 [chainmon] 5 plays 5 and 6
15:20:40 [Mitch] if you're video is short enough you can have 2 copies
15:20:43 [chainmon] 4 plays 4,5,6
15:20:50 [psturgill] is there a good site with free sample backgrounds/menus/buttons for encore?
15:20:57 [chainmon] no its 1 hour 30 min
15:21:13 [chainmon]
ok thx for the help
15:21:33 [Mitch] not that i know of, i know a paid site with stuff ...looks ok
15:21:53 [psturgill] what site is that?
15:22:00 [Mitch] has some canned stuff for weddings, etc
15:22:24 [Mitch] http://www.dvd-makers.com/public/961.cfm