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VCB339 Motion Graphics 2

DVD Menu pt. 2

Using Photoshop and Encore, create a DVD menu that features the videos that you and your classmates made previously.

In part one of the project we set up the menu in Photoshop. In this part we will bring the menu into Adobe Encore and get it working.

Procedure

  1. Make sure you have copies of your classmates videos; put them in a folder with your Photoshop file.
  2. Launch Adobe Encore.
  3. Choose File > Import As > Menu and navigate to your Photoshop file. It should put up in the project monitor as well as the project asset list. If you created your layers correctly, Encore will see each button as a button and allow you to link them to other assets.
  4. Choose File > Import As > Timeline and find your first video (.mov). It's important that you import it as a timeline, for it is the timeline that we use in later steps. Notice when you do this, two new items appear in the project window, a reference to the video file AND a timeline.
  5. Import the rest of your videos.
  6. Select the menu in the monitor window (or double-click on the menu item in the project list) to make it visible.
  7. Select your first button.
  8. In the properties window, select the Basic tab. Find the Link box (it will likely say "Not Set"). Now the fun part—drag the "pick whip" out (that funny curly-cue thing) and point it to the first video's timeline (not the video, the timeline).
  9. Do the same for the rest of your videos.
  10. Now click on the Flowchart tab in the center monitor window. You should see a thumbnail representing the menu with arrows pointing at thumbnails for each video.
  11. Select the first video thumbnail. Click and drag on the thumbnail to pull out a pick whip. drag the pick whip back to the menu (this tells Encore what to do once the video stops playing; we want it to return to the menu).
  12. Do this for each of your videos.
  13. In the Project window, click on the Build tab.
  14. Click the "Check Project" button. If there are any problems (like missing or broken links), they will be listed in the lower half of the window that opens. Fix any errors.
  15. Change the Format to Flash (we'll make a Flash version to test it out).
  16. Under Destination choose a location to put your menu, and under Settings give it a name. Also, choose FLV (not FL4) and 640 x 480 Standard High Quality.
  17. Click the "Build" button. Then go grab a bite to eat...this may take a while.
  18. When it's done hide Encore and find the project you just created. Encore creates a folder; inside will be a .swf file, an HTML file, an XML file, and another folder called "Sources" that contains a set of Flash video files (.flv) and other assets. To test you project, open the HTML in a browser.

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