Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 - Manual (Page 248)

Choosing a Menu Overlay from a Layered Photoshop File
You can choose a layer from an Adobe Photoshop format (PSD) file to use as the menu
overlay. One PSD file can supply backgrounds and overlays for several menus.
To choose a menu overlay from a PSD file
1 Either create a new menu or select an existing one.
2 Click the General tab in the Menu Inspector.
3 Assign the PSD asset as the menu’s overlay by doing one of the following:
• Choose it from the Overlay File pop-up menu in the Menu Inspector.
• Drag it to the Menu Editor and choose Set Overlay from the Drop Palette.
4 Choose the layer to use as the overlay from the Overlay Layer pop-up menu.
Choose the overlay file.
Choose the overlay layer.
Understanding Color Mapping
Color mapping is the process of assigning highlight colors with transparency values to
the colors used in an overlay. The colors you assign can be different for each of the three
button states (normal, selected, and activated).
You can use two types of overlays: a simple one that uses a single overlay color and an
advanced one that uses up to four overlay colors. For many menus, a simple overlay will
provide what you need with minimal complexity. You may find, however, that an advanced
overlay provides greater flexibility when you are creating complicated menus.
Differences Between Simple and Advanced Overlays
The simple and advanced overlays differ primarily in how they use the overlay file.
• For simple overlays: The color white in the overlay graphic is set to be transparent—this
cannot be changed. The only other color allowed is black. If you add a graphic element
that has a soft glow or has been anti-aliased, the areas that are not black or white
appear with additional highlight colors (controlled by the advanced overlay color
mapping settings). You get to choose a highlight color and its transparency for each
of the three button states (normal, selected, and advanced). See
Creating Simple
Overlays for more information.
• For advanced overlays: You can use up to four colors when creating your overlay graphic.
When setting up the color mapping, you assign a highlight color and transparency to
each of the four overlay colors, for each of the three button states. This allows you to
create much more varied looks to the menu. For example, you do not need to make
all highlight colors for a button the same color. Using an advanced overlay can also
allow you to take advantage of anti-aliased edges.
248 Chapter 13 Creating Menus Using the Standard Method