Apple DVD Studio Pro 4 - Manual (Page 96)

What Is a Menu?
Most DVD-Videos have at least one menu. The menu allows the viewer to choose what
to see. If no choices need to be made, such as with a looping movie at a sales kiosk, the
disc can be configured to immediately begin playing the movie, and no menu is required.
For DVDs that have a number of viewing options—such as multiple movies, chapter
selections, and bonus items—menus that are clear and logical can greatly enhance the
viewing experience. Menus that are cluttered, clumsy, and confusing may cause viewers
to become frustrated and give up trying to watch the title.
A menu consists of a background and one or more buttons. The background can be a
simple still image or a full-motion video (a motion menu). The background may or may
not contain content that relates to the buttons; it may be a scenic mountain view or a
multilayered graphic including images for each button. Some menus may also have audio.
Creating a Menu
Creating a menu involves two basic steps: selecting the background graphic or video,
and setting up the buttons. Selecting the background graphic or video is fairly simple;
the only challenge is when you use multilayer Photoshop files. Setting up the buttons
involves identifying where they are located by drawing boxes over them, and then setting
up their actions (what happens when they are activated) and the colors to display for
their different states.
DVD Studio Pro gives you two ways to create menus: the standard method, which uses
overlays and allows you to use shapes, templates, and add text; and the layered method.
• The standard method: The standard method is usually preferred. It is the most flexible,
allowing you to mix overlays with shapes, to use either stills or videos as the menu
background, and to include audio. You can also use the templates and styles included
with DVD Studio Pro for quick and consistent menu creation.
• For more information on overlays, see Creating Overlays .
• For a description of shapes, see Creating Shapes .
• For information on the templates and styles feature, see Using Templates, Styles, and
Shapes to Create Your Menus .
• For information on motion menus and setting the loop point, see Creating Video for
Motion Menus .
• The layered method: The layered method uses layers in a Photoshop (PSD) file to describe
each button’s possible states. Layered menus can also use overlays in addition to the
Photoshop layers. This method cannot be used with motion menus and cannot include
audio.
• For more information on overlays, see Creating Overlays .
96 Chapter 6 Preparing Menu Assets