The Create module of the program is
where you actually put together your DVD (or VCD). It's really simple.
If you've created your own custom clips in the edit
section, here's where your work really pays off, because you can now add
it as a chapter on your DVD. You can do all of the following:
Choose the video clips that you want to add to your movie (they'll
be added as individual chapters).
Create multiple starting points for longer video clips (thereby
creating submenus).
Design your movie menus (you can have multiple menu screens, each
with their own unique look).
If you've read the edit section (which you should
have), you're already somewhat familiar with how albums work. In order
to create your DVD (or VCD), you basically apply the same principles.
At this point, just worry about adding all your content. Once you're done,
you can then arrange the movie menu however you like. To add content:
Choose the album that has the video clips you wish to add.
Double-click the video clip you want to add. The
video clip will appear on the menu as a new chapter. Remember, you
can customize the look of the menu, including the chapter button layout,
later. For now, just add all the video chapters that you plan on including
in your movie. You aren't limited to adding content from one album.
Introduction videos play as soon as the disc is inserted into a DVD player.
Once the video clip completes, the movie menu is shown. To add an introduction
video to your disc:
Click and drag the desired video from the album
area to the Introduction Video box. You will see a thumbnail of the
video appear. Alternately, you can highlight the video and click "Select."
Now that your content is added, you can customize the look and feel of
your menu. You can change the background, title, and chapter button layout
and text. Before changing your text, it's recommended that you set your
background first. Often, the color of your text will be dependent on the
background color. A good amount of contrast between the colors is necessary
to ensure that the text stands out clearly.
ORGANIZING CHAPTER BUTTONStop
Click the "Customize" tab. In the Layout section, double-click
the layout that you want applied to your menu. Your chapter buttons will
be arranged accordingly. You can also click and drag the chapter buttons
to swap their positions. If multiple pages are required, navigation buttons
will automatically appear on the menu.
CHOOSING A NEW BACKGROUNDtop
Click the "Themes" tab. An entire collection of backgrounds
are available. To choose one, simply double-click it. Notice that when
you choose a background, the menu text and the frames around each chapter
button change to match the background.
Of course, you can also choose a photo from your personal
collection to use as the menu background. To do so, simply click "New
Background" in the preview area. You can then browse your system
for the photo that you want to use.
UPDATING CHAPTER BUTTON FRAMEStop
Each chapter button can have it's own unique frame. First, go back to
the Customize tab. Then, highlight the chapter button that you want to
update, and then double-click the frame you want to use.
BREAKING UP LONGER VIDEO CLIPS / CREATING SUBMENUStop
Longer video clips can be broken into separate chapters. To do this:
Highlight the video clip you wish to break up into smaller
segments.
Click the "Set Chapters" tab.
Use the playback controls/slider to go to the point where you'd
like to insert a break.
Click "Set Chapter." A chapter break will be inserted.
You can also trim the overall length of the video. Navigate
to the spot where you want the video to start, and click the left
bracket icon. To change the ending point, navigate to the spot
you want, and then click the right bracket icon.
A "submenu" is created for the video file,
with new chapters appearing for each chapter break you set. You can also
create a submenu by clicking "Create Submenu" beneath the main
preview area. Submenus are useful if you have lots of different videos
under a broad subject. For example, your DVD can be titled "Vacation,"
with numerous submenus for your various trips (spring, summer, winter,
etc.).
CUSTOMIZING MENU TEXTtop
Double-click any text that appears on the menu to edit it. Click the "Text"
tab to see the various text options. You can modify the font, size, style,
alignment, and color. You can even add a drop shadow. To do so, check
the "Shadow" box. You can reposition the shadow by clicking-and-dragging
the shadow in the small preview window. Two sliders are available; these
let you modify the characteristics of the shadow.
You can easily create a photo slideshow, which is added to your movie
as a separate chapter. To create a slideshow:
From the Media tab, click "Create Slideshow" beneath the
preview area.
Choose the album or folder that contains the photos you wish to include
in your slideshow.
Hold down the CTRL key and single-click the photos you wish to add.
Click "Add" (click "Add All" to add all of the
photos in the current location).
If a photo needs to be rotated, highlight the photo and click "Rotate."
The "Set Thumbnail" button uses the currently highlighted
photo as the chapter button thumbnail for the slideshow in your DVD
menu.
Click "Next."
If you'd like to include a soundtrack, click "Select Files"
and choose the audio tracks you'd like to add.
In the "Pacing" section, set the display time for the slides.
If you'd like the program to time the slideshow according to the length
of your soundtrack, choose "Fit slideshow to soundtrack."
Transitions, or special effects, can occur as one slide changes to
the next. Choose the effect you want from those available (choose "Random"
to have the program automatically mix in transitions for you).
Pan & Zoom: this is a fun option that lets you apply your own
scrolling and zooming effect to each photo. Here's how it works:
The Pan & Zoom effect works by setting two
different windows: Zoom From and Zoom To. When the slide is displayed,
the focus shifts from the Zoom From window to the Zoom To window.
For example, you can set the Zoom From window to focus on one object
in the photo, and the Zoom To to focus on the entire photo. (Click
and drag the window to reposition it; click and drag the various points
on the box to resize it; and click and drag the sides to rotate it.)
The resulting Pan & Zoom effect will start by showing the figure
you boxed, and then zoom out to show the whole photo. In the sample
below, the Zoom From window was placed around the jet. The Zoom To
window was placed around the entire photo. Note: the final Pan &
Zoom sample below is very choppy and not indicative of how the effect
actually looks. Similarly, when you preview your effect in the program,
it will appear much choppier than the actual result when compiled
on your DVD.
Zoom From
Zoom To
Final Pan & Zoom
When you're ready to produce your slideshow, click "Finish."
The program will compile it and add it to your movie.
When you're all ready to go, click on "Write Disc."
You can preview your movie with the virtual remote control. It should
work similarly to a standard DVD player remote control. Use it to navigate
through your various menus and playback your movie. If you're creating
a VCD, press the corresponding number to view the chapter.
Once you're ready to burn your movie to disc, click "Start."
You'll be prompted to save your project. Then, there are just a few things
you need to set before the program begins compiling your final movie and
burns it to disc.
First off, choose the playback format. If you're in the US, choose
NTSC. Most of Europe uses PAL.
Next, choose where you wish to save the movie. From the pull-down,
choose your DVD burner drive (or your hard drive if you're saving your
movie locally).
In the Disc Label field, enter in a title for your movie.
Lastly, depending on where you're saving your movie, you can choose
the burn speed of the drive, or the directory on your hard drive to
which the movie will be written.
When you're ready to go, click "OK."
That's it! From here on, the program takes care of the
rest. Your movie will be converted into DVD (or VCD) format, and then
burned to your disc (or hard drive).
