I am now comfortable with basic DVD menu creation using DVD Architect 4 and would like to move onto something a bit more adventurous.

I would like to create menus that are highlighted by a leading icon or image that is otherwise invisible until it is reached during menu navigation.

For example, 24 Series 1, has a crosshair type leading icon that appears to move between menu options. Only one icon is seen on the screen at any one time and the menu options (Play Episode, Main Menu etc) appear to be nothing more than a static background image that happen to line up with the icon giving the illusion of ordinary text menus.

I have experimented with this background image/menu option but don't seem to be able to create a leading icon that appears to be in one place at any given time. I suspect that it may be achievable using transparent colour settings, text overlay colours and navigation controls but that does seem a rather long winded way to achieve something which should be fairly straight forward.

Is this possible with this software or have I missed something obvious?

Cheers,

Mike.

It is possible but its a HUGE pain in the rear end.

I'd recommend using Adobe's Encore for advanced DVD Authoring as DVDA is overly complicated and a pain to use with photoshop.

__________________

www.irishmark.net / MyYouTube / www.tandem.tv

Its not that hard, but it is detailed. I use dvda 4 with photoshop all the time. I would recomend getting dvd authoring with dvd architect 3 ( if cost is an issue smarflix rents it) . I don't know if it been updated for 4 yet but it covers most of the stuff. Keep in mind people are going to recomend the software they use, nothing wrong with that. It just depends on what your more at ease with. I like vegas and dvda while Mark likes Premiere and Encore, neither is better then the other (although adobe is used more...for now anyway)

__________________
Wil Chapman Jr.
Oly, Washington
DP, Producer, Editor

Feel free to visit ( UPDATED!!! )
http://www.myspace.com/chapmanphotography
http://www.myspace.com/sport_specific (personal and training site)

I'm glad it can be done. I'm not looking for a complete tutorial, just a nudge in the right direction if either of you can offer that. I'm not sure about how to make all the other leading icons disappear other than the menu option that has been navigated to, something to do with transparent images and masks maybe?

With all the other options for highlighting that DVDA gives you I would have thought that 'Leading Single Icon' would have been a reasonable option. Perhaps I don't fully appreciate what's involved.

Thanks for the replies, I thought I'd been forgotten.