Hi Melissa,

Video editing has taught me to look for workarounds... and I still hunt out ways.

Ok for your first point, perhaps using a video screen capture software to record as a video the information displayed on screen. such as a word document, record the display and then bring that video into your project.
There's a free program (which I don't use) here: Extras. I use video screen capture software to create training videos.

Second item. The chapter one mark is pre-set. Try placing a still image or a color board as a workaround into the time-line at the begining instead.

Dafydd

It's YOU!

Feel like I'm getting advice from a guru as I've already listened to almost all your videos....they are excellent and I've learned a great deal (far more than the manual I printed). Also like your accent--find it very soothing which helps during some rather frenzied and frustrated "on the edge" moments. Thanks for looking after the PD community and for all you informational posts.

Re: work arounds---good idea but have a couple of questions.

Adding a video screen capture is do-able and better than taping a handwritten note to the dvd case. Can I then add a button to main menu that provides direct link to that screen shot? Even Microsoft DVD maker can do that and it seems pretty "low rent" compared to PD7.

Re: color board for first chapter issue--- had considered but was concerned that, by extending timeline, I would mess up all the pips/effects/titles/music etc.....(already learned that lesson the hard way). Could lock everything but the timeline...add the color board....but then how to ensure that when I move/adjust rest of project, I maintain the original integrity (thought "integrity" sounded like something a professional would say--I would just say "stuff").

Is there a way to "freeze" and adjust as a group?

Pre-planning seems to be the solution for this....but hard to pre-plan for a problem you don't know will occur. Never occurred to me that I would be locked into a "first" chapter.

Finally (I'm on a roll here)---is there a reason that the music I imported for dvd menu keeps reverting to the rather cheesy romance song from template?

Again, huge thanks for your posts, videos and help. If Cyberlink isn't paying you, they should be.

Melissa in Maine

"Pray for the Dead and Fight like Hell for the Living"- Mother Jones

Hi Melissa, I had the same problem as you. Unfortunately I could not find the solution I was looking for but I did come up with a simpler solution.

(Firstly I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong.)

What I decided to do was make the whole thing a story.

What I wanted was 3 menus

Introduction
Main Video
Extra's

However, this does not seem to be an option. If you don't have subtitles it appears to me that you only have 2 options, play all and Chapters.

Under my play all, I have made the whole thing into a story. When the person who receives the gift sits down to watch the movie they get to watch it all at the one time. When they want to skip the introduction and go to the main feature they can go to the chapters and select the scene they want to play.

It is possible to rename the chapters (by right clicking them and selecting rename) this means that the owner of the DVD gets to either watch the whole thing or easily skip through.

I basically got far too stressed and this is the main surprise birthday present so it has to be delivered on time.

Hi Chris,

Getting it "on time"? Best of luck....after so many 3am until 8 pm sessions, I finally relented to the PowerDirector pre-sets and went to UPS yesterday to overnight it (daughter leaving on trip and it was already so late).

As info for all frenzied "personal touch" gift enthusiasts, Saturday is considered to be a "special" day, rather than business day, for purposes of pricing. Overnight Fri to Sat costs three times more than overnight from Thurs to Fri.

Rather than pony up the 100 bucks, I uploaded to a site called "Senditnow"---can upload large files (100MB for free) and an email is sent to recipients who can download and play (first I "produced" it as MPEG2). They download and double click and it opens in Windows Media Player. Used this for another "production" that I wanted a Mac user to review...so it works with both OSs.

Mine was over 200MB so it cost 8.99 which is a nice 90 dollar savings...she got it and loved it and I'll just send dvd with stamps.

But I digress.....

Thanks for your suggestion. If I understood correctly, you changed the name of the main menu button item.... but were you still stuck with the predetermined and unchangeable way that PD forces the beginning of your video to be the "first chapter"?

Melissa



"Pray for the Dead and Fight like Hell for the Living"- Mother Jones

Hi Melissa,

I "lost" your post for a while. I'm glad you've completed the task and the end viewer is pleased.

Thanks for the compliments... made me smile.

Dafydd