Quote: Is it true that you cannot use already produced movie clips or AVI's as individual chapters that will show up in on the menu as such?

No.

Many would suggest that this is the best way to go, ie create several small movies and then combine them, rather than work with one large movie.

Create your avi files, import them to your media room in a new project, drag them to the timeline, insert chapters (manually or auto), and you're done.

(If any of the avi files already had built-in chapters, then these probably will not show up on your menu. You would have to insert them manually into the relevant place on the timeline of your new project.)

HTH

Robert

Thanks Robert, you made my day! Now for another question. I had done what you suggested & the way I had always done before, insert the AVI's into the time line, set chapter clips for each AVI (none had or have chapters preset within the AVI's), made my menu & the menu with Chapters & after producing the menu was not even on the movie. I wrote to support, which is when I was told that I couldn't make chapters out of Movie clips or AVI's but instead had to make one complete movie for the menu to recognize the chapters inserted into the timeline. So, now that I know I can use pre-made AVI's, do you know why my menu might not show up at all in the finished product. I am going crazy with these CyberLink products. What I see I like and don't know if it's me or what, but I have the complete DVD suite & few of the programs seem to work RIGHT. I've had them for 8mos. or so & have yet to produce a real work...............I am now appreciating the forum as you folks actually work with the programs. I've wondered if the support techs use them at all with some of the answers I've gotten through them.....Thanks again Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available

I've just tried again and it worked fine.

A couple of thoughts:

In the Create Disc screen there is a check-box labelled "Create a disc without a menu". Make sure that this is unchecked.

I am using the full version of Power Director 7. If you are using the DVD Suite you probably have a stripped down version of Power Director which has some limitations, but I would be surprised if your menu problem comes from that. Somebody who is more familiar with the DVD suite may be able to help.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Robert

Robert, athough I do have the suite, it came with PD6 & I upgraded to PD7. I asked at the time if i would be getting a complete PD program as this was the program I was most interested in & they assured me I would. Is there a way I could know that, that you know of? Am presently about done with a "chapter" (though I'm not putting a chapter title on it), to what will be a movie of 6 generations of family still photos I'm making & am Intenting to produce it as an AVI. I will then go forward with the others and see what turns out. Sure hope it works, this stuff requires a lot of work & time.
Thanks for your in put & would appreciate it if you know & could tell me how I could find out if my PD7 is a complete program? Thanks Loads..........Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available

Have a look at

http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/3522.page;jsessionid=28F8C39A38057302DB5FD6F6107A3D97

about the fifth entry from the top for the description of PD versions.

To find out which version of PD you have, Director's Chair -> Help -> About Cyberlink Power Director

Good luck

Another thought...

Download the trial version of PD7 (full featured) and see if it does what you want.

This is the process I would use.

Do all the editing you need to do on the material which is going to become your Chapter 1. Don’t put in any chapters. Make sure there is nothing else on your timeline. Go to Produce, not Create Disc. Click on Create a File, then Next. Click on AVI, or whatever format you want, then Next. In the next screen, click on the Ellipsis ( … ) button and give your file a name (say, Chapter 1) and choose a folder for it to be saved to. Then click Start Rendering and wait until you get the Congratulations message. Then click Home to return to Edit mode. Start a new project for your chapter 2 material.

Repeat this until you have all your chapter material finished, i.e. one file (,avi or .mpg) for each chapter. Note that you have not used the Chapter function of PD7 yet. You have not created any chapters, just files which will eventually become chapters.

Now open a new project, and import all of your recently created “chapter” files into the media room. Drag them all onto the timeline. Click on the Chapter Room icon, then under Auto Chapter Settings click the top icon i.e. “Insert chapter at the start of each clip”. A warning box will appear – just click OK. In your new movie you now have a chapter corresponding to each file you created.

Now go to Create Disc. Make sure that the check box at the bottom of the screen labelled “Create a disc without a menu” is unchecked. If you click on Preview you should see your chapters. Go back to Author and change the words “My Video” to something meaningful for your movie. At this time you can also change “Chapter 1”, “Chapter 2” to something more appropriate. (When you created the chapters in the Chapter Room you could also change their names at that time, rather than at the menu stage.) Now burn your disc.

Hope that helps.

Robert

I so enjoy this forum! you just don't know how must nicer it is getting help from people who actually use the programs. Thanks again for the help with the menu questions Robert. Now for a cople more........You may never get rid of me Better yet maybe at some point i can actually be a help to someone else. I do hope that day comes.
On to my questions, I followed your instructions with the Movie Clip, chapters, then create Disk. I got a menu but, it came up at the end of my movie. Do you know where I went wrong to have that happen? And when it did come up & I tried to use it (it was just a test so only had 2 chapters), and clicked on the 1st chapter it still ran thru both chapters.
Is there something I should be doing to get the menu up before the movie, & is there a way to make the chapters work independently? Thanks Again, Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available

Quote: And when it did come up & I tried to use it (it was just a test so only had 2 chapters), and clicked on the 1st chapter it still ran thru both chapters.
... is there a way to make the chapters work independently? Thanks Again, Karen

This is a problem with PD7. You can choose a chapter but when it has played it goes straight on to the next chapter(s). There seems to be a view that this may be rectified in PD8 - I certainly hope so.

As for the first part of your question. I don't know what could have happened. Try to pin down where the problem occurred by:

1. Drag the sample clip and images to the timeline.
2. Go to Create Disc
3. Burn.

This will give you a menu with one chapter (it seems there is no way to avoid Chapter 1 starting at the beginning of your movie.) See if it plays OK.

If it is OK,

1. Drag the sample clip and images to the timeline.
2. Add chapters automatically at the start of each clip.
3. Go to Create Disc
4. Burn.

This will give you a menu with a chapter for each clip/image. See if it plays OK.

If so, try again with the process I outlined in my earlier post. Note that in this process you will have several different projects. There will be one project for the chapter 1 material, leading to Chapter1.avi, another for chapter 2 and so on, and then a final new project where you put it all together. This last one is the only one where you will be inserting chapters.

Hope that helps.

Robert

Thanks will try it this way...........Have a super week-end,Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available

P.S. Is there a place that you know of where we can go to give input on PD8 before they put it out. The fact that you can't get chapters to work independently is a bummer? I would go & add my suggestions for what they're worth.........Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available

Karen wrote...

P.S. Is there a place that you know of where we can go to give input on PD8 before they put it out.

Hi Karen,

Right here.
http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/3980.page
There is a section where you can make suggestions for future versions/builds. Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips

Hello Robert, I GOT IT!!!!!!! I made a silly mistake & it took me all week-end to figure out exactly what it was. You know in the create a disk portion of the program, in the slot below where you put your music for the menu, there is a slot that is for 1st played video? I put the 1st chapter in that slot. Therefore instead of 1st getting the menu,I got the 1st chapter of my movie. SILLY!!! Anyway, I did get it & turned out a perfect test tonight. I'm sooooooooo Happy!!! I can't thank you enough for all your in out with this. As I had said, I had been dealing with support for a long time 7 getting no where fast,I was so frustrated I was about ready to throw this Cyberlink Program out the window. I now am in love with it (Minus the fact that the chapters don't work independently). That issue i will go to the suggustion link you gave me & add my 2 cents for what it's worth. I'd like to add, something i have found a pure joy with PD7 is the ability it gives you with music,in raising & lowering the pitch etc. That's something I've always had a problem with with other programs I've used in the past. So thanks for all the help & maybe I can be a help to someone else one of these days........Karen karen
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (6.1, Build 7601) Service Pack 1
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8300 @ 2.50GHz (4 CPUs), ~2.5GHz
Memory: 6144MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 6144MB
RAM Page File: 2082MB used, 10202MB available