Hi Jeff,
There are many, many posts on the idosynchratic way menus are implemented in PD.

This one is a good starting point :
http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/4767.page

or this one for the music issue
http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/4965.page

Hope these help
Cheers
Adrian Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
AMD Phenom IIX6 1055T, win10, 5 internal drives, 7 usb drives, struggling power supply.

Jeff,
Calm down mate because you have made some basic errors.

1. PD7 is a video editing program with a moderatly capable dvd writing addition. It is NOT a specialist DVD writing software with multi-layer capability.

2. You need to view the video tutorial on how to alter the templates by clicking "Modify" and then altering the text. The "titles" you refer to are template positional for text and NOT the final text necessarily. http://forum.cyberlink.com/forum/posts/list/3523.page

Dafydd
PS I see Adrian has answered as well....

Thank you for your quick replies, Gentlemen. If you knew what I have gone through during this HD conversion...well, you just wouldn't believe it.

But I beg to differ on "making basic errors". I upgraded to PD7 ultra from Cyberlink Suite based on their marketing of it being able to do Blu-Ray and 5.1 sound authoring. Not being able to do multi-level chapters is just outrageous. I already have an editing program called Sony Vegas and I bought this Ultra just for dvd authoring.

And now you're telling me I need to buy PowerProducer or some other product from Cyberlink if I want true dvd authoring?

Also, I didn't know that I needed to consult with Forum to work this program properly. Clicking on Layout buttons, then Modify template and Saving file just to edit the text is quite a stretch for a Newbie to this program.

Quote:
Clicking on Layout buttons, then Modify template and Saving file just to edit the text is quite a stretch for a Newbie to this program.....

I have to use "My Videos"

You don't have to do this. When you get to the Create Disc stage, click on the Author tab if it is not already highlighted. Then just double click My Videos and you can change the text to whatever you want. You can also change the font, its size, and colour. You can also drag the headings to different positions if you want.

Quote:

Finally, I can't seem to change the music associated with pre-built templates.

Click on the second icon under "Background Music" to get rid of the default music then click on the first icon. In the window which opens click on the ellipsis button (top right corner) to browse and find a track of your own to add.

I think you will find that Power Producer 5 will only create multi-layer discs for Blu-Ray, not DVD, but a PP5 expert may advise more on that.

Hope that helps.

Robert

Hi Jeff -

We all have a bit of frustration when we're trying to learn how to do new things, but it seems like you're compounding it for yourself by trying to learn it while you're doing a project (the wedding video). Sounds like just the silly kind of thing I'd do myself!

The best thing to do would be to watch the tutorials & read the notes on the things you want to try... then try them out. Have you ever watched M*A*S*H? If so, you might remember a character called Charles Emerson Winchester whose motto was "I do one thing. I do it well. Then I move on." Admittedly, I don't do that myself, but it DOES seem like a good idea!

If I was you I'd put the wedding video aside for a little while and take some time to grasp the skills you'll need to make the project as you want to. Take the advice Dafydd, Robert and Adrian have given you - they know what they're talking about (well - that's what they told me anyway). When I first started with PD7, I was frustrated with the way menu construction works. I was going round in ever diminishing circles... but I got there. Menus aren't an issue for me now... YOU'LL get there too.

HOWEVER - it doesn't matter how much you learn, it will not change PD7's instability issues or it's difficulty with HD... and PD7 is not alone in that. You only have a look at one of the Vegas forums to see that...

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/search.asp

All the best with it Jeff -

Tony
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Hi Jeff,

I'm curious, what problems did you have with AVCHD files? Did they hang up and not play smoothly? I know this may be a problem depending on your computer hardware. I will also agree with you that the menu authoring system is not the best and is not intuitive for a new user. Q9300 2.5 GHz
4 GB Ram
Nvidia 9800 GT

Gawd -
Mr anal retentive about grammar and punctuation has just misplaced an apostrophe. $10 for the first to spot it.

By the way, if you ever want to find out if someone IS anal retentive all you need to do is ask them whether "anal retentive" is hyphenated. If they even attempt to answer you, the answer is YES!
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Tony, you do know you can edit your own posts and fix your grammatical errors if it bothers you that much.

I read your entire post and didn't find it if it makes you feel better.

Oh yea, I see you found the fountain of youth. Q9300 2.5 GHz
4 GB Ram
Nvidia 9800 GT

Thanks Guys

First of all, I am doing a Pro bono wedding just for the purposes of ironing out all of the details from start to finish.

Being able to change the words "My Videos" hopefully was the last high hurdle in a long two month process I have been going through.

Robert, your suggestions only work once the Template chosen is re-saved under a different name. Otherwise, "My Videos" and Background music keeps reverting back to its original form.

James, the AVCHD footage, would hang up when I tried to set chapters. Someone at the Sony Vegas forum suggested I purchased UpShift to help decompress the file somewhat. Seemed to work. Also, I downloaded ffdshow which also seemed to help with file processing.

I successfully burned a blu-ray today. At least, I think I did. I was away from the office and when I came back, the burning process was at 350%!
I clicked Cancel and it showed up "Complete"

Just in time because my first HD paying customer is this week!

Thanks again!
Jeff

"My Videos" is the positional placement of a title in a dvd menu template created by CyberLink. If YOU create your own SAVED template in Menu Designer the POSITIONAL location will still show BUT the design displayed in PREVIEW should show the Title you have named/type or added.

Robert knows menu design!

The templates SAVED are the ones you alter.

If you want to be "ultra cool" save your preferred DVD menu template and then alter the xml script located in the saved menu to whatever you want. Look in My Documents/CyberLink....

I am surprised you did not familiarise yourself with PowerDirector BEFORE taking on any video editing for third parties. I think other members have already pointed this out to you.

Dafydd

Dafydd

Alot of this stuff is trial and error. I wish I had time to sit down with the manual but alas I do not. Would it save me time in the end; probably not. I just do not know the right questions to ask. I am new to PC editing. I have used non-pcs for 18 years.

How would I know that it would be difficult to change text unless I re-saved a template first? Only the Forums members knew. Even the Cyberlink techie got it wrong when he answered my plea.

Nothing against Robert. He assumed that I had already chosen a Layout Buttons icon and re-saved a template; otherwise, changes cannot be made in the Authoring mode.

Thanks to this forum, my road to HD is almost complete.

1. James - thank you. I'd never even noticed the "edit"button... and yes - it bothers me (sad, but true).

2. Jeff - why did you do it 3 & a half times? Surely 100% would have been enough.

3. Dafydd - do you think "ultra cool" should be hyphenated?


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Quote:

Robert, your suggestions only work once the Template chosen is re-saved under a different name. Otherwise, "My Videos" and Background music keeps reverting back to its original form.

Jeff

Jeff

Not so, at least for me. I altered the "My Videos" and added different music. Saved the project and closed everything down. Started again, opened my saved .pds project file and all was fine - altered titles and music were still there.

Robert

Quote:

Robert ... assumed that I had already chosen a Layout Buttons icon and re-saved a template; otherwise, changes cannot be made in the Authoring mode.

Jeff

As soon as there is a template in the Create Disc window (and there will always be one there when you click on Create Disc) you can edit the"My Videos" and other headings without worrying first about button layouts.

You do not have to re-save a template to make changes in Author mode, but you do need to save your PROJECT in order to keep those changes.

Robert

Hi Tony,

Personally I prefer über-cool.

"supremely chique. handsome beyond description. geeky, yet bodaciously amazing"

Cheers
Adrian

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
AMD Phenom IIX6 1055T, win10, 5 internal drives, 7 usb drives, struggling power supply.

Now it's your-turn Tony. Click here PDtoots for a collection of PowerDirector Tutorials and Tips

Personally I prefer über-cool.

"supremely chique. handsome beyond description. geeky, yet bodaciously amazing"

Na..... I've seen your passport pic when you were 18!!!

Dafydd

I couldn't possibly compete with Adrian's masterful juggling of laconic wit and aureate lexiphanicism... and, Dafydd, I'm quite sure he's as bodaciously amazing as he claims!
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Dafydd,
There's nothing wrong with 1969 clothes and hairstyles - after all some people still wear them I see, especially when breakfasting on grapes and cheese.


Tony,
I was actually talking about Barry or Cranston or Gordon Brown.

Cheers
Adrian Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. (see below)
Confucius
AMD Phenom IIX6 1055T, win10, 5 internal drives, 7 usb drives, struggling power supply.