Very large PowerDirector project: Multiple chapters or Do multiple projects then combine into one?

GaryInAZ

Newbie Joined: Aug 16, 2012 16:25 Messages: 16 Offline

Solved by

Dec 01, 2019 17:17

Hi, I'm working on a video for a very long vacation. The final video will be about two hours on DVD (probably Blu-Ray). I have portentially 14 chapters. Would it be better to build this as one huge project or build a project for each chapter and then combine all the projects into one project?

If multiple projects is the best approach, then is it possible to write them all to one DVD but have one menu that includes all 14 chapters without combining into one project?

Ideally I would like to be able to watch all 14 chapters as one long movie or select any given chapter and just watch it.

I'll probably be producing this as a 3D (true 3D from a 3D camera mixed with 2D content) and as a 2D only movie but I don't think that impacts the multiple chapters or multiple projects decision.

Thanks!
P.S. I'm using the 365 subscription version

JL_JL

Senior Contributor Location: Arizona, USA Joined: Oct 01, 2006 20:01 Messages: 6091 Offline

Dec 01, 2019 17:46

Quote Ideally I would like to be able to watch all 14 chapters as one long movie or select any given chapter and just watch it.

If this is the goal, then the most viable option is to have each of the 14 sections independent PD projects so the pds or produced file can be treated as "Titles" not "Chapters" in the menu system. Chapter selection will always play the selected chapter and then on to the next chapter until the end. With titles you can control the playback order, for instance "play all" can be used to meet your one long movie option or one can play the selected title and return to the title selection menu without playing the next title to meet your other need.

If you would create one project, you would have to use "Produce Range" to select off the 14 sections into produced files that could then be treated as "Titles" in the menu system. This can be a little tedious if you have several edit sessions in all 14 sections as you refine your video.

Jeff

GaryInAZ

Newbie Joined: Aug 16, 2012 16:25 Messages: 16 Offline

Dec 02, 2019 10:34

Quote

If this is the goal, then the most viable option is to have each of the 14 sections independent PD projects so the pds or produced file can be treated as "Titles" not "Chapters" in the menu system. Chapter selection will always play the selected chapter and then on to the next chapter until the end. With titles you can control the playback order, for instance "play all" can be used to meet your one long movie option or one can play the selected title and return to the title selection menu without playing the next title to meet your other need.

If you would create one project, you would have to use "Produce Range" to select off the 14 sections into produced files that could then be treated as "Titles" in the menu system. This can be a little tedious if you have several edit sessions in all 14 sections as you refine your video.

Jeff

Thank you very much! I was hoping the individual projects would work to reduce the amount of work on each title. Not only will it work, it is the solution I need.