DVD Architect - Looping menu background

[Jayell]

I'm reading through your book, Steve, DVDAS 4.5.
I want the motion background on the Main Menu page to play continuously until the user clicks on a menu item. I believe I'm understanding that is NOT an option (other than placing that clip on the timeline multiple times, which is only slightly helpful). I do understand about looping the video BEFORE the buttons appear. I want it to continue looping while the buttons are on the screen. Any way to do that?

Edit: OK, I got the background to loop .. but then the audio jumps back to the beginning each time. Can I get the background to loop .. but NOT the audio?

[Steve Grisetti]

I'm not sure there's a way to make the audio loop but not the video, Jayell.

About your only option would be to use a still as your background and have looping music.

[Jayell]

I'm not sure there's a way to make the audio loop but not the video, Jayell.

Actually I want the VIDEO to loop, but not the audio. But I'm sure the answer is the same. They seem to function together. Thanks for the response Steve. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. Some of these functions are a little awkward, in that the steps to get you there require making adjustments on multiple property panels.

[Chuck Engels]

In EncoreDVD you control the motion menu and the audio separately. Maybe there is something similar in DVD Architect;
Menu Audio has a Length setting and a number of times to loop setting.
Video has a length setting and a number of times to loop setting also.
Then there is a control that you set for what to do when the looping stops, like start the movie.

[Jayell]

In EncoreDVD you control the motion menu and the audio separately. Maybe there is something similar in DVD Architect;

I'm still learning DVDAS, but I'll keep looking around. It seems weird you could control one, but not the other.

[cbrillow]

Disclaimer: I use DVD-A 5 Pro, so I'm not familiar with how it may differ from DVD-A Studio

As the others have stated, it doesn't appear that DVD Architect offers the type of individual control over menu media audio & video that you seek.

However, here's a suggestion to accomplish what (I think) you want:

1) Go back to your NLE and open the project in which you built your motion menu.

2) Copy the video portion of the clip you're using for your motion menu.

3) Paste this back-to-back with the existing clip on the timeline. This should give you two identical video segments, the first one with audio, and the second, without. You may want to kiss black between the two segments to provide a definitive breakpoint.

4) Render to a new file.

Now open up DVD Architect, and replace the menu media with your new file. Set the loop point to the breakpoint established in step 4, above. This will result in the menu video playing through once with audio and no buttons on the screen, then loop continuously with buttons, but no audio.


Alternately, you could make two separate clips of your motion menu -- one with audio and one without. Set the clip with audio as the DVD's introductory media (assuming you don't already have one) and the clip without audio as the menu background media.

[Jayell]

cbrilllow - thanks so much for taking the time for your detailed instructions! I think this is doable in DVD Studio, but
my goal was to have audio play continuously.. with buttons the entire time. But trying your suggestion may help me to better understand how this works, and to give me ideas in future projects.
I think the easiest solution for my current goal is just to make the audio fit the length of the video, so that when it loops each time along with the video, everything works together

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Good suggestion cbrillow and welcome to Muvipix.

[cbrillow]

cbrilllow - thanks so much for taking the time for your detailed instructions! I think this is doable in DVD Studio, but
my goal was to have audio play continuously.. with buttons the entire time.

Whew! I sure didn't understand it that way from the previous posts -- must be time for new reading glasses!

At any rate, I'm happy that you've arrived at an acceptable solution.

[cbrillow]

Good suggestion cbrillow and welcome to Muvipix.

Thanks for the welcome, but I've 'been here' for awhile. Just don't check in too often...

[Jayell]

Whew! I sure didn't understand it that way from the previous posts -- must be time for new reading glasses!

Sorry for the confusion. I thought I had half the problem solved, so didn't mention it in the post. Then when I got the other part solved, it unfixed the first half. Anyway, thanks again for your help.

[cbrillow]

You're quite welcome. I do enjoy helping where I'm able...