Quest for more DVD Menu Templates

[LarryGB]

In my search for some additional templatesfor V10PrE, and trying to learn more about their creation, I have come to a couple of conclusions. After reading Steves info, another forums poster ATR, and some white papers, and tutorials, I realize that one has to be fairly proficient in using PS CS or similar, be vary patient with making mistakes, and endless dead ends, crashing PrE 10, or repeated redundant info.
So here is what I have found out, and may be helpful to others. As I have grown mostly on the elements series, after numerous installs, upgrades, and total system installs, from version 2, 6, 9 and now 10 of Premier, there are some simple things that can be done.
- First of all, I notice that some of the versions as they have moved up, have left behind some interesting DVD Menu templates. So how to recover them. Simply copy from a previous version 4,9 - the Main Menu PSD and the Scene Menu PSD, and it's associated en_US_ ----mm/sm.png into a new personal folder/subfolder created in the V10 DVD template folder. Even though you copy all three versions: standard, widescreen, HD, I have not discovered why only one version will show up. If only SD/WD is copied, that SD seems to show in the DVD menus in PrE10, or all three formats, that HD only shows. A closer comparison of the existing V10 template structure is in order, and more discovery is required.
- Also, if its a multi-menu that is copied, with it's associated mp3 file, it seems to play fine in V10 preview system. Haven't experimented with video yet, or actually burning a project to disc, yet.
- Using PS CS[6], the info seems to be as outlined in the white paper I read, but seems cryptic as to how to change the layers with in layers info to reroute/customize the menu structure of the template. It seems easier to used the pre-established info from a past version of PrE, and modify it in the DVD Menu creation area of PrE V10.

Any one who would like to pursue this, I would be happy to help out, make suggestions, and comment/experiment on what is going on in V10, and how we can create some new, personal templates, related to the work we do as individuals.

Any one interested?

[Steve Grisetti]

It sounds like you've got it, Larry.

1) Versions 3 through 9 of the program use the same basic structure for DVD templates. You can copy their folders from version of the program to another and they should be fairly interchangeable.
2) Version 10 changed the PSD structures a little in order to accommodate more languages -- but you should be able to use templates designed for version 3 or later (including the ones on this site) in version 10, even if you're on a Mac.
3) You are so right about it sometimes being a struggle to "create" a template. (I always start with an existing template and use it as a form for building a brand new look.) I've spent days troubleshooting menu templates I've designed! But I think I've gotten pretty good at understanding the naming conventions and layer set rules. I've even been able to troubleshoot templates others have designed (and have even fixed at least one Adobe design). The principles I've learned are outlined in our Photo Elements/Premiere Elements combo books.

I am finding it harder and harder to edit these templates in Photoshop Elements though. The layer sets, particularly for HD templates, can be so memory intensive that they don't even show up as folders in Photo Elements! It's possible most times to work around these limitations -- but the whole process is a heck of a lot easier in Photoshop Pro!

[RLyerla]

Steve, if you have the hundreds of dollars for Photoshop Pro. :o) I've just upgraded to 10 in the last couple of weeks and have gone round and round in trying to figure out how to make a template that I downloaded from here, work. I wish that PE10 and even earlier versions would give/have given us a simple line menu option. I found the "18 Line" menu template, but have yet to get it to work properly.

Larry, I love your idea for sharing. If I get this figured out, I'll repost.

In the meentime, Steve, I'll try your suggestion of using an authoring program...we'll see.