I have VP4 and I find the help on how to create a menu driven VCD rather difficult. Call me thick but I don't understand why we use containers and add buttons if you already have a menu screen or clip. Pity me I don't have a manual and my first time after being let down by EZCD 4.02 (it bombs out when preparing the clips). I have asked tech support at Adaptec but no reply as yet. So I had a copy of VP4 and also WinonCD 3.7PE (must have something missing as I don't seem to have the container buttons etc described in docs). Anyway any help or SIMPLE instructions on what to do. I have a few Karaoke disks that I want to combine but rather than play all at once I want to make a menu. Scenario is as such: 12 mpg files average 50mb each either 2 mpg files for menus (as per EZCD) or bmp menu screen. Please help.

RGDS IY

-- Ismael Yahya (iy@sakina.com), March 29, 2000

Answers

OK, Here's some step by step instructions. This will make a simple menu driven VCD with one menu and on video clip in VP4. It's a little long, but it should get you started.

1. Create the Menu Node: -In VP4, click the New Menu Node toolbar button, the click in the VCD layout area. You should see the menu node in the layout area.

2. Assign the Menu Background: -Right click the menu node and select Play Item. -Select Still MPEG with optional MPEG Audio and click properties -under image format, select 240 lines, and select stretch image -Click Add, and find your menu image. You should create a 352x240 bitmap for this simple example. VP4 will convert it as nescessary. -Click OK to Open to select the image, then click Close, then OK, to return to the videopack desktop.

3. Create A Button: -Right click the menu item and select Add Selection Item -Right click the menu item and select Button Editor -Right Click the button and select properties -On the area tab, uncheck Hotspot only -On the background tab, select Fill background, Gradient: Solid, Transparency: 0%, set color 1 to something that will stand out against your background image. -On the Text Style tab, set the Text and Number colors to something that will stand out against the color you selected in the background tab. -On the Text tab, set button text to "1. Play" -Click OK to close the button properties. -Close the Button editor

4. Adding the Video: -Click the New Playlist Node toolbar button -Click in the empty space near the Menu item, -Select Mpeg Track, then click properties -Click Add, select you Mpeg clip, then click Open -Click Close

5. Connecting the Dots: -connect the Menu Item 1 (lower left notch on the menu item) to the top (entry) notch of the play item. This is done by clicking the Menu Item notch, hold the left mouse button down, and drag to the notch you are connecting it to. -Connect the Next notch on the play item to the top of the Menu Item. This will tell the player to go mack to the menu screen when the clip is finished.

6. Making the Disc - Click the record icon on the toolbar I hope you can take it from here.

There are more routes that you can specify. To see them right click in the layout area, select desktop, then uncheck "show menu routings". This hides the menu routes on the menu items, and lets you set the previous and return paths, among others. Hovering the mouse over one of the little notches will show you what it does.

On the play items they are: Previous - sets the path for the << button on the remote Next - sets the path for the >> button on the remote Return - sets the Return button on the remote. You'll usually use this to stop playback and go back to the menu screen.

Menu items have 2 additional paths you can set. Default - this path is followed when you press the Play button on the remote from that menu. Time Out - This path is followed after a while if no buttons are pressed on the remote. The time to wait can be set on the properties page of the menu item.

Try this simple example, then once you get the hang of it you can make larger more complex projects.

-- Sean (sean@magnuminvestments.com), March 29, 2000.

http://www.vcdhelper.com/burnmpg.htm

-- Marek Malinowski (marek.malinowski@skanska.pl), March 31, 2000.