6 replies to this topic

[bambusfackel]

Hello @all,

i´m a newbie in this forum, but i want to "complain" about essential missing features in DVDit Pro HD... (hopefully some people here can confute my assertions... that would help a lot)

This program has got a huge functionality, great flexibility especially at creating self defined menu-structure, but also when using in common with Photoshop at creation of creative button-Designs (with overlay, highlighting etc...)
Surely some people would consider DVDit Pro HD as one of the best alternatives to professional and priceless DVD Authoring Software-Tools, which are used in Hollywood DVD-Productions... (Scenario NT or the like)...

But after almost 2 days of studying and working with DVDit Pro HD i really fast reached the borders of this tool.

And i cant believe, that DVDit despite all professionality isnt able to manage essential features like:

---> Adjusting the volume of background audio file in a Simple DVD Menu.
(in my opinion, it is embarrassing, that you cant set the volume und so dont have the possibility to choose, if you want the background-audio loud or quiet !!!!)
---> as well it isnt possible to set the Fade-In or Fade-Out Duration of the Background audio file, if you want to change it ...

These two things aren`t really difficult to integrate into such a complex program, i think


---> furthermore i would mention, that the specification of the videoparts, you want to play with animated buttons instead of still-imaged thumbnails, is too much linked to the motion menu duration and also to the audio background. It is IMPOSSIBLE to choose a certain Duration from the movie, you want to loop. You can only set the motion menu duration and then DVDit Pro HD automatically uses the Part from the beginning of the movie you want to preview with the animated button till the expiration of the motion menu duration.
simply, if the motion menu duration is 20 seconds, DVDit automatically will use the first 20 seconds of the movie to display on the animated button.

TMPGenc and other Authoring Tools let you set keyframes to define the specific Intervall of the video, you want to display and loop on the animated button. And this Duration not even has to be the same as the motion menu duration, so that the button-animation potentially loops several times, although the motion Menu duration and as a result the background audio has not yet elapsed once.
This feature is also important for saving dvd-disc space, because you do not have to render fully 3 minutes of a movie for the animated button, solely you want to have a background-audioclip of that length.

At this point, tmpgenc offers quite more flexibility in my opinion.

Maybe I've overlooked some possibilities... hopefully... because i like DVDit Pro HD in spite of everything.

greets bambusfackel...

Edited by bambusfackel, 08 October 2008 - 04:54 AM.

[SS Scott]

on your last request, right click on the thumbnail and you can choose the in point for the video.  you can't choose the outpoint, but this will let you choose the 20-30 seconds you want to loop.

[bambusfackel]

as i just mentionend in the other thread. (sorry for opening a new one)

I do not see any item in the popup, when i make a right click on the animated thumbnail, which could lead to such a feature, you're describing.
list of items:
cut
copy
paste
delete
_____________
link
remove link
_____________
Lock
unlock
_____________
Align
Rotate of flip
Size
Order
_____________
copy attributes
paste attributes
_____________
Set Button Image
Remove button frame


the only item, that could make sense, is "Set Button Image"
But in the window, that opens, you only can choose a still image (anywhere in your movie), which is shown in the thumbnail.

And in the simulation window, if you render motion menus, the thumbnail-movieloop doesnt start at the button image frame, i choosed.
this feature is only for still image thumbnails. If i try to animate the button by rendering motion menus, DVDit still shows the first seconds of the movie instead of starting from the imageframe, i choosed.
i also tried it yesterday that way...
successless, as you see

going crazy sometime

Edited by bambusfackel, 08 October 2008 - 09:59 AM.

[SS Scott]

...and that still image is the starting point for your 20-30 second loop

[bambusfackel]

you were too fast
and so could not read my edited post (where the problem isnt solved)...

But..... I`ve tried it once more, while thinking, that it could not be possible, that it does not work this way.
And... dont know why, but this time (again new image chosen before), it worked...

maybe the frame, i selected as the still image for the button, was too nearly to the real movie startframe, and so couldn´t work.
(the setting of chapters to certain frames, is also impossible, you have to balance between given area of about 20 frames or something like.)

okay... but now it works...
The next question i have:

so it isnt possible to take a smaller part of the video to render, if you nevertheless want to play a background audio of (for example 3 minutes), because the movie-duration is dependent on the motion menu loop and it isnt possible to set an outpoint-frame ?

hmmh..... then i have to render 3 minutes of the video, too, if i want to play an audio file of that length from the background...
anyway.... i've to go through it.

Edited by bambusfackel, 08 October 2008 - 12:16 PM.

[rexdigital]

I'm not aware of any dvd authoring app that allows volume adjustment and
frankly thats something that should already be taken care of before going in to authoring.

[bambusfackel]

I think it isnt that complicated to allow volume adjustment for the background audio file

by the way... Fade-In and Fade-Out could also be taken care of before going to authoring, but DVDit allows it...

And of course there are a few authoring tools, which allow to set a ( for example tmpgenc) percentage for the volume of the background audio file. Moreover you are allowed to set a Fade-In and Fade out- Duration.

But you`re right... these features aren't inevitable.
I won't complain about the missing possibility to choose between linear and exponential fading

So now im going to install wavelab after a long time without use.

PS: the most problems are eviteable, even that one about choosing a shorter duration for an animated button than the duration you want the background audio file to be played, can be solved in a tricky way...
That's not the question of feasibilty at all, but then a question of sweet convenience

Edited by bambusfackel, 09 October 2008 - 01:13 PM.