Arabesk 4

[Jscroggs]

Hey. I am trying to use Arabesk 4 for the first time and cannot get it to do what I want (if even possible). I have read the manuals to no avail.
I want to have the DVD boot to a main menu (a motion menu from footage I have) with 2 options to click on: Episodes and Extras. Both the episodes menu and extras menus are motion menus (from footage I have). They both have multiple choices to pick from also, and I want an option to return to the main menu. Pretty much like a Hollywood style movie DVD.
I can't get close to this. As soon as I create the main menu, and then start to add films, it puts them on the main menu (where I don't want them). Any help?

[PaulBusta]

To my knowledge Arabesk 4 is nowhere near that level of sophistication. Maybe in version 10.

[chetdavis]

Actually - Arabesk 4 _will_ allow you you to do just that. There is a _ton_ of creative capability in Arabesk 4 but I find many do not understand or know how to access this power. I plan on launching a series of resources in the New Year to address this knowledge-base, but for now, the short answer is you should set 'Menu' in Edit Menu to 'Trailer' this will play your main menu (with motion icons). Then have two films, one with 'Episodes' and one with 'Extras'. Each of these films can have Chapter menus with motion background and motion icons/film stamps.

I will have to provide the tutorial/details to this in a follow-up message as I am headed out the door.

Regards,
Chet

[PaulBusta]

I stand corrected, thanks Chet. We don't understand what Arabesk 4 will do because no-one has provided us with the indepth information yet.

[TimKennelly]

There are actually a couple of ways to do this in A4.

I would add all the Episodes to one Storyboard and the Extras to another.

Set A4 to Menu, Add the Episodes and create your Chapter Menu for it, Add the Extras and create your Chapter Menu for it.

You can use New Button (select and title function properly) to create the "Go to Main Menu" feature you mentioned you also wanted.

Set up this way the Episodes will follow each other and if you want you can "differentiate" them by adding transitions between them on the Storyboard or if you would prefer they "stand alone" I suggest added a Scene in between each Episode segment on the Storyboard and design the Scene with anything from a simple to complex background with the message to "select "Menu" on your remote" and set this Scene for a reasonable duration (five seconds, ten seconds, whatever) and that would give them time to either use the remote to get back to the Menu system or by ignoring the message the DVD would then go on to the next Episode automatically.