PowerDirector - Design the opening features of your disc menu

[@KTHKUHNKK]

Once again excellent stuff. Keith Kuhn

[@rowellgormon3362]

Hello. I've been exploring PowerDirector (and your marvelous videos) but have yet to find an answer for this: how to make/author a dvd with a single file that merely plays and then stops, instead of repeating. What have I overlooked? Thank you.

[@SharperTurtle]

That's a great question. I'll do some research and see if I can find out. (I'm glad these tutorials are assisting you.) --Jim

[@williampalenikjr8433]

A good tutorial here again

[@SharperTurtle]

I appreciate your feedback. --Jim

[@danielwolford4619]

At 3:56 what are the little yellow markers for?

[@SharperTurtle]

Daniel, They are in and out markers. You can use them to trim your clip and shorten it on one or both ends in order to blend audio with the video in a way that works for you. --Jim

[@toney5043]

Jim, quick question. After adding the intro video to the path, I noticed that in clicking both the preview buttons, the music did not play. After removing the intro video, the music played. Is this by design? Thanks, Toney

[@SharperTurtle]

Toney, Let me check into this and see what I can discover. --Jim

[@MaxPowerVideos]

I'm struggling. I tried to modify an existing template to create my own. I have background music that is 1 min long. But when I do a preview, I only get like 25 seconds and the music starts over. I don't know where the problem is, the music, the background length? Any idea. I guess it could just be how preview works?

[@SharperTurtle]

Max, This puzzled me too, until I did some digging. The length of the music is not determined by the music clip, but by a setting on your creation menu. If you go to the icon to the right of the label "Playback mode" (two arrows and a triangle) and click on it, it will take you to the "Playback mode settings" At the bottom of this screen in the lower left corner you will find a duration box. You can put in any number from 10-99 seconds. This is how long that clip will be and how long the music will play. This parameter creates a video_TS.VOB file on your disk. PowerDirector limits the size of this to 99 seconds. --Jim

[@MaxPowerVideos]

Hey thanks. I was able to set up 99 seconds. The only problem I'm having it seems to only work on the root menu, the sub title menu still stops at 19 seconds. I checked the Payback mode and it seems like the value is set for all menus. I even changed the song that was on the sub menu to the root. On root it plays fine (past 19 seconds) but on the sub menu it still loops. I even thought it could be something with my background image, changed that. Still same. Turned of the chapter preview to just be an image, still same thing. It seems like a bug.

[@SharperTurtle]

Max, It could be a bug or just a limitation. I'd have to see what's going on with the sub menu and why the structure is what it is. Sounds like you've experimented and pushed it as far as it goes. Hopefully the software engineers will enhance these capabilities as the product continues to mature and challenge the competition. --Jim

[@MaxPowerVideos]

@@SharperTurtle yeah can you confirm if the same thing for you. I have PD 15. Thanks

[@toney5043]

Jim, I was following your directions up until the Magic Music as an alternative sound source. You may want to point out the Magic Music does not come installed in PowerDirector 16, at least not with my version. I found this little nugget posted by Carl312 on the Cyberlink Forum that provides a link to download the files directly from Smartsound. "You can download the installer and database which has about 15 to 20 or more songs. Smartsound Installer and database www.smartsound.com/support/updates?product=cyberlink Choose the 204 Megabyte link, it is the installer and the songs." All the best, Toney

[@SharperTurtle]

Toney, Good point. Apparently Cyberlink reconfigured what was standard with version 16. When I revise that tutorial I will include the information you provided. Thanks so much. --Jim

[@micheler1845]

Hi Jim, I'm back!!! Have a question regarding playback from a disc. I notice when playing back a video if you choose to play a scene it jumps to the selected scene but then continues on to the next scene, it doesn't go back to the menu, is this by design? I know there is the choice to play each scene individually but I'd like the option to play the entire video but then if I choose to watch a particular scene again it will play only that scene and then return to the menu, is that possible? Thanks Michele

[@triplem9805]

Dear Mr Turtle... When your commentary references another of your excellent videos, it would be incredibly helpful to have its full name. You've uploaded over 500 titles and, believe me, it's a very tedious - and not always successful - task to try to spot the one I need without knowing what it's called. Even better would be some means of arranging them by subject, although I'm not sure whether KZbin supports this.

[@SharperTurtle]

I am starting to remember to use cards, which provide a link to a tutorial within the video. But I realize that for many of them there are no clear links. I do have a document you can access or download that may help a bit. It's a PDF. You can click on the title of any of the lessons and it will take you to that tutorial on KZbin. Not everything is classified as it could be, but hopefully it will help some. Here is a link to that file. (I update it about every 3 months.) www.sharperturtle.com/PDF/PDL.pdf --Jim

[@triplem9805]

@@SharperTurtle That's really helpful - thank you - I'll check it out today.