Illustrator to Photoshop to DVDSP. Image cropped?

Not sure if you meant that you think you need to use Illustrator (or just prefer it?)

An easy way is just use Photoshop (if using CS2 it has pre made template sizes for different items, NTSC/PAL, widecreen etc.) with pixel aspect ratios

http://dvdstepbystep.com/quickmenus.php

Or in Illustrator make sure there is a 720 x 480 area to export (check you settings, do not remember which one stops it from cropping to object edges right now. I used to cheat and just put a solid on the bottom, but do not recall if that worked for seperating into layers. Do not use the app very often anymore.)

Michael:

But in that way you are not taking in account the pixel aspect ratio and your designs will apeear stretched in DVDSP (I think you are building menus, right?).

If you found that issue, create a new Photoshop file using the right preset (DV NTSC . . . etc) and copy your design in Illustrator and paste it in the file.

Photoshop will take care of your pixel aspect ratio and your final file will be fine.

Hope it helps!


Alberto

Michael:

I select the objects in Illustrator, Copy them and Paste in PSD canvas . . . nothing special! But you can learn something about graphic files dimensions and solve the issues. These instructions are straight from DVDSP User Manual Chapter 2 Square Pixels in Graphics:

==============================================
Graphics programs use square pixels. If you set the dimensions of a graphic to 720 x 480 pixels (the NTSC frame size), you will notice that the drawing area of the graphic in the graphics program is not a 4:3 aspect ratio (it is a bit short). If you set a graphic to PAL dimensions (720 x 576 pixels), the drawing area you see in your graphics program is taller than 4:3.
Anything you put in the graphic will be distorted (either vertically stretched or
compressed, depending on your video standard) when viewed on a video monitor. If you draw a square, it will look like a rectangle. In some cases, the distortion is not great enough to worry about, but in most cases you should build your graphics with the distortion in mind.
To compensate for pixel differences between graphics and video, you need to build the graphics at one size, and then rescale them to the appropriate video dimensions, ...
==============================================

Working in Illustrator or Photoshop, you must start with a rectangle size of 720x534 and do all your design work in such dimension. Finally resize your file to 720x480 and import that resized file into DVDSP. Your graphics will look fine !!

If you prefer make your design in Illustrator, start creating a rectangle of 720x534. Select it and go to menu Object > Crope Area > Make. Make your design inside that area and finally make Export > Photoshop 72 dpi.
Open that file in Photoshop and do the resize.

When you became confortable with all these programs you'll find out your best workflow.

Hope it helps !


Alberto

I'm trying to figure out the process myself, but try using creating a Layered Menu instead of a standard menu- I refered to this and it seemed to help me (though I do still have a few issues that hopefully you wont have)

http://www.dvdstepbystep.com/layersover.php

Forrest

15' Powerbook

Michael:

You say you import a layered PSD file into DVDSP, set that as background in the Standard Menu but you don't see the layers in the Meny tab in the Inspector? I think you missed something.

You allways must try to use the standard menu. using Layered Menu you cannot add background movies and audio to your menus and every state of the layered menu will be encoded fianlly as an indepent menu itself, what will do navigation slower and with small gaps between state and state.

If you want you can email me the PSD file you are using to check everything is fine: silal(at)mac(dot)com.

Alberto

Michael:

I received yuor PSD and the problem is the color mode: it's CYMK and must be RGB. First rule with graphics&video: forget CYMK. You can get a lot of weird errors (specially in FCP) using CYMK files.
Once you change this file to RGB you'll see the layers in DVDSP.

The second point id s your file size: 1500x1133 and 150 dpi. For video, don't use other resolution than 72 dpi. Change it to 72 dpi and you'll get the 720x534 right size. Once your design is ready, save a copy and resize it to 720x480 and use the resized one in DVDSP. Use the saved copy (not resized) as source for modifications.

C'mon . . . you are pretty close !! :-D

Hope it helps!


Alberto

Michael:

You are wellcome !

Just open the original CYMK in Photoshop, change in Menu > Mode > RGB.
Go to Image > Image Size > change resolution to 72 dpi.
Save as "master" (or what you want!).
Go to Image > Image Size , uncheck Constrain proportions and change Height to 480.
Save as "...._720x480" (or what you want to make the difference!).

I don't want to hear from you nothing than SUCCESS !!!

;D


Alberto