TABLE OF CONTENTS Buttons are an integral part of the DVD experience. Aside from providing navigation information, buttons also create an ambience that compliments the DVD presentation. Buttons consist of 2 primary elements; the background button graphic and the Subpicture Highlight.
The subpicture highlight is the interactive part of a button. It allows the viewer to see which button is selected and if it has been "pressed." A subpicture highlight is typically used to accent an underlying graphic.
With this in mind, it is possible and recommended that the design of the background button graphics be in-depth, colorful, and creative. Using the subpicture highlight to complement that design scheme is also recommended.
If you are using templates with pre-existing buttons, feel free to skip directly to the Linking Buttons section of the next chapter.
Buttons often consist of graphics that are part of a background video stream. In this case, graphics are used as window dressing for the subpicture highlight, the overlay that provides selection information. Because of the limited graphics potential of the subpicture, the background button graphic often exists in the MPEG-2 video stream. Because it exists as part of a background video stream, it offers far better color depth, quality and detail. In addition, background video provides almost limitless animation options, in stark contrast with static overlays.
Creating a button from scratch can be a trying experience for a novice DVD Author wanting to create a DVD quickly. Fortunately, Encore supplies pre-made buttons...
