Customizing iDVD 4, Part 1

Tutorial: Page (1) of 4 - 12/13/04

Customizing iDVD 4, Part 1 Changing default buttons to custom shapes By Dave Nagel If you're reading this article, you already know iDVD is a great little program for creating graphically rich presentations for home and professional use. BUt you're also probably hoping that it can be a bit greater, with the ability to use custom shapes, masks and highlights for your DVD buttons. Well, it can. In this new series of tutorials on customizing iDVD, we'll take a look at how to do it.

Now, before we get started, we've been through three previous versions of iDVD in our customization series, and each version is slightly different in terms of how you go about adding custom elements. If you're using a version of iDVD prior to 4.0, we have a number of tutorials that can help you out. You'll find those here.

We'll kick off this new series with a look at how to replace the existing buttons in iDVD with your own custom shapes.

To start with a little background, each button in iDVD consists of four elements: a graphic, a mask, a highlight and an icon. (The icon itself actually consists of two files.) And each of these is stored in a TIFF image within iDVD. So all you need to do to create your own custom buttons is create new graphical elements to replace the old. Let's say, for example, you want to create a canvas-like effect for your DVD menu, and you want the buttons in this menu to look as if they were holes torn in the fabric to reveal your images or movies. Something along these lines:

No problem. Here's how it works.

Locating the old media files
For this process to work, you need to locate the set of files for an existing default button, one that, presumably, you're unlikely to use. That way you won't miss it when it's gone. To do this, select iDVD 4 in your Finder, and right-click or Control-click on it. A menu will come up. Select the "Show Package Contents" option.

This will open up a new window. Navigate to Contents/Resources/. This is where you'll find all of the graphics files for the buttons that are already loaded up in iDVD.

Page: 1 2 3 4 Next Page

Related Sites: Digital Producer , Oceania , CEN - Consumer Electronics Net , CEN - DVD
Related Newsletter: Digital Media Net , DVD Viewpoint , CEN - Gadgets Newsletter , Tutorial Finder

To Comment on This Article, Click HERE

Most Recent Reader Comments:

Customizing iDVD 4, Part 1 by DMN Editorial at Dec 13, 2004 9:41 am gmt (Rec'd 4)

Click Here To Read All Posts
Must be Registered to Respond (Free Registration!!!, CLICK HERE)