I have just downloaded the demo to try it.

I have almost got it but not quite.

I have the 5 menus and have worked out that I need a button on each menu set to "Auto Activate"

But I can't work out if I only need one button per menu page or 2 (up / down)

Also how do I set it so that when the user is on one of the menu items and presses enter that it goes the the relvant movie?

I really appreciate yuor help.

Thanks

Phil

I have now got it so that each menu has one button on.

All buttons are set to "Auto Activate" and using the keypad cursors in the simulator cycles through the menus.

However, as there is only one button on each screen, I can't seem to move in specific direction (I want to move up and down). No matter which arrow I press, I always go to the next page.

Also, how do I now link to a movie from each of my 5 menus? I want the user to use the cursors to select the relavant page the press enter to start the movie playing.

I have a tiny (100k) DVDA filefile that shows my problem, if any body would be willing to take a quick look I would be eternally greatful.

Feel free to email me at mail@philspitler.com


Thanks a million.

Phil

Phil,

Based on what I think you're trying to accomplish, you need 2-5 buttons on each menu.

The first button is the default button. Its action should be set to link to its "movie" and should not be set to auto-activate.

The number of additional button is determined by the number of buttons you can navigate to from the default button. Since there are 4 directions (left, right, top, bottom) that is the maximum of additional buttons needed (although you can have all the others if it is convenient). The additional buttons should be set to auto-activate and link to the menu which has their button as the default.

I hope that helps.

If you want to cycle thru the menus by moving the up/down arrow, here's what you do.

Create a menu with 3 buttons on it, arranged verically:

2
1
3

1 is your first button and the default button when you navigate to the menu. buttons 2 and 3 have auto activate set and are links to your up/down menu - 2 links to the menu you get if you move up, 3 links to the menu if you move down. Button 1 links to the movie you want to play, and the movie plays when the user presses Enter.

All of your other menus are constructed in exactly the same format, but remember that the "bottom" menus down link will link to the topmost menu; likewise the top most menu's up link will link to the bottom most menu.

Another variation would be to have buttons for all 5 menus:

1 - active menu
2
3
4
5

In this case you can set auto activate for buttons 2, 3, 4 & 5 that takes you to those menus respectively. Buttons 3 & 4 can't actually be accessed from a set-top player, but they could be accessed via a software player and a "mouse-over" - so to work consistantly they need to have auto activate. The active menu button is actually a link to the movie that you want to play, and each active menu button (which will be different for each menu) you'll want to have as the default button on that menu. This button will not have auto activate.

SDB's suggestions regarding up/down & right/left are another variation on this theme, but I would personally avoid 2 dimensional movement - restrict yourself to up/down or right/left but don't combine - why? it's harder to get the linkages correct, and can be confusing to the user. However, you could build an interesting DVD game on this - think of Adventure with lots of twisty little passages leading....everywhere....

--Scott