Demo DVD Impressions

That's the best you posted so far bip Another tip, the font you are using probably comes in different versions, thin, light, medium, roman, bold, black, xblack etc and their combinations with condensed and extended. I think yours is a bold condensed font, why don't you try a "light" condensed or "medium" condensed version on the font in the text content while keeping the important parts bold? I can provide any font you want.

[Medvind]

Originally Posted by Burseg

That's the best you posted so far bip Another tip, the font you are using probably comes in different versions, thin, light, medium, roman, bold, black, xblack etc and their combinations with condensed and extended. I think yours is a bold condensed font, why don't you try a "light" condensed or "medium" condensed version on the font in the text content while keeping the important parts bold? I can provide any font you want.

Won't it appear smudgy then? Now I'm not sure, but this DVD is meant to be played in a physical DVD player, right?

[BippyM]

yes in the real DVD Player

The previous menus are all looking good and legible, but I am happy to play with it

[[idoru]]

Dunno if you're still thinking of having a section of the demo playing in the background behind the menu, but if you are I can see the text being hard to read in some cases:

1) the eyes being diverted by the moving image instead of reading left-to-right for text

2) solid blocks of certain colours in the background may prevent you from reading the text at all - unless you're going to play with different text box colours and transparancies depending on the actual background footage (incidentally I liked the bluey coloured transparency from earlier posts , but the last pic looks nice also)

As for the comments, I'm not over keen on those to be honest for the reasons as given already. More interesting (but more time consuming or hard to find in some cases) stuff to place there would be things like a reading of any scroller text (as an example) from within the demo itself, more details of release (if known) eg. a scene party or placing in demo competition etc. Sort of like an enhanced DVD version of Exotica The comments could go into one text box with scrolling text or something ?

Anyway, they're just my ideas - the project looks great as it is and you've been doing sterling work

[BippyM]

I could find the TXT from scrollers etc I think, but then that might spoil the demo itself, it might not either!!

If anybody else has other suggestions then please voice your opinions, the Comments is mainly because I need space filling

[[idoru]]

I could find the TXT from scrollers etc I think, but then that might spoil the demo itself, it might not either!!

Also depends on if the scroller is readable or not - many of them use weird-ass fonts or are too bouncy Probably best blamed on my lack of l33t deciphering skillz (as proved by my complete lack of understanding a fair few ASCII "art" attempts).

[BippyM]

Right, this is how the finished menus will hopefully look.

Not they wont be this rough in the finished thing, the roughness/blurring is caused by the XVid compression and my resizing.

The video is in XVid 4 format and is approx 1.04Mb in size

View Video Example

Originally Posted by bl4desinger/IND

Won't it appear smudgy then? Now I'm not sure, but this DVD is meant to be played in a physical DVD player, right?

I've no idea. I watched the movie and still think thinner font can be better in text blocks.

[BippyM]

Watch it on a TV

[Medvind]

I have a hard time reading the text in the movie on my Panasonic 32" 100Mhz TV. That's all I can say. Any kind of smaller font or thinner text would be a disaster in my opinion.

[BippyM]

I am happy with the font tbh, and it looks okay on a 14" portable on 28" widescreen

Anyone want to test more options feel free to PM me

[Calen]

screenies and the idea is very cool, can't wait to see the finished product.

I'm honored to be quoted in the menu's

[LocalH]

Looks nice, I like how the menu has progressed. Another option - perhaps try putting like a 2 pixel solid black stroke (perhaps translucent, if it works, if not, opaque works) on the words? I do this on 99% of the graphics I make for work (local TV station, some small promotions work), and I think it helps them stand out from the background once the video is played on an NTSC monitor (and I know most of the same resolution issues occur with PAL too). This would also allow you to use a thinner font, but still retain a high readability, and thus potentially fit more on the screen.

Also note I haven't viewed the XviD example, as I am on a machine with no XviD, and I'll get bitched at if I install it. I'll look at it when I get home, with my laptop.

[BippyM]

Bloody eck.. I'm back to it

Anyway I have decided to remove the votes and comments and have come up with the following:



What do you guys think now?

[RCK]

gooood

[BippyM]

Another



Any ideas or thoughts from you design gurus?

[BippyM]

10 of the 30 demo menus are now done in the above format

Just got to test them on differing configs (ocs/ecs/aga etc..) then create the Party menus and links etc..


2 demos to replace (Ithink) and then send it out to a few beta testers and then public release

[Bloodwych]

- you're just like synchro bippy. Tempting us with great looking screen grabs from your dvd!

The latest pics show the layout to work well IMO. Not sure how much the translucency affects legibility on different screens but looking at the caps the balance seems a fine. Something to watch however.

Great stuff. Can't wait for some user comments to popup.

[BippyM]

Here is a finished menu in action

Its an XVid AVI and is about 600kb

Comments thoughts please, if ppl like this I'll start doing the other motion menus

>> CLICK HERE <<

In fact I will still suggest regular condensed version of the font in the yellow text as opposed to bold condensed. I would suggest that on the white text instead but it has transparent background.