Editing menu objects
You can resize and arrange menu objects to create uncluttered, clean menus. You can also rotate and flip objects to create interesting effects. When you have sized and positioned an object as desired, you can lock it in place to prevent unintentional changes. You can also duplicate menu objects within a menu, or cut/copy and paste them onto other menus.
This section includes:
Selecting and moving menu objects
Moving menu objects forward and back
Adjusting menu object colors and opacity
Copying and deleting menu objects
See also:
Applying drop shadow and glow effects to menus
Selecting and moving menu objects
To select menu objects:
- On the menu displayed in the Preview window, click an object to select it. Resizing handles appear around the edges and corners of the selected object.
- To select multiple objects, either Ctrl+click the objects, or click and drag a selection marquee around objects.
- To select every object on the menu, press Ctrl+A.
- To deselect an object, Ctrl+click it.
To move selected objects:
Resizing menu objects
To resize menu objects:
To maintain an object’s shape while resizing:
Text always maintains its shape. You cannot distort text blocks.
To make several graphic objects the same size, width, or height:
Aligning menu objects
You can use the Align options to align selected object relative to each other, or relative to the menu.
To align menu objects:
- On the menu displayed in the Preview window, select the objects you want to align. For example, to center a text label under a button, select the button and t
he label.
- If you want to align the objects relative to the menu, first choose DVD Menus > Align > Relative to Menu.
- Choose one of the DVD Menus > Align options:
- Align Left, Align Right, Align Top, or Align Bottom: Aligns the objects’ left, right, top, or bottom sides, respectively. If the Relative to Menu option is selected, the objects align to the Text Safe guide.
- Center Horizontally: Moves the objects horizontally so that their centers are aligned vertically (for example, use this option when centering a button’s text label above or below the button). If the Relative to Menu option is selected, the objects align to the center of the menu.
- Center Vertically: Moves the objects vertically so that their centers are aligned horizontally (for example, use this option when centering a button’s text label halfway down one side of the button). If the Relative to Menu option is selected, the objects align to the center of the menu.
Distributing menu objects
The Align options also let you distribute objects across the menu so that they are spaced at equal intervals.
To distribute menu objects:
- On the menu displayed in the Preview window, select the objects you want to distribute.
- If you want to distribute the objects relative to the menu, first choose DVD Menus > Align > Relative to Menu.
- Choose one of the DVD Menus > Align options:
- Distribute Horizontally: Moves the objects horizontally. If the Relative to Menu option is selected, the left-most and right-most objects align to the Text Safe guide. If the Relative to Menu option is not selected, the left-most and right-most objects do not move.
- Distribute Vertically: Moves the objects vertically. If the Relative to Menu option is selected, the top-most and bottom-most objects align to the Text Safe guide. If the Relative to Menu option is not selected, the top-most and bottom-most objects do not move.
Moving menu objects forward and back
Each object you add to a menu exists in its own layer, and you can stack objects on top of one another; for example, you can move the text label for a button on top of the button graphic.
However, if you create the text label before you add its button graphic, the text will be hidden by the button, and you must therefore either move the text forward in the stack, or move the button backward in the stack. You can move objects forward and back one layer at a time, or send them directly to the top or bottom of the stack.
To move a menu object forward or back:
Rotating and flipping objects
You can rotate any menu object in 90-degree increments. You can also flip objects horizontally and vertically.
To rotate or flip an object:
Adjusting menu object colors and opacity
You can change any menu object’s hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and opacity. By setting the opacity to zero, you can create “invisible” buttons.
To adjust color and opacity:
- On the menu displayed in the Preview window, select the objects. The Attributes window displays the button attributes.
- Click the Effects tab in the Attributes window.
- While observing the menu in the Preview window, adjust the Color and Opacity controls in the Attributes window. To return the controls to their default settings, click the Reset button.
See also Adjusting menu background colors.
Locking menu objects
When you have edited and positioned an object where you want, you can lock it so that you don’t inadvertently change it again.
To lock a menu object:
To unlock an object:
Copying and deleting menu objects
It’s often quicker to duplicate an existing menu object rather than repeatedly dragging an asset onto the menu. If you’ve sized an object or changed its colors and you want to quickly create more copies on the menu, or on a different menu, you can copy the object and paste it anywhere you want.
See also Duplicating menus.
To duplicate an object:
To copy/move an object to another menu:
- Right-click on the object in the Preview window and choose Copy or Cut from the shortcut menu.
- In the Project window, click the icon of the menu where you want to paste the button. The menu appears in the Preview window.
- Right-click on the menu in the Preview window and choose Paste from the shortcut menu. The object appears in the menu.
To delete an object: