Using Simulation Mode

When in Simulation mode, ReelDVD’s Preview window allows you to fully test the navigation for the project before committing to writing the disc image. This simulator uses a simple software decoder to play the DVD content and is designed to behave just like a real DVD player. However, because it is a software decoder, its playback performance is limited by the CPU speed of your computer. To verify playback quality and synchronization, you should use a software DVD player such as CinePlayer DVD (see Using CinePlayer DVD to Test the Project).

To check the tutorial project with Simulation mode:

If the Preview window is not visible, select View > Preview Window.

To view playback from the beginning, select the Auto Play icon in the Storyboard area.

In the Preview window, click the Simulation On/Off button (in the lower left corner of the control panel) so it turns green.

Click Play. The project begins playing from the Main Intro.

Use the controls in the Preview window to interact with the project as if you were a viewer:

Check that playback flows from track to track as expected.

Click the Menu and Title keys and verify that they link to the correct destinations.

Click the Skip Forward, Skip Backward and Return keys and check their links.

For each menu, make sure you can intuitively access each button and that their Display, Selection, and Action colors are correct.

Verify that each button command jumps to the correct destination.

For motion menus, check that they loop back to the beginning after they have finished playing.

If the project passes these tests, it is ready to be written as a disc image and proofed in CinePlayer DVD. For more information about Simulation mode, see Chapter 7, “Simulation and Writing” in the ReelDVD User Guide.