The Storyboard Area

The Storyboard area is the main work area where you do most of your basic authoring. Because DVD-Video is an interactive format, the Storyboard area offers a truly non-linear production environment.

The content that makes up a DVD title is grouped into linear playback units known as Tracks. The various playback paths that the viewer can take through these Tracks is referred to as the navigation of the title. The work of defining this navigation, which involves creating links between Tracks and menus, is done in the Storyboard area. The Storyboard area is also used for adding video, audio, still image and subpicture assets to the project.

The Zoom button on the Tool Bar toggles between a large and small view of the Storyboard area. The area functions exactly the same in both modes.

Track Icons

To create Tracks in ReelDVD, you simply drag the icon of a video or still image file from the Explorer window and drop it into the Storyboard area (multiple files can be dropped at once). Each Track (one for each source file) is represented by a rectangular Track icon with a thumbnail displaying the first frame of the Track’s video stream. The name of the source file appears below the track icon.

Clicking a Track icon makes that Track appear in both the Track window and the Preview window. A Track icon can be moved anywhere within the Storyboard area by clicking and dragging.

The red outer portion of each Track icon contains a set of command links used to define how the Track fits into the overall navigational flow of the title. Links between tracks are defined by clicking the link in one track and dragging to another. A Link Arrow will appear in a color corresponding to the type of link created, and the link indicator on the Track icon will light up. (The display of Link Arrows can be toggled on and off using the Tool Bar.) When the cursor is held over a given link, a small text box will appear showing the destination of that link.

The Next (NXT) Track link (right side) is used to set the Track (designated by a blue Link Arrow) that the player will jump to when the viewer presses the Skip Forward key on the remote control. The Next Track link also defines the Track that playback will jump to when the current Track ends.

The Previous (PREV) Track link (left side) is used to set the Track (designated by a red Link Arrow) that the player will jump to when the viewer presses the Skip Backward key on the remote control.

The Return (UP) Track link (top) defines the Track (designated by a green Link Arrow) to jump to when the viewer presses the Return key.

The Command (CMD) Track link indicator appears at the bottom of the Track icon when a button is created in a Track. The indicator lights up when the command for any button in a Track is defined as a link. The destination of the link can be a Track (magenta Link Arrow) or a chapter within a Track (orange Link Arrow).

Auto Play, Title, and Menu Icons

In addition to standard Track icons, the Storyboard area also contains a set of three special icons:

The Auto Play icon indicates (with a yellow arrow) the Track that will play automatically when the disc is first inserted into the player or drive. ReelDVD automatically designates the first Track added to the project as the Auto Play Track. (If that Track is cleared, the Track that was added next becomes the Auto Play Track.) The Auto Play Track is usually used for the opening sequence, copyright notices and other important introductory information.

The Title icon specifies the Track that will play when the viewer presses the Title key on the remote control.

The Menu icon specifies the Track that will play when the viewer presses the Menu key.