16: iDVD Headaches in Objective-C

Maker Code 3/9 in Objective-C 16: iDVD Headaches

So, what exactly can you create with iDVD You can use iDVD to burn DVDs of movies and slide shows that you create with iPhoto or iMovie 2 Additionally, you can configure your own background music directly from iTunes You need to use the correct file formats in order to create a DVD, but this should be no problem using iPhoto, iMovie, and iTunes Your slide shows and movies must be saved in the QuickTime format Once you dump your movie into iDVD, the application automatically converts it for you into the MPEG 2 format a universally accepted DVD format that all DVD players can read For your music, it has to be saved in an AIFF or AC3 format AIFF is the standard CD format, so you can simply rip songs you want to play into iTunes and use them in iDVD no problem See s 13, 14, and 15 for more information about these file formats when using your digital applications So, how do you create a DVD You should follow a few basic steps to keep on track:

your DVD is a one-way process: once you burn, the movie is a done deal, so plan before you waste DVD-R media

Now that you ve looked at the five-minute overview, let s get your hands dirty and look at some problems you might run across along the way You can use iDVD to assemble a slide show of JPEG photos, just as you can use iPhoto (or even iMovie) to create the slide show There s really no difference, it is just a matter of which application you want to use If you use iPhoto or iMovie to create the slide show, just remember to export the slide show in the QuickTime format, and you re all set

Once you have decided what data you want to use for your movie, gather all of your files together; you re ready to dump them into iDVD

Cause You can get your movie files and/or pictures into iDVD just like most Apple applications You can either use the import menu feature or, better yet, just drag and drop the files to the iDVD interface The Painkiller To import files into iDVD, do this:

You see the typical browse window Make your selection and click Open (Or, drag and drop the files you want to use onto the iDVD interface)

Cause A background movie is simply a movie that you choose to run in the background on the title screen, also known as the selection screen In other words, when you burn the DVD disk, this little movie plays behind the selection screen You can use any movie you want for the background movie, or you don t have to use one at all The Painkiller To use a background movie, do this:

Cause You can create a slide show in iPhoto or iMovie and import it to iDVD as a QuickTime movie You can also just create the slide show directly within iDVD The Painkiller shows you how to do this The Painkiller To create a slide show, use these steps:

the iDVD viewing area, as shown in the following illustration Click the slide show text to change it to whatever you want

Audio well on the interface, shown in the following illustration You can also use File | Import if you like

the drop-down menu in order to make iDVD have the slides fit to the length of the audio segment you have selected

Cause You can drag and drop your movie files directly to the iDVD interface and play them with any standard DVD remote However, what if your movie is not one continuous movie but rather a bunch of smaller movies In this case, you can click the Folder option on the iDVD toolbar and place a folder icon on the iDVD interface That enables you to organize movie clips by folders so you can easily find and play them The Painkiller To use a folder, just click the option on the toolbar Then double-click the folder icon that appears in the iDVD interface You can drag and drop movie files into that folder Although you can use as many folders as you want, try to keep things as simple as possible It s easier to find what you want without having to use your DVD remote to wade through some ridiculous folder structure So, plan carefully and keep it simple