Why create a menu interface for a CD, DVD or USB stick?


 SamLogic Newsletter - Special 1 (of 4) - CD-Menu Creator

CONTENT

Foreword
Why create a menu interface for a CD, DVD or USB stick?
Tutorial and step-by-step guide
Resources and detailed information
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Ubisoft used CD-Menu Creator to create a game menu interface


FOREWORD

This is the first special newsletter in a series of four for those who had downloaded a trial version of CD-Menu Creator from SamLogic Software. The newsletters contains articles and practical tips about CD-Menu Creator. The newsletter contains also links to videos that covers CD-Menu Creator and how to use the program.

First in this newsletter is a short article that explains why you should add a menu interface to a CD, DVD or USB flash drive that is distributed to your customers. We also give some examples of use.

We have also included a link to a step-by-steg tip that shows how to create a basic menu with SamLogic CD-Menu Creator. And we list some links to useful resources for the program.

Finally you can read about how one of the world's largest game developers, Ubisoft Entertainment, used CD-Menu Creator to create a menu interface that presents games on a USB stick.

If you have questions about CD-Menu Creator, please feel free to contact me. If you want to read another issue in this special newsletter series they are available here:

#2 - Design menu buttons that make impression
#3 - How to add social media (like Facebook) to a menu
#4 - Where to find free images and icons for your menu interface

Sincerely,
Anders Persson
SamLogic Software

WHY CREATE A MENU INTERFACE FOR A CD/DVD/USB STICK?

When you distribute information via a CD, DVD or USB stick you have two problems to handle: how do you make it easy for your end-users to access the contents and how do you present the information in a professional way?

The solution is to create a graphical menu interface that is shown automatically on the screen when the user inserts the disc or the USB stick in the computer. By adding links or buttons to the menu (that you attach to applications, documents and sub menus etc.) you will create an interface that makes it easy for users to navigate to a specific file. And by using graphics, videos, and sound the contents can be presented in a professional way.

Standardized interfaces enhances product & company profiles
When your customers insert your CD, DVD or USB stick in their computers, the menu interface is the first impression they will get about your company and products. By creating standardized and well-designed interfaces your product and company profile will be enhanced.

If you create series of menus that you use as templates for your productions, where the basic design (colors, logos, fonts, header text etc.) are maintained while the contents is replaced, you can produce new discs and USB sticks very fast. This means that you can very quickly deploy large amounts of information and the recipient of the media will still be able to find the right information without any problem because the interface is familiar.

Many uses
Menu interfaces can for example be used to present software, catalogs, reports, course information, statistics, surveys, corporate and product presentations, photographs, and music etc.

SamLogic CD-Menu Creator
SamLogic CD-Menu Creator is a tool that allows you to quickly and easily make the above. The software provides an easy way to combine great design with advanced technology without requiring any knowledge of programming or design. The menu interfaces can contain buttons, links, images, texts, sounds and movies etc. From the buttons you can launch applications, open documents and web pages, view photos, play movies and music, and more.

More information about CD-Menu Creator
More information about SamLogic CD-Menu Creator, and examples of menu interfaces that can be created, are available on this web pages:

    More information about SamLogic CD-Menu Creator 
SamLogic CD-Menu Creator - Autorun Menu Examples

TUTORIAL AND STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

Before you start using SamLogic CD-Menu Creator we recommend you to view a video tutorial / step-by-step video (on YouTube) for the program:

SamLogic CD-Menu Creator - How to create a basic menu

The video (11 min) shows how to create a menu that contains 4 buttons, a picture and a logotype. The video also learns how to save a project, how to make a menu and how to preview and run a menu.

A text based version of the tutorial is also available here:

SamLogic CD-Menu Creator - Step-by-Step Guide

RESOURCES AND DETAILED INFORMATION

There are lots of resources and detailed information available for CD-Menu Creator (and other software) on our web site and some other web sites. Here are links to some web pages with resources and information:

User's Guide - Describes how to use CD-Menu creator (PDF)
Tips and Tricks - Practical tips / how to use common functions
YouTube - Contains tip videos and other videos about our software
Article Archive - Technical articles with useful information
SamLogic Blog - News and information about SamLogic products
SamLogic Twitter - Contains the most important news

Help documentation
If you need help in the program you can press the F1 key, whenever you want, to get more information about a specific function.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)

There is a FAQ page available for SamLogic CD-Menu Creator. On the FAQ page you will find answers to both general questions and questions about specific functions in the program. Below are some of the most common questions listed (and the answers):

Q: What's the difference in function between the full version and the demo (trial) version?
 
A: The demo (trial) version only works for 30 days and there is an information text ("SamLogic CD-Menu Creator - Demo") on the created menu interfaces. This texts is removed in the full (paid) version. The menus created with the demo version are fully functional also after 30 days, but no new menus can be created when the time is up.

Q: If I buy a license of CD-Menu Creator. Is there any additional costs, for example must I pay some fee for every menu I distribute?
 
A: No. There are no additional costs. When you have bought a license of SamLogic CD-Menu Creator you can use the tool to create and distribute so many menus you want.

Q: In how many computers can I install the program?
 
A: The license is per user. So if you, for example, need to install SamLogic CD-Menu Creator both at your office and in your home you can do it. If there are 2 or 3 more users you can buy a 3-license.

Read more frequently asked questions

UBISOFT USED CD-MENU CREATOR TO CREATE A GAME MENU

SamLogic CD-Menu Creator can create menu interfaces for various purposes; for application installations, utility programs, business presentations and graphical menu interfaces for software games.

One of our clients, the game development company Ubisoft Entertainment, used CD-Menu Creator when they needed to quickly deploy 5 Adobe Flash games and 3 movies on a USB stick. The picture below shows how the menu looked like.
 
 
 
The end-user group were children who needed a simple and intuitive interface. By clicking on one of the pictures on the menu they started either a Flash game or a movie. The menu was shown on the screen when the USB stick was put in the USB port.

Built-in support for Adobe Flash
SamLogic CD-Menu Creator has built-in Adobe Flash support. This means that no external Flash player needs to be deployed with your disc or USB flash drive. Everything is handled by CD-Menu Creator.

Ubisoft Entertainment
Ubisoft is a game developer and game distributor with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company was founded in 1986 and has over 4,500 employees.

More examples of game menu interfaces
More examples of game menu interfaces created with SamLogic CD-Menu Creator can be seen on YouTube:

SamLogic CD-Menu Creator - Autorun Menu Examples for Games
  

BUY
NOW:
 
CD-Menu Creator

  

 
CD/DVD menu designer tool. Prices from 79 dollar:
 
Order here
  
   
USB Menu Creator

 
  
USB menu designer tool. Prices from 139 dollar:
  
Order here
   
  
Media Tools

  
 
You can also order the latest Media Tools suite (where the 2 tools above are included). You will also get 1 year support & updates.
 
Prices from 149 dollar:
 
Order here
  
  
 
OTHER PRODUCTS

Order

Demos / Trials
 
 
SEE ALSO

Visit our Facebook page Follow us on Twitter Visit our video channel on YouTube

Visit also our blog.
SamLogic Software | Box 102 | 135 23 Tyreso, Sweden | +46 853183900 | info@samlogic.com | www.samlogic.net
 

This is a web copy of the newsletter. The email version of the newsletter was sent with SamLogic MultiMailer.