Maximum number of buttons (HELP)

Question

i have a project where i need 24 buttons. i have a project with 24 subtitles and on the main menu, i want to put all the languages so a viewer can select their language and then watch their subtitled version. the maximum number of buttons allowed on a 16:9 project is 18. does anyone have any solutions??

Answer 1

LOL!
I was a teacher once... and not been called smart since I threw away my suit to go to work in...
It's as Eric said - you are creating an illusion using two menus that are identical. Menu 1 has 18 buttons that work, but has a background image that appears to show 24 buttons. The 18th button is invisible and auto-activates to menu 2, where you land on a button that is labelled as button 18. This menu has a background image that has the graphics for buttons 1-17 but no actual buttons in those positions.
The trick is accomplished because as you move between buttons (using the remote) the last in the list (button 18) will jump to menu 2, where the real button 18 is actually the first on the new menu. Remember, the default button is usually the first you create (unless you specifically change this) so the user will see what looks like buttons 1-17 as a background image for menu2, and will appear to be on button 18, but will in fact be on button 1 of menu 2.
You'll need another invisible button on menu 2 that is positioned above the default button so that the user can move 'up' from what they believe to be button 18. When they do so, the invisible button will auto-activate and go to the first menu, landing on button 17.
There will be a pause as all this switching around takes place.
This illusion prevents you from needing to use navigational arrows on the menus and the user can be fooled into thinking there are more than 18 buttons on a 16x9 menu.
A different way to do what you want is to use a track as a menu, and use buttons over video. Works like a menu, but isn't restricted in the same way... but also doesn't provide some menu features, and you'll need to build it carefully.
BoV uses an image set into a track and an overlay file, but then you create buttons using the subtitle stream. In essence you create a track, add the graphic for the background. You make sure the start marker is set to be a button highlight marker and then add a subtitle. With the subtitle active you can add button rectangles just as if you were in a menu and if you add the overlay file you can add all kinds of highlight shapes. Navigation and colours work the same as for menus, but remember a subtitle can only really have four colours - you'll perhaps need to compromise somewhere along the way in terms of how this all looks.
It's an interesting challenge - I would like to hear how you get on with it.