Previewing the DVD

The menu screen provides a good representation of what your viewers will see, but some aspects of a DVDthe way items are highlighted, for exampleappear only when you preview the DVD. Obviously, you don't want to have to burn a new disc to see each iteration, which is why iDVD offers a preview mode.

To preview the DVD:

1.

Click the Preview button to enter preview mode (Figure 19.21). The Customize panel retracts if it was visible, and a virtual DVD remote control appears. Figure 19.21. Preview mode approximates what your viewer will see when the DVD is played. Using the remote, test the following features: Use the arrow keys, mouse pointer, or the arrow navigation buttons on the virtual remote control to move the button highlight between items (Figure 19.22). Figure 19.22. Even Apple's virtual remote controls are designed better than most real-world remotes. Use the forward and back buttons on the remote control to switch between chapters while watching the video. Click the Menu button to exit a movie and return to the movie's submenu, or click Title to return to the main menu.

2.

Click the Exit button or the Stop button (with the square icon) to leave Preview mode.

Tip

• As you're previewing the project, pay attention to the order in which items are highlighted as you move the focus around the menu. Does it act the way a viewer would expect? Seeing the highlighting in action reminds me to re-arrange the order of my items. This is more important when your buttons don't align with the theme's invisible grid (see Chapter 21 for more on positioning items).