iMovie 6 & iDVD: The Missing Manual

Uncover Your DVD Project File

Behind the scenes, iDVD stores all the pieces of your project inside the .dvdproj “file” that you created when you first saved your work. However, the .dvdproj file isn’t really a file, even though it looks like a single icon on your desktop. It’s actually a package—a disguised Mac OS X folder—that contains many subfolders and files. To peek inside, follow these steps:

1. Quit iDVD.

   Never mess with your project files when iDVD is running.

2. Control-click (or right-click) the project file. From the shortcut menu, choose Show Package Contents.

   You’ve now opened that “file” into a folder window.

3. Open the Contents → Resources folder.

   You’re in. Here are all the different files that make up your DVD. (See Figure 18-3 for an example.)

Figure 18-3. Your .dvdproj file stores all the movies, sounds, graphics, and data associated with your iDVD project in a series of hidden subfolders and files. This column-view shot shows the progression of folders within folders.

So what is all this stuff?

• Your ProjectData file stores all the settings for your DVD project, in the form of a binary property list. It tells iDVD how to put together the menus, sound files, graphics, and other pieces that comprise your DVD.

  Tip

  If you’re an inquiring soul, drag the ProjectData icon onto the icon of a binary XML editor, like Apple’s (free) Property List Editor. Turns out ProjectData is just ...