Hello all…I guess you can chalk this one up to lazyness, but I’m in a bit of a hurry. I’m trying to develop a web page for my small business and i’ve downloaded a trial version of Macromedia Flash MX Version 6 and have about a week left of use before I need to register it but before I do that i’d like to know that’ll i’ll be able to use it the way I want. I’ve done the tutorials and the lessons and I still have a simple question…if I want to create a mouseover effect, so that If I have a button somewhere on the page and I’d like a picture or text box to change to another picture or text box when the mouse pointer is over the button how exactly would I do that? I’m assuming that it has to do with an actionscript, but I’m still new to all of this so laymen’s terms would be great…thanks guys!
Two things:
(1) Flash or not - make sure you provide an HTML alternative version of your site - not everyone has Flash or likes it
(2) You can do mouseover effects with very simple javascript. Try http://javascript.internet.com for free sample scripts. (You will be amazed at some of the effects you can get on a web pages from this site, all using simple html and javascript).
Thanks istara, that may be a better route to take, i’m also learning Dreamweaver 4 and since posting this and reading a little more about previous posts with reference to Flash i’ve discovered that i’m not the only one who gets annoyed with Flash.
I should be able to use the javascripts with Dreamweaver right?
Yes - it should provide some scripts built in. It’s helpful if you have enough grasp of javascript and html to be able to go in manually to debug and debloat your html files. There are some apps that will “clean up” code for you as well.
http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com is fantastically useful for web design help and advice. They also have a chapter of their new book available for download in pdf form - I read it today and found it very interesting and informative.
The best page of links to web site design I have found is Anne’s World: http://www.wwnet.net/~ahartman/sitemap.html
Not to jump in on whether it’s better to use Flash or JavaScript, but to directly answer the OP:
I don’t have Flash 6, but if it’s the same as in Flash 5:
Go to the “Insert” Menu
Select “New Symbol”
Click the “Button” radio button to indicate what kind of new symbol
A new “drawing” or “stage” window will open, with 4 tabs at the top:
Whatever you draw in those four seperate windows will be what that “button” looks like in a normal state, when the users mouse is over the button, when the user clicks down on the button, and when the user clicks and then releases the mouse over the button.
This is a very intuitive and easy process for the way the button will look and act. Note that you are not restricted to have the button just change shape or color; you can use the whole stage, such that (for example) when the mouse is over the button, the button can look identical, but a text box or graphic can pop up in a different part of the screen.
The obvious advantage to using Flash for this instead of JavaScript is that NO SCRIPTING IS NEEDED AT ALL to make the button work. You also have the advantage of all of Flash’s drawing and tracing and copying tools, etc., to create the graphics needed.
Thanks Richard, that’s pretty much what I was looking for. However, I can’t quite figure out how to make the graphic or text box change in another part of the screen…any suggestions?
Flash has uses, but it is often abused by being used to create things such as splash pages and navigation aids.
I refuse to browse on sites that look like they are there to showcase the abilities of the programmer rather than the product I am looking for. It looks totally unprofessional and i am not looking for programmers anyway.
This is a bit strange, but I tried it and it works fine. First off, create a button in the manner richardb described. Next move the ‘button’ to where it should go on the page. Double click on the ‘button’ to edit it, and go to the hit frame. Move the hit frame to where the ‘button’ should actually go (where you want them to click on the screen. What this will do is you will have your images (in the button) where you want them, and the hit zone will be in the other place where you want people to click. Lastly, since the hit zone is invisible, it will look pretty strange when people roll over a blank space on the left, and an image on the right switches, so here’s would I would do. Make a picture of a button, and place it on a layer underneath the one with the button. So when people go to click on the real button, they will actually be clicking on the invisible hit zone on the layer above, to them there’s no difference. I’m sure there are far more efficient ways to do this, but this works.
One more thing, when someone asks a question in GQ if you can’t add any constructive help then don’t post. I don’t recall the op asking the merits of Flash vs. Html, so keep you opinions to yourself.