- Using the Flash Text Feature
- Using the Flash Buttons Feature
- Applying a Silly Flash Trick
- Conclusion
Using the Flash Buttons Feature
Now, Flash Text is fun... but Flash Buttons are just downright cool! You will find a button called Flash Buttons on the Common Objects panel. Select this button to open the Insert Flash Button dialog box, as shown in Figure 5.
Figure 5 The Insert Flash Button dialog box.
Most of the Insert Flash Button dialog box is exactly the same as the Insert Flash Text dialog box; you can add text, apply any type of font or size, insert links, change the background color of the movie, and modify the name of the final SWF file. The difference is the type of Flash movie we are creating. The movie is now a stylized interactive button. And, you have nearly four-dozen styles to choose from.
Scroll down the Style menu list to preview a style. You will see that the Sample in the top window keeps changing. If you want to see the button animated, just roll your cursor over the sample. For instance, if you choose the Style "Star Spinner" and roll your cursor over it, you will see the star spin into action.
Create a new Flash Button and then open the Insert Flash Button dialog box and apply the following settings:
Style: Slider
Button Text: Matt's Site
Font: Impact
Size: 16
Link: http://www.matthewdavid.ws
Save As: matt.swf
Even though the button will take you to my site, the point is that you can see how easy it is to configure a Flash Button.
Select OK and the button will now be embedded into your Web page. Press F12 to preview the page in your Web browser. As you roll your cursor over the button you will see that it animates and allows you to click it. This forwards you to http://www.matthewdavid.ws. Now go ahead and add a second button navigating to one of your own websites. It is so easy and looks so cool.
Any Flash Button can be modified from the Flash Button Properties panel. Select the Edit button from the Properties panel with the Flash Button highlighted on the page in Dreamweaver. The Flash Button dialog box will open and all of the parameters for the button can be modified.