As many of you are probably aware, the possibilities of Macromedia Fireworks are virtually limitless. You can create banner graphics, logos, and even HTML code from within Fireworks. But I recently picked up one of the cooler features that Macromedia has blessed us with…the hierarchy mouseover button menu.
I know that sounds like a mouthful, but it’s really not too hard to create.
1. Create a new document in Fireworks. Make the stage nice and large so you’ll have room to work.
2. Decide what type of button you’d like to create…big, small, rounded, rectangular..it doesn’t matter. When you have a decent idea for what type of button you’re going to create, click on Insert/New Button. A small dialog will open that will allow you to design your button. Use the Fireworks tools to create your button with text and effects as you see fit.
3. You’ll notice as you’re designing your button that there are tabs near the top of the dialog box that are labeled “up”, “over”, “down”, “over while down”, and “active area”. These tabs allow you to design the button’s different states, as you see fit. The only state that you must design is the “up” state.
4. Once you’ve designed your button, click on the “active area” tab to build the hierarchy part of your button. You’ll see your button, in sliced format. Select the slice, right click, and select “Add Popup Menu”.
5. A Popup Menu dialog will appear. Here, you can type in all of the items you’d like your button to expand to. You can also nest items within other items. To do this, click on the Indent Menu, near the top of the dialog box.
6. When you’re finished designing the menu for your button, click the Next button. In this dialog you can choose between image and HTML formats for your menu. You may also specify font size/color, cell color, and cell color highlight. When you’re pleased, click Finish.
7. Your button is now complete. To preview it in a browser, click F12. To export it, choose File/Export. Make sure you’re exporting HTML and Images, as well as Image Slices!
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