Returning features

These aren't new features, but they allow you to work more efficiently in FWMX 2004 and are well worth a mention here.

Popup menus

Popup menus are a breeze with the popup menu editor. Make your button.

Slice it. One of the fastest ways to do this is to go to Edit > Insert > Slice. Click the cross in the center of the slice and choose Make popup menu.

The popup menu editor opens and you can set your options: the text on the button, font, colors and menu position. You can even add menus that popup from the popups---without knowing any java script.

Fireworks easily exports all the images and java script. you need for the menu. To use the popup menu you have created, go to Insert > Image Object > Fireworks HTML. Browse to where you exported the menu, and double click on the htm or html file. FWMX inserts the menu, all images, and java script. for you. Don't forget to upload the folder with the images when you upload your page to your server. Rollover the button below to see the finished menu (mini menu in this case)!

Rollovers

Rollovers are just as easy (maybe easier) as a popup menu and even faster. Of course that also depends on how long to experiment with the different fills, strokes, and live effects!

Make your button.

Add a frame in the frames panel (Window > Frames) and paste the button into it, then change it for your rollover state. You'll have one button in each frame. You can only see one at a time. When frame 2 is active in the Frames panel, you can see button 2 as shown below.

Make frame 1 active and slice the button.

Click on the cross in the center of the slice and choose the type of rollover or menu you want to add. I'll add a simple rollover behavior.

The way a simple rollover works is to use Frame 1's content as the normal state (or up state) of the button, and the content of frame 2 will be the rollover state.

Click the Preview tab in your image window and roll the mouse over the button and you can see how the rollover will work.

In the behaviors panel, (Window > Behaviors) you can see the rollover has been added.

Use the property inspector to add the link.

Use Fireworks export features to export the button to Dreamweaver or another html editor. FWMX 2004 automatically writes the html and saves the images needed for you, and you didn't have to write a single line of code! Even though knowing java script. is a good skill to develop, it's nice to know FWMX 2004 will do that for you!

To use the button you have created, go to Insert > Image Object > Fireworks HTML. Browse to where you exported the button, and double click on the htm or html file. FWMX inserts the button and all java script. for you. Don't forget to upload the folder with the images when you upload your page to your server.

Here's the finished button: run the mouse over it to see the rollover effect.

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