Re: FLASH: drop down menus

[Joseph Balderson]

Here's one possible solution:


1. Create a generic button using the "+" in the library window bottom menu;

we'll call it 'buttonmenu'

    'Up' state: blank

    'Over' state: A box with a border of _color1 and a fill of color with

alpha

set to 0 (transparent fill). you will need to create a new color with alpha

0

for this.

    'Down' state: Same box, of _color2 and same transparent fill

    'Hit' state: same as down state

The reason we create a transparent border is so that a) you can see the text

underneath, making this a completely reusable button symbol, cutting

download

time (remember, button actions are tied to instances, not frame actions or

the

buttons themselves), and b) so that there an area to click on for the button

besides the border.

2. Create an MC called "popmenu1" using the "+" in the library window bottom

menu. There will be 3 frames, and 5 layers. Layers are named, from top to

bottom: Actions, menu buttons, menu text, top menu box, menu box. Layer

order is

important, so verify that this has been done correctly.

3. Frame contents of MC popmenu1 are as follows:

- Actions/frame 1, 2: action: stop

- Actions/frame 3: action: go to frame 1

- top menu box/frames 1, 2, 3: Place a copy of the button box you have in

your

'buttonmenu', of _color1, no fill.

- menu box/frame 2: draw a box, beginning at the top of the previous box and

with exact same width, extending down as long as you want your popdown menu.

- menu text/frame 1-3: place the text for the popdown title, say "Menu 1" in

the

"menu box" box

- menu buttons/frame 1, 2, 3: place a 'buttonmenu' exactly over the box in

layer

'top menu box'. Instance|Action: On (Release) / Play / End On

Now we have created the menu button that activates the popdown menu. We have

yet

to create the submenu buttons and links:

4. menu buttons/frame 2: place a second copy of the 'buttonmenu' down within

the

popdown box. Instance|Action: On (Release) / Get URL ("_URL_",

window="_self") /

End On. Here substitute _URL_ with "http://..." if you are referring to a

URL

outside your own site, or just the directory path/filename if it is within

your

own site. Use _blank if you wish to open a new window for the link. If you

want

the link to go to another scene or movie clip, use Go To instead of Get URL

and

fill in the details.

5. menu text/frame 2: within the button boundaries, name your link

6. Repeat steps 4 & 5 for as many submenu items as you want.

7. Place your MC 'popmenu1' on the scene you want it to appear.

8. repeat steps 1-7 for each popdown menu and make sure your movie clips

have

distinct names.


As you can see all the action takes place on frame 2, when the menu drops

down

and the submenu buttons appear. If you want this animated, simply do some

shape

tweens between frames 1 & 2 and 2 & 3, for the "menu box" layer. Frame 3 is

exactly like frame 1, with the menu in its up position, except the frame

action

loops it immediately back to frame 1, ready for the menu title button to

advance

the MC a frame, poping the menu in its down position again. Using this kind

of

frame action/loop technique, one can avoid variable actions to change the

states

of the menu.


I am enclosing the .fla file, but I'm not sure if attachments can get

through on

this board. Let me know if there is no attachment.


Joseph Balderson


Verhaegen Tom wrote:


> Hi,

>

> try using variables in your tell target,

>

> imagine

> You create your 2 scripts, One for to Open the DropDown and one to close

the

> DropDown.

> On each rollover you do first a Close and then a DropDown. With the call

you

> als send 1 Unique Variable ex:"MovieToOpen=1" depending on the movie you

are

> in (if you are in the movie1 the value is "1"), then in the close scripts

> you would have something like this

>

> Tell Target ("movie"&MovieToClose)

>         go to and Stop (1)--or wathever it has to do

> end Tell Target

>

> Afther the Close Call you do the DropDownCall and it would look like this

>

> Tell Target ("movie"&MovieToOpen)

>         go to and play (2)--or wathever it has to do

> end Tell Target

>

> Ather the DropDownCall you set the variable MovieToClose=to the

appropriate

> Value (if you are in the movie1 the value is "1")

>

> When you start your piece and you have your first rollover you have to

check

> wether the MovieToClose has a value, if it is empty you don't have to call

> the Close function.

>

> Tom Verhaegen

> --

> GUI Engineer

>

tom [dot] verhaegencarels [dot] com <tom [dot] verhaegencarels [dot] com (mailto:tom [dot] verhaegencarels [dot] com)>

> --

> Carels innovative Software

> Derbystraat 33

> 9051 Ghent

> Belgium

> --

> tel.+32(0)9 222 99 88

>

> -----Original Message-----

>

From: ownerchinwag [dot] com [ownerchinwag [dot] com]On">mailto:ownerchinwag [dot] com]On Behalf Of Peter

> Colman

> Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2000 10:15 AM

> To: flash

> Subject: FLASH: drop down menus

>

> the question (im sure its been asked before)

> the situation

> 5 icons each a mouse roll over

> as an icon is rolled over a small drop down menu apears

> i will do this with "telll target"

> but i would like the menu to stay down (ill add a stop action)

> then as the next icon is moused over

> the previous drop menu dissapears

> and the new one apppears

> i would do this by

> sending tell target to" park" the other menus

> and play the current selection

> is this the best way?it does work

> but is there a command to stop all other tell targets in one command

> rather than list each mc seperately?

> ie

> on mouse over

> tell target movie1

> go to and play

> tell target movie2

> go to and stop park

> tell target movie3

> go to and stop park

> etc

> thanks in advance

> peter



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