Using Web Buttons

Using Web Buttons

Using Web Buttons

If you plan to export your Canvas X Draw document to the Web, you may want to add some interactive elements such as Dynamic Web buttons. Web buttons can lead visitors to another page within a site or link to a different URL altogether.

The Web Button tool opens the Web Buttons palette and places buttons in documents. 

Understanding the Button States

These buttons are called dynamic because they change their behavior, or state, according to the user’s actions. Dynamic Web buttons have a total of 3 states:

State

Explanation

Example

Up

This is the default, or normal, state of the button. The mouse is not over the button area.

Over

This is the state when the mouse is moved over the button area.

Down

This is the state when the mouse clicks the button area.

When you create a button, you can use a separate object or image for each of the button’s states.

Dynamic Web buttons may also be referred to as rollovers.

All vector or text objects to be used as Web buttons must have a pen ink and fill ink. Objects that have the pen and fill inks set to none can’t be dragged into the Web Buttons palette.

Web Buttons Palette

Double-click the Web Button tool to open the Web Buttons palette.

Button state boxes

Drag the images, text objects, or vector objects into each state’s respective box.

Remember that the Up state is the default state.

Preview box

If you’ve defined all 3 states, you’ll see the Over state when the mouse passes over the box. Click the mouse on the box to see the Down state.

Storage box

Drag the defined button from the Preview box to this box. (See To Store a Web Button detailed below.)

Web Buttons palette menu

Open this menu to load, append, save, or clear buttons. (See Saving and Clearing Web Buttons and Loading and Appending Web Buttons.)

To Create a Web Button:

You can drag objects into the boxes in any order.

  • Drag the object for the Up state into the Up box.
  • Drag the object for the Over state into the Over box.
  • Drag the object for the Down state into the Down box.

To Store a Web Button:

Drag the completed button from the Preview box to the Storage box.

To Delete a Web Button:

Drag the button you want to delete to the trash can icon in the palette.

To Modify a Web Button’s State:

Drag the object from the Up, Over, or Down box into the document. Modify the object and drag it back into its respective box. Store the updated button and place a copy in your document.

You can’t edit a button’s attributes, such as pen ink, fill ink, and stroke.

To Test Web Buttons:

Before storing a new button, test it in the Web Buttons palette. (See Web Buttons Palette.) As indicated previously, the Up state is the default state. (See Understanding the Button States.) Move the cursor over the Preview box to see the Over state and then click to see the Down state.

If you’ve already placed the Web button but want to see their appearance before exporting to HTML, use the Play feature on the Web Buttons palette.

Don’t work in Canvas X Draw while play mode is active. Click End Play Mode before starting other work.

Click the Start Play Mode button and the placed Web buttons go into play mode. Move the cursor over the buttons and click them to see the 3 states. When you finish, click End Play Mode.

To Place Web Buttons in a Document:

Use this procedure to place Web buttons in a Canvas X Draw document.

If you want to place multiple copies of the same button, use this procedure once, and then see To Place Additional Web Buttons detailed below.

  1. In the Storage box, select the button that you want to place. The selected button appears in the Preview box.
  2. Move the cursor into the document area. The cursor changes to a placement icon.
  3. Do one of the following to place the button:
    • Click to place the button.
    • To scale the button, drag to create a bounding rectangle.

When the Web Buttons palette is closed, you can use the Web Button tool to place the last selected button.

To Place Additional Web Buttons:

To place copies of the same button, use the Web button tool again or select the first button and choose Edit | Duplicate to create duplicates.

To Resize Web Buttons:

Select the placed Web button and drag a handle to resize its bounding rectangle.

To Attach a URL to a Web Button:

Use the Link Manager palette to link buttons to other HTML files or URLs. (See Using the Link Manager Palette.)

Saving and Clearing Web Buttons

When you save a Web button in the palette, it’s available in all Canvas X Draw documents.

Save the Web buttons on the network so your co-workers can use them as well.

To Save Buttons:

  1. In the palette’s menu, choose Save Buttons.
  2. Select a directory in which to save the file.
  3. Enter a name for the file and click Save.

To Remove All Buttons from the Web Buttons Palette:

Choose Clear Buttons from the palette’s pop-up menu.

Loading and Appending Web Buttons

When you load a Web button file, the buttons currently in the palette are replaced by the button file. If you don’t want to lose the current buttons, you should save the current buttons in a button file. (See To Save Buttons detailed above.)

When you append a button file, the current buttons are not replaced. Instead, the buttons in the file are added to the end of the palette.

To Replace All Buttons in the Palette with Those in a Button File:

Choose Load Buttons in the menu. Select a button file and click Open.

To Add Buttons to the Palette:

Choose Append Buttons from the menu. Select a button file and click Open.

See also:

    • Related Articles

    • Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Documents

      Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Documents Any document that you create in Canvas X Draw can be exported for the Web in a matter of seconds. To export a document as one or more Web pages, save the document in HTML format. Canvas X Draw does not ...

    • Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Documents

      Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Documents Any document that you create in Canvas X Draw can be exported for the Web in a matter of seconds. To export a document as one or more Web pages, save the document in HTML format. Canvas X Draw does not ...

    • Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Draw Documents

      Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Draw Documents Any document that you create in Canvas X Draw can be exported for the Web in a matter of seconds. To export a document as one or more Web pages, save the document in HTML format. Canvas X Draw does not ...

    • Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Draw Documents

      Creating Web Pages from Canvas X Draw Documents Any document that you create in Canvas X Draw can be exported for the Web in a matter of seconds. To export a document as one or more Web pages, save the document in HTML format. Canvas X Draw does not ...

    • Using the Toolbar

      Using the Toolbar The Toolbar contains buttons you click to choose commands and tools. The Toolbar appears below the menu bar. A standard set of commands appears on the Toolbar when you first run Canvas X Draw. You can use the Customize command to ...