using movie clips to make buttons?

[MaryAnneL]

HI all!:)

I've read in a couple places that using movie clip symbols for buttons is better than using acutal button symbols. Can anyone tell me why this is?

Are there any links to tutorials on making buttons using movie clips?

Thanks!

[CyanBlue]

Just googled with '_up _over _down tutorial' and this one came up... I have not gone through the tutorial, but I think this one will give you a good idea...

http://www.learn111.com/tutorials/movieclipbutton.html

FYI, I use movieClip as a button because I can have better handle on it when I need to control it with the ActionScript...

[MaryAnneL]

Thanks CyanBlue! Works like a charm.

Question: If I make my navigation buttons from movie clip symbols rather than button symbols, can I still use the tab key to jump from button to button or does that ONLY work with button symbols?

[CyanBlue]

Um... I am not going to answer that question... You can easily try it and let me know what the answer is... :)

[MaryAnneL]

I tried it and the tabbing and yellow highlights no longer appeared once the buttons were created using movie clips. I'm not sure if there is another way to get the yellow highlight box to display or if I'd have to display some kind of graphic "indicator" on screen and change location based on number of times user has pressed the Tab key?

Thanks CyanBlue!

[CyanBlue]

Um... I made my last comment because I know it should work as you've said...
Tell you what... Publish the SWF along with the HTML file and open up the HTML file into the web browser and see if you see the yellow box... ;)

[MaryAnneL]

Thanks CyanBlue. It DOES work in the browser. I must have tested it within the authoring environment? Anyway, it does work now. =)

All I need to do now is figure out if the yellow highlight color can be changed to some other color. The customer doesn't liek yellow.

Thanks again CyanBlue!

[CyanBlue]

The only thing you can do with that is to make it visible or not visible... I don't think you can change that color...
If you have to make it a different color, you will have lots of scripting coming up... Basically check where the current selected button is and dynamically create(or attach) a border movieClip on top of it or something like that...

[MaryAnneL]

Thanks CyanBlue. I appreciate you taking the time to help! =)

[CyanBlue]

Not a problem... :)