Part 4. Step by Step guide to using Fireworks to create Popup Menus
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Create the navbar
Select your button, then duplicate it by selecting Duplicate or Clone from the Edit menu.
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Create the navbar
Select your button, then duplicate it by selecting Duplicate or Clone from the Edit menu.
Make the rectangle into a functioning button
With the rectangle still selected (the blue handles showing), select “Convert to Symbol” from the Modify menu.
Many people don’t realize that a tool they already own, Macromedia’s Fireworks, is one of the best for creating buttons, navbars, and especially popup hierarchical menus. Try the steps below to see how easy it is to create customized menus.
Note: this tutorial is geared for beginning web developers, with very little knowledge of HTML.
Before we start, I’ll put in my plea for restraint when using popup menus. As handy as they are, I’ve seen them overused and misused.When incorporating these menus into your design, keep them brief and closely related to the button topic they are associated with so that your users can EASILY guess what might be under each topic. If you find yourself making huge lists of popup menus with many submenus, consider reorganizing your navigation scheme. Flatten it so that it is more easily scanned, either as a whole, or in sections. Perhaps use a site map, or table of contents at the start of each section of your site.
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