Creating a multi-state button

To create a multi-state button, you must first create a Button layout. A Button layout is a special kind of Interactive layout that has a separate page for each state of a multi-state button.

You can create the following types of multi-state buttons:

  • Simple: A Simple button is always either up or down. Simple buttons are good for triggering a simple action (for example, playing a movie).
  • Simple with Disable: A Simple with Disable button is a Simple button with an added state called Disable.
  • On/Off: An On/Off button works like a toggle switch; each click switches it from On to Off or from Off to On.
  • On/Off with Disable: An On/Off with Disable button is an On/Off button with an added state called Disable.

A multi-state button can have the following states in various combinations:

  • Up: The end user has not clicked the button.
  • Over: The mouse pointer is over the button, but the end user has not clicked the mouse.
  • Down: The end user has clicked the button and it is still down.
  • Hit: Defines the interactive area of the button. This state is not displayed; it simply provides an indication of where the button should be clickable and where it should not be clickable. You can think of this state as a “button mask.” If you leave this state blank, your button will not work.
  • Disable: The button is not clickable.
Note: Because you can click an On/Off button in its Up state and in its Down state, On/Off buttons have two On states (On-Up, On-Down) and two Off states (Off-Up, Off-Down). However, you don’t have to create a different image for every button state if you don’t want to.

To construct a multi-state button in a Button layout:

  1. Create a Button object, as described in “Creating an object.” Make sure the Button object is selected.
  2. To create a Button layout, choose New from the Button drop-down menu. The New Interactive Layout dialog box displays.
  3. Give the layout a name and choose a button type from the Button Type drop-down menu, and then click OK. (The Width and Height are automatically copied from the Button object.)
  4. Make sure Window > Page Layout is checked. The Page Layout palette displays a page for each button state.
    QuarkXpress db page layout button Creating a multi state button

    The Page Layout palette (Window > Page Layout) enables you to see and access each button state in a Button layout.

  5. Select a button state by double-clicking its page in the Page Layout palette, and then draw the button state with QuarkXPress page layout tools, or draw a picture box and import the button state as a graphic.
  6. Copy and paste the content from one button state to another so that both button states are identical. You can use the Page Layout palette to move between button states.
  7. Update the content of the button state.
  8. Repeat the previous three steps until you have designed each state of the button.
  9. If you want to specify that only part of the button’s area should be interactive (clickable), draw boxes in the Hit state where you want the button to be clicked.
  10. When you are finished, switch back to the Presentation layout using the layout tabs at the bottom of the window or by choosing Layout > Go To.
Note: You
can also create a Button layout the same way you create a Presentation layout by choosing File > New > Project or Layout > New. However, the usual way to create a Button layout is the approach described above. When you use this approach, the box size is automatically captured and used for the new Button layout.
Note: You cannot delete a Button layout until you unsynchronize it. To unsynchronize a Button layout, select it in the Shared Content palette and then click the Delete button QuarkXpress btn shared content delete mac Creating a multi state button.

Creating a multi-state button