I am fairly new to flash and web design in general. I have played around with the tutorials included with Flash MX. I have successfully created custom buttons with static images but I want to make buttons for a menu that are animated when the mouse is over the button. Is there an “easy” way to do this? Thanks in advance. 
easy way is to have the “overState” of the buttons contain an ‘altered’ (from the original/staticState) image… not very “animated” but a change nonetheless…
Mas~Funner way:: make your button image a “movieClip” and animate the heck out of it with ActionScript indicating when it should go here or there ( on its’ own timeline ) as per - mouseThis and mouseThat, actions…
this is more complex but hey… all the goodStuff is =)
there’s a tutorial on the site… advanced rollovers or something like that 
The Advanced rollOvers tutorial is for the “tellTarget” method.
Which is different from what MasterTech wants to do.
The easiest possible way to do it is to create a frame in the Over state of your button timeline (double click the button to enter the edit area, where you will then have the button timeline, the over state obviously says “Over” above it), then in there you will create your shape or whatever, then convert that to a movie clip symbol.
Double click this movie clip symbol to edit it. Create your animation inside the movie clip symbol.
Now when you test your movie, everytime you rollOver your button, that movie clip symbol is accesses and played.
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flash5/animatedrollover.htm
yeah… this is the tutorial i meant :-\
nesting a clip within a button - this is easier???
::bows to LIB::
you know waaay more than I - but, wouldn’t a clip that had button-like actions be easier to pull off and keep track of (???)
Kax: I completely forgot about that tutorial!
RelandR: You know, I would think the same thing, but it seems many people new to Flash get way too confused with this method and you end up explaining for days what is going on sometimes.
I personally never use the button symbol myself.
actually i agree with you RelandR… buttons seem useless now that you can have mouse events on movie clips :sigh:
but a lot of people still use them though :-\
Refer to my last post
I’ve spent a long time explaining movie clips as buttons to newer Flash users and spent maybe an hour tops explaining buttons.
I guess its easier starting out with button symbols getting the hang of how they work, then upgrading to using movie clip symbols as buttons.
no. you refer to my last post!! 
No I edited my last post, refer back to that!!
Oh, BTW, The tutorial you posted uses my method that I said
yup… i know =)
and yes.
I guess its easier starting out with button symbols getting the hang of how they work, then upgrading to using movie clip symbols as buttons.
totally agreed 
.::bows even deeper to LIB::.
…You gotta Kewel point there Bloss… =)
…I need more Vino…1/2 cup for chicken - hey - where’d the rest go…need more Vino…
:!:
Question:: is spam allowed if it’s properly declared ???
:beam:
And spam is allowed if it is on topic or at least near on topic.
…just as I suspected… ::winkWink~nudgeNudge::
OK… masterTech:
think of your buttons as having a timeline ('cause they do!-kinda)
and play with them (Another~experimentalMovie) alot until you get what you want from them… then transfer the (via “open as library”) results into your project… this way you don’t screw up your work in progress and get confused too much before you get what you want… kinda like having another pallet and easel off to the side for trying out stuff.
…just a thought…
Thank you guys for all your suggestions. I will try them out. I’m open to any advice because like I said, I’m new to this stuff. I have done a movie with sound but I’m pretty much learning as I go. I get an idea in my head and then try to figure out how to make it work. I should probably start with more of the basics but…you know how that goes ;). If you guys think of anything else I’d appreciate letting me know. I’ll keep workin till I get it. Thanks again.
i think i wrote that tut
*Originally posted by lostinbeta *
**I personally never use the button symbol myself. **
:!:
*Originally posted by kax *
… buttons seem useless now that you can have mouse events on movie clips :sigh:
:!: :!:
!!!
Button symbols give you instant access to static, over, down and hit states. You dont have that with movieclips. You can add them, but that would mean doing something like this:
http://proto.layer51.com/d.aspx?f=663
And thats not making things any easier (of course less button-like reactions can be added at your own coding desire). MX allows you to move, postiion and do a lot more with Buttons than ever before making them even more powerful than before. You are also able, with buttons, to create invisible buttons (having imagery in only the hitstate). Movieclips wouldnt allow that unless you forced the _alpha to be 0 - though buttons, when ‘invisible’ like this, can still be seen on the screen in Flash.
Granted, movieclips have their place and are needed at times for more complex situations, but simple buttons wth rollover & down states have no reason being movieclips; they should be… buttons. They are also premo-easy for beginers making basic buttons.
:!:
Sen: I rarely if ever do rollOver effects, if I just wanted a rollOver color change, then thats a button symbol, but I never do that, so I don’t see the point in a button symbol. I don’t design sites so I really rarely even need button symbols and I usually just find it easier to press F8 and convert it to a movie clip symbol instead of switching up the radio buttons. Since Flash saves its last radio button position on that panel I always end up having to recreate my movie clip symbol because I would accidently convert it to a button symbol. Since I don’t do effects with buttons I just assume use a regular movie clip and save myself the stress of my own stupidity
It is really a case by case basis I suppose anyway.
