Button timeline not showing

Question

Hi,
I'm sure this is probably something simple, but sometimes when I double click a button on the stage to enter its
timeline, I don't get the up, over, down, hit, timeline. I just get a timeline that looks like a regular layer. Am I doing
something wrong? My button is a 'button' symbol not a graphic or mc??
Cheers,
S

Answer 1

sure, everything a true/simple button can do a movieclip button can do (plus a whole lot more).
first, do to your movieclip's timeline and in the first frame attach a stop() and label that frame "up".  put whatever graphics/animation you want to display when your button is up.  create another keyframe labeled "over" (and another labeled "down", if you want).  put whatever graphics you want to be seen when your mouse is over your movieclip button, in the "over"  frame and likewise for the "down" frame (if you have one).
then when you drag an instance of your movieclip to a timeline, give it an instance name (say mc1) in the properties panel.  and, if you're using actionscript2, use:
mc.onPress=function(){  // if you have a down frame
this.gotoAndStop("down");
mc.onRollOver=function(){
this.gotoAndStop("over");
mc.onRollOut=function(){
this.gotoAndStop("up");
mc.onRelease=function(){
// do whatever.  your button has been clicked and
// only if you have a down frame use:
this.gotoAndStop("over");
as ned mentioned, you can also right click your movieclip and click convert to symbol and tick button.  but i wouldn't recommend that.