Make transparent "buttons" just for function?

Question

I tried to make hyperlinks when I click text of vita, art,
statement, for example.
I just want to make sure what I am doing is right.
- Instead of making buttons for each of text ( i.e., vita,
art, statement),
- I will make one transparent "button" symbol (which means
just 0% alpha setting for color on Up/Over/Down but some color on
Hit state).
- then I will place this transparent button under the each
text.
- then, select each button, and make get URL actionscript.
Is this transparent button will work do you think?
One more question. If I put this button under "statement"
text, can I scale to make bigger enough to cover the text?
Or do you make each button symbols for vita, art, statement
of text?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

>> Instead of making buttons for each of text ( i.e.,
vita, art,
>> statement), I will make one transparent "button"
symbol
That's a good way to go. :)
>> (which means just 0% alpha setting for color on
Up/Over/
>> Down but some color on Hit state).
Actually, *all* you need is some shape on the Hit frame. The
other
frames can be empty. That makes it easiest.
>> then I will place this transparent button under the
each text.
I would place it over each text, not under.
> then, select each button, and make get URL actionscript.
Sure. Or any other action.
>> If I put this button under "statement" text, can I
scale to
>> make bigger enough to cover the text?
Absolutely.
>> Or do you make each button symbols for vita, art,
statement
>> of text? Thanks in advance!
No, no! Use one single button symbol -- that's the whole
point: one
symbol used for many purposes ... saves on SWF file size and
makes your
Library less cluttered.
> yes, it will work. yes, you can scale it using the free
transform
> tool (q)..but remember if you copy and paste it, to
change the
> url in the actions cause it will have the same url you
copied from.
That all depends on how you're handling those button events.
Back in
Flash 5 (that's quite a while ago), you had to use on() or
onClipEvent(),
but since Flash MX (aka 6), it's been possible to put all
your code into a
single script layer. This is the current recommended "best
practice," and I
agree with it. Just give each button instance -- in this
case, each copy of
that single "invisible" button -- an instance name. You
accomplish that by
selecting each button on the Stage, in turn, and filling in
the Instance
Name field in the Property inspector.
Then use each instance name in a frame script and assign a
function to
the Button.onRelease event for each:
buttonA.onRelease = function() {
getURL("
http://www.domain.com/page.html");
buttonB.onRelease = function() {
getURL("
http://www.domain.com/some_where_else.html");
// etc.
David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog,
http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."