This following guide gives you a basic overview of how to use 1CBT to build a project, add it to your HTML file and upload it to your web-server. For a step-by-step tutorial we recommend you complete the four introductory tutorials included in this help file, starting with Tutorial 1: A Simple Menu

The 1CBT application allows you to create sophisticated and animated applets or Flash files to use in navigation schemes or interactive menus all without programming - in a simple to use WYSIWYG environment.

For more information see topic: Features

The Toolbar

The toolbar has been designed to give quick access to commonly used functions.

Project Functions:
New Project, Open Project, Save Project

Button Functions:
New Text Button, New Bitmap Button, Duplicate Button, Move Button Up, Move Button Down, Delete Button

Editor Window Functions:
Refresh Editor Window

For more information see topic: The Toolbar

General Properties

When you start making a project you can use one of three modes. You can switch between these modes at any time, they are:

• Vertical Column of Buttons
  Buttons are automatically arranged in a column, the first button at the top.

• Horizontal Row of Buttons
  Buttons are automatically arranged in a row, the first button at the left.

• Specify Size and Position of Each Button
  Lets you arrange buttons however you like. You can move and resize buttons by using the handles on the The Button Editor Window. You can also set the total project size by resizing the Button Editor Window, or you can enter the project's pixel dimensions directly. When laying out your project manually you may also want to take advantage of the Snap to Grid feature.

Your project can be based on a flat coloured background or have an image as a backdrop.

For more information see topic: General Properties

Button Properties

As well as being displayed in the WYSIWYG editor window, all buttons are also listed to allow easier access to small or hidden buttons. The list also allows you to arrange the display-order, so you can control which buttons are seen in front of others.

Buttons can be set to behave as either a push button, radio or check-box allowing you full control over the button behavior in your project.

Each button can have a link, you can even trigger multiple URL's from one button as in the case of a frame-set. You can also have a Status bar message for each button which is displayed when you Mouse-over it.

For more information see topic: Button Properties

Button States

All 1 Cool Button Tool buttons have three states:

Adding actions and animation

Actions are the key to creating interesting navigation and menu systems such as expandable menus, animated navigation schemes and more interesting interactive applets and Flash files.

Basically an action just allows one button to control the appearance or position of other buttons (including itself). You can specify actions to be performed when a designated event occurs such as when a button is pressed or mouse-over occurs.

You have the following Action available: Show, Hide, Up, Over, Down, Wait, Call, Move, Size, Xform, SetText, RetoreText, Play, Fade (Flash only) and Rotate (Flash only).

Example:
Move sunflower: 100+, 50+, 100 will move the button named "sunflower" to a position 100 pixels to the right and 50 pixel down the screen. This will occur over 100 frames.

For more information see topic: Actions and Animation

Advanced users can utilise JavaScript to greatly extend the power and flexibility of their project. The Flash/JavaScript interface operates in both directions. For more information see:

• JavaScript calling Flash
  Where JavaScript code sets button states in the Flash file.

• Flash calling JavaScript
  Where the Flash file calls a JavaScript function in response to some event such as a mouse click.

Testing and building your project

When you build your Flash file, 1 Cool Button Tool automatically creates a new folder where it puts all the necessary files for you to add the Flash file to your web page. This is called the Build Folder, you can set the Build Folder to be located anywhere on your system - it defaults to a folder with the same name as your project located inside of your 1 Cool Button Tool folder.

After you have built your project you will be able to view the contents of the Build Folder by clicking on the Build Folder link.

1CBT generates the HTML code that you will need to paste into your own HTML page. You can use the Copy HTML to Clipboard feature and use your HTML editors paste HTML command (make sure you are in code-editing mode).

For more information see topic: Build Flash file

1 Cool Button Tool will copy all the files necessary for running the Flash file into the Build Folder (by default, a folder with the same name as your project located inside of your 1 Cool Button Tool folder). It will contain:

We recommend that you upload ALL the files in this folder to your web server.

Nothing further is necessary for the Flash file to run.

If you don't know how to upload files to your web server, contact your Internet Service Provider, or Network Administrator. Generally you will need an FTP client such as CuteFTP to upload files to your server.

Note:
Be aware that Flash files made with the unregistered version of 1 Cool Button Tool will display a large UNREGISTERED message when they are run over the Internet.

(8-10 minutes each)

The following tutorials walk you through the basics of using 1 Cool Button Tool in a step-by-step fashion.

• Tutorial 1: A simple menu

• Tutorial 2: Sound and animation

• Tutorial 3: Uploading Java applets

• Tutorial 4: Uploading Flash files

If you have any difficulty following these tutorials or have some questions please contact our support team. Registered users should use the priority support service.