| FrontLook Java Image Effects Applet Sample
In this tutorial we will go through the steps to create the
applet animation below:
Image Effects Applet
Note: Tool tip help is available for all
the controls in the dialog. Place the cursor over a control you would like
to know more about, pause and a help balloon will appear defining that
element of the dialog box
Step 1: Bring up the
FrontLook Image Effects Applet User Interface
 | Open a FrontPage Web and then a Page with
the FrontPage Editor. |
| Put cursor where you would like the
component installed. |
| Go to FrontLook Menu in the Insert menu of
FrontPage 2000/2002 and select desired component. |
Step 2: Setup the Background
Image and Component Size
Background Panel
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Press the
Background Image button
and select the image you would like to have as your background image. Using
the Image File Dialog, you
will be able to set the background image from image files on your hard drive
or web site.
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Once the image has been
selected, press the "Size to
Image" button to set the size of the applet to the size of the current
background image. After pressing this button you can see the image size in
the Applet Size text edit fields.
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You are welcome to set the background sound
and other items on this panel. Please see the
Background Panel reference
page for more information.
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Step 3: Choose your Effect
and Preview
Effects Panel
Now the fun part: Press the Effects tab.
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Select any effect in the "Effects"
popup menu. Then press the "Preview" button to view the effects with your
background image. Some effects work with some images better than others.
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After viewing the Preview image, press the
"OK" button to return to the Effects panel and you may wish to try a
different effect or adjust the sliders on the Effects panel. Press
here for more information on these
controls.
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Step 4: Add Strings to your
Component (optional)
You can optionally add animated text strings to your component by using
the Strings panel. If you do not want any strings to
be overlaid on top of your component, uncheck the "Enable Strings Display"
checkbox.
String Animation Overview
Much like the Text Effects applet, each string in the string list is moved
into position into the component area one at a time. The "Entry" popup menu
determines the motion effect and the "Alignment" controls determine the hold
position of the string. The string will stay at the hold position for the
specified amount of time in the "Hold Time" field and then leaves the
component area using the motion effect specified in the "Exit" popup menu.
The next strings in the list will do likewise until the last string is
presented to the user. Then the process will start with the first string
again.
Strings Panel
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To add a string to the string display, press
the "New" button. The new string will appear in the string list and it will
be selected for editing. Replace the "Put your string here" in the "String"
field with your own string of text.
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To edit an existing string, click on the
string in the "String List" and then edit the string in the "String" text
field.
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Set the font, style, color, shadow effects
and alignment attributes of the string. The "Entry" controls control the
motion effects, the timing of the effects and the sound triggered during the
animation. Click here for more about
the Strings panel. |
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Press the "Preview" button to test the
animation and then press the "OK" button. Make adjustments to the text
parameters until it is to your liking. |
Note: Tool tip help is available for all
the controls in the dialog. Place the cursor over a control you would like
to know more about, pause and a help balloon will appear defining that
element of the dialog box
Step 5: Setup the URL Panel (Optional)
The URL Panel allow you set the Hyperlinks, highlighting and Status Bar
messages of the Applet.
URL Panel
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Press the "Browse..." button to setup a
URL to go to when the viewer clicks on the applet or you can type in a
URL. |
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Set the "Target" popup menu. Select
"Self" if you would like the new URL to appear in the current browser
window. For a new window select "Blank". If the applet is placed in a
child frame, you can select "Parent" to return to the parent frame.
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The "highlight" popup menus set the items
highlighted when the user puts the cursor in the applet and the color of
the highlight. You can have the current string, the frame of the applet
or both highlighted when the viewer puts the cursor in the applet.
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The Status Bar field sets the Status bar
message that appears when user puts the cursor in the applet.
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Step 6: Save and Preview your finished
Applet in the Browser
After completing the above steps, press the "OK" button to save the applet
on the page. Once the user interface disappears, you will see an image
appear in the place of your new applet (illustrated below). This is normal.
Place holder logo
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To preview the applet, press the "Preview
in Browser" icon  on the main
toolbar or select the "File->Preview in Browser... menu item. A browser
window will appear with the applet on your page.. |
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To make further adjustments to the
applet, just place your cursor on the placeholder logo and double click
to bring up the FrontLook user interface. |
Note: We recommend that you preview the
applet in the browser and not use the FrontPage Preview tab. The browser
presents the most accurate display of the applet and the page layout.
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