Add button states for rollover effects



A button consists of a group of individual objects that each represent a button state. Each button can have as many as three states: Normal, Rollover, and Click. In the exported file, the Normal state appears unless the mouse pointer moves into the area (Rollover) or the mouse button is clicked on the button area (Click). You can apply different appearances to each of these three states to distinguish them from each other.

By default, any button you create is defined with the Normal state containing the button’s text or image. When you activate a new state, the appearance of the Normal state is copied. To distinguish a state from the others, you can change the color or add text or an image.

Button states

A.
Pointer not over button area (Normal)

B.
Pointer enters button area (Rollover)

C.
Pointer clicks (Click)

Note: The clickable area, or hot spot, of the button is the square bounding box of the largest state in the button. For example, a round button has a square hot spot.

Change the appearance of a button’s states

If you’re creating a button with multiples states, it’s a good idea to finish designing the button before you activate other states. When you activate a state, the appearance of the Normal state is copied.

Some changes affect only the selected state, while other changes affect all active states. If you select a state and apply a different background color or edit the text, the change affects only the selected state. If you use the Selection tool to move or resize the button, the change affects all states. Keep in mind that each state is an object within the button group. Use the Direct Selection tool to make changes only to the state, not to the whole group.

  1. Choose Window > Interactive > Buttons to display the Buttons panel.
  2. Using the Selection tool , select the button in the layout that you want to edit.
  3. Click [Rollover] to activate the Rollover state.

    The appearance of the Normal state is copied to the Rollover state.

  4. With Rollover still selected, change the appearance of the button.

    • To change the color, click the Stroke or Fill icon in the toolbar, and then click a swatch color in the Swatches panel.

    • To place an image in the state, choose File > Place and double-click a file.

    • To paste an image or a text frame, copy it to the Clipboard, select the state in the Buttons panel, and then choose Edit > Paste Into.

    • To type text, select the Type tool, click the button, and type the text. You can also choose Edit > Paste Into to copy a pasted text frame.

  5. To add the Click state, click [Click] to activate it, and then follow the same procedure to change its appearance.
To change the size of the State Appearance thumbnails in the Buttons panel, choose Panel Options from the Buttons panel menu, select an option, and then click OK.

To test the button, export the document to PDF or SWF, and view the exported file. If you’re exporting to PDF, make sure that the Interactive Elements option is selected. If you’re exporting to SWF, make sure that Include Buttons is selected.

Delete and disable states

  1. Select the state in the Buttons panel.

    The state selected in the States panel determines the content that appears in the button frame on the InDesign page. Thumbnail icons in the States panel display the content of each state.

  2. Do any of the following:

    • To delete the Rollover or Click state, click the Delete icon at the bottom of the panel. Deleting a state is especially useful if you edit the Normal state extensively and decide you want to base Rollover or Click on the new Normal appearance.

    • To disable a state without deleting it, click the Eye icon next to the state to deselect it. Disabled states are not exported to the PDF or SWF file.

Note: You cannot delete or disable the Normal state.