[ast3r3x]

I'm working on my website, and want to make a drop down menu for flash. I was wondering if it's possible to have flash be transparent. I mean I know you can use transparency in flash, but I was hoping to have a better way then just making the background of my flash match the background of where it's seated on my webpage.

Another question that is related, is if I have to have my document in flash as big as the full drop down menu, or if it can expand out of it.

I'm hoping to use flash because it's easier, it will look better, and you can make things fluid, and I don't know DHTML stuff.

One more question, does flash gobble of processor usage if it's not moving? I mean does just having flash in a page cause the processor to work hard, or is it only when there is movement?

[curiousuburb]

Transparency is supported in movie properties.

Usually you'll have to set the (wrapper) movie size to hold the largest object so that HTML doesn't require redraw.

Movement, bitmaps, shape tweens, and audio all increase the processor overhead, but even having the plugin load, the flash content requires preload for smooth playback, so the end user has the overhead regardless.

Flash does help with interactivity and ambience, but if those elements aren't critical, you are risking a portion of your audience due to your use of a plugin (some corporate networks or end users may not have the correct version of the Flash plugin and may not want/be allowed to update).

DHTML, while perhaps less multimedia than Flash, doesn't necessitate a plugin.
If all you want is drop-down menus, Fireworks will generate menu.js files that do similar jobs.

Not sure if that solves your issue.

[ast3r3x]

I still prefer flash. Assuming it isn't too slow. So aaannyways. While I have your attention, I'll ask you another question.

Is there anyway to do...I guess in dreamweaver it was called hot spots. I have an image and i'd like to make 3 different parts of it do something different. It's a drop down with 3 different options. Is there an easy way to do this without there beging 3 different images?

[curiousuburb]

Fireworks will create Javascript drop down menus with each item a hotspot.

You can also create hotspots on images without using the menu.js functions using the slice tool in FW.

[ast3r3x]

Sorry, I didn't specify. I mean in flash if there was a way to do it.

Eh, I figured it out. I just had to make a transparent box, which doesn't form perfectly to my rounded object, but what are you going to do?