One more basic question about control pages...

[hughjc]

If I create an image (png) with buttons and other elements or I want to use a photograph and let me touch the top and have one thing happen (lights on for example) or touch the bottom and have something else happen, can I create/define a control that is invisible on the page but can still trigger an action. I have found that if I have no image and no caption the box disappears. Am I missing a trick of how to define an zone on a control page without a specific picture of caption?

Thanks

Hugh

[ckeyes888]

What I've used for situations like that is a blank .png file. Blank in that there is no image at all, not simply
a white background. I attached one as an example.

Carl

[hughjc]

That makes sense... thanks

[jay (support)]

Image maps (overlaying regions of functionality on top of a single static image) are never really a good idea IMO. I think they should be the method of last resort.

If you're creating an image that represents multiple buttons, wouldn't it be better to create an image that represents the background then create an image that represents a button? Then you can just place the background image as a static image on your control page and then make as many buttons as you want as separate elements. That way you have much more flexibility.

In terms of using an image of some type, I'd suggest thinking carefully about that. If the image changes (via a refreshing image URL) then you don't really have any other option than to try an empty image as Carl suggested. However, if the image is static, then I suggest cutting it up into the separate clickable parts and just putting each part on a page as a separate page elem (and positioning them so they meet up correctly). Again, you want the image to stay with the function and vice versa.

We've had problems in the past where users built their control pages completely on top of one big static image. Then, years later, when they upgraded, we had a heck of a time figuring out what their control pages were doing because they had just a bunch of empty page elements sitting on a page (they couldn't recover their background image - or didn't even remember what it was).

[ckeyes888]

Normally I would do exactly as Jay has suggested but in the case of my webcam pages, refreshing URL's, I needed to be able to click on lights etc. in the image that are always
changing and I prefer the no button look.

Carl

[hughjc]

I take your point Jay but there are times when regions come in handy. I have a photograph of a jukebox that I am using for my itunes selections and I have had to cut parts of it out to make buttons. I also found a very nice controller image for audi/video with all of the relevant volume and channel buttons where region buttons on top of that would be much nicer. I just remember how useful regions have been in the few web page designs that I have done.

Hugh

[Dewster35]

I take your point Jay but there are times when regions come in handy. I have a photograph of a jukebox that I am using for my itunes selections and I have had to cut parts of it out to make buttons. I also found a very nice controller image for audi/video with all of the relevant volume and channel buttons where region buttons on top of that would be much nicer. I just remember how useful regions have been in the few web page designs that I have done.

Hugh

Regions (done well) would be a nice added feature when the control page editor gets it's overhaul.