Microsoft FrontPage #12



*1.  BRIGHT SHINY GRAPHICS

July 7th, 1999

A couple of tips ago, we explained how to place an image on 
your Web page: In FrontPage Editor, select a blank area of 
your page; click the Insert Image button from the Standard 
toolbar; navigate to the image file you want to import; and 
click OK. Today, we explain one of the ways you can enhance 
this image. 

You may often work with images that are underexposed (not 
enough light) or overexposed (too much light). You can affect 
the brightness of images without using an external image 
editor. The FrontPage Image toolbar handles these simple jobs 
quite nicely: 

- 1. Select the image. 
- 2. Choose the More Brightness or Less Brightness button on
     the Image toolbar. 
- 3. Continue to click the buttons until the image appears as
     you want it. 

Tip-in-a-tip: To remove the effect, click Ctrl + Z. FrontPage 
supports multiple undo actions (the last 30 steps), so keep 
clicking until you're back to where you started.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*2. THE WAY WE WERE

July 8th, 1999

In the last few tips, we discussed ways to enhance your 
graphics with the Image toolbar. Of course, not everything you 
try will look the way you want. Fortunately, returning the file 
to its former state is easy. After applying an effect--or 
several effects that don't look so hot--try this: 

- 1. Select the image. 
- 2. Click the Restore button on the Image toolbar. 

Tip-in-a-tip: If you're not sure which button is which, let 
your mouse pointer hover over it for a couple of seconds. A 
screen tip displaying the button's name appears.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*3. PRESTO CHANGE-O

July 9th, 1999

After inserting an image into FrontPage, the program 
automatically converts files into GIF or JPEG format. You may 
want to change the format, however, depending on the type of 
graphic you're working with. Photos generally look better as 
JPEG files, but they may download faster as GIF files. The 
decision is as much art as science. Try different versions to 
find out what works best for you. 

- 1. Select the image you want to convert. 
- 2. Right-click the image and choose Image Properties from
     the menu that appears. 
- 3. If the image is a GIF, click the JPEG button (or
     vice versa). 

Note: When you convert a file to a JPEG, you can enter a number 
in the Quality box. A higher number means less compression, 
better quality, and a larger file. Generally, we recommend that 
you stick with the default number, but feel free to experiment.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb

*4. BE GONE, WEIRD FORMATTING

July 12th, 1999

Every now and again, you'll be editing like nobody's business 
when something deeply strange happens. A word shows up on the 
wrong line, or a heading that was double spaced is now single 
spaced. When you have unusual spacing problems, the first line 
of defense is to click the Show All button on the Standard 
toolbar (it looks like a paragraph mark). This button lets you 
see all the paragraph marks and all other formatting marks on 
the page. Very likely, you'll be able to find--and 
fix--the problem.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*5. TAKE A BREAK

July 13th, 1999

Each time you hit the Enter key, a new paragraph starts. To 
create a new line without starting a new paragraph, hold the 
Shift key when you press Enter. Doing so creates a line break, 
a helpful formatting tool that gives you greater control over 
spacing. Line breaks are useful, for example, when you want to 
create a headline but you don't want the text below the 
headline separated by an extra carriage return.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*6. MASTER OF YOUR DOMAIN

July 14th, 1999

OK, it's time to get serious about this Web stuff. To ensure 
easy access to your site, consider registering your own domain, 
as in funkyrobot.com (already registered, by the way). The 
process for registering is a little beyond the scope of this 
tip. However, you should be able to get your Internet Service 
Provider (ISP) to register your domain for you for a small fee. 
You then need to pay $70 for two years and $35 each year after 
that. To find out if a name is available: 

- 1. Hustle on over to 

http://www.networksolutions.com 

- 2. Type in the name you want to register. 
- 3. Click Go. 

Happy hunting.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*7. HOVER HERE A MINUTE

July 16th, 1999

Hover buttons are cool little animated Java applets that change 
when you place your mouse over them. You can set them to switch 
colors or glow (among other effects) when a visitor "hovers" 
over them. Here's how: 

- 1. In FrontPage Editor, choose Insert + Active Elements +
     Hover Button. The Hover Button dialog box appears. 
- 2. Type the text for the button in the aptly named Button
     Text box. 
- 3. If you like, create a hyperlink for the button by typing
     an address into the Link To box. 
- 4. Make your selections from the Button Color and Background
     Color pop-up menus. 
- 5. From the Effect menu, choose what visitors see when they
     hover over the button. Bevel Out, for example, gives the
     button a three-dimensional look when visitors hover over
     the button. 
- 6. Enter a number in the Width and Height box (in pixels) if
     you're not happy with the default setting. 
- 7. Click OK. 
- 8. Click the Preview tab and point at your button to see the
     effect in action.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*8. HORIZONTAL TIPS

July 15th, 1999

Horizontal lines are a great way to separate elements on a 
page, but they're a little, well, boring. Here's how to spice 
up your horizontal lines: 

- 1. Place your line on the page (choose Insert +
     Horizontal Line). 
- 2. Double-click the line to open the Horizontal Line
     Properties dialog box. 
- 3. Select the width, height, and color of your line.
     (Tip-in-a-tip: Most designers tend to use thin horizontal
     lines of no more than one or two pixels. As far as color
     goes, go crazy.) 
- 4. When you're happy with your line, click OK. 

Keep in mind that if you use a theme on the page, you are only 
offered alignment choices. You need to deselect the theme (not 
recommended if you want to keep the page's formatting) or stick 
with the horizontal line the theme offers. To deselect 
the theme: 

- 1. Choose Format + Theme. 
- 2. From the Choose Theme dialog box, select This Page Does
     Not Use Themes. 
- 3. Click OK to save the changes.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*9. SOUNDS GOOD TO ME

July 19th, 1999

In our last tip, we explained how to create a hover button for 
your page: In FrontPage Editor, choose Insert + Active Elements 
+ Hover Button; in the dialog box that appears, type the text 
for the button (if you like, you can also create a hyperlink 
for the button by typing an address into the Link To box); make 
your selections from the Button Color and Background Color 
pop-up menus; choose an effect from the Effect menu; enter a 
number in the Width and Height box (in pixels) if you like; and 
click OK. Today, we add a sound to your hover button. 

When visitors hover over the button with the mouse (or click 
the button), the button displays an effect of your choosing and 
emits the sound you've selected. 

Now to add sound to your button: 

- 1. Double-click the button you want to add sound to, and
     the Hover Button dialog box appears. 
- 2. Click Custom, and the Custom dialog box launches. 
- 3. Next to the On Click box, choose Browse, navigate to the
     file you want, select it, and click OK. If you want a
     file to play when the visitor points to the button
     (without clicking), click the Browse button next to the On
     Hover box instead of the On Click box and follow the rest
     of the procedure. 
- 4. Click OK twice to close the Custom and Hover Button
     dialog boxes. 
- 5. Click the Preview tab and point at (or click) your button
     to hear the effect in action. 

Note: The sound file you select must be in the .au format to 
work. Luckily, you can convert most sound files to this format. 
Tomorrow, we explain where to find an audio editor that 
converts your files.

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb


*10. WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY HOVER SOUND?

July 20th, 1999

Yesterday, we explained how to add sounds to hover buttons: 
Double-click the button you want to add sound to; in the Hover 
Button dialog box that appears, click Custom; in the Custom 
dialog box, choose the Browse button next to On Click (or On 
Hover); navigate to the file you want, select it, and click OK; 
click OK twice to close the Custom and Hover Button 
dialog boxes. 

Here's the rub: Audio files used with hover buttons need to be 
8-bit, 8000-herz, mono, u-law audio (.au) files. You can 
convert audio files to this format, but you need an audio 
editor to do so. Check out Sound Forge, an excellent tool for 
your audio needs at 

http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/
0,1458,2108,00.html

--This tip contributed by JoAnne Robb
