I am currently evaluating SiteSpinner v2. I have a question about image rollovers and links.

I am using rollover images for my site navigation. I have placed the "normal" and "mouseover" images on top of each other, created the mouse rollover effect and then grouped the images. I then selected the group and then set a link to another web page.

When I preview the page, the rollover efect works great, but the link does not work...it does not even display as a link (i.e. mouse pointer changing to hand and displaying the Alt tag).

It appears that I am unable to set a link for a group of images. Is this the way things work in SiteSpinner or am I doing something wrong?

In order to make the links work, I have been setting a link for the "mouseover" image (and not the whole group). To be safe, I am also setting the "normal" state image to the same link. After the links are set, I am grouping the normal and mouseover images.

Is this the correct way to create mouseover links? Is there a better way? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Mitch,

I've adopted the same method for the same reason. I'm not aware of a neater way to accomplish it - although I don't bother to 'group' the images as their positions are locked. Grouping makes sense though if you intend to reposition.

-Bruce

Hi all,

In order to Link a Group you need to 're-render' the object.

When you create a permanent group all the components of the group are exported individually and they are not altered in any way. If you select your group and go to the Quick Editor > Object tab and select 're-render' then only one object is exported, and as such can be 'linked'.

- Derry

Hi Derry,
I must be missing something. When I try your method for rendering the group as an object, the page link is working, but the rollover (i.e. mouseover) effect does not work.

What am I doing wrong?

Hi Mitch,

That sounds like a problem that was fixed. Please check to make sure you have the latest release.

- Derry

Hi Derry,

I think Mitch is correct. On SiteSpinner 2.01a

. . .

if you create two objects which interact with a mouse over, then group them, then select the grouped object and apply a link to it (the grouped object) the link is not active when published. If you re-render the grouped image the mouse-over is disabled

the way to use mouseover seems to be to apply the link to the image that's active on mouseover and then group them (if you need to group them at all that is).

Must confess - always regarded it as a method rather than a problem.

-Bruce

That's right Bruce.

A re-rendered group becomes a single object so its contents no longer act individually (so no mouseover effect). It can have its own link of course.

When re-render is off, all the members of a group act as if they were separate objects. Each has it's own image, link, etc. But the group itself doesn't have a link.

Perhaps that should be changed in future so that unrendered groups can have a link but even if it is made to work, the link would only be available in the areas of teh group where there was no other object (or otherwise the mouseover for the member object would be covered too).

As you mentioned, only the object that is visible when clicked needs to have a link and that is generally the way we use it for mouseovers. If you want both objects to have a link you will need to enter them separately.