Creating Custom Presets for FlashBang! Buttons
by Joseph Lowery

The number of parameters you can set for a FlashBang! button can be overwhelming; for example, with a button from the Arcobaleno collection you can choose up to 20 different attributes. Assigning all those attributes over and over again would be a major chore – and that's why FlashBang! Presets were created. Select any preset and almost all the attributes are instantly set for you – including the button selection.

FlashBang! comes with twenty pre-defined presets, some for buttons in the Arcobaleno collection, some in the Glyph-Contol set and even one for the Made-with-FlashBang button. But what if you want to use a different configuration as a preset? A key cornerstone of FlashBang! is customization – so, of course, you can easily define your own presets.

It's important to note that not every setting in the FlashBang! Buttons dialog is saved in a preset, although most are. By design, entries in the Save As, Label, and Link fields as well as the Target list choice are not included in a saved preset. These settings are intentionally left out so that when a new button is created from the preset, the user won't have to remove the settings before entering new ones.

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a custom preset and then, when it's no longer needed, delete it. For a Flash demonstration of the technique, best viewed on a screen with a minimum resolution of 1024x768, click the Demo button.

Pre-requisites

FlashBang! Basics

Setting Up for a Preset

The basic procedure for creating a preset is two-fold: first, set up the button attributes the way you want them and second, name the preset.

1. From a previously saved page, open the FlashBang! Buttons dialog by choosing Insert FlashBang! Button from the Media tab of the Insert bar.
   1. A custom preset can be based on an existing preset or you can build it from the ground up. In this tutorial, we'll take the latter approach Throughout this tutorial, I'll make specific selections to illustrate the process; you could, of course, make your own choices.
2. From the Select tree menu, expand the 125x26 category in the Arcobaleno collection and choose Crystal.
   1. If we were creating a button to insert, the normal next step would be to enter a name in the Save As field - but, since we're just creating a preset, we don't have to do that. Similarly, we'll also leave the Label and Link fields blank.
   2. I like to create presets starting with the background color, so let's set the default background attributes first.
3. In the Button Colors section, select the Color One color picker in the Default row and choose fuchsia (#FF00FF), located at the bottom of the second column.
   1. 
4. Select the Color Two color picker in the same Default row and choose white (#FFFFFF), located in the middle of the second column.
   1. Now, lets set the rollover colors. One of my favorite design tricks is to flip the colors on rollover.
5. Select the Color One color picker in the Rollover row and use the eyedropper to sample the Default Color Two (white).
6. Select the Color Two color picker in the Rollover row and use the eyedropper to sample the Default Color One (fuchsia).
   1. Finally, let's define the down-state colors, keeping in the same palette.
7. Select the Color One color picker in the Down row and use the eyedropper to sample the Default Color One (fuchsia).
8. Select the Color One color picker in the Down row and use the eyedropper to sample the Default Color Two (white).
   1. 

   You could continue to set whatever attributes you like for the preset, including label fonts, styles, and even sounds. Once you're finished setting up the button the way you'd like to appear, you're ready to actually create the preset.

Creating the Preset

Creating a preset is a very straightforward procedure:

1. Select the Add (+) button next to the Presets list to open the FlashBang! Presets dialog.



2. In the FlashBang! Presets dialog, enter a unique name (i.e., one not already used by a preset) for your custom preset. I'll name mine Crystal - Fuchsia Click OK when you're done.
   1. In the FlashBang! Buttons dialog, the new preset appears at the bottom of the Presets list and it is currently selected.
   2. Now, let's test our preset.
3. Choose Cancel to close the FlashBang! Buttons dialog without inserting a button.
4. Re-open the FlashBang! Buttons dialog.
5. From the Presets list, choose your newly-added preset, found at the bottom of the list.
   1. Presto-chango, your chosen button and all of it's attributes are instantly available. All you need do now is pick a name to save your button, give it a label and, if desired, a link, and you're good to go.

Deleting a Preset

Removing an unneeded preset is even easier than creating one. Just highlight the undesired preset in the Presets list and select the Remove (-) button next to the Presets list. FlashBang! will ask you to confirm your deletion; click OK to proceed. The preset is removed immediately.

Note: You can remove both custom presets and standard ones. However, be careful if you choose to remove any standard presets. Short of re-installing FlashBang! there is no way to recover the removed preset.

Summary

Presets not only save time, they also ensure that your buttons are consistent. Moreover, there is no limit to the number of presets you can define. If you have any questions about this tutorial, please feel free to drop me a line at jlowery@flashbangmedia.com.