Setting Default Properties for New Buttons

Use the Drawing Tools toolbar to set the default properties for new Buttons (FIG. 75):

FIG. 75 Drawing Tools toolbar

The settings that are specified in this toolbar become the default settings for all new buttons, until the settings are changed. This way, you can quickly create sets of buttons that are visually consistent.

NOTE: The options in this toolbar are enabled only when a Drawing tool is selected.

This toolbar is normally at the top of your screen and provides you with a mechanism for controlling various elements of future button creation. This toolbar can either be free floating or docked, but cannot be docked in a vertical fashion, as the drop down lists contained on the toolbar do not support this type of docking.

On the extreme left side of the toolbar, you will see a button that will allow you to toggle the default choices for both the Off and the On state of a button. You can control the button type, border family, font, font size, button fill color, border color and text color.

To set default parameters for new buttons:

1. Select the Button Draw tool from the Selection/Drawing Tools Toolbar. When the Button Draw tool is selected, the Drawing Tools toolbar becomes activated.
2. Buttons are always drawn in the Off State. The Drawing toolbar allows you to control certain new button creation properties for both the Off and the On state of a button.
3. Click the down-arrow on the first drop-down menu to the right of the State button to select the type of button you want to create (default = General). This selection becomes the default for all subsequent buttons, until the Button Type selection is changed.
4. Click the down-arrow on the second drop-down menu (to the right of the Button Type drop-down) to select a Border Style for the button. This selection becomes the default for all subsequent buttons, until the Border Style selection is changed.
5. Use the next two drop-down menus to specify a Font and Font Size as the default text attributes for new buttons. These selections become the default text settings for all subsequent buttons, until the Font and Font Size specifications are changed.
6. Click the down-arrow on the first palette button to set the Border Color for the button. Again, this selection becomes the default for all subsequent buttons, until the Border Color setting is changed.
7. Click the down-arrow on the second palette button to set the Fill Color for the button. This selection becomes the default for all subsequent buttons, until the Fill Color setting is changed.
8. Click the down-arrow on the third palette button to set the Text Color for the button. Of course, this selection becomes the default for all subsequent buttons, until the Text Color setting is changed.