This filter is a simple and easy to use helper for creating sensitive images to be used in HTML files. The filter slices up the source image (like the Slice Using Guides command does) along its horizontal and vertical guides, and produces a set of sub-images. At the same time it creates a piece of HTML code for a table saved in a text file. Every table cell contains one part of the image. The text file should then be embedded in an HTML document.
Note that this filter is really a very simple helper. A typical HTML code produced by the filter may be not much more than this:
Example 17.1. Simple “Slice” filter example output
<table cellpadding="0" border="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="slice_0_0.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="slice_0_1.png"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="slice_1_0.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="slice_1_1.png"/></td> </tr> </table>
Produced HTML code; the “style” attribute has been omitted.
When there are no guides in the image, the filter will no nothing. If, however, the guides are just hidden, the filter will work.
Tip | |
---|---|
The ImageMap filter is a much more powerful and sophisticated tool for creating sensitive images. (But it is also much more complex...) |
Most options are self-explanatory, but nevertheless:
Where the HTML file and the image files will be saved. By default these files will be stored in the current working directory. Clicking on the button to the right opens a pull-down menu, where you can select a different location.
The name of the HTML file. You can change the filename using the textbox.
The name of an image file produced by this filter is
prefix_i_k.ext
, where
prefix
is that part of the filename which you
can freely select using the textbox to the right, by default:
slice
.
(i
and k
are the numbers
of the row and the column, each starting with 0;
.ext
is the filename
extension depending on the selected
Image format.)
This option is particularly useful when you want to create JavaScript for onmouseover and clicked and need different sets of images.
You can choose to create image files in the GIF, JPG, or PNG file format.
When Separate image folder is enabled, a
folder will be created where the image files will be placed. By
default, the name of this destination folder is
images
, but you can change
it in the Folder for image export textbox.
This value (0-15) will be passed as “cellspacing” attribute to the HTML table. The result is, that horizontal and vertical guides will be replaced with stripes of the specified width:
Note that the image will not be enlarged by the size of these stripes. Instead, the resulting HTML image will look like you have drawn the stripes with the Eraser tool.
When this option is enabled, the filter will also add some JavaScript code. Like the HTML code, this code does not work as is, rather it's a good starting point for adding some dynamic functionality. The JavaScript code provides a function to handle events like “onmouseover”:
Example 17.4. JavaScript code snippet
function exchange (image, images_array_name, event) { name = image.name; images = eval (images_array_name); switch (event) { case 0: image.src = images[name + "_plain"].src; break; case 1: image.src = images[name + "_hover"].src; break; case 2: image.src = images[name + "_clicked"].src; break; case 3: image.src = images[name + "_hover"].src; break; } }
When disabled, the filter will add a
<a href="#"> ... </a>
hyperlink stub to every table cell. When enabled (this is the
default) and there are at least two horizontal or two vertical
guides, the filter will not add a hyperlink stub to the first and
last cell in a column or row. This may be useful when you have an
image with border and you don't want to make the border sensitive.
Example 17.5. Skipped animation for table caps (simplified HTML code)
<table cellpadding="0" border="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_0_0.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_0_1.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_0_2.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_0_3.png"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_1_0.png"/></td> <td><a href="#"><img alt="" src="images/slice_1_1.png"/></a></td> <td><a href="#"><img alt="" src="images/slice_1_2.png"/></a></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_1_3.png"/></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_2_0.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_2_1.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_2_2.png"/></td> <td><img alt="" src="images/slice_2_3.png"/></td> </tr> </table>
Only inner cells have (empty) hyperlinks.