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From the Authorware Help pages. AVCE ICT Multimedia

Frameworks in depth

Navigation structures let users select the path they want to take through a piece. Most navigation inAuthorware is handled with the navigate and framework icons. The two icons work hand in hand. (For

more information, see Navigation structuresstep!ystep proceduresfor specific procedures."

The navigate icon takes Authorware from one place on the flowline to another place that#s inside aframework icon.

A navigate icon can !e on the flowline outside a framework, !ut the destination it directs Authorware to

must !e inside a framework.

The navigate icon is much more sophisticated and fle$i!le than the Authorware GoTofunction. %ou can

use the navigate icon to do the following&

'o to any specific icon inside a framework

'o to an icon ust !y identifying its location relative to the current icon (for e$ample, the ne$t icon or

the previous one"

)eturn to the last icon a user looked at

*isplay a list of all the icons a user looked at recently

*isplay a dialog !o$ that a user can use to search for an icon and then go to it

%ou can place a navigate icon anywhere on the flowline or use it anywhere you#d use any other icon&inside a map icon, attached to a decision or interaction icon, or attached to a framework.

A navigate icon#s destination must !e a page attached to a framework. %ou can#t select an icon on themain flowline as the destination. +ts destination can !e a page attached to a different framework, !ut not

attached to a framework that#s in a different file. +f you nest one framework inside another, you canselect a page attached to the nested framework as the destination of a navigate icon !ut if you attach a

map icon to a framework, you can#t select a specific icon inside the map as the destination.

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How the framework icon works

The framework icon sets up an environment designed to make creating navigation easy. The elements of

the environment appear in the framework window.

The environment has three components& the framework window, a set of default navigation controls, and

the icons attached to the framework icon. (Any icon attached directly to a framework icon is called apage +*."

The framework window has two parts& an entry pane and an e$it pane.

The framework environment works like this& -hen Authorware enters the framework, it first goes to the

flowline in the framework window#s entry pane.

The icons in the entry pane affect every page that#s attached to the framework icon. For e$ample, if you

set up a display icon in the entry pane to display a !ackground, the !ackground appears on every page.The default navigation controls are part of the entry pane, so they appear on every page as well.

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Authorware goes to the flowline inside the entry pane whenever it enters the frameworkno matter

where it#s headed. +f Authorware is coming from somewhere outside the framework directly to, say, thethird icon attached to the framework, it still goes to the flowline inside the entry pane first. That#s how

Authorware makes sure that the environment you set up in the entry pane affects every page in theframework, no matter what order they#re displayed in.

efore Authorware e$its the framework, it does two things&

+t returns to the framework window and goes to the flowline in the e$it pane.

Anything you set up there happens each time Authorware leaves the framework. For e$ample, if youwant to change the value of a varia!le each time a user e$its the framework, you#d set up a calculation

icon in the e$it pane to do that.

+t erases everything in the entry pane and in any page in the framework.

This includes any !uttons you#ve set up as perpetual. +n short, it returns everything to the way it waswhen it entered the framework.

Things to consider about navigation structures

/ere are some things to think a!out when you#re designing navigation&

Are you designing the piece to run over the Internet?

+f so, remem!er that downloading data over the +nternet takes longer than reading the same data from a

local hard disk. 0onsider your overall navigation design carefully.

What navigation controls do you need?

+f the default navigation controls aren#t what you want, change them or create a set of custom controls.

How should the content be structured?

+f the information you want to present is too deep for a single framework, consider a nested structure.Modify the navigation controls to make it easy for users to get where they want as 1uickly as possi!le.

Are any text or graphic elements common to everything inside the navigation framework?

+f so, set those elements up in the entry pane of the framework icon.

Is there anything you want Authorware to do every time users enter the navigation

framework?

For e$ample, do you want Authorware to set the value of a varia!le whenever users enter the navigationframework2 +f so, set it up to happen in the entry pane.

Is there anything you want Authorware to do every time users exit the navigation framework?

+f so, set it up to happen in the e$it pane.

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The frameworks navigation controls

The Authorware default navigation controls work well for most common navigation structures.

Although, it#s easy to change the controls or toreplace them entirely with a set of custom controls.3ust open up the framework window and edit the

navigation control#s interactionor delete theinteraction and create a new one.

%ou can even make a set of custom controls apermanent part of the framework icon. Theframework iconand the default navigationcontrols inside itare contained in a model named

Framewrk.a6dthat#s in the same folder as

Authorware. +f you want to make a custom set ofcontrols a permanent part of the framework icon,

replace the current model with a model thatcontains a framework icon with the new navigation

controls inside it.

%ou can customi4e the framework icon model even further if you want. For e$ample, if you use a layout

template to lay out the screen, you can include it in the model, and it will appear on every page youattach to the framework icon.

!esting navigation frameworks

Although any icon attached directly to a framework icon is called a page, a page doesn#t have to !e usta screen full of te$t. +t can !e a digital movie icon, a sound icon, or even a map icon containing another

framework.

Nesting one framework inside another is a good way of structuring material and providing users with

1uick access to the information they#re interested in.

For e$ample, imagine an electronic version of a !ook. 5ne way to set it up is to use a single framework

icon with a display icon attached for every page in the !ook. A !etter way to organi4e the piece is tocreate a framework in which each page is a map icon containing an entire chapter and then to nest inside

each map icon another framework inwhich each page is a page of te$t.

-ith the piece organi4ed that way,

users can ump directly from the!eginning of one chapter to the

!eginning of the ne$t. They don#t haveto page through all of one chapter to

get to the ne$t.

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!avigation structures"step#by#step procedures

What you can do $earch the Help for %

6. 0reate custom navigation controls

0reating custom navigation controls

7. Attach a navigation link to hot te$t

Navigating with hyperte$t

8. 0reate hyperte$t

Navigating with hot te$t

9. 0reate a hot te$t style

0reating a hot te$t style

:. Apply the hot te$t style to te$tApplying a hot te$t style

;et up a navigation framework ;etting up a navigation framework

;et up a framework#s entry and e$it panes ;etting up a framework#s entry and e$it panes

+mport te$t into a paging structure from an )TF file +mporting te$t into a framework

)eposition the default navigation controls )epositioning the navigation controls

0hoose a transition effect !etween pages ;etting up page transitions

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Add or delete a default navigation control Adding or deleting a default navigation control

Adding or deleting a default navigation control

;ave navigation controls as a model ;aving navigation controls as a model

)eplace the default navigation controls with amodel

)eplacing the default navigation controls with amodel

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