Official Sothink Blog » JavaScript Software http://www.sothink.com/blog Tech Talk, Suggestions, Coffee House, Member Blogs… Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:38:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Sothink Tree Menu 3.0 Supports Windows 7 & IE 9 Beta http://www.sothink.com/blog/sothink-tree-menu-3-0-supports-windows-7-ie-9-beta/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/sothink-tree-menu-3-0-supports-windows-7-ie-9-beta/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 07:55:16 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3527 Sothink Tree Menu releases its new version 3.0 recently, which supports Windows 7 and IE 9 Beta. As quality seekers, maybe the web designers need to create tree menu on Windows 7, and viewers the same with you, they would like to enjoy navigation tree menu in IE 9 Beta. Sothink Tree Menu enables you create DHTML tree menu on Windows 7, and generate the web menu compatible with IE 9 Beta. What’s more, this tree menu builder provides 50+ free tree menu templates to match with various website styles; versatile image library available; fully customize menu style. Seamlessly integrate with DW, FP and EW.

First at all, check out stunning tree menu samples in IE 9 Beta:

tree-menu-builder

Create navigation tree menu with Sothink Tree Menu on Window 7, you can:

  • Generate cross-browser tree menu. (Support IE 9 Beta, Google Chrome, FireFox 3, Opera 9.5 and Safari 3.1!)
  • Get SE friendly JavaScript Tree menu.
  • Create database tree menu with ASP, PHP and JSP.
  • Build functional tree menus, including sound tree menu, highlight menu tree and control tree menu by external text or image.
  • Apply preset special effect to your tree menu.
  • Fully customize the tree menu style, like font, icon, button, background, line, border, cursor, tool tip, etc.
  • Edit tree menu in HTML editors directly.

View all features about tree menu builder >>

Download Sothink Tree Menu to build navigation tree menu on Windows 7, and view this menu tree in IE 9 Beta.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/sothink-tree-menu-3-0-supports-windows-7-ie-9-beta/feed/ 0 Get Free Flash Menu Builder on Twitter http://www.sothink.com/blog/get-free-flash-menu-builder-on-twitter/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/get-free-flash-menu-builder-on-twitter/#comments Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:20:23 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3503 twitter-flash-menu
Great news! If you need stylish flash drop down menu to navigate your website or blog, it’s your day! On Nov 23 (PST time), we offer free license of Sothink Flash Menu on Twitter. For that whole day, we will give away this $49 value Flash menu builder for every user who follows us on our Twitter account.
 
Ever thought about creating stunning Flash menus in clicks without any Flash coding work? Grab your FREE copy then! You should never miss this giveaway if you:
 
 

  • Want to add a dazzling Flash menu for you own website or blog, while you are rather new to Flash and have no idea about Actionscript.

  • Have received feedback from visitors who told you that your site was too complicated and difficult to navigate.

  • Need good Google rank for your websites, but don’t know how to make your Flash drop down menu Search Engine friendly.

  • Tried to script your own dynamic navigation menus from scratch and found it to be tedious and inefficient.

  • Created a Flash drop down menu, only to find that it displayed incorrectly in one or more browsers.

  • Wanted the ability to quickly change colors, backgrounds and other properties of your drop down navigation menus.


How to get Sothink Flash Menu for free?

So long as following our twitter account https://twitter.com/SothinkMedia on Nov 23, 2010, you will get an instant message includes registration key and download link. All the followers of our account (previous followers and new followers) can join this campaign.

What is Sothink Flash Menu?

Sothink Flash Menu is an ultimate Flash menu builder, which creates stylish & stunning cross-browser Flash drop down menu in clicks. With 46 built-in templates, 50 amazing special effects, 35 preset styles and image library of 4 categories, it can easily make SE friendly web menu without Flash and ActionScript skills. Fully customize menu style; show Flash menu above web elements. WYSWYG Flash menu builder enables you to preview Flash menu instantly.

Flash menu Samples

flash-menu-samples

Download Sothink Flash Menu right now >>

Just one day to get a free license of Sothink Flash Menu, follow us on twitter to catch the only opportunity to experience Flash menu builder and create stunning Flash menus.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/get-free-flash-menu-builder-on-twitter/feed/ 8 Maximize your imagination – customize everything for your Flash menu http://www.sothink.com/blog/maximize-your-imagination-customize-everything-for-your-flash-menu/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/maximize-your-imagination-customize-everything-for-your-flash-menu/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:36:33 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3456 The same menu contents and identical menu structure in Flash menu, but website designers create so many
attractive Flash drop down menus of different styles for various websites. It owes to diverse menu styles to do a magic trick on Flash menus, which makes web menus amazing and stunning. Using CSS can control menu
styles if you are proficient in HTML code; if not, Flash menu builder will be the better way to customize everything for your Flash menu.

In Sothink Flash Menu, the program provides preset menu styles which can be applied to menu item in one click; to get extremely the same Flash menu with your imagination, you can customize menu styles in this program, which creates thousands combinations of menu display, special effect, background, distance, space, color, font, image, cursor, separator and icon. Let’s take a close look to see how Flash menu builder changes your menu style:

1.    Reset menu display to get a brand-new menu. Modify horizontal menu to vertical menu.
(Check “Top-level Menu”, and enter “Popup Menu > General” to choose “Horizontal” option)

menu-style1

2.    Set properties for Flash menu and its items to build a totally different web menu, these properties
include background, color, special effect, font, etc.
(Select the menu item and popup menu, enter “Menu Item” and “Popup Menu” panel to set their properties.)

menu-style2

3.    Set position of menu item and distance between items to layout Flash menu.
(Select menu item, you can enter “Menu Item > Position” to set item position; Select popup menu, you can enter “Popup Menu > Position” to set position for popup menu.)

menu-style3

4.    Add graphics to customize the cursor, icon and separator images.
(Select the menu item and popup menu; enter “Menu Item” panel to set icon, “Global > Cursor” panel to set cursor image; insert separator and select it, enter “Separator” panel to set its properties)

menu-style4

5.    Embed the font to create Flash menu, which make sure all the visitors enjoy the exactly the same
Flash menu, even though the used font in Flash menu is not installed on the computer.

menu-style5

6.    Set font and menu contents in one menu item, Flash menu builder will auto-adjust width and height for
each menu item, and make the whole Flash menu perfect.

menu-style6

7.    Flash menu can play sound when mouse interacts with item. View Flash menu sample of playing sound.
8.    One Flash menu can be inserted to multi-page and one page can include multi-menu.
9.    Set menu width in percentage to layout the website design.
10.   Show sub menu by mouse event.

If you are not satisfied with your Flash menu, why not to try Flash menu builder to create Flash menu of your
mind？Now, download Sothink Flash menu to make it come true.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/maximize-your-imagination-customize-everything-for-your-flash-menu/feed/ 2 How to create a float Flash menu for your website? http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-float-flash-menu-for-your-website/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-float-flash-menu-for-your-website/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:32:43 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3449 Float Flash Menu is a web menu used for site navigation, which locates in a fixed position on the webpage. This Float Flash menu enables to scroll along scroll bar, and always keep visible no matter how long your page is and how viewers change the window size. Generally, Flash menu is done by HTML, CSS and jQuery; but it is a difficulty to create such a float Flash menu for web design newbies or if you face urgent design task while time is limited. Maybe, using Flash menu builder is an easy way for all of us to build float menu in minutes.

Sothink Flash menu is an ultimate Flash menu builder; it can build Flash menus with simple steps. Besides float menu, Flash Menu enables to create lots of functional menus, like scroll menu, highlight menu, multi-column menu, and disable items and separators and non-English menu. Now, let’s create float Flash menu in the program:

View float menu sample, and it stays visible even if you scroll down a web page. They’re animated, so they move up and down as you scroll the browser window up or down.

float-menu

Steps:

1.    Start Flash menu from Built-in Template.

Launch Sothink Flash Menu, choose “Distinctive10” from Distinctive category in “Startup” window. This is a static menu currently; preview menu to get the same above static menu.

floatmenu-1

2.    Set menu type as Float to create Float menu

  • Check “Global > Menu Type” in Tasks panel, and enter the property panel on the bottom. Input name for this menu and check “Float” option here.

    float-5

  • Check “Global > General” in Tasks panel, and enter the property panel on the bottom. Input value as coordinate to float menu on web page. Now preview menu, you will see the menu placed in a fixed position.

    float-6

  • Still in this panel, check two “Auto-scroll” options to make float Flash menu scroll along scroll bar.

    float-7

Creating float Flash menu is so easy in Flash menu builder. To build more functional menus, download Sothink Flash Menu to make them in minutes.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-float-flash-menu-for-your-website/feed/ 2 How to use XML/HTML/image as menu item of your Flash menu? http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-use-xmlhtmlimage-as-menu-item-of-your-flash-menu/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-use-xmlhtmlimage-as-menu-item-of-your-flash-menu/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 02:20:40 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3481 Get a brand-new attractive Flash menu from other navigation bars just in steps! Believe it or not, Flash menu builder can work with various authoring files to create stylish Flash menu based on the existing menu contents and menu structure:

  • Copy & paste the related menu items in one or two Flash Menu windows to reset menu sequence;
  • Import menu items from Sothink DHTML Menu or Sothink Tree Menu to get the same menu structure and contents from JavaScript menu/ tree menu;
  • Attach XML file to generate Flash menu and modify it by outside file, which edits XML file to upgrade Flash menu later.

To make your Flash menu creation effectively; you can use one of above-mentioned methods. To make your Flash menu special, you can apply HTML code or image in Flash menu as menu item, which gets great result that the plain text menu can never surpass.

Now, let’s view which elements can be use as menu item:

Use XML to create Flash menu:

1. Select the menu item in Menu Panel, and check the “XML” option in “Menu Item > General” property panel; then click the button “Folder” to browse and choose XML file, or type XML file’s path, the menu will appear in the preview window.

xml-menu1

Add the same-level menu item or parent-level menu item for this XML menu.

2. In Menu panel, choose this “XML menu item”, click “Insert Item After” button to add the same-level menu item; or choose “Top-level Menu”; and click “Add Sub Menu Item” button to add the same-level menu item.

xml-menu2

Use HTML code as menu item

Check the “HTML” option in “Menu Item > General” property panel after selecting the menu item in Menu Panel; input HTML code in it to use as menu item

xml-menu3

Use image as menu item

Pick up the menu item in Menu Panel, and check the “image” option in “Menu Item > General”; and then re-enter “Menu Item > Image” property panel, click “Image Library” or “Folder” button to browse and choose image file, or type image file’s path, the image menu item will appear in the preview window.

xml-menu4

Besides general text, Flash menu builder provides more options to generate menu items. They enrich contents and simplify update steps for Flash menu, which gives us a wonderful journey to build Flash menu.

View more Flash menu samples >>
Download and try Sothink Flash Menu >>

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-use-xmlhtmlimage-as-menu-item-of-your-flash-menu/feed/ 0 How to Create a Thanksgiving Flash Menu in 5 Minutes? http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-thanksgiving-flash-menu-in-5-minutes/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-thanksgiving-flash-menu-in-5-minutes/#comments Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:46:20 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3435 The annual Thanksgiving Day is close to us, this holiday is cheerful and grateful. Everything will be decorated with beautiful and lovely objects, which shows the sense of family harmony and joy. I guess you have designed Thanksgiving theme for your website, what else to decorate Thanksgiving website? Flash menu is not only an essential element to decorate and navigate the website, but also an amazing object to interact with viewers.

To create unique personalized Thanksgiving Flash menu, we will share some tips with you:

1. Include graphics contain delicious food in Flash menu.
2. Use warm color as background for Thanksgiving Flash menu.
3. Add some special effects to attract the viewer and decorate your Flash menu.
4. Navigate the viewers to next exciting page by Flash menu.

Using Sothink Flash Menu, you can apply preset resources to create Thanksgiving Flash menu in five minute s following to above-mentioned tips. Let’s start building navigation bar like this:

flash-menu

1. Start Flash menu from Built-in Template.
Launch Sothink Flash Menu, choose “Distinctive05” from Distinctive category in “Startup” window.

flashmenu-1

2. Choose or customize Background image from image library.
Expand the items in Menu Tree, choose “Top-level Menu”; and enter “Popup Menu > Background” to set background for the whole Flash drop down menu.

  • In below property panel, click “Image Library” button to open window.
  • Click “Add” button to choose favorite image from local disk to image library window, and choose this image to Flash menu as background.

image library

3. Select proper effects from special menu effects.

  • Pick up popup menu(s) in Menu Tree, and enter “Popup Menu > Effect” to set special effects for popup menu(s).

Note: Press Ctrl/Shift button on the keyboard, and click menu items to select many items at one time.

  • In below property panel, choose “Expand Down” and “Fade” as showing and hiding effect respectively.

special effect

4. Select the appropriate menu style from preset styles.

  • Pick up menu item(s) in Menu Tree, and enter “Menu Item > Style” to apply prepared style for menu item(s).
  • In below property panel, double click the wanted style to apply the selected menu item(s).

menu style

5. Edit the menu items and add separators.

  • Add or delete the menu item(s) in Menu Tree directly; Modify the text contents and add link for them, you can enter “Menu Item > General” property panel to set
  • Choose a menu item, you can add separator behind it in Menu Tree; Modify the separator property, you can enter “Menu Item > Separator” property panel to set.

tree panel

6. Setting Font for menu items.

  • Pick up menu item(s), and enter “Menu Item > font” to set font for menu item(s).
  • In below property panel, choose the suitable font setting for the selected menu item(s).

An attractive Flash menu is finished in five minutes because of rich resources. Download Sothink Flash Menu to get more free resources to customize your Flash menus.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-create-a-thanksgiving-flash-menu-in-5-minutes/feed/ 0 How to make a search engine friendly Flash menu? http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-make-a-search-engine-friendly-flash-menu/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-make-a-search-engine-friendly-flash-menu/#comments Tue, 09 Nov 2010 07:44:03 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3422 SEO is a hot topic for website design all the time, since the majority of website traffics come from search engine instead of visual attractiveness. Every element in website design should take SEO into consideration. As for navigation bar, website designers usually choose SE friendly Flash menu to get crawled easily by spider and together with stunning menu effect to attract the viewers.

Flash menu can be search friendly to search engine spiders by three ways:

  • Generate the SE friendly code and insert it to webpage
  • Make XML sitemap and submit it to main-stream Search Engine
  • Generate sitemap to help navigate site and make it to be indexed by Search Engine

As Flash menu builder, Sothink Flash menu not only enables to create the attractive Flash drop down menu, but also provides the useful tools to make Flash menus SE friendly. Let’s check out these SEO tools:

1. Search Engine Friendly Code Maker

Intro: This tool enables to generate special codes which are readable for web crawlers; and these SE friendly codes can enhance the presence and visibility of a website on search engine listings. The maker will behave like sitemap if JavaScript is forbidden in the browser, which the menu is shown in text link.
Usage: After publishing the menu into page, you can check button in the program to open dialog, and click “Copy All” button to copy these codes, and paste them behind the menu code between tag within webpage.
Button:
seo-1

Dialog:

seo-2

2. Google XML Sitemap

Intro: This tool can generate XML sitemap, which is special for Google search engine. This XML sitemap makes good use of the search engine spiders’ time by make the engines index pages from your site efficiently; and provides the opportunity to make search engines know priority, update time and change frequency.

Usage: Finishing the menu configuration, you can check button in the program to open dialog; input your website link and check the related options to set sitemap; click “Save XML” button to save XML sitemap to defined path. At last, submit this XML sitemap to Google.
Button:

seo-3

Dialog:

seo-4

3. Generate Sitemap

Intro: Sitemap allows search engine crawlers index the website easily; it enables to make SE find all the pages. Even some internal links, sitemap still improves Page Rank or link popularity to all pages it links. Also sitemap helps with usability and site navigation based on existing menu structure used in website.
Usage: Completing the menu creation, you can check button in the program to open dialog; choose theme, attach CSS and check the related options to set sitemap page; click “Save…” button to save HTML page to defined path.
Button:

seo-5

Dialog:

seo-6

We have introduced above-mentioned SE friendly ways in Flash menu creation. You can choose the best way based on your website.

Download Sothink Flash Menu, and get and try these SE friendly tools.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/how-to-make-a-search-engine-friendly-flash-menu/feed/ 1 Which Builder Can Create Flash Menu in Minutes? http://www.sothink.com/blog/which-builder-can-create-flash-menu-in-minutes/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/which-builder-can-create-flash-menu-in-minutes/#comments Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:50:32 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3385 A stunning Flash menu will lighten the website, and impress the visitors. Web designers would like to use Flash menu as web navigation because of its cool visual effects, high-quality animation and great interaction. Flash menu has the feature of extensive cross-browser compatibility, which is well-supported on various browsers and diverse OS, and Flash drop down menu can be viewed correctly by anyone so long as Flash plug-in is installed, it is operating system and browser independent. Compared with to CSS menu and DHTML menu, Flash menu will be more attractive web menu for all of us.

Generally speaking, there are two tools to create Flash menus: Adobe Flash and Flash menu builder. As we know, any tool has its positive and negative aspect, let’s view their effectiveness in creating Flash menu.

flash-menu-chart

In a word, Adobe Flash is a powerful Flash builder, which enables to ad, banner, movie, etc, but it is not ideal Flash menu builder. If you want to create Flash drop down menu in easy and quick way, please resort to professional Flash menu builder.

Next, let’s approach to Sothink Flash Menu and get more info:

flash-menu-logoSothink Flash Menu is an ultimate Flash menu builder, which allows us to create attractive & amazing cross-browser Flash drop down menu in clicks. Built-in templates, fascinating Flash menu with special effects, diverse preset styles and image library, we can make SE friendly Flash menus without coding. Fully customize web menu style. Intuitive interface brings better user experience.

Free built-in templates provide wonderful Flash menus like below:

flash-menu-samples

Download Sothink Flash Menu to try all features in it.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/which-builder-can-create-flash-menu-in-minutes/feed/ 0 DHTML Menu 9.6 Supports IE9 Beta http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-9-6-supports-ie9-beta/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-9-6-supports-ie9-beta/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:34:42 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3317 IE9Sothink DHTML Menu supports IE9 beta in its new version of 9.6. With Microsoft IE9 Beta release, you can freely use this powerful IE browser later, which is optimized in performance, HTML5, Graphic and Browser. As an essential web element, JavaScript menu/DHTML menu needs to be compatible with the main-stream browser of IE9 to get better browsing experience. Sothink DHTML Menu enables you to create cross IE9 beta navigation bars without any skills; and 100+ built-in templates are available to be applied to your website directly.

What is Sothink DHTML Menu?
Sothink DHTML Menu is a drop down menu builder, which assistant you in making cross-browser menu, fast-loading menu and SE friendly menu in clicks. 100+ templates & 30 styles included; integration with main-stream web editors; support database driven menus; fully customize menu style.

Main features:
* Full cross-browser compatibility, support IE9 beta.
* Seamlessly integrates with DW, FP, EW and GoLive.
* Supports database driven navigation menu with ASP, PHP, JSP, ASP.NET, ColdFusion.
* Creates functional navigation menu, such as tab menu, highlight menu, scrolling menu, cross-frame menu, multi-level/multi-column menu, custom menu, floating menu, etc.
* Offers 100 + free templates, 30+ preset styles; and provides image library for menu design.
* Publish wizard guides you to publish the drop down menu to website step by step.
* Customize web menu properties, like font, icon, background, border, cursor, tool tip, etc.

Check some samples of DHTML Menu:

1. Anchor chain drop down menu

DHTML Menu

2. Grass green web menu

drop down menu

3. Notepad navigation menu

navigation bar

Download Sothink DHTML Menu to create a well cross-browser menu.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-9-6-supports-ie9-beta/feed/ 1 DHTML Menu Offers 100+ Navigation Menu Templates Now http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-offers-100-navigation-menu-templates-now/ http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-offers-100-navigation-menu-templates-now/#comments Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:40:46 +0000 zjx http://www.sothink.com/blog/?p=3211 Sothink DHTML Menu upgrades new version to 9.5 recently. In the latest version, 19 modern and fashionable menu templates are added to the program newly; and till now, Sothink DHTML Menu has provided over 100 free navigation menu templates. So, you will get more choices to pick up the suitable navigation menu to your website without starting from menu design.

Let’s check out new arrival navigation menus:

  1. Dot navigation menu templatenavigation menu - dot
  2. Pipe navigation menu template
    navigation menu - pipe
  3. Roof navigation menu template
    navigation menu - roof

  4. Grass-green navigation menu template
    navigation menu - grass green
  5. Crystal navigation menu template
    navigation menu - srystal

The above-mentioned templates are just small portion for built-in templates, all 100+ free templates are packaged in Sothink DHTML Menu; they are totally free for the registered users.

About Sothink DHTML Menu

Sothink DHTML Menu is powerful drop down menu builder; it includes 100+ templates & 30 styles, which enable you to create cross-browser menu, SE friendly menu and fast-loading menu in clicks. Seamlessly integrate with main-stream web editors; support database driven menus; fully customize menu style.

Main features of navigation menu builder:

  • Full cross-browser compatibility.
  • Seamlessly integrates with Dreamweaver, FrontPage, Expression Web and Adobe GoLive.
  • Supports database driven navigation menu with ASP, PHP, JSP, ASP.NET, ColdFusion.
  • Creates functional navigation menu, such as tab menu, highlight menu, scrolling menu, cross-frame menu, multi-level/multi-column menu, custom menu, floating menu, etc.
  • Offers 100 + free templates, 30+ preset styles; and provides image library for menu design.
  • Supports saving background color of preview window in authoring files.
  • Publish wizard guides you to publish the drop down menu to website step by step.
  • Customizes web menu properties, like font, icon, background, border, cursor, tool tip, etc.

Download Sothink DHTML Menu to view all 100+ free navigation menus. Apply your favorite menu now and light up your website instantly.

]]> http://www.sothink.com/blog/dhtml-menu-offers-100-navigation-menu-templates-now/feed/ 2