Technical data
86 Preparing Web Graphics
When exporting a sliced image, check the Create Image Slices box on
the Export dialog. Specify a name and folder for the files as usual, and
choose either .GIF or .JPG as the export file type. We recommend using
.GIF for non-photographic images and .JPG for photo-quality images.
This will create multiple files in the specified folder, depending on how
many slices you have defined. There will be a series of image files (for
example, MYFILEH0V0.GIF, MYFILEH0V1.GIF, etc.) and a single
HTML file (for example, MYFILE.HTM). The HTML file contains the
tags for the set of image slices, ready to be pasted into the source code
for the Web page.
Image Maps
Whereas image slicing subdivides an entire graphic into smaller
graphics and exports them separately, image maps consist of hotspots
that you draw with special tools over selected parts of an image. When
a visitor passes their mouse cursor over the hotspot, a small caption is
displayed and the pointer will change to a pointing hand. Clicking the
mouse while the cursor is over the hotspot will invoke a hyperlink to a
specified URL.
You assign each hotspot its own target—for example, the URL of a
Web page. Hotspots aren't attached to a particular image, but become
part of a larger “map” that gets exported along with an image and turns
into HTML code. It's then up to you or your Web developer to embed
the image map code properly into the Web page.
Creating image maps by hand can be difficult and time-consuming, but
PhotoPlus makes it easy. The Image Map Tools flyout on the Tools
toolbar displays a flyout menu of tools for creating and editing image
maps.
There are four image map tools
♦ The Selection tool, used to modify the area drawn with one of
the other tools and to actually set the image map properties;
♦ The Rectangle tool, used to draw a rectangular hotspot;
♦ The Circle tool, used to draw a circular hotspot;
♦ The Polygon tool, used to draw a polygonal hotspot.