Images > Creating image maps

Creating image maps

An image map is an image that has been divided into regions, or "hotspots"; when a hotspot is clicked an action occurs, for example a new file opens. Use the image Property inspector to graphically create and edit client-side image maps.

Client-side image maps store the hyperlink information in the HTML document, not in a separate map file as do server-side image maps. When a site visitor clicks a hotspot in the image, the associated URL is sent directly to the server. This makes client-side image maps faster than server-side image maps, because the server does not need to interpret where the visitor clicked. Client-side image maps are supported by Navigator 2.0 and later, NCSA Mosaic 2.1 and 3.0, and all versions of Internet Explorer.

Dreamweaver does not alter references to server-side image maps in existing documents; you can use both client-side image maps and server-side image maps in the same document. However, browsers that support both types of image maps give priority to client-side image maps. To include a server-side image map in a document, you must write the appropriate HTML code.

To create a client-side image map:

1	Select the image.
2	Click the expander arrow in the lower right corner of the Property inspector to see all properties.
3	In the Map Name field, type a unique name for the image map.
	Note: If you are using multiple image maps in the same document, make sure each map has a unique name.
4	To define the image map areas, do one of the following:
	Select the circle tool and drag the pointer over the image to create a circular hotspot.
	Select the rectangle tool and drag the pointer over the image to create a rectangular hotspot.
	Select the polygon tool and define an irregularly shaped hotspot by clicking once for each corner point. Click the arrow tool to close the shape.
	Once the hotspot is created, the hotspot Property inspector appears. (For information about the hotspot Property inspector, see Setting hotspot properties.)
5	In the hotspot Property inspector's Link field, click the folder icon to browse to the file you want opened when the hotspot is clicked. Alternatively, type the file name.
6	To set where the linked file opens, type the name of the window in which the file should open in the Target field. Alternatively, choose a frame name from the Target pop-up menu.
7	In the Alt field, type the text you want to appear as alternative text in text-only browsers.
	Some browsers display this text as a tooltip when the user pauses the mouse pointer over the hotspot.
8	Repeat steps 4 through 7 to define additional hotspots in the image map.
9	When you're finished mapping the image, click a blank area in the document to change the Property inspector.