Make Hotspot

  1. CC3 opens an Enter Text dialog box. Type in a macro name, command, or series of commands and choose the OK button.

The macro name or commands you enter here will be activated when the hotspot button is clicked. If using a macro, the macro must be defined in a .mac file.

  1. The prompt reads "Hotspot window:". Click two points to form the hotspot.

  2. Type in hotspot text – CC3 commands, just as if you were creating a script.

  3. End the hotspot text with a delimiter (semicolon or return)

Example 1 - Creating a custom view

This example uses a series of commands attached to the hotspot to create a custom view of a map

Draw a solid filled box with a text label "Natural Features"

Select Make Hotspot

Type:

RDOFF

HIDEA

LAYER COAST/SEA

SHOW MAP BORDER

SHOW NATURAL FEATURES

SHOW VEGETATION

SHOW WATER/RIVERS

SHOW MINERALS/MOUNTAINS

RDON

REDRAW

Draw a box that overlaps the solid filled box

Click the hotspot

You now have a Natural Features map.

See Macro Command Reference for more details on these commands.

Example 2 - Creating a permanent link to Word®

This example shows you how to put a link to Microsoft Word® in a drawing.

  1. Find the exact path to your copy of Word in Explorer

  2. Label the link

  3. Click Tools > Macros > Make Hotspot

  4. Click two points for the hotspot.

  5. Type
    RUNAPP c:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\winword.exe;
    (assuming this is the path for Word) Note the semicolon at the end.

  6. Select OK.

  7. Click the hotspot

Word is launched.

Hiding custom hotspots

When you add a map or file link, you will normally add it to already existing text or symbols in a drawing. If you are using Make Hotspot, you might want to try a different approach.

CC3 draws a hotspot as a rectangular frame around its active area, with the attached macro name or commands displayed below it. The label is there so you can select the action for editing.

Once the hotspot is tested, you will probably wish to make the button and text invisible. First you need to label the button for the user. There are two approaches:

• Add a box (polygon entity) and text to describe what the action does. This approach models a Windows-type button.

• Draw actual objects over the hotspot button. This way, the user can activate the invisible button by selecting the visible object.

See Also:

Text equivalent: ACTION