Web developers know that the best way to add interest to any site is through visual movement, but writing the HTML code for animated buttons and animated graphics can be tedious, leading to browser errors and unprofessional-looking Web sites. Ulead's JavaRazor, a set of two stand-alone applications, takes much of the burden out of creating animated Java applets. Button.Applet helps you create interactive and animated buttons--especially rollovers--through a visual interface. Animation.Applet creates Java-based animation, such as scrolling text or moving graphics.
Each tool is easy to use and guides you with a templatelike dialog when creating a new Java applet. Initial setup allows the user to determine the parameters of elements such as the size of the Java window, the color of the background, and the behavior of the buttons during mouse-overs and mouse-downs. All of these options are flexible at any point in the program.
Although you can't preview the applets within the applications, previewing in a browser is as easy as clicking a button in the main toolbar--even new and unsaved applets can be tested through a temporary file that is written to a disk. This makes it easy to test, facilitating the "create/test/edit/test again" development cycle.
JavaRazor can help add the sophisticated look of animated buttons and graphics to any Web site, and the easy interface makes it a friendly tool for the beginning designer. --Mike Caputo
