DHTML menu that is relatively positioned

[ToTheWeb]

I am looking for a software too that can create DHTML nav menus that contain graphics that are relatively positioned (Dreamweaver can't do this). I don't know javascript so this tool needs to have a simple interface where I can manipulate the script. I am open to hiring someone to make these new menus work the way I want. But I need it done in the next two days. Read on for more details.

The DHTML popup nav menus will appear when you mouseover the main nav links. This is for a redsign of a site I built a few years ago. Currently the site design is a variable width, left aligned design, and it is changing to a fixed width, centered design. That means that the popup menus cannot be absolutely positioned, because the position of the main nav links will change depending on the width of the browser window.

To see what I mean, go to:
<http://totheweb.com/clients/mdv/mdv_newsite/index.htm>Vary the width of your browser window and observe how the distance of the page content from the left and right edges of the window changes.

Now mouseover the "For Entrepreneurs" link. As intended, the popup menu of additional nav choices appears. And it appears in the correct position regardless of the width of the browser window. All well and good! Well, not quite...

The problem is that the large empty space under the nav link row and above the row of 4 photos is not supposed to be there. It is created because of a DIV layer that is defined as "hidden" but is nevertheless forcing a lot of empty space into the design.

The DIV layer HTML (search the HTML code for DIV ID="entrepreneursmenu") is located within the table cell that contains the "For Entrepreneurs" link graphic. One might say "just move that DIV layer HTML to the bottom of the page" but that doesn't work for a DIV that is positioned relatively (it would work for absolute positioning) because then the layer HTML won't appear in the correct location when you mouseover the "For Entrepreneurs" link.

There are very complex scripts that can produce popup menus but I'm have trouble understanding them and am trying to do this a simple way. I am puzzled as to why a "hidden" DIV layer forces so much space into the page layout. This seems like a flaw.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Jazzee]

You could try this: http://www.sothink.com/webtools/dhtmlmenu/index.htm

[ToTheWeb]

Sara, thanks for that suggestion. I downloaded the Sothink DHTML Menu application. I created a menu using graphics for menu items. That was easy. The menu items can be set to rollover which is what I want. But I don't see an option for "relative positioning". In the "Global Settings" box (I'm assuming you use this software?) I se "Static", "Float", and "Custom". None of those options will "tie" a popup menu to a nav link graphic on a page when the graphic's position changes (on the horizontal axis) as the browser window width changes. Have you ever built a menu like that?

Thanks.

[TeKBuzz]

Sarah is offline, and I'm bored so I downloaded the program, I'll play with it and see if I can find what your looking for, if you should find it before I post let me know, as I think I'll use this for my new site ^_^

[ToTheWeb]

TeKBuzz, thanks. I've downloaded the Sothink DHTML Menu application but I do not see a way to set a menu to a relative position, one that is tied to an page element (like a nav link graphic) that changes position depending on the width of the browser window. I don't think that the Sothink DHTML Menu application has that capability. It's easy to use to make menus where the elements are all graphics and not just HTML text. But I also can't figure out how to have a menu made in Sothink be activated by mousing over a nav link that is already on the web page. Contact me directly at form3@totheweb.com if you can figure this out, I'm ready to hire someone to build these menus and make them work, as I don't seem to be able to. Thanks.

[TeKBuzz]

After playing with it a few days, I don't believe you can do what your trying, or I can't figure it out. I would offer some help in the way of coding it myself, but that I don't know how to do... was hoping to figure out how in the SoThink program so I would be able to do it myself. Sorry that I can't help good luck with everything.

[noob_0001]

Try This
http://www.seoconsultants.com/css/menus/horizontal/

[sasa]

try
NavStudio
http://www.opencube.com/

[ToTheWeb]

Thanks for those 2 suggestions, but I don't see any indication that those menus support relative positioning (necessary because the nav bar the menus are tied to changes position horizontally as the browser window is resized, it's centered in the browser window).

In any case, I've hired a freelance programmer to build my menus, and he's almost finished.

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread.

[Fruit & Veg]

www.milonic.co.uk