From this panel we can modify various aspects connected to the scrolling: type, mouse wheel speed. As well, we can modify the level of the visual effects that will be attached to the scrolling.
Configuring the behaviors
The first element we can change in this tab is the scrolling type; there are 5 types of behavior: mouse relative, mouse absolute, touch scroll, reverse touch scroll and none.
- Mouse relative: you control the scrolling by moving the pointer over the image; you can change the speed of the scrolling if you move towards the sides of the scroll area (for example, if you position the mouse pointer on the top of the image, the scrolling will be done upwards with full speed – mouse scroll speed; as you go from sides to middle, the speed decreases and vice versa).
- Mouse absolute: as in previous option, you control the scrolling by moving the pointer over the image. The idea of this type of scrolling is the following – the scrolling is done with respect to the position of the mouse pointer on the scroll area (if you move the mouse pointer at half of the scroll area, the half of the movie clip will be shown, if you move the mouse pointer at the top of the scroll area, the top of the movie clip will be shown and so on).
- Touch scroll: in this option, the scrolling is controlled in a drag and drop fashion. You move the pointer over the image, click (grab the image) and then scroll in which direction you want by moving the mouse while the mouse button is pressed. The scrolling direction is the direction in which you move the mouse (for example, if we move the mouse left, the movie clip moves left etc.).
- Reversed touch scroll: the only difference from the previous option is that now the directions in which the image will scroll are opposite to the ones in which you move the mouse (if we move the mouse left, the movie clip moves right).
- Scrollbar only: this means that you cannot scroll by using any of the behaviors presented before. At this moment, the options left for scrolling are using the mouse wheel (if selected) and the scrollbars.
A very nice feature of Creative Flash Scroller is that you can use your own personalised cursor. All you have to do is create a movie clip in order to have it in the Library and than enable the "Use custom cursor" feature. What you have to be careful about is to export the movie clip for ActionScript and to follow the naming rules; the required names are given according with the scrolling behavior: "cursorABS" for "Mouse absolute", "cursorREL" and "cursorREL_pause" for "Mouse relative", "cursorTOUCH" and "cursorTOUCH_hold" for "Touch scroll" and "Reversed touch scroll". You can read more about this in the "How to use a custom cursor" tutorial.
The following two settings refer to an interesting detail; while you scroll using mouse relative the image would move continuously while you roll the mouse over it without these settings. Actually these define a non-scrolling area in the following way: from the center of the scroll area one sets the no scroll area on the x axis and the other one on the y axis (for example, for a set of parameters of both 10, we will have a non scrolling area of 20x20 pixels).
Mouse Scroll Speed refers to the scrolling speed while using the Mouse Relative behavior. If we write a small value we'll have a smaller speed and vice versa.
The following parameter is an ON/OFF option which can add a smoothing effect to the scrolling. It is good to set it up together with the next one – smooth duration. If we want the effect to be more prominent we give a bigger value and vice-versa (I want to remind you that if the frame rate of the file is 35 fps, a duration of 35 will last 1 second).
The Mouse Scroll Step refers to the step of your mouse's scrolling wheel and actually works in connection with the Use Mouse Wheel ON/OFF option. When we check the check-box for Use Mouse Wheel, the Classic Scroller becomes sensible to the mouse-wheel's behavior. As well, the scroll step represents the step of the mouse wheel (for example, if we use the mouse wheel by rotating it one step and the scrolling step is set-up to 10, the movie clip will move in the corresponding direction with 10 pixels).
The next setting is as well an ON/OFF option. If we select it, the scrolling will be accompanied by a blurring effect, and if we leave it unselected will add nothing in particular. A specification I would like to make is that the blurring effect is conditioned by the selection of Smooth Scrolling; so, the order is this: first, check ON for Smooth Scrolling and then for Motion Blur. The last parameter represents actually a configuration for the blur effect; by selecting a value from the list, we will increase or decrease the blur prominence (the default value is “high”).