This is a short illustrated tutorial on how to make a menu using Xara Menu Maker 1.1.   Much of what I learned comes from Cricket of  www.gnc-web-creations.com   She has a great site with so much information.  If you can take her online course on Website search engine optimization I highly recommend it.  Her e-book has been invaluable to me.

The xara.com site has great information and a knowledge base.  This illustrated tutorial is one I made as I often do when I just find it easier to record my own instructions for future use. 
 
Xara Menu Maker 1.1 and Frontpage 2003

(Assuming you have downloaded the file, and downloaded the Frontpage extension file that integrates Xara with your Frontpage program...this covers you from that point

Before you make your Menu, make a new folder in your website and name it menu. This is where you will eventually "Save Graphics" to when you are done making your new Xara menu.  This will keep your Frontpage directory neat and organized as opposed to small graphic files all over the place.

 

1.  Make a blank page in your website and name it menu.htm
2.  With your cursor blinking in the upper left corner of the blank page, click Insert, then Xara Menu Maker, then NavBars & Menus  (if you have installed the programs correctly you will see the Xara options in the Insert menu. The menu program will then pop up and take up the entire screen

HINT:  I find it much easier to make the menu if I write down in a row, alphabetically (or the order you want the buttons to appear)  what buttons you want, and next to the label (name of button) write down the .htm page as it is named in the site.  For example  about.htm  Might be labeled About Us or ABOUT US or  About Our Company  but the page name is  about.htm

If you write them down and have them next to you, making your menu will be much easier

 

1.  Use the green arrows to scroll through the many designs available to you. 
2.  Click a design in the window that you like
3.  It will preview above

HINT:  I have passed up many designs sure they would not look good only to find later that with a bit of tweaking, new color and just simply trying them to see what they look like, I actually have made some incredible menus.
 

1.  On the left side you will see the button called Menus, click that and you can now add your menu buttons.   Home is usually first.
2.  The home button in this site is really the  index.htm  page  as you can see
3.  Alt Text is for another name you would like to appear if a mouse goes over that button, such as Rosie's Flowers or whatever you choose.  If you have a Button called Contact and the link is  contact.htm  you may want the Alt Text to read  Contact us by email, phone or fax  (you can say anything you like)
 


1.  Click the color tab on the left to change the color of your menu to match your website.  In this example, the menu is a few shades of blue's...
 

1. Select Main, then using the color picker, touch the color you want, for example, red!  Watch how it changes your menu above!
 

1.  Going down the list of options, change the colors to find just the right combination that is easy for visitors to see and enhances your website.  As you go through colors, check the example above and see how they look.
 

1.  When you are happy with your menu, click Save at the bottom left part of the screen.
2.  Now Click New Project
3.  Enter a name like rosie 1  or    Family 1   I number them as I often change them and need to find the last one I did, so be sure to put 1,2,3 after it, that will make it easy to find the most recent copy of the menu for editing later on.  (I think there is an edit feature, to bring up your menu, but it doesn't always work in mine, I save a new copy each time)

The NEXT step is CRITICAL, So Pay close Attention!
 

1.  You have now named your project and it will appear in your Projects Window.   Next, Click Save Graphic

1.  Your site will pop up (because you were working on it when you made the menu)  Click Set Graphic Folder.

1.  You want to click on the folder called menu that you made in your website.   This is where Xara will save all the many files and graphics it needs to run your menu.

1.  Now click Save & Exit (your site will pop up)

Your site should pop up with your new menu!
 

This is how I get my menu on many pages of the website.  The menu you made is on a page called menu.htm  that is the page you will always go to if you need to EDIT this menu.  So go to a page such as about.htm or contact.htm  and then select Insert (from the file menu above) Then Web Component

1.  Locate the Included Content option and select that
2.  Then on the right, select Page
3.  Click Finish

1.  A pop up box will appear, click Browse (or type in menu.htm)
2.  Find your page with the menu on it and click it
3.  Click Finish

You will see the menu.htm  appear in the Include Page Properties box.  Click OK
 

There!  You're menu will show up on any page you want by using this method.  NOW If you want the menu on the contact.htm page, you don't have to do this all over again, JUST right click on the menu on the page index.htm  or about.htm  and select copy, then right click on the page you want it on and select Paste where you want the menu.  Paste the menu on as many pages as you like.  It is pasting a Web Component on each page.  This way, if you change the menu options on the menu.htm page, you don't have to find 10 pages and fix them, it automatically fixes the menu on every page.

When you publish the menu, be sure to upload the menu folder we made, and re publish ALL pages that contain the menu!!!!    (every time you change the menu, republish ALL pages in addition to the folder called menu.htm)