Image Skinning a Button in Flex 4

Question

I'm trying to skin a button with images.

The following code is for flex 3, but I need the equivalent in flex 4 code. Not using skin class.

.muteVolumeButton 
{
  upSkin: Embed(source='images/sound-mute.gif');   
  overSkin:Embed(source='images/sound-hover.gif');   
  downSkin: Embed(source='images/sound-on.gif');   
  disabledSkin: Embed(source='images/sound-mute.gif');
}

Please post the flex 4 code.

Answer 1

I should say that skinning in Spark framework is a bit different from Halo way.

The best description is here . And its a best and simplest way to solve your problem. Here is code:

components.ImageButton.as

package components  
{  
 import spark.components.Button;  

 [Style(name="imageSkin",type="*")]  
 [Style(name="imageSkinDisabled",type="*")]  
 [Style(name="imageSkinDown",type="*")]  
 [Style(name="imageSkinOver",type="*")]  

 public class ImageButton extends Button  
 {  
  public function ImageButton()  
  {  
   super();  
  }  
 }  
}  

Script:

[Embed('assets/images/btnGoUp.png')]  
[Bindable]  
public var btnGo:Class;  

[Embed('assets/images/btnGoOver.png')]  
[Bindable]  
public var btnGoOver:Class;  

[Embed('assets/images/btnGoDisabled.png')]  
[Bindable]  
public var btnGoDisabled:Class;  

MXML part:

<components:ImageButton buttonMode="true"  
   imageSkin="{btnGo}" imageSkinDisabled="{btnGoDisabled}"  
   imageSkinDown="{btnGoOver}" imageSkinOver="{btnGoOver}"  
   skinClass="assets.skins.ImageButtonSkin"/>  

In all other cases you always can skin the states via CSS.

1. You should always put your skin: @namespace s "library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark";
2. You can access component states: s|Button:down
3. You can extend your skin, with image, and override it via CSS, but it will be not a core component.

Here are some useful links:

http://blog.flexexamples.com/2009/03/03/styling-an-emphasized-fxbutton-control-in-flex-gumbo/

http://blog.flexexamples.com/2010/03/24/using-a-bitmap-image-skin-in-a-spark-button-control-in-flex-4/

http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/flexsdk/CSS+Namespaces+Support

http://cookbooks.adobe.com/post_How_to_use_the_new_CSS_syntax_in_Flex_4-15726.html

Answer 2

In the skin open a script tag and do:

        [Embed(source="assets/images/button-up.png", scaleGridLeft = "4", scaleGridRight = "5", scaleGridTop = "2", scaleGridBottom = "3")]
        [Bindable]
        public var upImg:Class; 


        [Embed(source="assets/images/button-over.png", scaleGridLeft = "4", scaleGridRight = "5", scaleGridTop = "4", scaleGridBottom = "5")]
        [Bindable]
        public var overImg:Class;

        [Embed(source="assets/images/button-disabled-skin.png", scaleGridLeft = "4", scaleGridRight = "5", scaleGridTop = "2", scaleGridBottom = "3")]
        [Bindable]
        public var disabledImg:Class;

        [Embed(source="assets/images/button-over.png", scaleGridLeft = "4", scaleGridRight = "5", scaleGridTop = "4", scaleGridBottom = "5")]
        [Bindable]
        public var downImg:Class;

delete all the default fills and instead use:

<s:BitmapImage source="{upImg}"
               source.over="{overImg}"
               source.down="{downImg}"
               source.disabled="{disabledImg}"
               width="100%"/>

And voila'