This tutorial is for people who want to know how to set up customized right click menu for Flash MX 2004. Why somebody needs the customized right click menu in Flash MX? Imagine you want to protect your work with copyright information or just include your website address so everyone who saw that movie could visit your website. The simplest example of customized menu you will be able to create after finishing our tutorial. If you experience some difficulties during the reading it is recommended to read all the previous tutorials on http://www.metamorphozis.com written by me as some aspects may be discussed earlier.

a. Launch Flash MX 2004

b. Create new Flash file. Click File > New...

c. Select Flash Document in a new window

d. Press "Ctrl+Enter" to compile the movie and right click anywhere inside the movie area. You will see the default Flash MX movie menu.

e. Now we will right some actions script codes to show copyright information. Add the following action script code to the default layer you already have.

function doSomething(){}
MENU = new ContextMenu();
MENU.hideBuiltInItems();
Functioned = new ContextMenuItem("This movie is copyrighted by Your Company Name", doSomething);
MENU.customItems.push(Functioned);
_root.menu = MENU;

Press "Ctrl+Enter" and see the result.

f. Now I will explain each line of code so that you could get the idea what and how was done.

function doSomething(){}

This line manifests the new function named "doSomething" We won't need this menu item to perform any task so leave it blank.

g. Next 2 lines:

MENU = new ContextMenu();
MENU.hideBuiltInItems();

Declare a new menu and hides the default menu items from the screen.

h. Next line:

Functioned = new ContextMenuItem("This movie is copyrighted by Your Company Name", doSomething);

This line initiates the properties of the future menu. Use it to enter the text you want the menu to display.

i. MENU.customItems.push(Functioned);

The property "Functioned" will be displayed as a new menu item.

j. _root.menu = MENU;

If you change the path to the new "MENU" you will be able to create the different menus for different scenes. We stick with root scene.

k. To get the idea how to add more items to the customized menu we will add clickable website address to our already customized menu. Add the following code to the "Action" panel:

function doSomething(){}
function doSomething2(){
getURL("http://www.metamorphozis.com", _blank);}
MENU.customItems.push(Functioned2);
MENU = new ContextMenu();
MENU.hideBuiltInItems();
Functioned = new ContextMenuItem("This movie is copyrighted by Your Company Name", doSomething);
Functioned2 = new ContextMenuItem("Visite Our Website", doSomething2);
MENU.customItems.push(Functioned);
MENU.customItems.push(Functioned2);
_root.menu = MENU;

l. You may see in this code new and old lines of code. The new lines serves basically the same purpose, the only difference is in the "doSomething2" function. We add the action "getURL" so that if user clicks the menu item it redirects him to your website. Press "Ctrl+Enter" and enjoy the customized menu.

m. I hope you got the idea it is simple example and you may think out as many menu items as you need.

Click here to download source fla file.

About the Author: Oleg Lazarenko
Production manager of
Metamorphosis Website Design Studio -
Custom design, Website Templates,
Web design Articles and Tutorials.

You may reprint this tutorial for free as long as the content, About the Author sections and all links remain unchanged.