A graphic button is a specialized push button that displays text, or graphics, or both. If a graphic button is defined as a two-state graphic button, it can have an up or down appearance. The two-state button remembers its state and thus can be toggled from up to down and down to up. Unlike a standard push button, the graphic button remains in the changed state after the user has clicked on it.
Individual bitmaps can be displayed along with text while the button is in an up, down, highlighted, or unhighlighted state. A graphic button is highlighted when the mouse select button is held down while the pointer is on the graphic button.
Typically, when a two-state button is up, it is selectable, and when it is down, an action is being processed. The bitmap shown in the up state reflects the action to be processed.
If the button has been defined as an animated graphic button, a series of bitmaps can be displayed to produce an animated effect. If the button is a two-state button, animation can be done for a particular button state, or it can be independent of the change of button state. The drawing of animation bitmaps takes precedence over the current state bitmap.
Any graphic button that draws a bitmap while the button is highlighted or unhighlighted is not intended to be animated. Combining an animation button style with either of these two button styles can produce unpredictable results.
Graphic button text can appear as flat on the button surface, or as three-dimensional, with its z-order raised or recessed, relative to the button surface.
These functional capabilities make graphic buttons ideal to use when designing a multimedia device control panel.