Here's the collection of links of tips & tricks and answers to FAQs for Quark Interactive Designer.
Almost all tips also apply to the Interactive layout in QuarkXPress 8 and 9.
Some of them have detailed steps and others of them have samples (as SWF) and source (QuarkXPress document), it might be helpful to look at them and see how they were created. Step-by-step instructions are indicated by [Steps], whether a post has samples can be seen by [SWF] and [QXP].
Also I added a minimal version number (7 for Quark Interactive Designer 1.x under QuarkXPress 7; 8 for Interactive layout in QuarkXPress 8, 9 for Interactive layout in QuarkXPress 9), if an answer/question only applies to a specific version.
Getting started
Is there a Quick-Start-Guide available?
Yes, several "60 seconds on... Interactive" tutorial videos, each covering one topic, can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=1A3B2A4C0D5BA9F5
Does Interactive Designer run under Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)?
Yes. However, you'll need to upgrade to Interactive Designer 1.02, or Interactive Designer 8, both are optimized for Leopard and officially supported under 10.5.x. For Interactive Designer 1.02 you will need QuarkXPress 7.3 (or higher), for Interactive Designer 8 you need QuarkXPress 8.0 (or higher).
Does Interactive Designer run under Windows Vista?
Yes. Quark Interactive Designer 1.01 (and higher) and QuarkXPress 7.31 are certified for Windows Vista. Of course that also applies to Interactive Designer 8.
What's Interactive Designer 8?
As Quark Interactive Designer is now included with QuarkXPress 8,
we made the version number consistant, therefore the huge version
number jump from 1.02 to 8.
7: Why can't I create an Interactive Layout, I don't see that in the "Project > New" dialog?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16606/69944.aspx#69944
Are they cliparts, predefined elements or templates available for me to get started quickly?
Yes, here: http://forums.quark.com/t/20714.aspx
Authoring - HowTo and Tips & Tricks
How can I create a slideshow? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/t/22556.aspx#91149
How (and why) to create buttons? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16642/70101.aspx#70101
How using synched text in buttons saves time. [Steps] [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/t/20350.aspx
How to put an interactive layout into a web layout without having to export SWF? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16601/69935.aspx#69935
How to create a search spotlight? [Steps] [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16676/70322.aspx#70322
Interactive menus are great, but how do I create a roll-on/roll-off menu? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16657/70230.aspx#70230
How to create pre-loaders? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16673/70273.aspx#70273
How to create a flashing/blinking object, e.g. text? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16713/70497.aspx#70497
How to create a custom scrollbar and/or scroll pictures? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16700/70411.aspx#70411
http://forums.quark.com/p/16700/70411.aspx#70429
How about a scroll element that shows elements and always only scrolls to the next? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/21817/88042.aspx#88042
How do I create a counter (that counts down to a deadline)? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16727/70600.aspx#70607
How do I create a window (a floating palette inside the SWF)?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16624/70029.aspx#70029
How to center the exported Flash (SWF) on a web page inside QuarkXPress web layout?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16742/70635.aspx#70635
How do I create a progress element (e.g. using Image Sequences)? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16733/70608.aspx#70608
Are there other examples for Image Sequences or animations?
http://forums.quark.com/t/20383.aspx
How do I create a custom (and animated) mouse cursor?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16668/70251.aspx#70251 [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/22001/88895.aspx#88895 [SWF] [QXP]
How do I create banner ads using a clickTAG method? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/t/16771.aspx#75426
How do I create an event that is only triggered when the mouse is at least 1 second over the object? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/21203/85475.aspx#85475
How can I create dynamic bar graphs that grow according to a value a user enters? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/t/22478.aspx#90913
How can I include Google Maps inside an Interactive layout? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/p/22541/91010.aspx#91010
How do I create a form that will send the data filled in via a PHP script? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/22929/93191.aspx#93191
Do you have a sample form available? [SWF] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/t/24539.aspx
Authoring - Advanced stuff
I know most of the basics now, how can I create more advanced stuff? [Steps] [QXP]
http://forums.quark.com/t/21432.aspx
Authoring - Quality
How to optimize for quality?
http://forums.quark.com/t/20266.aspx
How to keep vectors from AI/FH as vectors in the SWF? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16724/70564.aspx#70564
How to get colors to look better on-screen?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16640/70092.aspx#70092
Export
How to keep the file size of exported SWFs small? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/t/16602.aspx
How to create Autostart-CDs / self-running slideshows / Projectors? [Steps]
http://forums.quark.com/p/16638/70091.aspx#70091
Runtime
Why do links in the Flash file (SWF) not work or why do I get a security warning?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16620/70013.aspx#70013
I have 64-Bit Windows and have issues with the Flash Player. Will it work?
http://forums.quark.com/p/16731/70602.aspx#70602
Issues and workarounds
I created a button, animation and/or another layout, but I don't seem to be able to delete them anymore.
http://forums.quark.com/p/16660/70235.aspx#70235
I put an Interactive layout into another Interactive layout and these nested presentations into a web layout. However, the inner SWF doesn't show/play when exporting HTML.
http://forums.quark.com/p/16629/70040.aspx#70040
Other
Is there a "Made with Interactive"-Logo that I can use on websites created with Quark Interactive Designer?
Black background: http://www.quarkforums.com/resources/logos/createdwith8_black.swf (enlarged)
White background: http://www.quarkforums.com/resources/logos/createdwith8_white.swf (enlarged)
Download both: http://www.quarkforums.com/resources/logos/logos.zip
Are there training files available?
http://euro.quark.com/en/service/desktop/training/lynda/
http://www.quark.com/products/interactivedesigner/projects.html
Are there podcasts/videocasts available showing Interactive Designer / Interactive Layout?
http://8.quark.com/video/screencasts/001-interactive.html
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C7E373FD0976073C&page=2 (videos 15 to 20)
Are their sites online made with Quark Interactive?
http://forums.quark.com/t/16613.aspx
Whenever there are good tips posted or answers to reoccurring questions I will link them from this post, feel free to send me any you would like to see here.
Enjoy!
Matthias