	// set up drop downs anywhere in the body of the page. I think the bottom of the page is better.. 
	// but you can experiment with effect on loadtime.
	if (mtDropDown.isSupported()) {

		//==================================================================================================
		// create a set of dropdowns
		//==================================================================================================
		// the first param should always be down, as it is here
		//
		// The second and third param are the top and left offset positions of the menus from their actuators
		// respectively. To make a menu appear a little to the left and bottom of an actuator, you could use
		// something like -5, 5
		//
		// The last parameter can be .topLeft, .bottomLeft, .topRight, or .bottomRight to inidicate the corner
		// of the actuator from which to measure the offset positions above. Here we are saying we want the 
		// menu to appear directly below the bottom left corner of the actuator
		//==================================================================================================
		var ms = new mtDropDownSet(mtDropDown.direction.down, 0, 0, mtDropDown.reference.bottomLeft);

		//==================================================================================================
		// create a dropdown menu
		//==================================================================================================
		// the first parameter should be the HTML element which will act actuator for the menu
		//==================================================================================================
		var menu1 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu1"));
		menu1.addItem("- 1001 Series", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/laser_heads/standard_laser_heads.html"); // send no URL if nothing should happen onclick
		menu1.addItem("- 1101B", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/laser_heads/1101b_calibration_laser_head.html"); // send no URL if nothing should happen onclick
		
		//==================================================================================================

		//==================================================================================================
		// add a sub-menu
		//==================================================================================================
		// to add a sub menu to an existing menu object, call it's addMenu method and pass it the item from
		// the parent menu which should act as it's actuator. To add a submenu to the fourth item of a menu
		// called "theMenu", you would do theMenu.addMenu(theMenu.items[3])
		//==================================================================================================
		
		// menu : Get Started
		var menu2 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu2"));
		menu2.addItem("- Interferometers", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/");
		menu2.addItem("- Optics", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/");
		
		var subMenu2 = menu2.addMenu(menu2.items[0]);
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1011A/B/F Linear Interferometer", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/1011a_linear_interferometer.html");    
 	    subMenu2.addItem(". 1012A/B/C/ER/F Plane Mirror Interferometer", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/1012a-b-c-er-f_plane_mirror_interferometer.html " );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1013A/C Retroreflector", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/1013a-c_retroreflector.html" );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1018A/B/F Single Beam Interferometer", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/1018a-c_single_beam_interferometer.html" );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1019A Small Retroreflector", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/interferometers/1019a_small_retroreflector.html" );
		
		var subMenu2 = menu2.addMenu(menu2.items[1]);
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1014A 50% Beam Splitter", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/1014a_50_percent_beam_splitter.html");    
 	    subMenu2.addItem(". 1015A 33/67 Beam Splitter", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/1015a_33-67_beam_splitter.html" );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1016A Plane Mirror Converter", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/1016a_plane_mirror_converter.html" );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1017A/B 90 degree Beam Bender", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/1017a-b_90_degree_beam_bender.html " );
		subMenu2.addItem(". 1020A Polarizing Beam Splitterr", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/optics/1020a_polarizing_beam_splitter.html" );
  	   
		// menu
		var menu3 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu3"));
		menu3.addItem("- 1100A", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1100a.html");
		menu3.addItem("- 1100B", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1100b.html");
		
		var subMenu3 = menu3.addMenu(menu3.items[0]);
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1110A Linear Measurement Kit", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1110a_linear_measurement_kit.html");    
 	    subMenu3.addItem(". 1120A Angular Optics", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1120a_angular_optics.html" );
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1130A Flatness Accessory Kit", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1130a_flatness_accessory_kit.html" );
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1140A Straightness Measurement Kit", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1140a_straightness_measurement_kit.html" );
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1150A Squareness Measurement Kit", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1150a_squareness_measurement_kit.html" );
		
		var subMenu3 = menu3.addMenu(menu3.items[1]);
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1101B Laser & Opto-Electronics Module", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1101b_laser_opto-electronics_module.html");    
 	    subMenu3.addItem(". 1102B Target Reflector", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1102b_target_reflector.html" );
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1151B Calibration Electronics", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1151b_calibration-electronics.html" );
		subMenu3.addItem(". 1195B Calibration Software", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/calibration/1151b_calibration-software.html" );
		
		// menu
		var menu4 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu4"));
		menu4.addItem("- 1031A/F Receiver", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1031a-f_receiver.html");
		menu4.addItem("- PC-Based Solutions", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/pc-based_solutions.html");
		menu4.addItem("- Stand Alone A-Q-B Signal Format", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/stand_alone_a-q-b_signal_format.html");
		menu4.addItem("- Custom Card Cage Solutions", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/custom_card_cage_solutions.html");
		
		var subMenu4 = menu4.addMenu(menu4.items[1]);
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1032B/C Signal Processor Card", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1032b-c_signal_processor_card.html");    
 	    subMenu4.addItem(". 1132B PCMCIA-ISA Conversion Expander", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1132b_pcmcia-isa_conversion_expander.html" );
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1133B ISA Expander Box", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1133b_isa_expander_box.html" );
		
		
		var subMenu4 = menu4.addMenu(menu4.items[2]);
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1060A A-Quad-B Counter", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/a-q-b_counter.html");    
		
		var subMenu4 = menu4.addMenu(menu4.items[3]);
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1036A Fast Pulse Converter", "/http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1036a_fast_pulse_converter.html");    
 	    subMenu4.addItem(". 1037A Binary Interface Card", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1037a_binary_interface_card.html" );
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1038A Fast Comparator", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1038a_comparator.html" );
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1041A Custom Card Cage Electronics", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1041a_coupler.html" );
		subMenu4.addItem(". 1043A Extender Card", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_electronics/1043a_extender_card.html" );
	
				
		// menu : Company
		var menu5 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu5"));
		menu5.addItem("- 1160A Weather Station", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/wavelength_compensation/1160a_weather_station.html");
		menu5.addItem("- 1024A Refractometer", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/wavelength_compensation/1163a_material_sensor.html");
		menu5.addItem("- 1163A Material Sensor", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/wavelength_compensation/1024a_refractometer.html");
		
		
		// menu : Company
		var menu6 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu6"));
		menu6.addItem("- 1193 Measurement Software", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_software/measurement_software.html");
		menu6.addItem("- 1195 Calibration Software", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_software/1195b_calibration_software.html");
		
		var subMenu6 = menu6.addMenu(menu6.items[0]);
		subMenu6.addItem(". 1193A DOS Software", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_software/1193a_dos_software.html");    
 	    subMenu6.addItem(". 1193B Windows Software", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/measurement_software/1193b_windows_software.html" );
		
		
		
		// menu : Company
		var menu7 = ms.addMenu(document.getElementById("menu7"));
		menu7.addItem("- 1512B X-Y Sensor", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/sensor_systems/1512b_x-y_sensor.html");
		menu7.addItem("- 1550A Angular Sensor", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/sensor_systems/1550a_angular_sensor.html");
		menu7.addItem("- 1700A Level Sensor", "http://www.excelprecision.com/products/sensor_systems/1700a_level_sensor.html");
		
		

		//==================================================================================================
		// write drop downs into page
		//==================================================================================================
		// this method writes all the HTML for the menus into the page with document.write(). It must be
		// called within the body of the HTML page.
		//==================================================================================================
		mtDropDown.renderAll();
	}
