image maps wit HTML?

[deadfingers]

well it seems theres still lots of HTML im still learning lol, nothing real big but small little shortcuts or stuff that can help me out and one of them is an image map. I can make an image map in flash really easily but i saw this http://www.webclass.ru/eng/Tutorials/HTML/Using_ImageMap.html
and was intriged. i understand wat it is, but up to the part were u put the coordinates of the pics u want to be a link in the map. Ok does HTML automatically know wat 'shapes' ur trying to have as links? like if u put shape="star" it finds a shape that looks like a star on the image map and sets teh coordinates for it? or does this have to be done manually? like i would use a image program wit rulers of some sort to pin point the location? if so then ill just stick wit flash image maps. can someone clarify this for me? thanx

[tony]

you would still have to put the coordinates as it wouldnt know how big you want the shape that you specified.

personally i dont use image maps or very rarely, but they do have 1 good thing over flash in that you can better optimise an image map for search engines than a flash 1

[deadfingers]

you would still have to put the coordinates as it wouldnt know how big you want the shape that you specified.

personally i dont use image maps or very rarely, but they do have 1 good thing over flash in that you can better optimise an image map for search engines than a flash 1
yeah probably but i use Flash MX anyways, but if i have to figure out the coordinates id rather just sacrifice that SEO advantage and save time.